****Sorry for the delay on this guys. I have had a very rotten and crappy
real life lately. Things are better now, but I was very busy and was unable
to either update last chapter with the beta'd version or sit down and write
this until today. Actually it was ready yesterday, but then FF was down so-
o.
By request:
Christian- Brunette older teen (17 maybe), spell caster in training. Has a
crush on Dawn and was sent to Sunnydale for more advanced training in his
specialty and to help find Buffy and Spike.
Michelle- Black haired, Dawn's age, but a bit shorter. Newly called Slayer
following Faith's death. She is highly trained in demonology, and only
found out she was a potential Slayer hours before she was called. Sent to
guard Sunnydale.
Richard- Blonde young Watcher (thinking about 19-20) Just attained his
position due to the fact that the elders would not want to work with the
Scoobies and his relationship with Michelle.
Crawford Emerson- Sam's Watcher.
Title: Akoshta: Ulterior Battles
Author: Kaylorin
Beta Read by: RogueAngel
Synopsis: Buffy and Spike have been thrown through time and must prevent any changes in the past. Meanwhile, in Sunnydale a new Slayer arrives with an entourage and is slowly introduced to her new life.
Rating: R
Distribution: Fine with me, make sure it's the final edited copy, and let me know where it's going. My e-mail is bsdance@comcast.net
Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS are the property of other people. Some have lots of money. Lucky them. I however own the characters I have made up such as the sisters of Akoshta, Michelle, Christian and Richard. As well as Samantha the Vampire Slayer and Ashton the Vampire. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Among Friends The sun was already lowering when Sam walked past the magic shop, still trying to decide if she should enter.
She'd spent most of the day roaming the streets and walking through cemeteries trying to picture Buffy, who was now trapped in the retired Slayer's past, fighting against a gang of vampires amongst the tombstones, trees and crypts.
She'd wanted to get to know the town Buffy called home. Picture it as a home and essentially avoid The Magic Box as long as possible.
She was fairly sure that even if the group sitting around the table had seen a picture of her as the Slayer, that they would not recognize her now. Although she hadn't aged as much as any other 85 year old woman would have, her appearance had most definitely changed over the last 60 years.
Sam peered in the window one final time and decided it was now or never.
A bell jingled over her head when she opened the door, a funny sound for stores these days, and she walked automatically to the right, heading for shelves filled with candles and incense. These items most likely for the tourists who had no idea that magic was real, she thought. Different colors and sizes of the most basic and generally non-magical scents were displayed. She tried to appear as though she was shopping, while actually listening to the conversation taking place at a large table near the back of the store.
"Rayel root might help," a quiet blonde young woman sitting at the head of the table next to a redhead suggested. She was timid and had her head was down, but she was obviously part of the group.
A young man, younger than all but the two long-haired teen girls sitting across from each other, shook his head. "Not with the time element." He reached past the brunette teen who sat beside him and seemed to blush when his arm brushed hers. "Maybe if we use one of the locator spells for demons. With the vampire blood in both of them-"
"It won't work if we focus on that, Christian," the redhead answered. She was seated between the quiet blonde and a young man behind a lap-top. "There would be too many. Even if we looked for Buffy, the Slayer, there would be too many other Slayers that the spell might mistake for her."
"Not to mention the number of vampires that share blood of the same line as Spike," a girl with hair as dark black as Sam's had once been added. She sat on the other side of the blonde male behind the small computer.
"What if we used something personal?" the long haired brunette girl asked, looking around at all the faces. "Wouldn't something Buffy and Spike held personal kinda.I dunno, point to them with magic?"
All eyes went to the young girl.
Sam smiled at herself. She was sure she knew who some of these people were. The redhead had to be Willow. The blonde beside her must be Tara, and the long haired brunette was surely Dawn. The two males at the table seemed a bit too young to be Xander and one had been called Christian.
In the middle of her thoughts a young woman greeted her with a plastic smile. "Hello, and welcome to The Magic Box. Is there anything I could help you procure?"
And this was Anya. Sam smiled at the young anxious woman. "No, thank you, dear. I'm just visiting and thought it would be interesting to visit a real magic shop."
