DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in this fic except the plot. The characters and such belong to Joss Whedon (aka God), so if you've got a problem, take it up with him, okay?
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: Buffy/Spike fanfic set after 'Chosen'. After defeating the First, Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang are Cleveland-bound and ready to start a new chapter in their lives, and they're not the only ones…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: *shame* Sorry I took so freaking long. I was busy with my site, I didn't have time, and I kinda... wasn't in the mood to write. But now I am. So that's good. Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one!
CHAPTER FIVE: Dead End
Okay, so there was the uncomfortable silence moment. And the fidgeting moment. Oh, yeah, and the moment where they both opened their mouths and shut them again. Then Dawn said, "Spike? Oh my god, how-" Spike cut her off. "It's a long, semi-boring story." Silence.
'I have to tell Buffy. But first I should tell Spike that I have to tell Buffy,' Dawn thought frantically. "Does Buffy know?" Dawn asked tentatively. She didn't think her older sister did. And she was right.
"Listen, Bit, I'd rather me tell the Slayer than you," Spike said. Dawn nodded. "I... understand. But... you should tell her. And... tell her what?" she asked, getting back to the obvious questions. Spike sighed, looked left and right as if he suspected he was being watched, and told Dawn to come in. She did.
+++
"Giles! I think I'd prefer living in the big crater that was once Sunnydale than here!" Buffy called as she entered the hotel room, closely followed by Willow, Xander, and Andrew. "Lemme guess? Cleveland is kickin'?" Kennedy asked. She had just come out of the bathroom.
Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah. In a big way." Then something occurred to her. "Where's Dawn?" Kennedy shrugged. "Giles probably knows." Buffy looked around the small hotel. "Where's Giles?"
+++
Giles was half way down the street when he realized that there was no gift shop. Muttering angrily, he made his way back to the hotel. Shortly after Dawn had fled from the hotel room, he had followed, realizing that a sixteen year old really shouldn't be roaming around a Hellmouth when they weren't even sure what kind of things it inhibited.
A scream emitted from somewhere behind him. Turning quickly, alarmed, Giles went to investigate, suddenly wondering why he hadn't brought a stake with him. As the screaming died out, he quickened his pace, until he reached a dead end street. He gazed around frantically and put all possible senses on alert; if there was something lurking around, he wasn't sure he would hear it if he had been fidgeting.
He didn't see the thing coming at first, but when he did he could do nothing to stop it. His glasses fell to the ground and smashed into pieces.
+++
"Wow... so... you're... human?" Dawn asked, barely able to believe it. Spike nodded nonchalantly. "Pretty much."
After a few moments of stunned silence, Dawn spoke up. "Buffy's gonna freak. Giles is gonna freak." She paused. "Xander and Willow might, too." "Exactly! Which is why I want to approach the situation gently. Didn't 'spect you to come knockin', puts a bit of a glitch in the plans," Spike told her. Dawn nodded. She still couldn't believe a word of what he just told her.
"Do you... uh... still have the amulet thing?" Spike nodded and went to a small cabinet provided by the nice hotel people, opened a drawer and handed it to her. She examined the amulet for a while and said, "Wow," a few times before she handed it back to him.
He put it in the back pocket of his pants. "I should get back to Buffy," Dawn said, rising from the hotel bed she had been sitting on. Spike opened his mouth to say something, but Dawn said, "Don't worry, I won't tell Buffy." And with that, she left.
+++
Dawn opened the hotel door to find it full of people. Well, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Andrew, and Kennedy at least.
"Is Giles with you?" Buffy asked when Dawn entered. Dawn shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Willow noticed she looked a little pale.
"He was here when I left to go to the... er... bathroom," Dawn said. "Why didn't you use the one in here?" Buffy asked. Dawn shrugged. "I didn't like the color," she replied lamely. Buffy didn't seem to be listening, for she was too busy wondering what happened to Giles. "Calm down Buff, the G-man probably went to get some drinks," Xander told her. Willow tapped his shoulder and pointed to a box of soda in the corner of the room. "Maybe he didn't like the color of the bathroom, either," Dawn suggested.
