Four.
"What do these Americans do at housewarming parties?" Anne was wringing her hands as she paced restlessly at her living room. Cassie and Hannah sat relaxing by the sofa while Henry snored by the throw rug.
Cassie looked in fascination at her mistress' pacing, "Annie, what are you so worried about? It's just a party."
"No. This is my first housewarming dinner party. Ever." Anne finally sat on the plush beige sofa, sighing deeply. "And to think I've been around for more than two centuries..."
"Did you prepare anything?" Hannah asked without looking up from her knitting.
"Of course I did. I baked chocolate brownies, apple pie, blueberry cheesecake and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. There's also honey roasted chicken, broiled salmon, grilled pork chops, lasagna, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, pudding, and gravy. I even got several bags of chips and some onion dip." She counted of from her mental list. "Do you think that's enough?"
Cassie burst out laughing, "Honey, you had better lie down and relax. If you get any more nervous, I'm afraid what you might do... or in this case, cook, next."
Anne groaned, "I'm turning into a nervous wreck! I'm never like this. I don't get jittery, and fidgety, and ... I need to take a shower. I smell like ... food." She bounded hurriedly upstairs, trying to quell her nerves.
This was just a party, the cat said. It's been a long time since I hosted one. There wasn't much time and reason for having parties before. I'm afraid I'd just botch it up... Anne sighed as she stepped into the warm welcoming spray of water.
As soon as she finished, she now faced another problem: what to wear.
"Oh, help." Anne groaned as she stared at her carefully hung clothes. She wanted to make a good impression, since their whole group would be coming tonight. She was grateful for Ripper and Anya's presence, though. Willow, too. They could help ease the tension somewhat.
Closing her eyes, she randomly picked a couple of hangers and held it in front of her as she faced the mirror before opening her eyes. She was able to pick a red sleeveless velvet top and black bootleg jeans.
It'll do.
Or maybe the yellow frilly blouse would look better ... no, the blue one! Or the purple...? Aaargh!
The doorbell suddenly rang. She almost jumped as she crammed one leg on her jeans. "Henry!!! Could you please get the door?" She yelled at the top of her lungs, hopping on one foot.
Downstairs, Giles and the others chuckled as he heard her yell. Haven't changed a bit. Giles thought fondly.
Spike whispered, "Are you sure she's safe?"
Giles shot him a pointed look, "Please refrain from making comments about my godmother. I'm quite fond of her."
"Me, too." Anya piped in, giving Spike a glare of her own.
The door suddenly opened, stopping all conversation. The silence seemed more deafening as they saw the German shepherd smiling at them from the doorway.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Please come this way, if you please." The dog stepped back for the group to enter.
Inside, everybody could hear Cassie's acidic admonition, "Oh, stop with the stuffy old butler gig, Henry, you git!"
Henry's reply was succinct, "Sod off."
Giles took the liberty of warning the others of Anne's true lifestyle. Including her magical pets.
Giles grinned, "Hey there, old chap."
The dog acknowledged him with a nod and grin, "Ripper."
Willow grinned fondly at the dog, "Hello, Henry." Glancing at the living room, she spied the cat and owl, "Hey, Cassie! Hannah!" They beamed back at the redhead.
Henry grinned at her, "Hey there, cutie."
Spike drawled, "Oh, goody. Talking animals." Under his breath, he muttered, "It's a bloody circus."
"Dawnie, don't touch that!" Buffy grabbed her younger sister's arm before she did any damage. "There are lots of enchanted stuff here."
"I was just looking at it." Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister's paranoia. Her eyes widened as she approached a large wall where portraits were arranged. "Oh, wow... moving paintings?!"
The others approached eagerly. Buffy exclaimed, "This is so amazing! "Her eyes almost bulged out as a knight took off on his horse, waving as he rode on across the line of paintings. "They could jump from one painting to another! "
"Buffy, Dawn! Will you be quiet and sit down?" Joyce Summers narrowed her eyes in warning, silencing the bickering siblings.
Giles sighed as the group settled themselves in the living room, interacting with Anne's pets. Suddenly he heard Anne's footsteps as she jogged down the stairs.
He grinned at the sight of his harried friend, fresh from the shower.
"Hey, you guys." Anne paused to catch her breath. " I'm sorry it took me a while." She smiled at the gathered people. " I see you've already met my pets."
Joyce stepped forward, holding a cake box. "Yes, and they are simply ...enchanting." She grinned. She held the box to Anne, " I'm Joyce Summers. These are my daughters, Buffy and Dawn."
Anne accepted the box with a big smile. "Oh, Buffy and I already met yesterday." She gave the other girl a warm smile, and then Joyce and Dawn a firm handshake.
Joyce beamed, "Well, in behalf of everyone, I would like to welcome you to Sunnydale."
"You mean, the Hellmouth." Xander joked.
Giles, seemingly forgetting his English reserve, placed an arm around her shoulders and grinned, "Annie, this is Xander Harris," Anne eagerly shook his hand, "...Daniel Osborne..."
Anne cocked her head to one side, "Hmm... I can tell you're not what you seem."
Oz smiled, "Yeah. Caught me." He took her hand in a firm grip, " I'm a true-blue werewolf. Call me Oz."
"Oh, hey, cool! One of my best friends is a werewolf too. Maybe someday I could introduce you to him." Anne related with a warm smile.
