Buffy was standing in the middle of a large grassy field. There was a tree just ten yards away. Beneath the tree a large blanket was spread out. A young couple was sprawled out on the blanket on their side's facing each other. Buffy stepped a little closer then froze when she recognized the couple. The girl was her, but the blanket Buffy looked different. Her hair was longer and had a slight wave to it, her dress was simple and long with the faintest touches of embroidery along its white cotton length. The man was spike, only not quite. The blanket spike had dark blond hair and wore tiny reading glasses, he was reading to blanket-Buffy from a slim leather bound book.
"You know who they are?" came a familiar British voice from behind her. Buffy looked over her shoulder and watched spike step up behind her, his bleached hair glowing in the sunshine, then next to her.
"Its us." She answered as the couple shared a slow sweet kiss. Spike shook his head.
"Not quite. That is Elizabeth and William. That is who you were before you became the slayer. And that is who I was before I became a vampire." Spike explained, his eyes locked on the couple on the blanket. Buffy frowned.
"But I'm still her, sort of. Does that mean your still him?" she asked looking up at him. Spike just smiled and turned to his left. Buffy turned also and the scene changed. Now they were in a grave yard. There was another Buffy and spike there too. That Buffy was wearing black leather pants and a white tank top. That spike was wearing his black jeans and tee-shirt along with his duster. They were fighting with a group of vampires and alternately with each other. Buffy watched them for a few seconds before turning to her spike.
"What does all this mean? Why are you showing this to me?" she asked. Spike shook his head.
"I'm not the one showing this to you. I'm just the messenger." He said and turned once again. Buffy sighed and turned also. This time the scene changed to a barren waste land. In the middle was a girl that Buffy could barely identify with herself. This girl had hard eyes and a hard body, her hair was silken and white, floating around her head, her skin glowed nearly as white and her teeth were bared and pointed. She was fighting with a demon with glowing blue eyes and swirling black and red skin. Small horns came out of his forehead and his teeth were pointed like a vampires. He didn't stand much taller than the barely-Buffy but was heavily muscled. Neither could get the advantage over the other, the barely-Buffy threw a swift punch at the barely-spike who caught it and pulled her body up against his. She struggled for a second before the barely-spike crushed his lips down onto hers and she eagerly responded. Buffy's eyes widened and she turned quickly to her spike.
"Now what the hell does THAT mean?" she demanded. Spike just smiled and looked down at her with his dark blue eyes and loving gaze.
"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, beyond which life cannot rise." He told her and kissed her. Buffy blinked her eyes awake with the strange dream running through her mind. The dream was quickly banished when she realized exactly who was currently acting as her pillow. She was curled up against spikes chest with her head pillowed on his shoulder. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and the down comforter was pulled over both of them. Buffy's first thought was oh god, I'm sleeping with spike we are sleeping in the same bed! Her second thought was a little different. He breathes when he sleeps. Just like a normal person, it must be a habit. And his hair is curly. I never knew that. She thought and gently ran her fingers through his tousled curls. Spike sighed and a deep rumbling noise started in the depths of his chest. Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing when she realized what he was doing. Spike was purring. Buffy smiled and gingerly wrapped her arms around his hard packed abdomen. She breathed in the heady scent of bourbon, cigarettes, and a something that was completely spike. Her eyes drifted closed and she slipped back into sleep, conveniently forgetting about her previous dream.
Willow had just finished dressing and was about to open the door when it slammed open and a very distressed dawn stalked in.
"Buffy's gone!" Dawn exclaimed wringing her hands together. "I just went in her room and she wasn't there! The bed was made and she hasn't been home all night!" Dawn exclaimed thoroughly freaked out. Willow smiled slightly.
"Don't worry dawn, Buffy spent the night at spike's." She assured the frightened young girl. Dawn stopped and looked at willow curiously.
"She spent the night at spike's?!" dawn asked shocked. Willow nodded with a large smile on her face. Dawn grinned back and started to doing a little dance.