"Guys, I don't like this. I mean, you saw all those vamps I dusted out on patrol tonight. What if he ran into some trouble?" Buffy said, glancing out the window. "Wouldn't be the first time. I mean, retired librarian is pretty high on the menu nowadays," Xander said. Buffy looked at him, slight exasperation appearing on her face. "Why don't we go look for him!" Andrew exclaimed a little too cheerily.
"Okay. Dawn, you stay here with Andrew. Kennedy, come with us," Buffy said, leaving the hotel swiftly; Willow, Xander, and Kennedy quickly following in her wake.
A look of amusement passed through Dawn's face when she saw the look on Andrew's. "When I said 'we' I meant me too," he mumbled grumpily.
+++
Now he was even reluctant to leave his apartment. "Damnit," Spike muttered under his breath. He didn't really want to go out and run into Buffy before he was ready, and, as Dawn had said, she would probably freak anyway. He looked out of the hotel window and drew back instantly. Buffy was walking across the street with Xander, Willow, and one of the former potentials, Kennedy.
He fought back the sudden urge to go out and talk to his Slayer as he watched her walk along confidently, stake in hand, leading the other three. He wondered faintly where they were going.
Once they disappeared around a corner, he made a decision, threw open the door, and followed them.
+++
"Dead end," Xander muttered when they had reached the street Giles had been on moments before. "You can say that again," Willow said as she stood beside Kennedy. "Dead end," Xander repeated. Buffy looked stricken.
"As soon as I find Giles I am going to strangle his ex-librarian self," she said, surveying the street worriedly. "I have a feeling someone beat you to it," Kennedy said. Buffy looked over at her and saw that the former Potential was leaning over what appeared to be a pair of broken glasses. Giles's glasses.
Kennedy picked them up gently and handed them to Buffy. "Well, at least we know this is a Hellmouth," Buffy grumbled. "Peril around every corner."
+++
Someone - or something - had shaken Giles awake. Now he lay on what appeared to be a broken stretcher, tied down rather sloppily. His vision was a little blurry; it was then he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses.
A blonde woman was standing over him, quite young-looking and easy on the eyes. "You shouldn't 'ave fought," she said in a strong French accent. "My pet wouldn't 'ave 'ad to cause all zese injuries you 'ave now." She gestured to a large dog-like being. The only difference was it was twice the size of a normal dog and had blazing red eyes and slightly furry black skin. It breathed and let out a strange white substance; he didn't look at all friendly. 'So much for man's best friend,' Giles thought drowsily.
She turned back to him and said, "You are ze Watcher of Buffy Summers, am I right?" Giles did nothing; he regretted it later.
She smiled. "Very well. I shall set my pet on you, and we'll see who is ze boss." She clapped happily. "I've always wanted to do zis."
+++
"Willow, are you sure this is the way?" Xander asked as he, Buffy, and Kennedy followed her through a large mall. It was closing but none of them really cared. Willow nodded. "I can feel his energy."
Xander turned to Buffy. "That's a weird wicca thing, right?" Buffy shrugged. "Guess so." She really didn't have time for small talk - her conscience was full of worry for Giles. Willow began walking down a flight of stairs that led underground where the mall workers parked.
"Bet that place it chock full o' vamps just waiting to be staked," Xander pointed out as they turned left when they reached the bottom. "This way," Willow ordered, walking straight up to a door that read, 'Janitor'. She pushed it open and yelped as something - or rather, someone - fell on her. "D'ya think that's the janitor?" Kennedy asked. Buffy looked slightly disgusted. "Somebody propped him up against the door to block it," she said, stepping over the body of the old man. His eyes were open in shock and the wound on his neck was clearly still fresh.
"I think I can take it from here, Will," Buffy told her friend. Her Slayer senses were starting to kick in.
+++
"Come on, it is not zat bad," the vampire woman told Giles as he cried out in pain - again - as her 'pet' slashed at the side of his face with it's razor sharp paws. "Now. Where is Buffy Summers? I want to challenge 'er."
"Then you should ask her," someone said behind her, causing her to turn around in surprise. "'Cause he sure isn't Buffy Summers," Buffy finished her semi-pun and ran forward, charging at the vamp, stake clutched tightly in her hand.