Oz grinned, " That'll be great."
Giles continued, " ...and Spike, our other resident vampire." He gestured towards the suddenly silent vampire.
Anne turned to the said vampire and almost forgot to breathe.
Those eyes... lips, cheeks, eyebrows...the hair is different though...
But they all seemed so familiar. No, it can't be. It was just a coincidence. A remarkable coincidence. He was... gone. She saw him ... at his final resting place... No!
Dawn remarked, "Why so silent, Spike?"
They all looked at the unusually quiet vampire and saw the look that passed between him and Anne. Nobody could ignore the sudden tension as the two stared at each other.
Spike felt like he was in a full body bind spell, ever since Anne Sinclair step into the room. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her long silky black hair flowing around her shoulders, her beautiful blue eyes alit with laughter, her skin silky smooth, her sexy curves revealed by the tight fitting top and the snuggest pair of jeans he had ever seen... He felt himself growing hard as he stared at the English beauty hopping down the stairs, teasing his rapidly aroused state with naughty thoughts.
She immediately brought another image to mind, that of a woman of his past. A face that only haunted him in the rarest of moments. A face that he knew would have found her peace a long time ago. Unless...
Impossible.
Buffy giggled softly as she whispered in a singsong voice to Angel, " Uh- oh. I think Spikey got hit by a little heart arrow..."
Angel whispered, laughter evident in his voice, "Close you mouth, Spike. You're attracting flies."
Anne gave herself a mental nudge and broke eye contact. She made a show of clearing her throat before announcing, "Well, since everybody's here, we can get dinner started. The dining room's this way." She started to walk towards the back, each of the Scoobies following behind.
"What's up with you?" Oz whispered to Spike. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Looks like it..." Spike muttered, still feeling disconcerted.
Buffy gave Angel a stage whisper, "Told you he got hit by Cupid's arrow..." She smiled mischievously.
Before Spike could give a scathing reply, Anne suddenly appeared and ushered them to their seats. The others continued with their conversation with the fascinating witch as they settled around the large rectangular oak table. Spike ended up sitting on one end of the table, facing Anne who sat at the other end.
The food smelled marvelous and mouth-watering, and then some. Their eyes widened unbelievably at the amount of treats Anne prepared.
Joyce looked at Anne in surprise, "Anne, you didn't have to prepare all this. Pizza would have been just fine."
"Oh, wow. A feast!" Xander quipped.
Anne smiled shyly, "I didn't really know what to do. Besides, cooking has been a real passion for me. I enjoyed it." She replied reassuringly.
She glanced at Angel, carefully avoiding Spike's intense gaze. "I even got blood wine delivered for Angel and ... and Spike. I have a friend from Chile who specializes in making those. It's amazing how he keeps the blood from coagulating." She grinned nervously. "Don't worry, the human blood was donated voluntarily. Were paid handsomely for it too."
Angel smiled back, "Thanks."
Spike picked up the vintage bottle next to his wine glass, inspecting it carefully, "Hmm... classy stuff. I've heard of these..."
"So shall we? "Anne interrupted, "Dig in!"
For the next hour and a half, easy flow of conversation and good- humored eating dominated the room. The Scoobies got to learn much about Anne's life as a first-class witch and Anne listened to their fascinating adventures at the Hellmouth. Anne felt right at home, surprisingly, with these people.
"... acted like a cavewoman all night! It was so scary..." Xander laughed, along with the rest of the group, "Sure was the last time I ever saw Buffy drink anything alcoholic."
" Thank you, Xander, for relating one of my most forgettable escapades." Buffy huffed. Arching a brow, she gave him an evil grin, " Or maybe Anne would like to hear about that time you became butt-monkey to the great Dracula?"
Anne almost choked on her drink, "You guys met Dracky?"
Spike raised an eyebrow at this, " Dracky?" He looked at her in amusement.
Angel nodded, "Yeah. You know him?"
"Well... yeah. "Anne said thoughtfully, "He.. uh, tried to .. to ..." She mumbled incoherently, suddenly feeling shy.
"He... what?" Giles prodded.
Anne felt her cheeks flush, " He tried to seduce me. Said that powerful women turned him on. Followed me around for about two years while I was doing some work for the Ministry. He was a right old loony, if you ask me." She grimaced as the others began to laugh. "It was creepy ... in a funny way, I guess."
"Can I say 'eew'?" Dawn grimaced. She yelped when Buffy poked her side.
Spike chuckled, "Drac had the hots for you? I wish I could have seen that. It must have been priceless!"
"Well, it wasn't much fun having that weirdo appearing in a mist while I took a shower or having him snooping around with my underwear." Anne sighed in mock resignation, "It was worse than having a stalker!"
Buffy had a faraway look in her eyes. "He wasn't that bad, right? He had these really intense, penetrating eyes ..." She happened to see Angel's narrowed look and hastily amended, "...uh, that made me do really really crazy bad, bad stuff. Ok, I'll shut up now."
The others continued to laugh and joke around as they moved on to after-dinner drinks. Anne pointed her wand at the dining table and commanded, "Clean up." And almost immediately, the plates floated towards the sink. The rest of the kitchen cleared itself up, much to amazement of the guests.