"Buffy slept over at spike's!" she exclaimed and hugged willow around the shoulders. Willow just laughed. Tara came In from the bathroom with her hair still damp from her shower. Dawn instantly grabbed Tara around the waist and hugged her too.
"Buffy slept over at spike's!" Dawn informed her then ran out of the room. Tara gave willow an amused look then her eyes widened.
"Oh dawn! We have to go over to the magic box. Get dressed. Giles said it was an emergency." Tara yelled out of the open door. Dawn yelled back her acquiescence. Tara smiled at turned back to willow.
"Did you try spike's cell again?" she asked. Willow nodded.
"Yeah, no answer. So either their sleeping or too busy to come to the phone." She and Tara exchanged a look then willow went over to the closet and grabbed a light jean jacket.
"I'm just going to run over there and get them and hopefully not be scarred for life. Ill meet you at the magic box." She said and kissed Tara on the lips before grabbing her keys and rushing out the door. It took willow just ten minutes to get to the cemetery then a few more to get to the crypt. Willow stood in front of the door for a second before banging on the door. No one answered. Willow gently pushed the door open and walked in.
"Buffy? Spike? Anybody?" she called. A small grunt came from the lower level. Willow quietly went down the ladder then smiled at the scene before her. Buffy and spike were dead asleep lying in each others arms under spike's soft down quilt. Buffy was smiling gently and it was more real than any smile willow had seen on her face since she was brought back from the dead.
"Hey you guys. Time to get up." Willow said loudly. Spike's eyes drifted open and he yawned lazily.
"Hey red. What's up? He asked before yawing again. Willow grinned again and gestured slightly to the still sleeping Buffy. Spike looked down and realized for the first time why he was so warm and why his bed had seemed small. Spike's eyes widened.
"Oh no wait its not what it looks like." He said quickly. Willow quirked one eyebrow.
"Oh its not? Well then why the hell not?" she asked pointedly. Spike frowned confused but they were both distracted when Buffy's eyes opened. She smiled up at spike and stretched lazily, still in the circle of his arms.
"G'morning." She mumbled and snuggled closer to him. Willow coughed loudly and Buffy's head jerked over to see her friend standing in the middle of the room with a knowing smile on her face. Buffy instantly tensed and spike's face fell.
"Wills! I..um..,that is...oh...um, hi?" she said nervously but didn't move from her position against spike. Willow smiled even wider.
"Sorry to interrupt this sickeningly cute scene but Gile's needs us at the magic box. He said it was urgent. Called me at five in the morning but didn't tell me what it was." Willow explained. Buffy groaned and unconsciously buried her face against spike's chest.
"God not another apocalypse. I'm barely recovered from the last one." She mumbled and lifted her head again.
"What time did we need to be there?" she asked. Willow looked at her watch.
"In about fifteen minutes. You guys all dressed under there?" willow asked eyeing them speculatively. Buffy blushed and her voice didn't seem to work so she just nodded. Spike reluctantly pulled away and threw the covers off of them. Buffy sighed and sat up straightening the oversized black tee-shirt she was wearing. Willow's smile grew to maniac proportions when she saw that Buffy was wearing spike's clothes. Buffy looked down at what she was wearing and her face became an amusing shade of bright red.
"There was a demon a-and there was this gloopy purple stuff everywhere!" Buffy tried to explain. Willow just nodded patronizingly and went back up the ladder. Spike pulled his leather duster over his sleep rumpled clothes and tossed Buffy a sweater because her jacket was still smeared in demon goop. Buffy pulled the sweater over her head and straightened her tousled hair. They both went up the ladder and followed willow to the magic box, walking in silence but a little closer than normal. Every one else was already there when they arrived. Willow immediately went over to Tara and sat down beside her. Buffy moved to the table and sat down on top of it with her feet in her chair. Spike flopped down in a chair beside her. Giles was leaning stiffly against the front counter. Xander looked up at the stern faced English man and smiled.