"You betcha by golly." Anya jiggled her index finger at the woman to accentuate the statement. "Would you like incense or candles?"
Sam plucked up a lavender conic candle and took in the scent. "I may take this, but I'd really like to look around first. I may want to purchase more."
"Oh, that's wonderful." Anya took a few steps back. "In that case, look around, and if I can help you, just call for me. My name's Anya." She nodded at the last part and spun on her heel, still smiling.
Sam watched the young woman walk away before replacing the candle to its previous position, and then continued with her browsing. She'd missed part of the conversation now, but listened on.
"-problem with looking for a Slayer. We don't even know which Spike it'd be sent to either. Even then, it could point to any time they were together."
Dawn settled back into her seat and crossed her arms. "Well how then, guys?"
"I still think we should see if the Angel Tears would work. Maybe the crystals would be drawn to each other," Tara said to Willow.
The unfamiliar blonde male spoke up next. "Unfortunately, using the Angel's Tears would insure failure."
"Then use my blood." Dawn said with a shrug.
The redhead shook her head. "Sorry, Dawn. We already decided it was too much of a risk."
"I have an idea," the blonde young man said. "But it would be a very long shot." He began tapping into the keyboard and brought up a site with listings for things wanted and for sale.
Willow and the raven-haired girl sitting beside him leaned over to see what he was doing.
The redhead nodded at his idea. "Couldn't hurt."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy was once again following Sam. The blonde Slayer recognized most of her surroundings, but Sam knew where they were going. The streets were still busy even in the late evening, and she noted more people seemed to mill around together, laughing, smiling and joking.
"It's just up ahead," Sam pointed out and led her around the corner of a large brick building then down a short ally.
Just as she could sense his arrival into the vortex, Buffy sensed him here. The shiver that meant Spike was close caused goose bumps to form on her arms. "Well, Spike's around here. Somewhere," she announced.
"Ashton, too. It seems they never left this evening." Sam stopped when the alley did and stood over a manhole. She leaned down and lifted it easily.
Buffy tried not to be disgusted. The crypt was bad enough, but it was above ground. Well some of it was. But a sewer? She prepared her senses for the onslaught of smells she knew was coming.
Sam stood back up and saw Buffy's grimace. "It's not as bad as it looks. The building that was here before had a basement. When they rebuilt it, the basement was forgotten. The sewer itself is a dead end. Nothing comes in or out. It was just a junction, and I think when the building was reconstructed they used one of the newer lines, so no waste."
With that explanation, Sam took a step and let herself fall downward.
Buffy looked into the darkness below and focused, using her newly-earned sight. The ground was dry, and the pipe encasing the area seemed to lack the natural grime that usually crawled up the sides. With a shrug she leapt in after Sam.
In truth, the smell was there, but it was residual. Easily forgotten after just a few moments. The tunnel was unlike the ones she knew in Sunnydale. The piping-only part of the system, brick also, lined the walls. They were damp from condensation and gleamed slightly in what little light could filter in through the manhole above. If not for her pumped-up senses, Buffy wouldn't be able to see one foot in front of her.
Sam seemed to have no problem navigating the short distance, though. She had no extra sight, and Buffy knew that she had been through here enough to have the area memorized.
Up ahead, Buffy saw the dead end of the sewer. It was another brick wall, but it did not impede the travelers' steps. At some time something had broken down pieces of the structure. Sam warned her to duck her head through the broken down hole in the wall as they gained entrance.
The ladies paused once past the rudimentary opening. "I think Spike is back here." Buffy walked forward.
"Hold on. Ashton keeps candles over here," Sam said and reached towards the broken wood shelves that sat near the hole they'd just come through.
"It's ok," Buffy said as she continued forward. She felt him near and with her sight she could make out a couch and chair holding one form each, one facing away from her with bright white hair peaking over the top. Her steps were tentative, knowing that debris could still be on the ground so near the makeshift doorway, but still she managed to kick something. A glass something that rolled a little before stopping.
"What the-?" Buffy leaned over to pick up the item just as a flame lit behind her.