After she got over the initial surprise, the woman smiled and slipped into her vampire visage. "You must be Buffy Summers," she said, with an air of arrogance about her. "And you must be a vampire that I'm about to kill. Nice to meet you," Buffy quipped, using the hand that wasn't clutching her stake to punch her opponent in the jaw.
The vampire woman stumbled and bit, but the smiled remained plastered on her features. "Actually, my name is Amelie, but zat was a good guess."
As Buffy and Amelie fought, Willow, Kennedy, and Xander made their way over to Giles. When he saw them he coughed slightly and said, "Hello all." Xander smiled. "Hey G-man! Having a nice time?" Giles looked at him disapprovingly. "Don't call me that, and yes, quite a wonderful one, actually," he said sarcastically. Xander shrugged. "Okay then, we'll be back la-" Xander paused in mid-sentence when he spotted the large black dog creature. It looked as if it was going to pounce on them any second. "Uhh... Kennedy? This is the time when you go all Slayery," Xander told her. "Oh, right," Kennedy said as she charged the dog, who swiped at her and sent her sprawling across the floor.
Willow rushed to help her, leaving Xander to stand by Giles as the dog thing began to charge. "Oh, not good," Xander muttered. At that moment, Buffy sprinted in front of Xander and dealt the dog creature a powerful kick in the face, making it yelp and run towards Amelie.
Amelie had an evil-looking sneer on her face and said, "Word travels fast in zis town, you know. By now, everyone will be looking to challenge ze Slayer who defeated ze First. You don't 'ave a chance against us all." And with that, she rushed forward and, quite unexpectedly, kicked out Buffy's feet from beneath her. The next thing Buffy knew, Amelie was on her and had her hands grasped around Buffy's neck.
Buffy made some slight choking noises before she forcefully kicked Amelie off of her and grabbed her stake. Before she could plunge it into Amelie's heart, however, a man called out, "Buffy!", and it wasn't Xander or Giles, and it certainly wasn't Willow. Buffy turned and saw that Amelie's pet had been about to pounce on her, but he was now being held back by...
"Spike?" she said uncertainly. 'Am I dreaming?' was the thought that immediately followed that, and she watched as Spike twisted back the dog thing's neck and muttered, "So much for gently."
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: Buffy/Spike fanfic set after 'Chosen'. After defeating the First, Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang are Cleveland-bound and ready to start a new chapter in their lives, and they're not the only ones…
AUTHOR'S NOTE: *shame* Sorry I took so freaking long. I was busy with my site, I didn't have time, and I kinda... wasn't in the mood to write. But now I am. So that's good. Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one!
CHAPTER FIVE: Dead End
Okay, so there was the uncomfortable silence moment. And the fidgeting moment. Oh, yeah, and the moment where they both opened their mouths and shut them again. Then Dawn said, "Spike? Oh my god, how-" Spike cut her off. "It's a long, semi-boring story." Silence.
'I have to tell Buffy. But first I should tell Spike that I have to tell Buffy,' Dawn thought frantically. "Does Buffy know?" Dawn asked tentatively. She didn't think her older sister did. And she was right.
"Listen, Bit, I'd rather me tell the Slayer than you," Spike said. Dawn nodded. "I... understand. But... you should tell her. And... tell her what?" she asked, getting back to the obvious questions. Spike sighed, looked left and right as if he suspected he was being watched, and told Dawn to come in. She did.
+++
"Giles! I think I'd prefer living in the big crater that was once Sunnydale than here!" Buffy called as she entered the hotel room, closely followed by Willow, Xander, and Andrew. "Lemme guess? Cleveland is kickin'?" Kennedy asked. She had just come out of the bathroom.
Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah. In a big way." Then something occurred to her. "Where's Dawn?" Kennedy shrugged. "Giles probably knows." Buffy looked around the small hotel. "Where's Giles?"
+++
Giles was half way down the street when he realized that there was no gift shop. Muttering angrily, he made his way back to the hotel. Shortly after Dawn had fled from the hotel room, he had followed, realizing that a sixteen year old really shouldn't be roaming around a Hellmouth when they weren't even sure what kind of things it inhibited.