"Ok so what big nasty are we battling today?" he asked. Giles cleared his throat slightly before beginning.
"We have a little problem. It starts with faith." He said and Buffy's face fell.
"Oh man, what did she do now?" she asked with no humor in her voice. Spike patted her hand reassuringly and she smiled at him. Willow and Tara noted the exchange and grinned secretly to themselves while Gile's continued.
"There was a riot at the prison where she was being held. She was shot six times while protecting a prisoner from the guard that incited it." Giles explained. Buffy was on her feet in an instant with wild eyed concern evident on her face.
"What's happened! Is she ok?" Buffy demanded. Her dislike for the girl instantly becoming over shadowed with concern for her. Giles nodded.
"Yes she's alright now, but she died for a full two minutes before the emergency medical crew could revive her." Giles explained. Buffy sighed relieved then her eyes grew wide again.
"Wait, does that mean..." she trailed off in disbelief. Giles nodded.
"A third slayer had been called. A girl named Kia Finnegan. The council wants a bunch of us to go to new York and talk to her. They seem to think that our approach will be more successful. They sent us all the records they had on her. I haven't looked at them yet. I figured we should do that together." Giles said brandishing a large manila envelope stuffed to capacity. Willow came up and took the envelope from him. They all settled around the table with willow in the center. Willow broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the papers.
"Ok well, it says here she's an Irish immigrant. Sixteen years old, she moved to new York when she was fourteen. She weighs a hundred and nineteen pounds. She is five six. Red hair. Green eyes. Lives and attends school at St.Peters catholic mission. Mother deceased. Father, unknown. Those are just the basic records. Um oh here's a more personal account." Willow said shuffling through the papers till she found the ones she wanted. "Ok she moved from Ireland with her mother when she was fourteen, they lived in hell's kitchen for a year. Her mother was an alcoholic, into a lot of drugs, Kia spent a lot of time in and out of group homes. And also in the hospital. Her mother was an abusive drunk it seems. Oh..." willow trailed off. Tara leaned over and she winced. Buffy frowned.
"What is it?" she asked. Willow looked up.
"They have pictures from one of her hospital stays." She said softly and handed Buffy the stack of photographs. Spike leaned over to look at them with her while every one else crowded around. It was a girl with longish red hair that hung in unkempt limp curls past her shoulders. She looked to be about fourteen or fifteen. Both of her eyes were swollen completely shut and were a mottled purple and blue. A large bruise shaped like a hand wrapped around the girl slender neck. Another picture showed the sickly yellow bruises that ranged up and down the girls ribcage. You could see every single rib in perfect detail, even with the swelling. Buffy swallowed hard and gave the pictures back to willow.
"Do they have any more recent photos?" she asked thickly. Willow shuffled through the papers and shook her head.
"No apparently not. But we have the address of her school which is apparently adjacent to the orphanage where she lives and the address of the music store where she works. Those are her hours for the next few weeks." Willow said handing another slip of paper to Buffy. Buffy nodded and set it down.
"Alright well I guess we have to decide then. Who's going to go? Dawn I know what you want to say but no. You've missed too much school already." Buffy told her sister. Dawn sighed but nodded. Willow and Tara both raised their hands along with spike and Giles. Buffy looked them over and nodded.
"Xander, Anya, you guys want to stay behind and keep and eye on dawn?" she asked. Xander nodded and so did Anya.
"Did they send any flight information?" spike asked. Willow flipped through some of the remaining papers and pulled up a sheaf of tickets and several papers with blue trim.
"Yup there are enough tickets for all of us on a private charter plane. So spike won't get extra crispy. It leaves tomorrow at seven." Willow handed the items to Giles who looked them over. He nodded and passed them to Buffy.