"I have the candle," Sam said and walked up to Buffy, who was examining an empty bottle with symbols that she didn't recognize printed on the paper label.
Buffy took a quick sniff and stuck out her tongue. "And I have an empty bottle of.something."
Sam glanced at the clear bottle and the name printed on the label. "Its vodka," she stated plainly, then yanked the bottle out of Buffy's hand. "It's the good vodka! The stuff he said I would never get a nip from!"
Buffy watched Sam become furious. "So, you're into the whole drinking thing, huh?"
Sam stomped towards the vampire lying on one chair, a leg hanging off the side and his head thrown back with an arm over his eyes. "No, but I saw him with this once, and he swore he couldn't even let me try it because it's so hard to come by."
Sam didn't see the other bottle on the ground and kicked it aside with her steps and watched it roll away. She stopped right in front of him and sneered at the dead man. "Ashton. Wake up!"
Buffy shook her head. "Oh yeah.made for each other." She sighed and walked to what she expected. A passed-out Spike on the chair facing Ashton's. His back had been to her, but there was no mistaking the white tuft of hair that peeked above the back of the chair.
Used to the sight of a passed out Spike, but still none too pleased considering when and where they were, Buffy leaned down and sat on the arm of the chair before leaning down to whisper in Spike's ear.
"Oh, Spikey," she sang quietly.
He grumbled something and waved an arm before continuing his light snoring.
"Ashton, we have more important things to do than emptying bottles," Sam said behind Buffy, now with a more normal speaking voice. "Especially bottles you said couldn't be wasted."
Buffy shook her head and looked back at Spike. He seemed like a child when he slept, and she reveled in the sight.
~ ~ ~
"They were probably out for a snog before Angel left. She's probably all tired out," Spike said as he turned the pages of the worn book roughly. He was bored, having been the all-night lookout at the library in case Buffy had returned there that night.
"Please do not mention 'snogging' and Buffy in the same sentence," Giles said as he walked out of his text-filled office in the old school library. He took notice of the black clad vampire leaning back in the chair, treating his book with little respect.
In two short strides, he was beside the vampire and yanked the book out of his hands. "And do remember that these books are priceless, would you?"
"That's what this place is, a hold for ol' relics," the blonde sneered at the watcher.
Giles closed the book and placed it gently on the table. "Some of us older than others."
"So true. I just managed to age much better." Spike laced his fingers behind his head waiting for Rupert's come back.
They were interrupted by Willow and Xander entering the library.
"Have you heard from Buffy yet?" The long haired redhead asked and set her books in the long rectangular wood table a few seats down from Spike.
Giles shook his head. "Not as of yet."
Xander slumped into the chair across from the peroxide blonde, included a dark glare at the vampire, and turned back to Giles. "Things were kinda rough last night. Maybe she's sleeping in."
"Or Angel and she wanted some.you know, alone time," Willow stuttered.
"See," Spike waved a hand in the redhead's direction, "Red's with me on the snoggin'."
"Snog-?" Willow began to ask, then, "Oh. Well I just meant."
"A right good birthday present." Spike nodded, pleased with himself.
"Can we please refrain from speaking of this?" Giles asked while he removed his glasses and began to clean the lack of spots. "I am sure if they were unable to get the package containing The Judge's.part," he floundered a moment, "Buffy would have come back immediately if there were any problems."
"Yeah," Xander agreed and leaned towards Spike. "And maybe they killed your crazy ex in the process."
"Harris." A low growl followed the name.
Xander began the familiar mantra. "Alright, alright. I know. It was more than half a century ago. You're over her."
"'At's right, so sod off."
Giles interrupted, hoping to avoid another of the pair's arguments. "Yes, well. If Dustin and Drusilla are able to bring forth the Judge fully constructed once again.."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Apocalypse, destruction, the end. We know this song, Rupes. Bloody record's been skippin' since your Slayer showed up here. S'why we're here. Stop the nasties."
Xander let the corner of his mouth turn up. "Especially when it involves someone you've done the nasty with."
