A/N: I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far.
Special thanks to Msu for helping me with the restaurant scene and I you
haven't yet, read my other stories!
Reviewers: MSU, SpikesChicks4Life, Bebe
Ch.1
"Xander! What's taking you so bloody long?" Spike hollered. He had been waiting in front of Xander's apartment.
"Calm down, Chippy. I'm right here." He was having trouble moving because of all the bags in his hands.
"How many bags do you need? You're like a bloody woman." Spike said, trying to push Xander's buttons.
"Hey! I didn't know how long we were going to be on the road." Xander said foolishly.
Spike just laughed and they both got into the car. They began to drive off into the night, to start their journey.
(They drive during the night and sleep during the day, so Spike won't die. During the day spike sleeps, and Xander doesn't. During the night, spike drives while Xander sometimes sleeps.)
::flashback::
Before she was gone, Buffy left notes for everyone with their own personal message. She knew what they would say, but she didn't care anymore. She had to get out and gone.
All of the notes were difficult to write.
Dawn, I'll love you always. Take care of yourself. Watch out for Xander and everyone. Never forget who you are and don't hold back. Just know that I love you.
Xander, I'm sorry for letting you down. This will probably be hardest on you. You were always my protector, and I you. You are my guardian angel and I love you.
Willow, I'm sorry for leaving with out saying goodbye. I know it's been tough. You've always been my best friend. And you were always stronger than me. Never change who you are, I love you.
Giles, You were the father I never had. You were my mentor and my guidance. You trusted me with the world. You are the noblest person I have ever known, never lose that. I love you.
Spike, I'll always remember, and I hope you never forget. You know my heart and soul. You were my strength and support. But you believed in me most of all, and for that I owe you the world. But since it is not mine to give my gratefulness and complete trust will have to do. I love you.
Spike's was different though. It contained the engagement ring her had given her when Willow's spell had caused to become engaged. She was constantly fighting her feelings for him. Leaving him was the hardest, it always was.
::flashback end::
"I don't see why she would go to Florida." Xander said.
"She told me once, before Dawn, you know, her and Joyce had always wanted to go there for a mother daughter trip. She said it was this small town a few hours away from Disney." Spike said. He didn't notice but Xander gave him an odd look.
"How in the world would she get there? She can't drive and doesn't have enough money for a plane ticket." Asked Xander.
"The Slayer probably took a bunch of trains and buses to get there. It probably took her two or three days to get there."
"Yeah. We haven't seen her in so long. How long has it been? 3 weeks?"
"Yeah, mate, just about. Feels like forever doesn't it.?"
"Yeah." Xander agreed, letting the road mesmerize him.
***
Buffy had found a nice little apartment to rent in a small town in Florida. A bedroom, living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. It was better than the one "Anne" had had.
It was an old fashioned town with a one screen movie theater, about three dinners, a coffee house and the usual.
She had found a job in the coffee place called "The Coffee Cup".
While she was there, she was going under the name of Joan.
"Honey, if you wipe that table any longer you're goin' to wear a hole in it." Marge said, giving her a smile.
Buffy looked up into the woman's eyes and blushed. She couldn't be more than 55. She was kind, the motherly type. She had given Buffy the job.
"Sorry, I guess I'm kind of spacing today."
"That's alright. You sure you're alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, just a little disoriented." Buffy replied.
"OK. After work, you want to join me for dinner? Haven't had someone to talk to in a while and I could use the company." Marge asked.
Buffy was hesitant but accepted the offer anyway. She could use a friend and some conversation.
As Buffy continued to work and serve, she continued to think. She was trying to start an entirely new life, leaving most of the old one behind. She knew she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried it would always be there. The memories, the faces, the names and especially the love.
She had no idea how she was going to do this, when all she wanted was her family.
Before Buffy left work, Marge told her to dress up a little, because the place they were going to was a nice place.
**
At home she took a long hot shower to wash away the coffee smell that clung to her.
She looked for something to wear that would hide the scar from the bullet.
It had healed without any damages. As she fingered the scar, she felt the pain that wasn't really there. It felt as if the bullet was still there.
No, she told herself, don't go there again.