"Every thing appears to be in order. I will call Travers back and we should all go to get ready and very possibly get more sleep." He said with a side long glance at spike and Buffy who were studiously looking at the floor. They all got up from their respective positions to leave. Xander walked over to Buffy and frowned.
"Are you wearing spike's clothes?" he asked. Willow burst out laughing and practically fell over.
"You know who they are?" came a familiar British voice from behind her. Buffy looked over her shoulder and watched spike step up behind her, his bleached hair glowing in the sunshine, then next to her.
"Its us." She answered as the couple shared a slow sweet kiss. Spike shook his head.
"Not quite. That is Elizabeth and William. That is who you were before you became the slayer. And that is who I was before I became a vampire." Spike explained, his eyes locked on the couple on the blanket. Buffy frowned.
"But I'm still her, sort of. Does that mean your still him?" she asked looking up at him. Spike just smiled and turned to his left. Buffy turned also and the scene changed. Now they were in a grave yard. There was another Buffy and spike there too. That Buffy was wearing black leather pants and a white tank top. That spike was wearing his black jeans and tee-shirt along with his duster. They were fighting with a group of vampires and alternately with each other. Buffy watched them for a few seconds before turning to her spike.
"What does all this mean? Why are you showing this to me?" she asked. Spike shook his head.
"I'm not the one showing this to you. I'm just the messenger." He said and turned once again. Buffy sighed and turned also. This time the scene changed to a barren waste land. In the middle was a girl that Buffy could barely identify with herself. This girl had hard eyes and a hard body, her hair was silken and white, floating around her head, her skin glowed nearly as white and her teeth were bared and pointed. She was fighting with a demon with glowing blue eyes and swirling black and red skin. Small horns came out of his forehead and his teeth were pointed like a vampires. He didn't stand much taller than the barely-Buffy but was heavily muscled. Neither could get the advantage over the other, the barely-Buffy threw a swift punch at the barely-spike who caught it and pulled her body up against his. She struggled for a second before the barely-spike crushed his lips down onto hers and she eagerly responded. Buffy's eyes widened and she turned quickly to her spike.
"Now what the hell does THAT mean?" she demanded. Spike just smiled and looked down at her with his dark blue eyes and loving gaze.
"There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, beyond which life cannot rise." He told her and kissed her. Buffy blinked her eyes awake with the strange dream running through her mind. The dream was quickly banished when she realized exactly who was currently acting as her pillow. She was curled up against spikes chest with her head pillowed on his shoulder. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and the down comforter was pulled over both of them. Buffy's first thought was oh god, I'm sleeping with spike we are sleeping in the same bed! Her second thought was a little different. He breathes when he sleeps. Just like a normal person, it must be a habit. And his hair is curly. I never knew that. She thought and gently ran her fingers through his tousled curls. Spike sighed and a deep rumbling noise started in the depths of his chest. Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing when she realized what he was doing. Spike was purring. Buffy smiled and gingerly wrapped her arms around his hard packed abdomen. She breathed in the heady scent of bourbon, cigarettes, and a something that was completely spike. Her eyes drifted closed and she slipped back into sleep, conveniently forgetting about her previous dream.
Willow had just finished dressing and was about to open the door when it slammed open and a very distressed dawn stalked in.
"Buffy's gone!" Dawn exclaimed wringing her hands together. "I just went in her room and she wasn't there! The bed was made and she hasn't been home all night!" Dawn exclaimed thoroughly freaked out. Willow smiled slightly.
"Don't worry dawn, Buffy spent the night at spike's." She assured the frightened young girl. Dawn stopped and looked at willow curiously.
"She spent the night at spike's?!" dawn asked shocked. Willow nodded with a large smile on her face. Dawn grinned back and started to doing a little dance.
"Buffy slept over at spike's!" she exclaimed and hugged willow around the shoulders. Willow just laughed. Tara came In from the bathroom with her hair still damp from her shower. Dawn instantly grabbed Tara around the waist and hugged her too.