"That's it whelp!" Spike got up quickly, toppling his chair as he stood. "Last call. You've had your final cheap shot."
The first bell rang overhead signaling school was about to begin. Giles sighed in relief. "Saved by the bell."
Willow gathered her books while she stood up. "If I see her, I'll tell her to check in. Ok, Giles?"
"Same here." Xander got up as well and followed the redhead out to the halls, for the first time actually glad to go to class.
Spike watched the pair until they were gone then turned back to Giles. "Not for nothing, but Slayer usually gets these things done. 'M sure they're both fine. Besides, if Angel were dust, 'm sure I'd be able to tell."
With the few words of understanding, Giles placed his glasses back upon the bridge of his nose. "I do suppose you're right. Angel would let himself be killed before Buffy."
The blonde contemplated his grand-sire and the Slayer. An odd relationship at that. He could understand why Angel loved the girl. Strong and powerful, yet fragile in ways few could understand. If he had been alone for as long as Angel.
It dawned on him then, he really did understand why Angel loved her. If not for his devotion to the elder vampire, he may have pursued her himself.
Then Spike heard a whisper. "Spikey. Oh, Spikey."
~ ~ ~ Buffy repeated his name, this time not as pleasantly. "Spike. Get up."
Still little response. Only another hand wave and grumbling. She sighed and began to shake his shoulder roughly.
Sam was having better luck; unfortunately Ashton was not. "And you said that I couldn't even try it."
The dark vampire held his head. "It was for your own good. Even I have trouble with it, as you can see."
"Oh, but it's ok to give to him." Sam pointed across to the mumbling man, obviously not waking anytime soon.
Ashton quickly saw her point. The man was out and would still feel his hangover the following night. Ashton was sure of that much. "He asked if I had any vodka."
Sam waited for the rest of the explanation with her arms crossed and her eyes boring into his. "And?"
Running his fingers through his long hair, and deciding that not seeing his image was a blessing on this day, he looked up at her. "And he is a comrade."
She tilted her head to the side. "And I'm not?"
He studied her reddened face and her glaring eyes. "Where has all this hostility come from?" Ashton asked. Sam was not acting herself this morning. Something was different.
Buffy stopped shaking Spike, and turned back and forth, watching dark pair's display.
Sam stood up, carrying the candle carefully, bent over and picked up the empty bottle. "From this." And she tossed it to him with more force than needed to make the trip across the short distance. Then she walked around the room and found another bottle. "And this." She tossed it at him as well.
Ashton watched the woman walk around the room, taking pause only to throw the items of her disdain at him. He caught them easily and set them on the ground beside the couch.
Sam walked over with the last bottle she could find, bringing the grand total to five. "What were you thinking? He's human. This stuff could kill him!" she shouted.
"KILL 'IM!" Spike sat up straight, fully awake, and looked around the dark room.
He scanned the area, confused, then his eyes fell on Buffy still sitting on the arm of the chair. "Buffy?"
"Spike," she said with no inflection.
"Where are.?" Then he remembered. It was all a dream. Then the reality of the night before him hit him. Instinctively, he brought his hand to his forehead and groaned. "Bloody Hell!"
"Got a headache do ya?" Buffy asked in her sweetest voice.
"S'worse 'an the chip goin' off," he moaned and laid his head back against the headrest. "Head's explodin', luv."
Buffy stood up slowly and glared down at him. "Good."
He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Good?"
"Yeah. Maybe you'll learn your lesson, and I'll stop getting calls from Anya on Thursday mornings about Xander's 'bad mood'."
"Argh." Spike slowly stood up and motioned towards the still-sitting vampire. "Was only trying to get 'im to loosen up."
"Well now you're both so loose you didn't even get to the pub on time," Buffy explained.
"I'm never on time," Both men said, then shared a glance.
Sam shook her head. "Look, we need to see Hemphry. She might have gotten more information with the ritual so close."
"And Ashton still needs to feed," Buffy added.
With some coaxing and a few threats, the foursome headed out of the vampire's lair. It was slow going. Spike hadn't really tied one on like that since the change and he hadn't had much to compare his alcohol consumption limits to as a human. William was not known for bouts of drunkenness.