As she shifted through all of her clothes, nothing came close to covering the entire scar. She sighed and pulled out a black peasant top and a red pair of pants. To cover up the scar she tied a white scarf around her neck so it draped over her scar. It would have to do.
* Marge picked her up at around six o'clock; informing her they were eating at a restaurant Buffy wasn't familiar with, Le Porte Rouge. French cuisine was not typical Buffy dining but it was nice. The small room they were seated in was decorated in deep hues of reds with a black border. Buffy smiled painfully; it reminded her of Spike.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marge asked. "Yes, it is. It's very warm and inviting," Buffy added.
"So, how about a little conversation to go with the ambiance? Want me to start or would you rather begin?" she asked.
Buffy just smiled. That's why she liked Marge and enjoyed her company. She was simple yet direct, but she was kind about it and actually wanted to get to know Buffy.
"How 'bout we start with you." Buffy replied.
"Well, let's see, where to begin. I'm 47 years old, and have lived here my whole life. My husband, Frank, passed away a few years ago and we never had any children."
"I'm sorry about your husband. How long were the two of you married?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, right around 20 years. We may not have had any children, but we had a lot of pets to fill our home. Mostly dogs and cats," she chuckled and smiled softly as she thought back to those times.
Marge sighed. "We'll, that's enough about me, Hun. I'm a people person, which in layman's terms means I love to learn about people and who they are. Since you're new in town, it's now your turn. Be warned, I'm great at asking questions. So, where are you from and why did you decide to come here?" Marge asked sincerely.
"Well, before coming here, I lived in California. I left because things got- things got complicated and hard." Buffy said sadly.
"Mmhmm. Do you have any family?" Marge seemed more curious now.
"My mom died a few years ago, suddenly, and my dad, well, I'm not quite sure where he is. Somewhere far away I would guess. My little sister is back at home in California."
"You mean she's on her own?" she acted surprised.
"Oh! No! I have wonderful friends who are living with her, as well as looking out for her." Buffy explained then added sullenly, "I miss them, though. All of them. My sister Dawn, Xander, Willow, Tara, Giles, Clem, and Spike. Everything just started building up, and I couldn't handle it anymore. Didn't want to handle it."
Marge smirked then sighed. "A boy."
"Excuse me?" Buffy seemed shocked by the two words.
"The way you said his name, Spike was it? The look in your face changed as well as the tone of your voice, soft and far away. Things are mostly complicated because of him, correct?" Marge asked.
"Yeah, but it's everything else, and that's another story."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between the two of you?"
Suddenly, Buffy got an idea. She wasn't sure if she should directly let the cat out of the bag so she would work around it.
"Do strange things happen around here?"
Marge stared at her, taken aback by the sudden change of topic.
"Like what do you mean?"
"Well, bodies being found with strange puncture marks on their necks and drained of all their blood?"
"Honestly," she leaned in closer to Buffy as she answered. "There has been some talk going around about a gang of disfigured things that need to drink blood. Human blood. I think I've seen one before; its forehead was all disfigured, eyes and teeth inhuman."
"Could you tell me what you thought about it?" Buffy asked cautiously.
Marge paused and looked at Buffy oddly. "What are you getting at here, honey?"
"If you promise not to tell anyone, freak out on me or think I'm psychotic, I can tell you what I know."
Marge seemed to lean in even closer. "Sure, ok."
"Those things that are running around out there are demons, vampires."
"That's crazy!" Marge sat back in her seat and stared at Buffy shocked.
"I know it is, believe me and just hear me out. I know about all these demons because I was the one chosen to fight them."
"You know, the scariest part to all of that is it all makes a perfectly weird kind of sense." Marge shook her head sadly.
"That's why I left."
"Because of the demons?" Marge asked.
"No, because of 'a' demon. Spike. He's a vampire. A vampire with a soul who's chosen to be a good person and fight against evil. The soul allows him to feel guilt and on top of that he has a chip implanted in his head that doesn't allow him to harm humans. You see, he got the soul for me. To give me what he thought I deserved; a man who could love me and who I could love in return. But everything began to fall apart at home and all around me. I had to get away."
"Are you ever going back?" Marge asked simply.
"Truthfully, I have no idea. I don't know what I want to do. I don't know what's right anymore."*
***
Look for the next chapter soon!!