Dawn had a glazed look, "Mom, can we invite Anne over for dinner every night?" Anne laughed as Joyce clucked her tongue at her youngest daughter.
They left the dining room and settled back in the living room. They asked her about her life as a half-demon, her work and even her family.
"Do you have that..." Dawn asked curiously, gesturing at her face, " ... ridged forehead and yellow eyes?"
Anne shook her head, sipping from her wine glass. " No, pet. But I did inherit my father's vampiric senses and strength. Combine it with my mother's abilities, well ..." She shrugged.
Buffy looked awed. " Oh, wow. You mean you're like a super slayer/vamp type?"
Anne explained, "Uh, not really. You see, my magical powers has evolved and increased tenfold for the past century. It takes practically half of my strength to control it." She grinned teasingly at Buffy, "Don't worry... you can still kick my ass."
"Could you teach me some of your stuff?" Willow asked eagerly.
Anne cocked her head to one side, "I guess I could. But I don't teach Wiccan magic. That's more of the muggle-invented stuff than real magic. Real wizards and witches don't need tedious rituals for the magic is already within. If you are truly a witch, you should see manifestations of your power every time you perform a spell."
Xander asked, "What's a muggle?"
"Non-magic folks." Came Anne's answer.
Willow nodded, "Most of my spell have worked. Well, most of them anyway."
Anne added, "You'll be needing a wand then. I suppose the Magic schools here are rather dormant. You should have received an invitation to one when you were still young." She related. "That is how most of the witches and wizards I know started from. Even You-know-who."
"You-know-who? Who's he?" Buffy asked.
Anne replied, smiling wanly as she tried to cover for her slip-up. " Oh. Uhm...let's just say, he's an old mortal enemy of ALL peace-loving magic- folks. Really, really dangerous. Nobody even dares speak his name, ergo the moniker."
"You're on the run?" Dawn queried.
"I guess you could say that."
"Why doesn't your council help you nail this You-know-who?" Giles asked, confused.
"Much preparation is still needed. I was one of his latest victims after his rebirth. And I'm not yet fully recovered from our last stint." Anne sighed wearily.
"What did you teach back in the Magical school?" Willow asked curiously.
"In Hogwarts?" Anne replied, her tone suddenly guarded, "I... I taught defense against the dark arts for more than a century. In between terms, I did some work for the Ministry and even the Council of Watchers. Then I quit. That's about my whole teaching history."
"Just where is this Hogwarts? I've been around England and I haven't seen nor heard of its existence." Spike questioned skeptically.
"The Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry is located in the mountains of Scotland. It's been concealed from non-magic folks. To outsiders, all they'd be able to see was a large vacant lot at the west side." Anne explained. "We're very serious in keeping our world from the muggles. Violators of the Statute of Secrecy are punished accordingly by the Ministry."
"Is that where you met Anya and Giles?" Dawn asked.
Anne shook her head, "No. I met Anya back in Italy, around the 1920's, I think. I met Ripper and his family when I came back to the Old country after my travels. You see, I worked with two other slayers before, one during the mid 19th century and the other around 1900. Anyway, I became friends with his parents and I watched Ripper grow until he left for his Watcher studies." She shared a reminiscing smile with Giles.
Angel and Spike shared a stunned look. Looks like another connection to their grand history.
"You've worked with Slayers before?" Buffy asked in surprise. " But what did the Watcher's Council say about that?"
"A lot, actually. But they really couldn't do anything about it back then. They needed help; I provided it. But their Slayers still died so young. Even I couldn't prevent it." Anne had a hard look on her face.
Joyce commented, "I can't get over how you look so young. For someone who's over two centuries old, that is."
Anne laughed softly, " Actually, I was able to tap into my immortality during my early twenties. An old wizard I consulted at that time said that in order to guarantee if I indeed inherited my father's immortal side, I had to die first."
"Die as in ...die?" Willow asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah." Anne grinned. "But I won't bore you with the details. I'm sure you're not that interested in the blood-and-guts story."
Xander raised his hands in agreement, "Hear, hear!"
Spike chuckled, "Speak for yourself, whelp."
"Seems you were doing pretty well at Hogwarts. Why did you leave?" Anya asked in her usual bluntness.
Giles looked at Anya sharply. She simply sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, willing for the images in her mind to leave her in peace, even for a while. She opened her eyes and replied in a controlled voice, " I didn't make that decision lightly. A lot of things happened to bring me to make this decision. Things that shouldn't have happened in the first place. I thought a change in scenery would be good."
"So why leave if you had everything going for you there?" Spike asked in a peculiar tone.
Anne remained silent for a few moments. She tried to control herself, unwilling for these strangers to witness her pain. But as she raised her head to look unflinchingly at the questioning vampire, she was unaware of the wealth of emotion that was revealed in her blue eyes.
Spike sucked in an unneeded breath as he saw the raw emotion in her eyes. Emotions that he knew she hadn't meant to let slip.
"Why should I continue a job that cost me everything I had?" She whispered, her voice full of unspoken grief.
Joyce was the one to interrupt; sensing a change in atmosphere was in order... fast. "Well, Anne, it has been a pleasure. I hope we could do this again some time. But I'm afraid we have to be going now, with it being a school night ..." She smiled apologetically.