The time it took gave the former vampire time to rehash the odd dream he'd had. Something about him being there, with the Scoobs.
He remembered a piece of the first visit with the Sisters of Akoshta. They'd said that had been the plan. It was something he could have done. Would have done if he'd followed Whistler instead of the redhead the first time he'd met Sam.
******************************************* *****************************************
Again, sorry this took so long. That whole real life thing. Just sort of happens when you least expect it.
Author: Kaylorin
Beta Read by: RogueAngel
Synopsis: Buffy and Spike have been thrown through time and must prevent any changes in the past. Meanwhile, in Sunnydale a new Slayer arrives with an entourage and is slowly introduced to her new life.
Rating: R
Distribution: Fine with me, make sure it's the final edited copy, and let me know where it's going. My e-mail is bsdance@comcast.net
Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS are the property of other people. Some have lots of money. Lucky them. I however own the characters I have made up such as the sisters of Akoshta, Michelle, Christian and Richard. As well as Samantha the Vampire Slayer and Ashton the Vampire. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Among Friends The sun was already lowering when Sam walked past the magic shop, still trying to decide if she should enter.
She'd spent most of the day roaming the streets and walking through cemeteries trying to picture Buffy, who was now trapped in the retired Slayer's past, fighting against a gang of vampires amongst the tombstones, trees and crypts.
She'd wanted to get to know the town Buffy called home. Picture it as a home and essentially avoid The Magic Box as long as possible.
She was fairly sure that even if the group sitting around the table had seen a picture of her as the Slayer, that they would not recognize her now. Although she hadn't aged as much as any other 85 year old woman would have, her appearance had most definitely changed over the last 60 years.
Sam peered in the window one final time and decided it was now or never.
A bell jingled over her head when she opened the door, a funny sound for stores these days, and she walked automatically to the right, heading for shelves filled with candles and incense. These items most likely for the tourists who had no idea that magic was real, she thought. Different colors and sizes of the most basic and generally non-magical scents were displayed. She tried to appear as though she was shopping, while actually listening to the conversation taking place at a large table near the back of the store.
"Rayel root might help," a quiet blonde young woman sitting at the head of the table next to a redhead suggested. She was timid and had her head was down, but she was obviously part of the group.
A young man, younger than all but the two long-haired teen girls sitting across from each other, shook his head. "Not with the time element." He reached past the brunette teen who sat beside him and seemed to blush when his arm brushed hers. "Maybe if we use one of the locator spells for demons. With the vampire blood in both of them-"
"It won't work if we focus on that, Christian," the redhead answered. She was seated between the quiet blonde and a young man behind a lap-top. "There would be too many. Even if we looked for Buffy, the Slayer, there would be too many other Slayers that the spell might mistake for her."
"Not to mention the number of vampires that share blood of the same line as Spike," a girl with hair as dark black as Sam's had once been added. She sat on the other side of the blonde male behind the small computer.
"What if we used something personal?" the long haired brunette girl asked, looking around at all the faces. "Wouldn't something Buffy and Spike held personal kinda.I dunno, point to them with magic?"
All eyes went to the young girl.
Sam smiled at herself. She was sure she knew who some of these people were. The redhead had to be Willow. The blonde beside her must be Tara, and the long haired brunette was surely Dawn. The two males at the table seemed a bit too young to be Xander and one had been called Christian.
In the middle of her thoughts a young woman greeted her with a plastic smile. "Hello, and welcome to The Magic Box. Is there anything I could help you procure?"
And this was Anya. Sam smiled at the young anxious woman. "No, thank you, dear. I'm just visiting and thought it would be interesting to visit a real magic shop."
"You betcha by golly." Anya jiggled her index finger at the woman to accentuate the statement. "Would you like incense or candles?"
Sam plucked up a lavender conic candle and took in the scent. "I may take this, but I'd really like to look around first. I may want to purchase more."
"Oh, that's wonderful." Anya took a few steps back. "In that case, look around, and if I can help you, just call for me. My name's Anya." She nodded at the last part and spun on her heel, still smiling.
