A/N : I honestly don't know how I cope with these three fics, it's a miracle that between work and fanfic that I have enough time for anything else! Oh well, I love writing, especially when it's Spuffy, so don't panic I won't stop yet! Thanx to those who reviewed; SpIkEs AnGeL, theoneandonlygurl, fictionfreak2, WickedWiccan1. Loved all your comments and I'm glad you liked chapter 10, I really enjoyed writing that one. I enjoyed writing this one too, because the prophecy is about to be solved...oh, please also read the other authors notes at the end of this chapter, thankyou :)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 11 - Better The Devil You Know
The afternoon passed swiftly. Dawn soon returned home from Janices' and made a whole bunch of comments about Spike's presence in Buffy's bedroom. The two had actually been doing no more than kissing and talking and the littlest Summers knew it was true, she just liked to tease them.
Cordelia was happy to see her friends back together, and Spike wondered if he should say anything about Doyle. He'd almost told Buffy about the situation between his cousin and her best friend, but decided against it, it wasn't his problem to solve.
When he got back to his own home, the family were, as he predicted, all happy and smiling again. However, they sat down to eat without Doyle, who apparently hadn't come out of the bedroom since Spike had seen him bolt back up there and when his cousin went to investigate, Doyle had locked the door and was claiming to be ill. It was all very suspicious to Spike, but he kept the thoughts to himself. Maybe he'd been on the Hellmouth too long and he was seeing major strangeness where there was none.
After their meal, Jessica suggested that she take her parents out to the movies, she really didn't think it was a good idea for them to be present at the Scooby meeting, especially with a vampire in attendance, albeit a souled one. Johnny said he'd planned to see Joyce and went next door, meeting Buffy and Cordelia at the front door of the Summers house.
"Hey girls" he greeted, "I'm here to see your Mom, Buffy"
"Go on in" the Slayer smiled, "she's in the kitchen with Dawn"
"Oh, your sister is in?" he said with a slight frown and Buffy had a hard time not laughing, clearly the man wanted some alone time with Joyce.
"She is, but not for long" the blonde girl explained, "she's going to a slumber party...I swear she has a more active social life than me" she complained to Cordelia who just nodded and laughed as Johnny, now smiling again, went inside the house.
"So" said Cordy as she walked with Buffy the short distance to the house next door, "what are you gonna say to Angel tonight?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't see that I have to say anything" the Slayer shrugged, "I told him last night, right after he kissed me, that it meant nothing. I'm with Spike now and I love him more than anything, I'm pretty sure I made that obvious"
"You may have to make it a little more obvious" Cordelia pointed out as they reached the front door and knocked, "Angel is..."
"Angel is, what?" the vampire asked as he stepped out of the shadows right behind Cordelia. She smiled nervously.
"Angel is..right here" she covered and he smiled at her lame attempt, "Good to see you"
"You too" he nodded to the girl, "It's been a while..." he stopped speaking as the door opened and Spike appeared, smiling at Buffy and Cordelia then frowning when he saw the vampire.
"Good evening, Spike" Angel greeted with a fake smile as Buffy and Cordelia went into the house and he made to follow, stopping just short of the threshold as a barrier prevented his entry.
"Hey, how come he can't come in?" Cordy piped up, "I invited him in ages ago when I lived here"
"Because you don't live here anymore, Cordelia" Giles pointed out as he joined them by the door, "The owner of the house must provide the invitation and since the ownership of this house has changed, Angel requires a further invitation"
"So he's stuck on the porch unless I actually ask him to come inside?" Spike smirked with delight at the idea of keeping the git out of his home, as he put his arm around Buffy. She rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour but she had to admit it might be nice to just shut Angel out and not have to deal with him right now.
"Spike" Giles snapped at his son, "Angel is here for our help, could you please try to act your age for a few moments?"
"Fine" the bleach blond sighed, "I invite you in" he said begrudgingly to Angel and the vampire passed over the threshold into the house, "Great poofter" Spike added under his breath, as the vamp passed him by, and Buffy swatted him in the chest with her hand.
The group went into the dining room and sat down. There were only four chairs and Spike loved the fact that Buffy chose to sit on his lap instead of standing or finding a fifth seat. Angel was quite clearly annoyed by this.
"Now" Giles effectively called the meeting to order, "we haven't got very far with deciphering the prophecy as yet I'm afraid" he frowned as he took off his glasses and cleaned them, "we had one or two distractions" he explained to Angel, "but what we know for certain is that no-one of importance appears to have arrived in Sunnydale over the past week or two, and no extra strange occurrences seem to have..occurred"
"Can we learn anything from the words?" Angel wondered aloud, "Do they mean anything to you?" he asked the Watcher, who shook his head.
"Not really, no. I..." he stopped as he looked for the piece of paper with the prophecy on and realised it wasn't there, "How strange...Spike?" he tried to get his son's attention but Buffy was quite determined to prove to Angel just how serious she was about her relationship with Spike and her current method involved having her tongue quite a long way down her boyfriends throat, much to Spike's pleasure and Cordelia's amusement.