Quicksilver. Anne was like quicksilver, shifting from one emotion to another in a blink of an eye. She smiled cheerfully, welcoming Joyce's effort, "I would like to thank you, too. For being nice and all." She hugged the older woman warmly.
The others then followed suit, saying their goodnights and farewells. They all stepped outside into the night air, still talking and joking with her.
Anya smiled as she hugged her, whispering, "I'll have Xander drop me here one of these days. We could talk about old times, okay?"
"Sure. Just ... ring me." Anne grinned, as she watched the two lovebirds walk towards Xander's car.
Buffy hugged her next, "Hey, maybe you could join me for patrol one of these days if you get in the mood. Having company would be nice..." She grinned saucily at her.
Anne teased, "But you already have Angel to keep you company, don't you?"
Buffy grinned conspiratorially, "Well, I really couldn't get him to have girl talk with me, could I?"
Anne laughed at Angel's scowl, "Okay. I'll be around." She waved goodbye to the Summers girls and Angel.
Willow, Oz and Giles were the last ones to leave. " Maybe we could get together and try doing some spells? Small stuff only, I promise. Nothing biggie. It'll be fun." She smiled. "Or you could drop by the Magic Box and help with the researchy stuff for Giles."
Giles smiled, "Or we could just do some of the research here, with your extensive library and all." He teased.
"Oh, you two. Just go. I'll be seeing you around. And, Willow? I'll see about getting you a wand." Anne laughed as the three walked down the walkway and towards Oz' waiting van.
She closed the door, a contented smile on her lips as she whispered, "Hah! I did it."
She practically skipped towards the kitchen, checking if the dishes were properly put away when a sudden movement on her right caught her eye. She cautiously peered at the sitting room where the grand piano was kept, her heart almost stopping at the sight. She almost forgot about him.
He must have sneaked out of the living room and spotted the piano as they said their farewells. Anne frowned as she watched the vampire. He sure had a lot of nerve.
Spike was lightly running his fingers across the piano keys, playing softly with his eyes closed. Anne reluctantly listened as she drank the sight of him at her piano, a strange knot forming in her stomach. He continued to play, seemingly unaware of her presence, caught up in the music he was creating. The music washed over them both; enveloping them in a blanket of pleasure so magical that they felt bereft once the last note pierced the air.
There's something about the way he played that reminded her of...
Spike looked and saw Anne standing by the doorway. He smiled, well, smirked really. He stood up and walked in a predatory fashion towards her. He gave her a challenging look before drawling, "Did you like it?"
Anne raised her right eyebrow in a questioning look, " Yes, of course. It was beautiful..." She cocked her head to one side and added, " But I'm afraid the others have already gone. And it is well past my bedtime..." She trailed off, giving him a pointed look.
Spike chuckled," It's alright, pet. I know I should go now." He leaned over and kissed her nose. "See you around."
Then he walked past her and out of the front door, the soft click of the door closing indicated he had already gone.
Anne stood rooted to the spot.
He kissed me?
*******************************
Spike entered his crypt, his footsteps sounded heavy amidst the silence of his home. He plopped down on his worn moth-eaten armchair, his thoughts swirling around his tired mind. He grabbed the remote control and switched on his beloved television. He stared at the figures flitting about, his mind elsewhere.
He felt disoriented. He didn't know what to make of his confusion. And he felt restless more than ever.
It was that woman's fault.
She made him do something he had avoided since Drusilla left him years ago. She tapped into his inner being, silencing the demon in him and touched him in a way that he never knew was possible. Her pain reached out to him, unwarily seeking comfort in a demon.
She made him feel again.
Buffy and the others always laughed and joked about his so-called emotional side. If they hadn't seen him with Dru, they wouldn't have believed he was truly capable of emotion.
But he was.
And now, he wished he didn't.
Anne drew certain emotions within him that he thought he had an iron- lock on. She dragged them back to the surface, making him feel things he thought he would never feel again. Emotions so raw that made his time with Dru seem like a picnic.
He was ... brooding. Just like his frickin' Sire.
He snorted, shaking his head as if to clear it. He changed channels to distract him from his line of thought when he suddenly found himself staring off into space again. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he already met Anne from another time...
He felt like he knew her a long time ago... ages ago...
Anne.
Could it be...
Nah.
But how was it that she seemed ... familiar somehow?
Stop it.
London. Could it have been near ...
Shut up. No more thinking.
It was a long time ago...
... and stranger things have happened...
Will you give it a rest?
Anne Sinclair... was she related to ...
Oh no.
Damn! That's it!
He jumped up and headed towards his hidden wooden trunk of mementos acquired through the years. He rummaged inside, looking for something. A few minutes later, he found a small box and with a triumphant smile, he moved back into his armchair to examine its long-forgotten contents.
The small box contained a single white lace handkerchief. A worn, age- old white lace handkerchief. Spike stared at it as a wave of memories flooded him.
He remembered her dainty fingers as they held this piece of cloth across her lips to hide her feminine smile. He remembered how her waist- length black hair flowed with the wind as she walked beside him. He remembered her twinkling blue eyes as she teased him about his serious nature. He remembered her tinkling laugh... her heart-stopping smile... her sweet nature ...
He remembered everything.
Oh god... Spike sat up abruptly. He remembered.
How could he have forgotten? How could he have been so stupid?
Annie...My Annie...