"Buffy slept over at spike's!" Dawn informed her then ran out of the room. Tara gave willow an amused look then her eyes widened.
"Oh dawn! We have to go over to the magic box. Get dressed. Giles said it was an emergency." Tara yelled out of the open door. Dawn yelled back her acquiescence. Tara smiled at turned back to willow.
"Did you try spike's cell again?" she asked. Willow nodded.
"Yeah, no answer. So either their sleeping or too busy to come to the phone." She and Tara exchanged a look then willow went over to the closet and grabbed a light jean jacket.
"I'm just going to run over there and get them and hopefully not be scarred for life. Ill meet you at the magic box." She said and kissed Tara on the lips before grabbing her keys and rushing out the door. It took willow just ten minutes to get to the cemetery then a few more to get to the crypt. Willow stood in front of the door for a second before banging on the door. No one answered. Willow gently pushed the door open and walked in.
"Buffy? Spike? Anybody?" she called. A small grunt came from the lower level. Willow quietly went down the ladder then smiled at the scene before her. Buffy and spike were dead asleep lying in each others arms under spike's soft down quilt. Buffy was smiling gently and it was more real than any smile willow had seen on her face since she was brought back from the dead.
"Hey you guys. Time to get up." Willow said loudly. Spike's eyes drifted open and he yawned lazily.
"Hey red. What's up? He asked before yawing again. Willow grinned again and gestured slightly to the still sleeping Buffy. Spike looked down and realized for the first time why he was so warm and why his bed had seemed small. Spike's eyes widened.
"Oh no wait its not what it looks like." He said quickly. Willow quirked one eyebrow.
"Oh its not? Well then why the hell not?" she asked pointedly. Spike frowned confused but they were both distracted when Buffy's eyes opened. She smiled up at spike and stretched lazily, still in the circle of his arms.
"G'morning." She mumbled and snuggled closer to him. Willow coughed loudly and Buffy's head jerked over to see her friend standing in the middle of the room with a knowing smile on her face. Buffy instantly tensed and spike's face fell.
"Wills! I..um..,that is...oh...um, hi?" she said nervously but didn't move from her position against spike. Willow smiled even wider.
"Sorry to interrupt this sickeningly cute scene but Gile's needs us at the magic box. He said it was urgent. Called me at five in the morning but didn't tell me what it was." Willow explained. Buffy groaned and unconsciously buried her face against spike's chest.
"God not another apocalypse. I'm barely recovered from the last one." She mumbled and lifted her head again.
"What time did we need to be there?" she asked. Willow looked at her watch.
"In about fifteen minutes. You guys all dressed under there?" willow asked eyeing them speculatively. Buffy blushed and her voice didn't seem to work so she just nodded. Spike reluctantly pulled away and threw the covers off of them. Buffy sighed and sat up straightening the oversized black tee-shirt she was wearing. Willow's smile grew to maniac proportions when she saw that Buffy was wearing spike's clothes. Buffy looked down at what she was wearing and her face became an amusing shade of bright red.
"There was a demon a-and there was this gloopy purple stuff everywhere!" Buffy tried to explain. Willow just nodded patronizingly and went back up the ladder. Spike pulled his leather duster over his sleep rumpled clothes and tossed Buffy a sweater because her jacket was still smeared in demon goop. Buffy pulled the sweater over her head and straightened her tousled hair. They both went up the ladder and followed willow to the magic box, walking in silence but a little closer than normal. Every one else was already there when they arrived. Willow immediately went over to Tara and sat down beside her. Buffy moved to the table and sat down on top of it with her feet in her chair. Spike flopped down in a chair beside her. Giles was leaning stiffly against the front counter. Xander looked up at the stern faced English man and smiled.
"Ok so what big nasty are we battling today?" he asked. Giles cleared his throat slightly before beginning.
"We have a little problem. It starts with faith." He said and Buffy's face fell.
