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Chapter 10 – Many Meetings

"Well that was interesting," Buffy said as she flopped onto her bed at the hotel. "I was jonesing for a near miss anyway." Sirius sat himself in the armchair in the corner.
 "I hope he's okay," he said worriedly. "I mean he got picked up by the Knight Bus, I wonder where he went."

 "Is that what that thing was?" Buffy said lying back and closing her eyes. "He'll be okay I'm sure. All the wizard people think you're trying to kill him anyways so they'll take care of him."

"I suppose so," Sirius said distractedly. "Tomorrow, I want to start our journey."

 "To Scotland?" Buffy asked, opening her eyes.
 "Yes," Sirius replied. "We'll go muggle style, it'll make us harder to find. I'll be in my animagus form of course; the muggles are looking for me too. But it's going to be a long journey."

 "That's okay," Buffy said breezily. "Just as long as those Aurors don't find us, I'm good to go."

 
The next morning, Buffy checked them out of the hotel, and, hoisting her backpack onto her shoulders, headed for the tube station, Sirius following her inconspicuously. They got on a tube that took them to Kings Cross and then bought tickets on a train heading up to Liverpool. They climbed on and for four hours Buffy and Sirius read newspapers and magazines, ate biscuits and gazed out of the window of the train. England rushed past, green and sunny, though not as hot as California.

At long last they arrived mid afternoon in Liverpool and after a short search, Buffy found them a hotel they could stay in that night.

"We should go out," Buffy said. "I want to see England, see the tweediness Giles loves so much." Sirius agreed and together they headed out to enjoy the tourist attractions in Liverpool. They went to the Museum of Liverpool Life, the Liverpool Tate and the Beatles Story Museum and wandered round the Docks. It was nice for both Buffy and Sirius to feel like ordinary tourists for once, though granted Sirius was a dog. Too much had happened in their lives for them to be able to appreciate things like this in normal conditions.
Evening approached, and Buffy and Sirius decided to find a bar to go to.
 "Let's go somewhere out of the way," Buffy said quietly to Sirius. "I'm sick of the stares I get for talking to my dog." They wandered deep into the twisty streets of Liverpool and found a darkened, grimy bar. Sirius changed into his human form.
 "This place is magical," he said, attempting to peer in the window, but failing due to the grime. "I can feel it." He transformed back into a dog and followed Buffy in. Instantly Buffy knew he was right, it was a demon bar. It reminded her of Willy's, not least by the demons sipping furtively on drinks she didn't want to know the contents of.
 A man, a vampire at closer inspection, was behind the bar polishing a filthy glass with a filthy cloth. Once again, conversation stopped as the various demons and vampires looked up as they entered.

 "Demon bar," Buffy murmured unnecessarily to Sirius as they approached the abr. She sat on a bar stool and Sirius sat next to her on the dirty floor.
 "I'll have a…." Buffy began, examining the drink list on a dirty blackboard. "…a coke please. A…beer for my dog please, in a dish, he's not too good with glasses." The barman looked at her, confused.
 "You are aware this is a demon bar?" he said to her conspiratorially. "Between you and me, you probably won't get out of here alive. I mean, I'd eat you myself, but I just ate." Buffy smiled and nodded and the barman shrugged and served their drinks. Buffy placed Sirius' beer on the floor for him to lap up and then sipped at her coke nonchalantly.

 "So, do you get a lot of humans in here?" she said conversationally to the barman.

 "The occasional few," he replied, still polishing the same glass unsuccessfully. "You know the ones who get lost and come in here. Of course they don't leave."

 "Of course," Buffy replied. "How about demons and vamps?"

 "You'd be surprised." The barman said. "This place is quite popular, for those who like a nice tall glass of blood or some kitten poker. We get them from all over, as far as London. Never had anyone from America though, whereabouts are you from?"

 "You've probably heard of it, Sunnydale in California." Buffy replied, still sipping at her coke.
 "Yeah I have. The hellmouth right? Bloke I know went there on holiday last year," the barman replied helping himself to a glass of blood from one of the pumps. "Said he's never been anywhere with so much demonic concentration."
 "Yeah, we get a lot of demons," Buffy said, glancing around the bar. "But you know, I get by."

 "They say there's a slayer in Sunnydale," the barman said conspiratorially. "A pretty good one too they say."

 "Really?" Buffy said delighted. "Well I never thought…." She stopped herself before she mentioned her own identity. She necked the rest of her coke, and then pushed herself away from the bar. Glancing down at Sirius to see that he had finished, she stood up.
 "Well I must be off," she said brightly. "Nice talking with you." She turned to find herself face to face with a group of assorted vampires and demons.

 "Slayer," a voice said and a vampire pushed himself to the front of the group. Buffy was momentarily taken aback.
 "Spike?" she said, surprised. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sirius looked up at her quickly growling a little, and Buffy placed a hand on his head, claming him.
 "After that sodding truce with you, Dru and me had a few problems," he said and Buffy could tell he was drunk. "Thought I'd come and stay in merry old England, Liverpool seemed like a good place, home of the Beatles and all that. Didn't expect the bloody slayer to show up on my doorstep."

 "Slayer," grunted one of the demons. "This is the slayer?"
 "In the flesh," Spike said, less than happily. "What the hell are you doing in England? Thought you were making googly-eyes with tall, dark and forehead. What happened to that?"

 "None of your business," Buffy snapped and her hand slipped into her coat pocket.

