Title: So Much at Stake
Author: spike_me_1
Email: spike-me_1@yahoo.com
URL:
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All hail Joss Whedon.
Rating: R
Spoilers: Everything up to "Never Leave Me"
Dedication: To Sandy, for always encouraging me and believing that I have a tale worth telling.
Summary: Season Seven… Spike Me style.
Chapter 8
"So I'm just supposed to sit in there and make nice with her after everything she's done?" Xander asked Buffy as the Scoobies met in the small kitchen for an emergency meeting.
"What else can we do, Xander? He story checked out completely. Angel said that things had gotten out of hand and that they didn't want to bother me… whatever that means."
"Thank goodness," Spike chimed in, "S'about time ol' Peaches started taking care of his own damn problems if you ask me."
"No one did Spike. When we want your opinion we'll ask for it," Giles said abruptly.
"I just don't understand," Willow exclaimed. "Why didn't they call me? I mean HELLO? Powerful witch here! I'm the one who got Angel all soul-having last time, remember?"
"What about me? I'm the slayer without the bad track record… unless you count my dating record, which clearly wouldn't be taken into consideration when the world is ending. Why didn't he ask me?"
"Excuse me!" Anya yelled. All of the Scoobies stared at her in shock. "Are you forgetting what's important here?" The room fell silent. "May I remind you that that little hussy is responsible for Xander gaining his manhood and I'll be damned, well again anyway, if she's going to be around him. Imagine all the sex she'll want now that he's in construction and rippling with muscles of all shapes and sizes."
Ignoring her effectively and rolling their eyes, the conversation continued as before. Soon they all realized that they had no choice… two slayers were better than one. It was up to Buffy to inform her ex-friend of what had been decided. She headed into the living room to sort it all out with the slayer.
"Faith, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" she asked.
"Sure thing, Buffy. Just telling the rug rats here about our night out with the cops and all."
Buffy's face froze. She stared forcefully at the girls. "Do NOT try to be like her."
"Damn, B. Relax a little. I was just telling them that they got the power. Ya know? They got a fighter inside like us. They just got to want it and go after it."
"Faith. Outside. Now!" she exclaimed and the two walked out of the front door and stood on the porch. Faith quickly jumped onto the porch railing and sat with her legs crossed.
"Fire away," she teased.
"I don't like you being here. I don't like the thought of all of these little girls being around you when they are so impressionable," she started.
"They aren't little girls, B. They're slayers just like us. You gotta stop treating them like they are inferior. Any one of them can take our place."
"Don't even start trying to give me orders, Faith. You are a murderer and a liar and a traitor!"
"I WAS, Buffy! WAS! People change you know. I'm not the brainwashed confused seventeen-year-old I was back in the day. I grew up, just like you, only I didn't get to grow up around friends and family. I was lonely and I was scared for the first time in my life and let me tell you I had plenty of time to think it over. Don't you think with my strength and wicked skill I coulda been outta that place like this?" she snapped her fingers. "A couple of punches and a broken wall or two and I would have been flyin' high."
She paused momentarily to play with her cuticles. She couldn't look at Buffy in the face. "But I didn't. I couldn't. I realized what I had done. What I lost and what coulda been, ya know? That short time I was you… I realized what it was like to be loved by people. What it was like to have people in your life. I'd been alone for as long as I could curse, which trust me was at a very young age. But being you… being with Riley… staying with your mom, I understood. I knew why I felt the way I did. And I knew that you and your pathetic gang of losers had been trying to help me out, bring me in your circle."
"Faith I.." Buffy started to say as Faith cut her off.
"Naw Buffy. You had your time. Let me finish before you tear me to shreds," she inhaled deeply before continuing. "I have spent the last two years trying to understand why I did what I did and why I feel guilty about it. Now I know why. I'm the slayer… er, well 'A' slayer. It's in me too, Buffy; that drive you have to save everyone, to kill the bad guy and make it all right. I feel it here," she placed her hand above her heart. "So now I'm at terms with that and ready to do my job."
The two warriors stared at each other for a long time. Buffy's face was as hard as before and Faith looked worried. Finally Buffy spoke.
"Just be sure to watch your language," she said as she turned to enter the house. "Oh! And stay away from Xander. Anya's got it out for you and she's done things worse than you and me combined." The door shut and all that was left was a beautiful brunette smiling as the sun came up behind her.