Sam watched the young woman walk away before replacing the candle to its previous position, and then continued with her browsing. She'd missed part of the conversation now, but listened on.
"-problem with looking for a Slayer. We don't even know which Spike it'd be sent to either. Even then, it could point to any time they were together."
Dawn settled back into her seat and crossed her arms. "Well how then, guys?"
"I still think we should see if the Angel Tears would work. Maybe the crystals would be drawn to each other," Tara said to Willow.
The unfamiliar blonde male spoke up next. "Unfortunately, using the Angel's Tears would insure failure."
"Then use my blood." Dawn said with a shrug.
The redhead shook her head. "Sorry, Dawn. We already decided it was too much of a risk."
"I have an idea," the blonde young man said. "But it would be a very long shot." He began tapping into the keyboard and brought up a site with listings for things wanted and for sale.
Willow and the raven-haired girl sitting beside him leaned over to see what he was doing.
The redhead nodded at his idea. "Couldn't hurt."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy was once again following Sam. The blonde Slayer recognized most of her surroundings, but Sam knew where they were going. The streets were still busy even in the late evening, and she noted more people seemed to mill around together, laughing, smiling and joking.
"It's just up ahead," Sam pointed out and led her around the corner of a large brick building then down a short ally.
Just as she could sense his arrival into the vortex, Buffy sensed him here. The shiver that meant Spike was close caused goose bumps to form on her arms. "Well, Spike's around here. Somewhere," she announced.
"Ashton, too. It seems they never left this evening." Sam stopped when the alley did and stood over a manhole. She leaned down and lifted it easily.
Buffy tried not to be disgusted. The crypt was bad enough, but it was above ground. Well some of it was. But a sewer? She prepared her senses for the onslaught of smells she knew was coming.
Sam stood back up and saw Buffy's grimace. "It's not as bad as it looks. The building that was here before had a basement. When they rebuilt it, the basement was forgotten. The sewer itself is a dead end. Nothing comes in or out. It was just a junction, and I think when the building was reconstructed they used one of the newer lines, so no waste."
With that explanation, Sam took a step and let herself fall downward.
Buffy looked into the darkness below and focused, using her newly-earned sight. The ground was dry, and the pipe encasing the area seemed to lack the natural grime that usually crawled up the sides. With a shrug she leapt in after Sam.
In truth, the smell was there, but it was residual. Easily forgotten after just a few moments. The tunnel was unlike the ones she knew in Sunnydale. The piping-only part of the system, brick also, lined the walls. They were damp from condensation and gleamed slightly in what little light could filter in through the manhole above. If not for her pumped-up senses, Buffy wouldn't be able to see one foot in front of her.
Sam seemed to have no problem navigating the short distance, though. She had no extra sight, and Buffy knew that she had been through here enough to have the area memorized.
Up ahead, Buffy saw the dead end of the sewer. It was another brick wall, but it did not impede the travelers' steps. At some time something had broken down pieces of the structure. Sam warned her to duck her head through the broken down hole in the wall as they gained entrance.
The ladies paused once past the rudimentary opening. "I think Spike is back here." Buffy walked forward.
"Hold on. Ashton keeps candles over here," Sam said and reached towards the broken wood shelves that sat near the hole they'd just come through.
"It's ok," Buffy said as she continued forward. She felt him near and with her sight she could make out a couch and chair holding one form each, one facing away from her with bright white hair peaking over the top. Her steps were tentative, knowing that debris could still be on the ground so near the makeshift doorway, but still she managed to kick something. A glass something that rolled a little before stopping.
"What the-?" Buffy leaned over to pick up the item just as a flame lit behind her.
"I have the candle," Sam said and walked up to Buffy, who was examining an empty bottle with symbols that she didn't recognize printed on the paper label.
Buffy took a quick sniff and stuck out her tongue. "And I have an empty bottle of.something."
Sam glanced at the clear bottle and the name printed on the label. "Its vodka," she stated plainly, then yanked the bottle out of Buffy's hand. "It's the good vodka! The stuff he said I would never get a nip from!"