Reviewers: MSU, SpikesChicks4Life, Bebe
Ch.1
"Xander! What's taking you so bloody long?" Spike hollered. He had been waiting in front of Xander's apartment.
"Calm down, Chippy. I'm right here." He was having trouble moving because of all the bags in his hands.
"How many bags do you need? You're like a bloody woman." Spike said, trying to push Xander's buttons.
"Hey! I didn't know how long we were going to be on the road." Xander said foolishly.
Spike just laughed and they both got into the car. They began to drive off into the night, to start their journey.
(They drive during the night and sleep during the day, so Spike won't die. During the day spike sleeps, and Xander doesn't. During the night, spike drives while Xander sometimes sleeps.)
::flashback::
Before she was gone, Buffy left notes for everyone with their own personal message. She knew what they would say, but she didn't care anymore. She had to get out and gone.
All of the notes were difficult to write.
Dawn, I'll love you always. Take care of yourself. Watch out for Xander and everyone. Never forget who you are and don't hold back. Just know that I love you.
Xander, I'm sorry for letting you down. This will probably be hardest on you. You were always my protector, and I you. You are my guardian angel and I love you.
Willow, I'm sorry for leaving with out saying goodbye. I know it's been tough. You've always been my best friend. And you were always stronger than me. Never change who you are, I love you.
Giles, You were the father I never had. You were my mentor and my guidance. You trusted me with the world. You are the noblest person I have ever known, never lose that. I love you.
Spike, I'll always remember, and I hope you never forget. You know my heart and soul. You were my strength and support. But you believed in me most of all, and for that I owe you the world. But since it is not mine to give my gratefulness and complete trust will have to do. I love you.
Spike's was different though. It contained the engagement ring her had given her when Willow's spell had caused to become engaged. She was constantly fighting her feelings for him. Leaving him was the hardest, it always was.
::flashback end::
"I don't see why she would go to Florida." Xander said.
"She told me once, before Dawn, you know, her and Joyce had always wanted to go there for a mother daughter trip. She said it was this small town a few hours away from Disney." Spike said. He didn't notice but Xander gave him an odd look.
"How in the world would she get there? She can't drive and doesn't have enough money for a plane ticket." Asked Xander.
"The Slayer probably took a bunch of trains and buses to get there. It probably took her two or three days to get there."
"Yeah. We haven't seen her in so long. How long has it been? 3 weeks?"
"Yeah, mate, just about. Feels like forever doesn't it.?"
"Yeah." Xander agreed, letting the road mesmerize him.
***
Buffy had found a nice little apartment to rent in a small town in Florida. A bedroom, living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. It was better than the one "Anne" had had.
It was an old fashioned town with a one screen movie theater, about three dinners, a coffee house and the usual.
She had found a job in the coffee place called "The Coffee Cup".
While she was there, she was going under the name of Joan.
"Honey, if you wipe that table any longer you're goin' to wear a hole in it." Marge said, giving her a smile.
Buffy looked up into the woman's eyes and blushed. She couldn't be more than 55. She was kind, the motherly type. She had given Buffy the job.
"Sorry, I guess I'm kind of spacing today."
"That's alright. You sure you're alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, just a little disoriented." Buffy replied.
"OK. After work, you want to join me for dinner? Haven't had someone to talk to in a while and I could use the company." Marge asked.
Buffy was hesitant but accepted the offer anyway. She could use a friend and some conversation.
As Buffy continued to work and serve, she continued to think. She was trying to start an entirely new life, leaving most of the old one behind. She knew she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried it would always be there. The memories, the faces, the names and especially the love.
She had no idea how she was going to do this, when all she wanted was her family.
Before Buffy left work, Marge told her to dress up a little, because the place they were going to was a nice place.
**
At home she took a long hot shower to wash away the coffee smell that clung to her.
She looked for something to wear that would hide the scar from the bullet.
It had healed without any damages. As she fingered the scar, she felt the pain that wasn't really there. It felt as if the bullet was still there.
No, she told herself, don't go there again.
As she shifted through all of her clothes, nothing came close to covering the entire scar. She sighed and pulled out a black peasant top and a red pair of pants. To cover up the scar she tied a white scarf around her neck so it draped over her scar. It would have to do.