"What do these Americans do at housewarming parties?" Anne was wringing her hands as she paced restlessly at her living room. Cassie and Hannah sat relaxing by the sofa while Henry snored by the throw rug.
Cassie looked in fascination at her mistress' pacing, "Annie, what are you so worried about? It's just a party."
"No. This is my first housewarming dinner party. Ever." Anne finally sat on the plush beige sofa, sighing deeply. "And to think I've been around for more than two centuries..."
"Did you prepare anything?" Hannah asked without looking up from her knitting.
"Of course I did. I baked chocolate brownies, apple pie, blueberry cheesecake and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. There's also honey roasted chicken, broiled salmon, grilled pork chops, lasagna, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes, pudding, and gravy. I even got several bags of chips and some onion dip." She counted of from her mental list. "Do you think that's enough?"
Cassie burst out laughing, "Honey, you had better lie down and relax. If you get any more nervous, I'm afraid what you might do... or in this case, cook, next."
Anne groaned, "I'm turning into a nervous wreck! I'm never like this. I don't get jittery, and fidgety, and ... I need to take a shower. I smell like ... food." She bounded hurriedly upstairs, trying to quell her nerves.
This was just a party, the cat said. It's been a long time since I hosted one. There wasn't much time and reason for having parties before. I'm afraid I'd just botch it up... Anne sighed as she stepped into the warm welcoming spray of water.
As soon as she finished, she now faced another problem: what to wear.
"Oh, help." Anne groaned as she stared at her carefully hung clothes. She wanted to make a good impression, since their whole group would be coming tonight. She was grateful for Ripper and Anya's presence, though. Willow, too. They could help ease the tension somewhat.
Closing her eyes, she randomly picked a couple of hangers and held it in front of her as she faced the mirror before opening her eyes. She was able to pick a red sleeveless velvet top and black bootleg jeans.
It'll do.
Or maybe the yellow frilly blouse would look better ... no, the blue one! Or the purple...? Aaargh!
The doorbell suddenly rang. She almost jumped as she crammed one leg on her jeans. "Henry!!! Could you please get the door?" She yelled at the top of her lungs, hopping on one foot.
Downstairs, Giles and the others chuckled as he heard her yell. Haven't changed a bit. Giles thought fondly.
Spike whispered, "Are you sure she's safe?"
Giles shot him a pointed look, "Please refrain from making comments about my godmother. I'm quite fond of her."
"Me, too." Anya piped in, giving Spike a glare of her own.
The door suddenly opened, stopping all conversation. The silence seemed more deafening as they saw the German shepherd smiling at them from the doorway.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Please come this way, if you please." The dog stepped back for the group to enter.
Inside, everybody could hear Cassie's acidic admonition, "Oh, stop with the stuffy old butler gig, Henry, you git!"
Henry's reply was succinct, "Sod off."
Giles took the liberty of warning the others of Anne's true lifestyle. Including her magical pets.
Giles grinned, "Hey there, old chap."
The dog acknowledged him with a nod and grin, "Ripper."
Willow grinned fondly at the dog, "Hello, Henry." Glancing at the living room, she spied the cat and owl, "Hey, Cassie! Hannah!" They beamed back at the redhead.
Henry grinned at her, "Hey there, cutie."
Spike drawled, "Oh, goody. Talking animals." Under his breath, he muttered, "It's a bloody circus."
"Dawnie, don't touch that!" Buffy grabbed her younger sister's arm before she did any damage. "There are lots of enchanted stuff here."
"I was just looking at it." Dawn rolled her eyes at her sister's paranoia. Her eyes widened as she approached a large wall where portraits were arranged. "Oh, wow... moving paintings?!"
The others approached eagerly. Buffy exclaimed, "This is so amazing! "Her eyes almost bulged out as a knight took off on his horse, waving as he rode on across the line of paintings. "They could jump from one painting to another! "
"Buffy, Dawn! Will you be quiet and sit down?" Joyce Summers narrowed her eyes in warning, silencing the bickering siblings.
Giles sighed as the group settled themselves in the living room, interacting with Anne's pets. Suddenly he heard Anne's footsteps as she jogged down the stairs.
He grinned at the sight of his harried friend, fresh from the shower.
"Hey, you guys." Anne paused to catch her breath. " I'm sorry it took me a while." She smiled at the gathered people. " I see you've already met my pets."
Joyce stepped forward, holding a cake box. "Yes, and they are simply ...enchanting." She grinned. She held the box to Anne, " I'm Joyce Summers. These are my daughters, Buffy and Dawn."
Anne accepted the box with a big smile. "Oh, Buffy and I already met yesterday." She gave the other girl a warm smile, and then Joyce and Dawn a firm handshake.
Joyce beamed, "Well, in behalf of everyone, I would like to welcome you to Sunnydale."
"You mean, the Hellmouth." Xander joked.
Giles, seemingly forgetting his English reserve, placed an arm around her shoulders and grinned, "Annie, this is Xander Harris," Anne eagerly shook his hand, "...Daniel Osborne..."
Anne cocked her head to one side, "Hmm... I can tell you're not what you seem."
Oz smiled, "Yeah. Caught me." He took her hand in a firm grip, " I'm a true-blue werewolf. Call me Oz."