A scream emitted from somewhere behind him. Turning quickly, alarmed, Giles went to investigate, suddenly wondering why he hadn't brought a stake with him. As the screaming died out, he quickened his pace, until he reached a dead end street. He gazed around frantically and put all possible senses on alert; if there was something lurking around, he wasn't sure he would hear it if he had been fidgeting.
He didn't see the thing coming at first, but when he did he could do nothing to stop it. His glasses fell to the ground and smashed into pieces.
+++
"Wow... so... you're... human?" Dawn asked, barely able to believe it. Spike nodded nonchalantly. "Pretty much."
After a few moments of stunned silence, Dawn spoke up. "Buffy's gonna freak. Giles is gonna freak." She paused. "Xander and Willow might, too." "Exactly! Which is why I want to approach the situation gently. Didn't 'spect you to come knockin', puts a bit of a glitch in the plans," Spike told her. Dawn nodded. She still couldn't believe a word of what he just told her.
"Do you... uh... still have the amulet thing?" Spike nodded and went to a small cabinet provided by the nice hotel people, opened a drawer and handed it to her. She examined the amulet for a while and said, "Wow," a few times before she handed it back to him.
He put it in the back pocket of his pants. "I should get back to Buffy," Dawn said, rising from the hotel bed she had been sitting on. Spike opened his mouth to say something, but Dawn said, "Don't worry, I won't tell Buffy." And with that, she left.
+++
Dawn opened the hotel door to find it full of people. Well, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Andrew, and Kennedy at least.
"Is Giles with you?" Buffy asked when Dawn entered. Dawn shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Willow noticed she looked a little pale.
"He was here when I left to go to the... er... bathroom," Dawn said. "Why didn't you use the one in here?" Buffy asked. Dawn shrugged. "I didn't like the color," she replied lamely. Buffy didn't seem to be listening, for she was too busy wondering what happened to Giles. "Calm down Buff, the G-man probably went to get some drinks," Xander told her. Willow tapped his shoulder and pointed to a box of soda in the corner of the room. "Maybe he didn't like the color of the bathroom, either," Dawn suggested.
"Guys, I don't like this. I mean, you saw all those vamps I dusted out on patrol tonight. What if he ran into some trouble?" Buffy said, glancing out the window. "Wouldn't be the first time. I mean, retired librarian is pretty high on the menu nowadays," Xander said. Buffy looked at him, slight exasperation appearing on her face. "Why don't we go look for him!" Andrew exclaimed a little too cheerily.
"Okay. Dawn, you stay here with Andrew. Kennedy, come with us," Buffy said, leaving the hotel swiftly; Willow, Xander, and Kennedy quickly following in her wake.
A look of amusement passed through Dawn's face when she saw the look on Andrew's. "When I said 'we' I meant me too," he mumbled grumpily.
+++
Now he was even reluctant to leave his apartment. "Damnit," Spike muttered under his breath. He didn't really want to go out and run into Buffy before he was ready, and, as Dawn had said, she would probably freak anyway. He looked out of the hotel window and drew back instantly. Buffy was walking across the street with Xander, Willow, and one of the former potentials, Kennedy.
He fought back the sudden urge to go out and talk to his Slayer as he watched her walk along confidently, stake in hand, leading the other three. He wondered faintly where they were going.
Once they disappeared around a corner, he made a decision, threw open the door, and followed them.
+++
"Dead end," Xander muttered when they had reached the street Giles had been on moments before. "You can say that again," Willow said as she stood beside Kennedy. "Dead end," Xander repeated. Buffy looked stricken.
"As soon as I find Giles I am going to strangle his ex-librarian self," she said, surveying the street worriedly. "I have a feeling someone beat you to it," Kennedy said. Buffy looked over at her and saw that the former Potential was leaning over what appeared to be a pair of broken glasses. Giles's glasses.
Kennedy picked them up gently and handed them to Buffy. "Well, at least we know this is a Hellmouth," Buffy grumbled. "Peril around every corner."
+++
Someone - or something - had shaken Giles awake. Now he lay on what appeared to be a broken stretcher, tied down rather sloppily. His vision was a little blurry; it was then he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses.
