Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Joss and ME
Chapter 28
Tuesday morning
Willow and Andrew were waiting for the group to come back. They had been looking in books trying to improve on the cloaking spell, yet were not really getting anywhere.
Willow heard the horses outside and rushed to the door. Xander came in first followed by Giles then Spike holding Elizabeth in the blanket. He set her down and she dropped the blanket.
Elizabeth looked at Willow and began to cry.
"Oh Willow." She fell into Willows arms and the two women held each other tightly as they cried.
"I was so afraid for you Buffy."
"Me? Willow I didn't know what had happened to you. What he did to you, oh Willow, I'm so sorry, it was my fault."
"NO!" said Willow sternly, "Don't you ever say that! Remember, I chose this; we're all in this with you because we chose to be. He did this not you." Willow wiped the tears from Elizabeth's face and the two women walked into the library together with the three men following.
Andrew stood as Elizabeth and Willow walked in. Elizabeth walked to him and held out her hand.
"Hello, you must be Andrew." Andrew smiled and shook her hand. He immediately felt how cold she was and took a step back holding a hand to his neck in the same spot the other vampire had tried to tear his throat out. Spike rushed to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It's all right mate. She won't hurt you. She's not like that one." Spike pointed to Andrews scar and felt him relax.
"I'm sorry," he said as he blushed, "I just." he was clearly embarrassed for overreacting.
"Spike told me about your previous experience. I don't blame you." She smiled at him sweetly and Andrew looked at Spike.
"I feel like a fool." He said.
"S'allright. You should've seen me when I first saw her. C'mon, got something to tell you." He put his arm around Andrews shoulder and walked him out of the library and into the hall to tell him what had happened to Ethan and the rest.
Giles had caught Elizabeth up on what had been happening. He told her that Faith and Wesley went to France to get the spear and that they should be home soon. Willow had told her how they were able to locate her with Jenny's help. As they finished their conversation Giles noticed that it was dinnertime. He walked out of the library and was on his way to the kitchen to ask Jenny about dinner.
Spike and Andrew had finished their conversation and returned to the library. Elizabeth noticed that although he seemed relieved about having been told what happened to Ethan and the others, Andrew seemed sad. Spike pulled sat next to her and she leaned into him.
"I gather Andrew knows what I did to your former associates." Spike smiled.
"Yes."
"What's wrong with him? He seems sad."
"Ethan was his father."
"Oh God, Spike I." Elizabeth felt the sting of guilt. She had killed his father. She would have to speak to Andrew at some point. Spike's reassurance that the man treated him like a monster helped but not much. The man was still his father.
"Don't be sorry. The man was a monster. He treated Andrew like a slave. Before I joined up with them he beat Andrew on a regular basis. His mum never married Ethan, and when she died he was left with Ethan." Spike looked over to Andrew who was sitting at the opposite end of the table next to Willow. "He was just a kid. And he treated like garbage. When I left Ethan I took him with me. I couldn't leave 'em with that Bastard."
Giles came back in and called them to the dining room. Jenny had made roast lamb with potatoes and other vegetables. They all sat around the table, like a family, and in their own places. Giles at one end and Jenny at the other. Willow next to Xander, and there were two empty places next to him. Then Elizabeth on the other side with Spike next to her and Andrew next to him. Everyone began to eat except for Elizabeth. Spike began to pass her a piece of lamb; she crinkled her nose and shook her head.
"I don't eat.." She was interrupted before she could finish.
"Oh, sorry luv, I forgot you don't eat food."
"Oh I eat food. I just don't like to eat lamb. They're so cute." Everyone looked up from their plates guiltily for a moment, then shrugged their shoulders and resumed eating.
"Buffy, I'm sorry I forgot." Said Jenny.
"Its all right, I'll get a bite later."
" Yes, literally." Xander laughed.
"Xander!" Elizabeth picked up a piece of bread and with great accuracy threw it at Xander's head.
"Ow, and thank you." He picked up the bread and began to eat it. They finished their dinner and retreated to the hallway once again.
"When do you think Wesley and Faith will be coming back?" Elizabeth asked Giles.
"According to our calculations, they should already have the spear, and be on their way back."
Spike and Andrew looked at each other with confusion. Elizabeth saw them and pulled Giles to the side and spoke low.
"Giles, I know we can trust them. We may need their help with this." She noticed Giles looking unsure. "Giles, the more help we have the better we can fight Angelus. He saved me, he deserves to know all of it."
"Buffy, they are mercenaries. And have a questionable past."
"I know, but we can trust them. Giles everyone makes mistakes; you weren't terribly innocent when you were you were that age either. Isn't that what you have always told us?" Giles smiled and nodded in affirmation. Giles had been quite the hell raiser as a young man, yet now he was a highly respected decent man. If Elizabeth trusted Spike then he would do so as well. They returned to the group.
"I think I'm going to bed. I'll see everyone in the morning, except Buffy. I'll see you in the afternoon." Willow walked to her and hugged her once more then walked up to her room.
"I think I'm a bit tired myself. Good night everyone." Xander walked to Elizabeth and kissed her cheek. "Its good to have you back." He turned and walked up the stairs after Willow. Giles now looked at Spike and Andrew.
"I think we need to talk." Giles gestured at the two men and pointed to the parlor.
"Only if you've decided to tell us what the bleedin' hell is goin' on here." Shot Spike. Elizabeth put her hand on Giles shoulder.
"Tell them everything Giles." She looked and Spike. "You may not want to stay after Giles tells you what is going on here. I'll understand if you don't." She turned and walked out and began her hunt.