"Oh, hey, cool! One of my best friends is a werewolf too. Maybe someday I could introduce you to him." Anne related with a warm smile.
Oz grinned, " That'll be great."
Giles continued, " ...and Spike, our other resident vampire." He gestured towards the suddenly silent vampire.
Anne turned to the said vampire and almost forgot to breathe.
Those eyes... lips, cheeks, eyebrows...the hair is different though...
But they all seemed so familiar. No, it can't be. It was just a coincidence. A remarkable coincidence. He was... gone. She saw him ... at his final resting place... No!
Dawn remarked, "Why so silent, Spike?"
They all looked at the unusually quiet vampire and saw the look that passed between him and Anne. Nobody could ignore the sudden tension as the two stared at each other.
Spike felt like he was in a full body bind spell, ever since Anne Sinclair step into the room. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her long silky black hair flowing around her shoulders, her beautiful blue eyes alit with laughter, her skin silky smooth, her sexy curves revealed by the tight fitting top and the snuggest pair of jeans he had ever seen... He felt himself growing hard as he stared at the English beauty hopping down the stairs, teasing his rapidly aroused state with naughty thoughts.
She immediately brought another image to mind, that of a woman of his past. A face that only haunted him in the rarest of moments. A face that he knew would have found her peace a long time ago. Unless...
Impossible.
Buffy giggled softly as she whispered in a singsong voice to Angel, " Uh- oh. I think Spikey got hit by a little heart arrow..."
Angel whispered, laughter evident in his voice, "Close you mouth, Spike. You're attracting flies."
Anne gave herself a mental nudge and broke eye contact. She made a show of clearing her throat before announcing, "Well, since everybody's here, we can get dinner started. The dining room's this way." She started to walk towards the back, each of the Scoobies following behind.
"What's up with you?" Oz whispered to Spike. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Looks like it..." Spike muttered, still feeling disconcerted.
Buffy gave Angel a stage whisper, "Told you he got hit by Cupid's arrow..." She smiled mischievously.
Before Spike could give a scathing reply, Anne suddenly appeared and ushered them to their seats. The others continued with their conversation with the fascinating witch as they settled around the large rectangular oak table. Spike ended up sitting on one end of the table, facing Anne who sat at the other end.
The food smelled marvelous and mouth-watering, and then some. Their eyes widened unbelievably at the amount of treats Anne prepared.
Joyce looked at Anne in surprise, "Anne, you didn't have to prepare all this. Pizza would have been just fine."
"Oh, wow. A feast!" Xander quipped.
Anne smiled shyly, "I didn't really know what to do. Besides, cooking has been a real passion for me. I enjoyed it." She replied reassuringly.
She glanced at Angel, carefully avoiding Spike's intense gaze. "I even got blood wine delivered for Angel and ... and Spike. I have a friend from Chile who specializes in making those. It's amazing how he keeps the blood from coagulating." She grinned nervously. "Don't worry, the human blood was donated voluntarily. Were paid handsomely for it too."
Angel smiled back, "Thanks."
Spike picked up the vintage bottle next to his wine glass, inspecting it carefully, "Hmm... classy stuff. I've heard of these..."
"So shall we? "Anne interrupted, "Dig in!"
For the next hour and a half, easy flow of conversation and good- humored eating dominated the room. The Scoobies got to learn much about Anne's life as a first-class witch and Anne listened to their fascinating adventures at the Hellmouth. Anne felt right at home, surprisingly, with these people.
"... acted like a cavewoman all night! It was so scary..." Xander laughed, along with the rest of the group, "Sure was the last time I ever saw Buffy drink anything alcoholic."
" Thank you, Xander, for relating one of my most forgettable escapades." Buffy huffed. Arching a brow, she gave him an evil grin, " Or maybe Anne would like to hear about that time you became butt-monkey to the great Dracula?"
Anne almost choked on her drink, "You guys met Dracky?"
Spike raised an eyebrow at this, " Dracky?" He looked at her in amusement.
Angel nodded, "Yeah. You know him?"
"Well... yeah. "Anne said thoughtfully, "He.. uh, tried to .. to ..." She mumbled incoherently, suddenly feeling shy.
"He... what?" Giles prodded.
Anne felt her cheeks flush, " He tried to seduce me. Said that powerful women turned him on. Followed me around for about two years while I was doing some work for the Ministry. He was a right old loony, if you ask me." She grimaced as the others began to laugh. "It was creepy ... in a funny way, I guess."
"Can I say 'eew'?" Dawn grimaced. She yelped when Buffy poked her side.
Spike chuckled, "Drac had the hots for you? I wish I could have seen that. It must have been priceless!"
"Well, it wasn't much fun having that weirdo appearing in a mist while I took a shower or having him snooping around with my underwear." Anne sighed in mock resignation, "It was worse than having a stalker!"
Buffy had a faraway look in her eyes. "He wasn't that bad, right? He had these really intense, penetrating eyes ..." She happened to see Angel's narrowed look and hastily amended, "...uh, that made me do really really crazy bad, bad stuff. Ok, I'll shut up now."
The others continued to laugh and joke around as they moved on to after-dinner drinks. Anne pointed her wand at the dining table and commanded, "Clean up." And almost immediately, the plates floated towards the sink. The rest of the kitchen cleared itself up, much to amazement of the guests.