Buffy watched Sam become furious. "So, you're into the whole drinking thing, huh?"
Sam stomped towards the vampire lying on one chair, a leg hanging off the side and his head thrown back with an arm over his eyes. "No, but I saw him with this once, and he swore he couldn't even let me try it because it's so hard to come by."
Sam didn't see the other bottle on the ground and kicked it aside with her steps and watched it roll away. She stopped right in front of him and sneered at the dead man. "Ashton. Wake up!"
Buffy shook her head. "Oh yeah.made for each other." She sighed and walked to what she expected. A passed-out Spike on the chair facing Ashton's. His back had been to her, but there was no mistaking the white tuft of hair that peeked above the back of the chair.
Used to the sight of a passed out Spike, but still none too pleased considering when and where they were, Buffy leaned down and sat on the arm of the chair before leaning down to whisper in Spike's ear.
"Oh, Spikey," she sang quietly.
He grumbled something and waved an arm before continuing his light snoring.
"Ashton, we have more important things to do than emptying bottles," Sam said behind Buffy, now with a more normal speaking voice. "Especially bottles you said couldn't be wasted."
Buffy shook her head and looked back at Spike. He seemed like a child when he slept, and she reveled in the sight.
~ ~ ~
"They were probably out for a snog before Angel left. She's probably all tired out," Spike said as he turned the pages of the worn book roughly. He was bored, having been the all-night lookout at the library in case Buffy had returned there that night.
"Please do not mention 'snogging' and Buffy in the same sentence," Giles said as he walked out of his text-filled office in the old school library. He took notice of the black clad vampire leaning back in the chair, treating his book with little respect.
In two short strides, he was beside the vampire and yanked the book out of his hands. "And do remember that these books are priceless, would you?"
"That's what this place is, a hold for ol' relics," the blonde sneered at the watcher.
Giles closed the book and placed it gently on the table. "Some of us older than others."
"So true. I just managed to age much better." Spike laced his fingers behind his head waiting for Rupert's come back.
They were interrupted by Willow and Xander entering the library.
"Have you heard from Buffy yet?" The long haired redhead asked and set her books in the long rectangular wood table a few seats down from Spike.
Giles shook his head. "Not as of yet."
Xander slumped into the chair across from the peroxide blonde, included a dark glare at the vampire, and turned back to Giles. "Things were kinda rough last night. Maybe she's sleeping in."
"Or Angel and she wanted some.you know, alone time," Willow stuttered.
"See," Spike waved a hand in the redhead's direction, "Red's with me on the snoggin'."
"Snog-?" Willow began to ask, then, "Oh. Well I just meant."
"A right good birthday present." Spike nodded, pleased with himself.
"Can we please refrain from speaking of this?" Giles asked while he removed his glasses and began to clean the lack of spots. "I am sure if they were unable to get the package containing The Judge's.part," he floundered a moment, "Buffy would have come back immediately if there were any problems."
"Yeah," Xander agreed and leaned towards Spike. "And maybe they killed your crazy ex in the process."
"Harris." A low growl followed the name.
Xander began the familiar mantra. "Alright, alright. I know. It was more than half a century ago. You're over her."
"'At's right, so sod off."
Giles interrupted, hoping to avoid another of the pair's arguments. "Yes, well. If Dustin and Drusilla are able to bring forth the Judge fully constructed once again.."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Apocalypse, destruction, the end. We know this song, Rupes. Bloody record's been skippin' since your Slayer showed up here. S'why we're here. Stop the nasties."
Xander let the corner of his mouth turn up. "Especially when it involves someone you've done the nasty with."
"That's it whelp!" Spike got up quickly, toppling his chair as he stood. "Last call. You've had your final cheap shot."
The first bell rang overhead signaling school was about to begin. Giles sighed in relief. "Saved by the bell."
Willow gathered her books while she stood up. "If I see her, I'll tell her to check in. Ok, Giles?"
"Same here." Xander got up as well and followed the redhead out to the halls, for the first time actually glad to go to class.