Chapter 28
Tuesday morning
Willow and Andrew were waiting for the group to come back. They had been looking in books trying to improve on the cloaking spell, yet were not really getting anywhere.
Willow heard the horses outside and rushed to the door. Xander came in first followed by Giles then Spike holding Elizabeth in the blanket. He set her down and she dropped the blanket.
Elizabeth looked at Willow and began to cry.
"Oh Willow." She fell into Willows arms and the two women held each other tightly as they cried.
"I was so afraid for you Buffy."
"Me? Willow I didn't know what had happened to you. What he did to you, oh Willow, I'm so sorry, it was my fault."
"NO!" said Willow sternly, "Don't you ever say that! Remember, I chose this; we're all in this with you because we chose to be. He did this not you." Willow wiped the tears from Elizabeth's face and the two women walked into the library together with the three men following.
Andrew stood as Elizabeth and Willow walked in. Elizabeth walked to him and held out her hand.
"Hello, you must be Andrew." Andrew smiled and shook her hand. He immediately felt how cold she was and took a step back holding a hand to his neck in the same spot the other vampire had tried to tear his throat out. Spike rushed to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It's all right mate. She won't hurt you. She's not like that one." Spike pointed to Andrews scar and felt him relax.
"I'm sorry," he said as he blushed, "I just." he was clearly embarrassed for overreacting.
"Spike told me about your previous experience. I don't blame you." She smiled at him sweetly and Andrew looked at Spike.
"I feel like a fool." He said.
"S'allright. You should've seen me when I first saw her. C'mon, got something to tell you." He put his arm around Andrews shoulder and walked him out of the library and into the hall to tell him what had happened to Ethan and the rest.
Giles had caught Elizabeth up on what had been happening. He told her that Faith and Wesley went to France to get the spear and that they should be home soon. Willow had told her how they were able to locate her with Jenny's help. As they finished their conversation Giles noticed that it was dinnertime. He walked out of the library and was on his way to the kitchen to ask Jenny about dinner.
Spike and Andrew had finished their conversation and returned to the library. Elizabeth noticed that although he seemed relieved about having been told what happened to Ethan and the others, Andrew seemed sad. Spike pulled sat next to her and she leaned into him.
"I gather Andrew knows what I did to your former associates." Spike smiled.
"Yes."
"What's wrong with him? He seems sad."
"Ethan was his father."
"Oh God, Spike I." Elizabeth felt the sting of guilt. She had killed his father. She would have to speak to Andrew at some point. Spike's reassurance that the man treated him like a monster helped but not much. The man was still his father.
"Don't be sorry. The man was a monster. He treated Andrew like a slave. Before I joined up with them he beat Andrew on a regular basis. His mum never married Ethan, and when she died he was left with Ethan." Spike looked over to Andrew who was sitting at the opposite end of the table next to Willow. "He was just a kid. And he treated like garbage. When I left Ethan I took him with me. I couldn't leave 'em with that Bastard."
Giles came back in and called them to the dining room. Jenny had made roast lamb with potatoes and other vegetables. They all sat around the table, like a family, and in their own places. Giles at one end and Jenny at the other. Willow next to Xander, and there were two empty places next to him. Then Elizabeth on the other side with Spike next to her and Andrew next to him. Everyone began to eat except for Elizabeth. Spike began to pass her a piece of lamb; she crinkled her nose and shook her head.
"I don't eat.." She was interrupted before she could finish.
"Oh, sorry luv, I forgot you don't eat food."
"Oh I eat food. I just don't like to eat lamb. They're so cute." Everyone looked up from their plates guiltily for a moment, then shrugged their shoulders and resumed eating.
"Buffy, I'm sorry I forgot." Said Jenny.
"Its all right, I'll get a bite later."
" Yes, literally." Xander laughed.
"Xander!" Elizabeth picked up a piece of bread and with great accuracy threw it at Xander's head.
"Ow, and thank you." He picked up the bread and began to eat it. They finished their dinner and retreated to the hallway once again.
"When do you think Wesley and Faith will be coming back?" Elizabeth asked Giles.
"According to our calculations, they should already have the spear, and be on their way back."
Spike and Andrew looked at each other with confusion. Elizabeth saw them and pulled Giles to the side and spoke low.
"Giles, I know we can trust them. We may need their help with this." She noticed Giles looking unsure. "Giles, the more help we have the better we can fight Angelus. He saved me, he deserves to know all of it."
"Buffy, they are mercenaries. And have a questionable past."
"I know, but we can trust them. Giles everyone makes mistakes; you weren't terribly innocent when you were you were that age either. Isn't that what you have always told us?" Giles smiled and nodded in affirmation. Giles had been quite the hell raiser as a young man, yet now he was a highly respected decent man. If Elizabeth trusted Spike then he would do so as well. They returned to the group.
"I think I'm going to bed. I'll see everyone in the morning, except Buffy. I'll see you in the afternoon." Willow walked to her and hugged her once more then walked up to her room.
"I think I'm a bit tired myself. Good night everyone." Xander walked to Elizabeth and kissed her cheek. "Its good to have you back." He turned and walked up the stairs after Willow. Giles now looked at Spike and Andrew.
"I think we need to talk." Giles gestured at the two men and pointed to the parlor.
"Only if you've decided to tell us what the bleedin' hell is goin' on here." Shot Spike. Elizabeth put her hand on Giles shoulder.
"Tell them everything Giles." She looked and Spike. "You may not want to stay after Giles tells you what is going on here. I'll understand if you don't." She turned and walked out and began her hunt.