A blonde woman was standing over him, quite young-looking and easy on the eyes. "You shouldn't 'ave fought," she said in a strong French accent. "My pet wouldn't 'ave 'ad to cause all zese injuries you 'ave now." She gestured to a large dog-like being. The only difference was it was twice the size of a normal dog and had blazing red eyes and slightly furry black skin. It breathed and let out a strange white substance; he didn't look at all friendly. 'So much for man's best friend,' Giles thought drowsily.
She turned back to him and said, "You are ze Watcher of Buffy Summers, am I right?" Giles did nothing; he regretted it later.
She smiled. "Very well. I shall set my pet on you, and we'll see who is ze boss." She clapped happily. "I've always wanted to do zis."
+++
"Willow, are you sure this is the way?" Xander asked as he, Buffy, and Kennedy followed her through a large mall. It was closing but none of them really cared. Willow nodded. "I can feel his energy."
Xander turned to Buffy. "That's a weird wicca thing, right?" Buffy shrugged. "Guess so." She really didn't have time for small talk - her conscience was full of worry for Giles. Willow began walking down a flight of stairs that led underground where the mall workers parked.
"Bet that place it chock full o' vamps just waiting to be staked," Xander pointed out as they turned left when they reached the bottom. "This way," Willow ordered, walking straight up to a door that read, 'Janitor'. She pushed it open and yelped as something - or rather, someone - fell on her. "D'ya think that's the janitor?" Kennedy asked. Buffy looked slightly disgusted. "Somebody propped him up against the door to block it," she said, stepping over the body of the old man. His eyes were open in shock and the wound on his neck was clearly still fresh.
"I think I can take it from here, Will," Buffy told her friend. Her Slayer senses were starting to kick in.
+++
"Come on, it is not zat bad," the vampire woman told Giles as he cried out in pain - again - as her 'pet' slashed at the side of his face with it's razor sharp paws. "Now. Where is Buffy Summers? I want to challenge 'er."
"Then you should ask her," someone said behind her, causing her to turn around in surprise. "'Cause he sure isn't Buffy Summers," Buffy finished her semi-pun and ran forward, charging at the vamp, stake clutched tightly in her hand.
After she got over the initial surprise, the woman smiled and slipped into her vampire visage. "You must be Buffy Summers," she said, with an air of arrogance about her. "And you must be a vampire that I'm about to kill. Nice to meet you," Buffy quipped, using the hand that wasn't clutching her stake to punch her opponent in the jaw.
The vampire woman stumbled and bit, but the smiled remained plastered on her features. "Actually, my name is Amelie, but zat was a good guess."
As Buffy and Amelie fought, Willow, Kennedy, and Xander made their way over to Giles. When he saw them he coughed slightly and said, "Hello all." Xander smiled. "Hey G-man! Having a nice time?" Giles looked at him disapprovingly. "Don't call me that, and yes, quite a wonderful one, actually," he said sarcastically. Xander shrugged. "Okay then, we'll be back la-" Xander paused in mid-sentence when he spotted the large black dog creature. It looked as if it was going to pounce on them any second. "Uhh... Kennedy? This is the time when you go all Slayery," Xander told her. "Oh, right," Kennedy said as she charged the dog, who swiped at her and sent her sprawling across the floor.
Willow rushed to help her, leaving Xander to stand by Giles as the dog thing began to charge. "Oh, not good," Xander muttered. At that moment, Buffy sprinted in front of Xander and dealt the dog creature a powerful kick in the face, making it yelp and run towards Amelie.
Amelie had an evil-looking sneer on her face and said, "Word travels fast in zis town, you know. By now, everyone will be looking to challenge ze Slayer who defeated ze First. You don't 'ave a chance against us all." And with that, she rushed forward and, quite unexpectedly, kicked out Buffy's feet from beneath her. The next thing Buffy knew, Amelie was on her and had her hands grasped around Buffy's neck.
Buffy made some slight choking noises before she forcefully kicked Amelie off of her and grabbed her stake. Before she could plunge it into Amelie's heart, however, a man called out, "Buffy!", and it wasn't Xander or Giles, and it certainly wasn't Willow. Buffy turned and saw that Amelie's pet had been about to pounce on her, but he was now being held back by...
"Spike?" she said uncertainly. 'Am I dreaming?' was the thought that immediately followed that, and she watched as Spike twisted back the dog thing's neck and muttered, "So much for gently."