* Marge picked her up at around six o'clock; informing her they were eating at a restaurant Buffy wasn't familiar with, Le Porte Rouge. French cuisine was not typical Buffy dining but it was nice. The small room they were seated in was decorated in deep hues of reds with a black border. Buffy smiled painfully; it reminded her of Spike.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marge asked. "Yes, it is. It's very warm and inviting," Buffy added.
"So, how about a little conversation to go with the ambiance? Want me to start or would you rather begin?" she asked.
Buffy just smiled. That's why she liked Marge and enjoyed her company. She was simple yet direct, but she was kind about it and actually wanted to get to know Buffy.
"How 'bout we start with you." Buffy replied.
"Well, let's see, where to begin. I'm 47 years old, and have lived here my whole life. My husband, Frank, passed away a few years ago and we never had any children."
"I'm sorry about your husband. How long were the two of you married?" Buffy asked.
"Oh, right around 20 years. We may not have had any children, but we had a lot of pets to fill our home. Mostly dogs and cats," she chuckled and smiled softly as she thought back to those times.
Marge sighed. "We'll, that's enough about me, Hun. I'm a people person, which in layman's terms means I love to learn about people and who they are. Since you're new in town, it's now your turn. Be warned, I'm great at asking questions. So, where are you from and why did you decide to come here?" Marge asked sincerely.
"Well, before coming here, I lived in California. I left because things got- things got complicated and hard." Buffy said sadly.
"Mmhmm. Do you have any family?" Marge seemed more curious now.
"My mom died a few years ago, suddenly, and my dad, well, I'm not quite sure where he is. Somewhere far away I would guess. My little sister is back at home in California."
"You mean she's on her own?" she acted surprised.
"Oh! No! I have wonderful friends who are living with her, as well as looking out for her." Buffy explained then added sullenly, "I miss them, though. All of them. My sister Dawn, Xander, Willow, Tara, Giles, Clem, and Spike. Everything just started building up, and I couldn't handle it anymore. Didn't want to handle it."
Marge smirked then sighed. "A boy."
"Excuse me?" Buffy seemed shocked by the two words.
"The way you said his name, Spike was it? The look in your face changed as well as the tone of your voice, soft and far away. Things are mostly complicated because of him, correct?" Marge asked.
"Yeah, but it's everything else, and that's another story."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between the two of you?"
Suddenly, Buffy got an idea. She wasn't sure if she should directly let the cat out of the bag so she would work around it.
"Do strange things happen around here?"
Marge stared at her, taken aback by the sudden change of topic.
"Like what do you mean?"
"Well, bodies being found with strange puncture marks on their necks and drained of all their blood?"
"Honestly," she leaned in closer to Buffy as she answered. "There has been some talk going around about a gang of disfigured things that need to drink blood. Human blood. I think I've seen one before; its forehead was all disfigured, eyes and teeth inhuman."
"Could you tell me what you thought about it?" Buffy asked cautiously.
Marge paused and looked at Buffy oddly. "What are you getting at here, honey?"
"If you promise not to tell anyone, freak out on me or think I'm psychotic, I can tell you what I know."
Marge seemed to lean in even closer. "Sure, ok."
"Those things that are running around out there are demons, vampires."
"That's crazy!" Marge sat back in her seat and stared at Buffy shocked.
"I know it is, believe me and just hear me out. I know about all these demons because I was the one chosen to fight them."
"You know, the scariest part to all of that is it all makes a perfectly weird kind of sense." Marge shook her head sadly.
"That's why I left."
"Because of the demons?" Marge asked.
"No, because of 'a' demon. Spike. He's a vampire. A vampire with a soul who's chosen to be a good person and fight against evil. The soul allows him to feel guilt and on top of that he has a chip implanted in his head that doesn't allow him to harm humans. You see, he got the soul for me. To give me what he thought I deserved; a man who could love me and who I could love in return. But everything began to fall apart at home and all around me. I had to get away."
"Are you ever going back?" Marge asked simply.
"Truthfully, I have no idea. I don't know what I want to do. I don't know what's right anymore."*
***
Look for the next chapter soon!!