"Spike! Buffy!" Giles demanded their attention and they gave it to him, somewhat grudgingly.
"Sorry, Dad" Spike mumbled, not really meaning it very much.
"Yeah, sorry Giles" Buffy added, in similar fashion.
"Okay, now, where is the prophecy?" he asked them and they looked blankly back at him, then glanced to Cordelia who said she hadn't seen it since the morning.
"Last time I saw it was when I was in here talking to Doyle" Spike frowned as he remembered his cousins strange behaviour at the time, "He was acting weird, I think you being the Slayer bothers him, luv" he told the girl seated on his knees, "Can't think why though"
"He's not half demon, is he?" Buffy giggled at the joke, but stopped abruptly when no-one else did.
"How long as he been here?" Angel asked and Buffy realised why no-one else had laughed. They all seriously thought Doyle was a demon?
"Just a few days" Giles said flatly, "but he's my nephew, and he's human, of course he is..." he said quickly, not sure whom he was trying to convince, everyone else or just himself?
"Tell me you're not serious?!" Cordelia put her hands on the table and stood up facing Angel, "He cannot be some kind of evil demon!"
"He wouldn't have to be evil, Cordelia" Buffy pointed out, looking to Angel, a clearly non-evil demon, "in fact, didn't the prophecy say he wasn't?"
Buffy looked down at Spike who shook his head and shrugged, he simply didn't know what to say. Could this guy, his supposed cousin, a bloke he was just starting to actually get along with, could he really be a partial demon?
"Buffy" Angel got her attention, "do you not feel anything when you're around him, y'know like a demon presence. It usually triggers some kind of sensor with the Slayer..."
"Well, when we first met" she remembered vaguely, "I felt something, like a tingle, but...whenever I'm in the room with him Spike is usually there too and, and I kind of expect to feel that way when, well, y'know what I mean" she blushed and tried to hide her face as Angel felt sick and Spike smirked.
"Can we please get back to the matter in hand" Giles demanded, also standing up now "Are you seriously trying to tell me my nephew, my sisters son, is part demon?!"
"It's true Uncle Rupert" said a voice from the door and five pairs of eyes turned to look upon Doyle who shifted uncomfortably under their gaze.
"Bloody hell" Spike cursed, standing up and setting Buffy on her feet as he did so, Angel was soon up from his chair too, "What are you?" Spike eyed his cousin suspiciously, there was no way of knowing if he was dangerous now his real identity was revealed.
"Human" came Doyle's answer, "for the most part...but my grandparents, on my fathers side obviously" he explained, looking to Giles, "my grandfather was a Brachen demon, making my father half and half, makes me a quarter I guess" he shrugged, not knowing what else to do.
"I guess that's why you don't look like a demon" Cordelia said shakily and Spike's eyes shifted to look at her. He could see tears in her eyes and he knew she really did like him. This news had certainly knocked her for a loop.
"I can do, princess" Doyle told her, wishing he didn't have to but knowing he must, "Just like a vampire, I can pull the demon face forward, or I can push it back. I realised a few months back that I could but...well, there was more to it than that and I'd like to explain, I should have done when I first got here, but I didn't know how you'd all take it. I had no idea you dealt with this kinda thing everyday"
"Perhaps you'd like to explain now" Giles said somewhat shakily, it was all a hell of a shock to him.
Doyle nodded and came further into the room, pleased that Buffy and Spike didn't move as he passed by them, saddened by the fact that Cordelia did. She visibly flinched when he came close to her and it hurt more than he could say.
"I s'pose I should start with this" the Irishman sighed, pulling the piece of paper with the prophecy on it from his pocket and holding it up.
"You took it?" Giles realised.
His nephew nodded, "I did. When it all came out earlier about Buffy being the Slayer, I was worried, given me being part demon and all. I found this and realised it was likely about me, so I pocketed it and hid in my room like a sissy" he almost laughed at himself.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, Doyle" Buffy smiled, "I wouldn't do that unless you were really evil or something"
"I'm not!" he assured her quickly.
"And I know that" the blonde nodded, "We all do" she looked to Spike who agreed with her.
"Just tell us what's going on, mate" he said to Doyle as he sat back down and Buffy resumed her position on his knee. The occupants of the table all re-took their seats as Doyle remained standing and began his explanation.
To Be Continued...
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(More) Authors Notes...
- The next update will be Oh Brother - Chapter 11 - A Day In The Life (24th October 2003)
- Voting is now open at the Spuffy Awards and I have been nominated for the Best Fantasy Author Award. If you think I deserve this award, all votes would be very much appreciated :)
- My Christmas fic (Emily's Christmas Wish) is currently being written and should be posted before Christmas Day, with any luck!
- Anyone who usually reads my 'Sunday Night' poems, I did post one last Sunday (14th Dec) but I don't think anyone, well, except one person, read it. It's called 'Gifted and Cursed' and if you wanna look for it, it's probably easiest just to go to my profile page and look there.
- I'll shut up and go away now! ;)