******
"Now there's another dolly here to spoil our fun!" Drusilla cried! "This one's mean though! You can make her all black inside like the night sky!"
"Easy now Dru," the First soothed. "Won't be much longer. Did you see them tonight? It's getting closer. Soon they will die for each other," it laughed.
Drusilla stared at the imaginary form of Darla before her and pouted. "I miss Daddy! Why can't you be someone I can have more fun with?" A light whooshing sound rose in the small cavern and soon Spike stood before her.
"Is that better, my pet?" he smirked.
"Mmm hmm. Now Princess can dance with her Spike," she clapped as she ran to grab his hands and proceeded to swirl around the room.
"Anything for you, my dark beauty. You're the only woman I'll ever love."
*****
Time flew and soon two weeks had passed since Faith's arrival. New girls were appearing at the doorstep on a daily basis and training was constant and in full force. Sunnydale was officially a ghost town and the Scoobies were able to help themselves to all necessities that they needed… free of charge, which of course pleased Anya to no end. The houses on either side of the Summers had become hotels for the potentials as they continued to grow in numbers. Soon Buffy's house was the official residence of not only her, Dawn, and Willow. Spike, Xander, Anya, Giles, Faith, and Andrew set up camp in the rooms as well. Better to be all together in such a time was Buffy's new approach.
Xander and Anya's romance was growing stronger day by day. The two were inseparable again and were often caught kissing by the potentials.
One of the young slayers, Kennedy, was sweet on Willow, but the poor Wicca could not overcome her sadness for Tara. She missed her more and more each day.
Giles stuck to reading the few books he had salvaged from the Watcher's Headquarters. He was simply fascinated by the records he found but had little hope that they held any insight into how to destroy the First. It was one of their limited resources left so he knew he had to exhaust all possibilities.
Dawn became "Junior Watcher" as she called herself. Between research and training, the poor girl was in bed by eight every night. However, she was thankful to have so many people around her and loved not being the only teenager in the house for once. It was like a never-ending slumber party.
Andrew continued making his documentary, focusing most of his attention on Xander and his brilliance. In between takes he made sure to get in the way. The gang was starting to accept him more as the days went by and he proved himself to be useful around the house.
Spike kept mostly to himself. The house was a bit noisier than what he had been used to in the last hundred years or so. He spent most of his time in the basement or sparring with Buffy and the other slayers. He paid special attention to Dawn, making sure his girl knew how to take care of herself. He was impressed with her abilities, which were far superior to the newly discovered slayers.
Buffy worried day and night. Her entire body ached from the stress and pain that daily life now demanded. Her only release was spending time with Willow and Xander. Xander always knew how to make her laugh and feel better and Willow was supportive as ever. When all was quiet, she would sneak into the basement and visit with Spike. The two were growing closer together with every moment they spent together.
Faith just sat there and watched as it all unfolded before her. She helped the girls practice day and night, training them to be tough and hard like she was.
No one was any closer to uncovering the truth behind the First. No amount of reading, chanting, or meditating seemed to show them the way… that is until the doorbell rang one night after dusk.
"Door!" Dawn yelled as she nodded her head to the music that was blaring over the dozens of teenage voices. No one moved and soon the familiar ring sounded again.
"Somebody get the door!" Buffy yelled from upstairs. She had just stepped out of the shower and was wrapping her soaked hair in her favorite yellow towel. DING DONG.
"Hello? Some one needs to get that!" she screamed. Again the bell rang. She stared at her frustrated face in the mirror and tightened her robe. "I swear if you want something done around here…" she mumbled as she trotted down the steps. Ruby and Krissa sat at the foot at the stairs, blocking her way. "Uh, hello ladies? Did you not hear the bell ring?" she paused to ask them.
"Yes, but we just figured Spike and Xander were back from the store and forgot their keys," Ruby stated.
"And you didn't open it for them why?" Buffy quizzed.
"Because Janie is standing right next to the doorframe," Krissa explained. Buffy glanced at Janie.
"Don't look at me!" she exclaimed. "I thought I wasn't supposed to open ANYTHING after the whole 'Wicca-box-that-should-not-be-opened' incident!"
"Fine. Whatever," Buffy sighed and walked to the door. "I hope one of you was man enough to pick up the tampons this time…" she began to say as she opened the door.
"Can't say that I did," smirked a familiar voice. "but I did bring visitors."
** TBC Very soon! ***