 "Went well then I take it?" Spike quipped sarcastically. "God, slayer why can't you leave me alone?"
 "Right I came all the way to England to trade insults with you," Buffy replied, equally sarcastic. "To stake a poor excuse for a vampire." She punched him hand and it sent him flying, crashing onto a table. The fighting broke out and Buffy found herself and Sirius facing a large number of enemies. Luckily Buffy had her knife from the Scoobies with her and got to work quickly. Sirius joined her and leapt into biting a demon.
Luckily for them, after an initial attack, the demons turned on each other, and they were able to leave the fight. Buffy and Sirius crept past the mass of demons towards the exit, but their way was barred by Spike, who had recovered.
 "Move out of the way Spike," Buffy said and Sirius' hackles raised as he growled at Spike.

 "Got yourself a puppy, Slayer?" Spike said, eyeing Sirius. "Any idiot can tell that that isn't a dog. Everyone in here knew as soon as you came in. C'mon mate, show yourself." Buffy nodded to Sirius and he transformed into his true form.
 "Well well, Sirius Black." Spike said, chuckling. "Got yourself the company of a wanted murderer Slayer. Better than the witch and the boy I guess."
 "I violently dislike you," Buffy said venomously.

 "Don't worry kid, I'll be sure to warn all the authorities," Spike said casually.
 "You do and you'll be a pile of dust," Sirius said, grabbing Buffy's knife and holding it to Spikes throat. Spike laughed.
 "I like you kid, you've got style," he said to Sirius. Plus you killed all those humans and that can't be wrong in my book. And laughing about it afterwards, classic, we've all heard the tales. Don't worry; your little secret is safe with me. Can't say much for your taste in company though." Spike cast a scornful look at Buffy, then leapt into the brawl that was still taking place.

 "I'd stake him if he wasn't so damn pitiful," Buffy said, glancing at him. "C'mon we'd better split." She raised a hand to the barman in a farewell and Sirius transformed and led her out of the bar.

Walking down the cobbled streets, Buffy saw some dark robed figures approaching her and Sirius.
 "Shit," she cursed. Sirius ducked off into the darkness of an alleyway and Buffy stopped in the street and pretended to be searching her pockets. When she saw who was approaching, she stopped this action and waited expectantly.
 "Miss Summers," Kingsley Shacklebolt greeted her.

 "What the bloody hell do you want?" Buffy said venomously, her face reddening with anger.
 "Just checking up on you again," he said smoothly.
 "You've been following me," Buffy said with realisation and anger. "How dare you?"

 "You have been acting very suspiciously Miss Summers," Shacklebolt said, also with anger. "Getting a train up north, showing up in Diagon Alley, and spending time in demon bars."

 "I warned you," Buffy said, incensed and without much though, she punched Shacklebolt in the jaw. He touched the corner of his mouth, and blood coloured his fingers. The two Aurors behind him raised their wands and pointed them at Buffy.
 "Put those down or I guarantee you will lose your arms," Buffy said through gritted teeth. "Think I'm joking? Try me." The Aurors stared at her impassively. Without warning, Buffy flew into a roundhouse kick, knocking Shacklebolt off his feet. One of the Aurors fired a stunner at Buffy, but she dodged it and leapt towards him. She knocked the two Aurors heads together and they fell to the floor unconscious.
Buffy stood over Shacklebolt who was still conscious, but lying on the deserted cobbled street.
 "As much as it pains me," Buffy began. "I see you again and I will go to the Watchers Council. The threat of physical violence hasn't worked too well, so how about this. You mess with me again and I go to the Council, tell them about how you, Aurors from the Ministry, have been interfering with the work of a Slayer, threatening me nonetheless, and making it hard for me to do my job. It's not your jurisdiction to do that, as you said, and if the Watchers Council finds out the Ministry have been bugging me, we could be in for a little bit of political trouble, putting your jobs at risk, wouldn't you say? I'm not in contact, or collaboration with Sirius Black. I will not answer to you again." Kingsley Shacklebolt stared up at her, eyes glaring.

 "We will not bother you again Miss Summers," he said, and Buffy knew what it was costing him to be lying on his back unarmed, having the law laid down to him by a teenage girl. Not caring, she picked up his wand, snapped it in half and walked away.

Later when Buffy and Sirius had returned to the hotel, they discussed what their actions would be from now on.
 "Spike won't go to the authorities," Buffy said confidently. "It was an empty threat, he hates the government and all of that, plus he's a vampire, who's gonna listen to him?"

 "That was amazing what you said to Shacklebolt," Sirius said admiringly. "All that stuff about the Watchers Council and the Ministry." Buffy shrugged.
 "The last weapon I had left, apart from kicking their butts which I'm not really supposed to do," she said. "Rubbish really, the Council hates me, but they might be bothered with Ministry interference. The Council is pretty much cantankerous old men and women and they always hate to be told what to do. Besides, they won't stop following me. We'll have to lose them."
 "Then they days of hotels and Muggle transport is over," Sirius said apologetically. "We'll have to go on foot, hide out in the country, and really lose ourselves so they won't find us."
 "I can deal with that," Buffy said. "How long will I take?"

 "A month, give or take a week or so." Sirius replied thoughtfully. "Liverpool to Scotland, it'll be long and difficult, but you've got Slayer strength and I can go as a dog."  "Give me one more day," Buffy said. "I'll write to my mom, say I won't be able to write for a while, then Giles, and tell him what the deal is so he knows what to do if anything happens. Buy some stuff for the journey, food and other stuff, and then we can go."