Dawn had a glazed look, "Mom, can we invite Anne over for dinner every night?" Anne laughed as Joyce clucked her tongue at her youngest daughter.
They left the dining room and settled back in the living room. They asked her about her life as a half-demon, her work and even her family.
"Do you have that..." Dawn asked curiously, gesturing at her face, " ... ridged forehead and yellow eyes?"
Anne shook her head, sipping from her wine glass. " No, pet. But I did inherit my father's vampiric senses and strength. Combine it with my mother's abilities, well ..." She shrugged.
Buffy looked awed. " Oh, wow. You mean you're like a super slayer/vamp type?"
Anne explained, "Uh, not really. You see, my magical powers has evolved and increased tenfold for the past century. It takes practically half of my strength to control it." She grinned teasingly at Buffy, "Don't worry... you can still kick my ass."
"Could you teach me some of your stuff?" Willow asked eagerly.
Anne cocked her head to one side, "I guess I could. But I don't teach Wiccan magic. That's more of the muggle-invented stuff than real magic. Real wizards and witches don't need tedious rituals for the magic is already within. If you are truly a witch, you should see manifestations of your power every time you perform a spell."
Xander asked, "What's a muggle?"
"Non-magic folks." Came Anne's answer.
Willow nodded, "Most of my spell have worked. Well, most of them anyway."
Anne added, "You'll be needing a wand then. I suppose the Magic schools here are rather dormant. You should have received an invitation to one when you were still young." She related. "That is how most of the witches and wizards I know started from. Even You-know-who."
"You-know-who? Who's he?" Buffy asked.
Anne replied, smiling wanly as she tried to cover for her slip-up. " Oh. Uhm...let's just say, he's an old mortal enemy of ALL peace-loving magic- folks. Really, really dangerous. Nobody even dares speak his name, ergo the moniker."
"You're on the run?" Dawn queried.
"I guess you could say that."
"Why doesn't your council help you nail this You-know-who?" Giles asked, confused.
"Much preparation is still needed. I was one of his latest victims after his rebirth. And I'm not yet fully recovered from our last stint." Anne sighed wearily.
"What did you teach back in the Magical school?" Willow asked curiously.
"In Hogwarts?" Anne replied, her tone suddenly guarded, "I... I taught defense against the dark arts for more than a century. In between terms, I did some work for the Ministry and even the Council of Watchers. Then I quit. That's about my whole teaching history."
"Just where is this Hogwarts? I've been around England and I haven't seen nor heard of its existence." Spike questioned skeptically.
"The Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry is located in the mountains of Scotland. It's been concealed from non-magic folks. To outsiders, all they'd be able to see was a large vacant lot at the west side." Anne explained. "We're very serious in keeping our world from the muggles. Violators of the Statute of Secrecy are punished accordingly by the Ministry."
"Is that where you met Anya and Giles?" Dawn asked.
Anne shook her head, "No. I met Anya back in Italy, around the 1920's, I think. I met Ripper and his family when I came back to the Old country after my travels. You see, I worked with two other slayers before, one during the mid 19th century and the other around 1900. Anyway, I became friends with his parents and I watched Ripper grow until he left for his Watcher studies." She shared a reminiscing smile with Giles.
Angel and Spike shared a stunned look. Looks like another connection to their grand history.
"You've worked with Slayers before?" Buffy asked in surprise. " But what did the Watcher's Council say about that?"
"A lot, actually. But they really couldn't do anything about it back then. They needed help; I provided it. But their Slayers still died so young. Even I couldn't prevent it." Anne had a hard look on her face.
Joyce commented, "I can't get over how you look so young. For someone who's over two centuries old, that is."
Anne laughed softly, " Actually, I was able to tap into my immortality during my early twenties. An old wizard I consulted at that time said that in order to guarantee if I indeed inherited my father's immortal side, I had to die first."
"Die as in ...die?" Willow asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah." Anne grinned. "But I won't bore you with the details. I'm sure you're not that interested in the blood-and-guts story."
Xander raised his hands in agreement, "Hear, hear!"
Spike chuckled, "Speak for yourself, whelp."
"Seems you were doing pretty well at Hogwarts. Why did you leave?" Anya asked in her usual bluntness.
Giles looked at Anya sharply. She simply sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, willing for the images in her mind to leave her in peace, even for a while. She opened her eyes and replied in a controlled voice, " I didn't make that decision lightly. A lot of things happened to bring me to make this decision. Things that shouldn't have happened in the first place. I thought a change in scenery would be good."
"So why leave if you had everything going for you there?" Spike asked in a peculiar tone.
Anne remained silent for a few moments. She tried to control herself, unwilling for these strangers to witness her pain. But as she raised her head to look unflinchingly at the questioning vampire, she was unaware of the wealth of emotion that was revealed in her blue eyes.
Spike sucked in an unneeded breath as he saw the raw emotion in her eyes. Emotions that he knew she hadn't meant to let slip.
"Why should I continue a job that cost me everything I had?" She whispered, her voice full of unspoken grief.
Joyce was the one to interrupt; sensing a change in atmosphere was in order... fast. "Well, Anne, it has been a pleasure. I hope we could do this again some time. But I'm afraid we have to be going now, with it being a school night ..." She smiled apologetically.