Spike watched the pair until they were gone then turned back to Giles. "Not for nothing, but Slayer usually gets these things done. 'M sure they're both fine. Besides, if Angel were dust, 'm sure I'd be able to tell."
With the few words of understanding, Giles placed his glasses back upon the bridge of his nose. "I do suppose you're right. Angel would let himself be killed before Buffy."
The blonde contemplated his grand-sire and the Slayer. An odd relationship at that. He could understand why Angel loved the girl. Strong and powerful, yet fragile in ways few could understand. If he had been alone for as long as Angel.
It dawned on him then, he really did understand why Angel loved her. If not for his devotion to the elder vampire, he may have pursued her himself.
Then Spike heard a whisper. "Spikey. Oh, Spikey."
~ ~ ~ Buffy repeated his name, this time not as pleasantly. "Spike. Get up."
Still little response. Only another hand wave and grumbling. She sighed and began to shake his shoulder roughly.
Sam was having better luck; unfortunately Ashton was not. "And you said that I couldn't even try it."
The dark vampire held his head. "It was for your own good. Even I have trouble with it, as you can see."
"Oh, but it's ok to give to him." Sam pointed across to the mumbling man, obviously not waking anytime soon.
Ashton quickly saw her point. The man was out and would still feel his hangover the following night. Ashton was sure of that much. "He asked if I had any vodka."
Sam waited for the rest of the explanation with her arms crossed and her eyes boring into his. "And?"
Running his fingers through his long hair, and deciding that not seeing his image was a blessing on this day, he looked up at her. "And he is a comrade."
She tilted her head to the side. "And I'm not?"
He studied her reddened face and her glaring eyes. "Where has all this hostility come from?" Ashton asked. Sam was not acting herself this morning. Something was different.
Buffy stopped shaking Spike, and turned back and forth, watching dark pair's display.
Sam stood up, carrying the candle carefully, bent over and picked up the empty bottle. "From this." And she tossed it to him with more force than needed to make the trip across the short distance. Then she walked around the room and found another bottle. "And this." She tossed it at him as well.
Ashton watched the woman walk around the room, taking pause only to throw the items of her disdain at him. He caught them easily and set them on the ground beside the couch.
Sam walked over with the last bottle she could find, bringing the grand total to five. "What were you thinking? He's human. This stuff could kill him!" she shouted.
"KILL 'IM!" Spike sat up straight, fully awake, and looked around the dark room.
He scanned the area, confused, then his eyes fell on Buffy still sitting on the arm of the chair. "Buffy?"
"Spike," she said with no inflection.
"Where are.?" Then he remembered. It was all a dream. Then the reality of the night before him hit him. Instinctively, he brought his hand to his forehead and groaned. "Bloody Hell!"
"Got a headache do ya?" Buffy asked in her sweetest voice.
"S'worse 'an the chip goin' off," he moaned and laid his head back against the headrest. "Head's explodin', luv."
Buffy stood up slowly and glared down at him. "Good."
He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Good?"
"Yeah. Maybe you'll learn your lesson, and I'll stop getting calls from Anya on Thursday mornings about Xander's 'bad mood'."
"Argh." Spike slowly stood up and motioned towards the still-sitting vampire. "Was only trying to get 'im to loosen up."
"Well now you're both so loose you didn't even get to the pub on time," Buffy explained.
"I'm never on time," Both men said, then shared a glance.
Sam shook her head. "Look, we need to see Hemphry. She might have gotten more information with the ritual so close."
"And Ashton still needs to feed," Buffy added.
With some coaxing and a few threats, the foursome headed out of the vampire's lair. It was slow going. Spike hadn't really tied one on like that since the change and he hadn't had much to compare his alcohol consumption limits to as a human. William was not known for bouts of drunkenness.
The time it took gave the former vampire time to rehash the odd dream he'd had. Something about him being there, with the Scoobs.
He remembered a piece of the first visit with the Sisters of Akoshta. They'd said that had been the plan. It was something he could have done. Would have done if he'd followed Whistler instead of the redhead the first time he'd met Sam.
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Again, sorry this took so long. That whole real life thing. Just sort of happens when you least expect it.