"Oh man, what did she do now?" she asked with no humor in her voice. Spike patted her hand reassuringly and she smiled at him. Willow and Tara noted the exchange and grinned secretly to themselves while Gile's continued.
"There was a riot at the prison where she was being held. She was shot six times while protecting a prisoner from the guard that incited it." Giles explained. Buffy was on her feet in an instant with wild eyed concern evident on her face.
"What's happened! Is she ok?" Buffy demanded. Her dislike for the girl instantly becoming over shadowed with concern for her. Giles nodded.
"Yes she's alright now, but she died for a full two minutes before the emergency medical crew could revive her." Giles explained. Buffy sighed relieved then her eyes grew wide again.
"Wait, does that mean..." she trailed off in disbelief. Giles nodded.
"A third slayer had been called. A girl named Kia Finnegan. The council wants a bunch of us to go to new York and talk to her. They seem to think that our approach will be more successful. They sent us all the records they had on her. I haven't looked at them yet. I figured we should do that together." Giles said brandishing a large manila envelope stuffed to capacity. Willow came up and took the envelope from him. They all settled around the table with willow in the center. Willow broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the papers.
"Ok well, it says here she's an Irish immigrant. Sixteen years old, she moved to new York when she was fourteen. She weighs a hundred and nineteen pounds. She is five six. Red hair. Green eyes. Lives and attends school at St.Peters catholic mission. Mother deceased. Father, unknown. Those are just the basic records. Um oh here's a more personal account." Willow said shuffling through the papers till she found the ones she wanted. "Ok she moved from Ireland with her mother when she was fourteen, they lived in hell's kitchen for a year. Her mother was an alcoholic, into a lot of drugs, Kia spent a lot of time in and out of group homes. And also in the hospital. Her mother was an abusive drunk it seems. Oh..." willow trailed off. Tara leaned over and she winced. Buffy frowned.
"What is it?" she asked. Willow looked up.
"They have pictures from one of her hospital stays." She said softly and handed Buffy the stack of photographs. Spike leaned over to look at them with her while every one else crowded around. It was a girl with longish red hair that hung in unkempt limp curls past her shoulders. She looked to be about fourteen or fifteen. Both of her eyes were swollen completely shut and were a mottled purple and blue. A large bruise shaped like a hand wrapped around the girl slender neck. Another picture showed the sickly yellow bruises that ranged up and down the girls ribcage. You could see every single rib in perfect detail, even with the swelling. Buffy swallowed hard and gave the pictures back to willow.
"Do they have any more recent photos?" she asked thickly. Willow shuffled through the papers and shook her head.
"No apparently not. But we have the address of her school which is apparently adjacent to the orphanage where she lives and the address of the music store where she works. Those are her hours for the next few weeks." Willow said handing another slip of paper to Buffy. Buffy nodded and set it down.
"Alright well I guess we have to decide then. Who's going to go? Dawn I know what you want to say but no. You've missed too much school already." Buffy told her sister. Dawn sighed but nodded. Willow and Tara both raised their hands along with spike and Giles. Buffy looked them over and nodded.
"Xander, Anya, you guys want to stay behind and keep and eye on dawn?" she asked. Xander nodded and so did Anya.
"Did they send any flight information?" spike asked. Willow flipped through some of the remaining papers and pulled up a sheaf of tickets and several papers with blue trim.
"Yup there are enough tickets for all of us on a private charter plane. So spike won't get extra crispy. It leaves tomorrow at seven." Willow handed the items to Giles who looked them over. He nodded and passed them to Buffy.
"Every thing appears to be in order. I will call Travers back and we should all go to get ready and very possibly get more sleep." He said with a side long glance at spike and Buffy who were studiously looking at the floor. They all got up from their respective positions to leave. Xander walked over to Buffy and frowned.
"Are you wearing spike's clothes?" he asked. Willow burst out laughing and practically fell over.