Quicksilver. Anne was like quicksilver, shifting from one emotion to another in a blink of an eye. She smiled cheerfully, welcoming Joyce's effort, "I would like to thank you, too. For being nice and all." She hugged the older woman warmly.
The others then followed suit, saying their goodnights and farewells. They all stepped outside into the night air, still talking and joking with her.
Anya smiled as she hugged her, whispering, "I'll have Xander drop me here one of these days. We could talk about old times, okay?"
"Sure. Just ... ring me." Anne grinned, as she watched the two lovebirds walk towards Xander's car.
Buffy hugged her next, "Hey, maybe you could join me for patrol one of these days if you get in the mood. Having company would be nice..." She grinned saucily at her.
Anne teased, "But you already have Angel to keep you company, don't you?"
Buffy grinned conspiratorially, "Well, I really couldn't get him to have girl talk with me, could I?"
Anne laughed at Angel's scowl, "Okay. I'll be around." She waved goodbye to the Summers girls and Angel.
Willow, Oz and Giles were the last ones to leave. " Maybe we could get together and try doing some spells? Small stuff only, I promise. Nothing biggie. It'll be fun." She smiled. "Or you could drop by the Magic Box and help with the researchy stuff for Giles."
Giles smiled, "Or we could just do some of the research here, with your extensive library and all." He teased.
"Oh, you two. Just go. I'll be seeing you around. And, Willow? I'll see about getting you a wand." Anne laughed as the three walked down the walkway and towards Oz' waiting van.
She closed the door, a contented smile on her lips as she whispered, "Hah! I did it."
She practically skipped towards the kitchen, checking if the dishes were properly put away when a sudden movement on her right caught her eye. She cautiously peered at the sitting room where the grand piano was kept, her heart almost stopping at the sight. She almost forgot about him.
He must have sneaked out of the living room and spotted the piano as they said their farewells. Anne frowned as she watched the vampire. He sure had a lot of nerve.
Spike was lightly running his fingers across the piano keys, playing softly with his eyes closed. Anne reluctantly listened as she drank the sight of him at her piano, a strange knot forming in her stomach. He continued to play, seemingly unaware of her presence, caught up in the music he was creating. The music washed over them both; enveloping them in a blanket of pleasure so magical that they felt bereft once the last note pierced the air.
There's something about the way he played that reminded her of...
Spike looked and saw Anne standing by the doorway. He smiled, well, smirked really. He stood up and walked in a predatory fashion towards her. He gave her a challenging look before drawling, "Did you like it?"
Anne raised her right eyebrow in a questioning look, " Yes, of course. It was beautiful..." She cocked her head to one side and added, " But I'm afraid the others have already gone. And it is well past my bedtime..." She trailed off, giving him a pointed look.
Spike chuckled," It's alright, pet. I know I should go now." He leaned over and kissed her nose. "See you around."
Then he walked past her and out of the front door, the soft click of the door closing indicated he had already gone.
Anne stood rooted to the spot.
He kissed me?
*******************************
Spike entered his crypt, his footsteps sounded heavy amidst the silence of his home. He plopped down on his worn moth-eaten armchair, his thoughts swirling around his tired mind. He grabbed the remote control and switched on his beloved television. He stared at the figures flitting about, his mind elsewhere.
He felt disoriented. He didn't know what to make of his confusion. And he felt restless more than ever.
It was that woman's fault.
She made him do something he had avoided since Drusilla left him years ago. She tapped into his inner being, silencing the demon in him and touched him in a way that he never knew was possible. Her pain reached out to him, unwarily seeking comfort in a demon.
She made him feel again.
Buffy and the others always laughed and joked about his so-called emotional side. If they hadn't seen him with Dru, they wouldn't have believed he was truly capable of emotion.
But he was.
And now, he wished he didn't.
Anne drew certain emotions within him that he thought he had an iron- lock on. She dragged them back to the surface, making him feel things he thought he would never feel again. Emotions so raw that made his time with Dru seem like a picnic.
He was ... brooding. Just like his frickin' Sire.
He snorted, shaking his head as if to clear it. He changed channels to distract him from his line of thought when he suddenly found himself staring off into space again. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he already met Anne from another time...
He felt like he knew her a long time ago... ages ago...
Anne.
Could it be...
Nah.
But how was it that she seemed ... familiar somehow?
Stop it.
London. Could it have been near ...
Shut up. No more thinking.
It was a long time ago...
... and stranger things have happened...
Will you give it a rest?
Anne Sinclair... was she related to ...
Oh no.
Damn! That's it!
He jumped up and headed towards his hidden wooden trunk of mementos acquired through the years. He rummaged inside, looking for something. A few minutes later, he found a small box and with a triumphant smile, he moved back into his armchair to examine its long-forgotten contents.
The small box contained a single white lace handkerchief. A worn, age- old white lace handkerchief. Spike stared at it as a wave of memories flooded him.
He remembered her dainty fingers as they held this piece of cloth across her lips to hide her feminine smile. He remembered how her waist- length black hair flowed with the wind as she walked beside him. He remembered her twinkling blue eyes as she teased him about his serious nature. He remembered her tinkling laugh... her heart-stopping smile... her sweet nature ...
He remembered everything.
Oh god... Spike sat up abruptly. He remembered.
How could he have forgotten? How could he have been so stupid?
Annie...My Annie...
