THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclosure: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.
CHAPTER 26-REUNIONS APLENTY
"Buffy, this is all a little…," Giles stammered out with an overwhelmed sigh as he dropped his head into his hands and tried to come to grips with all that he was being told.
"To much," Buffy finished softly with a worried look on her face before she turned to Spike, silently begging for any help that he could offer her.
"I know that it's a lot to take in all at once, but I swear that every word of it is true…more or less," Spike added with a sincere smile plastered across his face before he reached in and grabbed Buffy's wrist and proceeded to show Giles the ring.
"Spike…stop that, it's not much but it's what it represents that's really important," Buffy countered with a faux glare towards Spike before Giles again found his voice.
"But Buffy, married, to Spike," Giles asked with a still confused expression on his face as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"I know that this is a lot to take in all at once Rupert, but believe me when I say that Buffy and Spike are happy together, these last three years of not having the weight of the world on her shoulders has been exactly what she needed, she no longer wakes up every morning wondering whether or not today is the day that she's going to die," Jenny interjected with an enthusiastic and optimistically reassuring smile on her face as she slowly began to rub circles on Giles' back with the palm of her hand.
"But what about Joyce," Giles asked with a still unconvinced look on his face as he gestured towards Joyce, who was sitting quietly on Molly's lap.
"What about her Rupert, you fancying to play horsy with her, bump her up and down on your knee," Spike quipped with a sly grin on his face, one that Buffy couldn't help but copy, before Giles quickly finished his thought.
"But is she…normal," Giles asked with a grim and concerned scowl on his face as he nervously took a sip of water.
"Define normal here Giles, Joyce is the daughter of two vampire slayers, she's as human as I am," Buffy declared with an angry frown on her face from what she had decided that Giles was worried about.
"She's not a bloody vampire or some kind of half breed mate," Spike added with a very serious glint in his eyes before Molly acted quickly to defuse the tense situation.
"Mr. Giles, Joyce didn't come along until well after Spike became human, and since we've taken more picnics in the park, bathed in sunlight, I'm doubting that my little niece is any different from any other little girl her age," Molly said with a very calm tone and pacing to her speech before she leaned down and kissed Joyce on top of her head.
"What…your little niece," Giles stammered through with a bewildered expression on his face as he turned his gaze to Molly, who at first returned his gaze before flushing red with embarrassment and smiling.
"We know that Molly's not really Joyce's aunt Giles, but back in the past we told everyone that she was Spike's little sister so that they wouldn't get suspicious," Buffy quickly countered with a slightly scared feeling in the pit of her stomach behind the reassuring smile on her face.
"We needed someone to baby sit for Joyce when we went out and to help out…not like we were going to cut her loose or anything, besides Joyce loves her and…," Spike added with an almost joking smile on his face as he reached out and patted his daughters head, receiving a giggle for his efforts.
"Okay, I give up…you win, but what are you going to do now Buffy, Angel and the others are preparing for an imminent attack by the Scourge and the Beast, time is running out…," Giles asked with a pensive and very worried look on his face as Buffy became scared at how dark and serious the look on Spike's face got at the mention of the Scourge.
"The Scourge, who're they…exactly, sorry dumb blonde moment here," Buffy asked with a sublimely ignorant look on her face as she hoped that someone would explain it all to her.
"The bloody bastards that hurt me," Molly grumbled with at first a very angry scowl on her face before she was forced to soften her look as she moved to quickly and caught a sharp pain in her side.
* * * * * *
"I will stop the Beast Lindsey, I don't know how just yet but I will, and I'm telling you now that if I find out that you or your little bimbo here had anything to do with it then my soul won't hold me back from doing what I should have done years ago…," Angel declared with a very clear intent shown by the glare in his eyes as he very nearly slammed his fist into Lindsey's smile.
"I'm not a bimbo pal, don't let the hair fool you, I'm not just a girl…I'm much more," Eve quickly shot back with a defensive look on her face as she stood up out of her chair and glared right back at Angel.
"Yeah…bet you're really good at saying…do you want fries with that," Angel mocked with an impish grin on his face, one that he had been saving for such an occasion for some time, before he leaned back up and made sure with a glare towards Lindsey that the former lawyer shouldn't think about throwing any punches.
"How dare you…," Eve growled with a fire in her eyes before she caught Angel off guard, balled her fist up, and slugged Angel in the jaw, almost causing him to fall.
"What can I say…the girls got quite the temper, nice right hook to…," Lindsey joked back with an amused grin on his face at the confused and shocked look on Angel's face.
"H…how…," Angel stammered out with a shocked look on his face as he slowly got back to his feet.
"I still haven't quite figured that out yet Angel, but when I do…I won't tell you," Lindsey replied with a smug smirk on his face before he and Eve turned around and left the office, leaving a startled Angel to scratch his head in wonderment.
* * * * * *
"I don't want to let you go…I'm afraid that you'll disappear," Giles whispered softly to Jenny as the two stood just around the corner near the Hyperion's outer gate.
"Don't worry Rupert, I'm not going to go anywhere…not now that…," Jenny began to reassure Giles with a happy smile on her face before he reached up and wiped away a tear.
"So are we going in or not, we already waited till that guy and his blonde bimbo girlfriend left…," Molly asked with an impatient and excited pout on her face as she paced around in an oblong circle, twirling the spear around like a majorette would as she walked.
"I'll go in first with Spike, the rest of you can enter through the back entrance, stay in the kitchen until I can talk to Angel," Giles announced with a deep breath and shrug of his shoulders as he was preparing himself for what was to come.
"Okay…but don't be long," Jenny returned with a slightly joking smile on her face but a deadly serious glint in her gaze.
"Be over before you know if luv," Spike said with a somewhat goofy smile on his face before he kissed Buffy on the cheek, jammed his hands into the pockets of his duster, and took off around the corner and into the Hyperion's courtyard.
"I'd better go…," Giles stammered out with a flustered look on his face before he smiled back at Jenny and hurried off after Spike.
"Thought you chickened out on me for a bit there watcher," Spike said slowly with the usual bit of sarcasm in his voice as the two neared the Hyperion's front doors.
"Hardly Spike, I'm just not as eager to start lying to everyone, even if it is only for a short time," Giles shot back with a disapproving frown on his face as he glared down at Spike.
"Why…never stopped you before," Spike quipped back with a daring smirk on his face before he hurried inside, leaving an angry Giles to grumble to himself softly before following Spike.
* * * * * *
"What do we do now Angel," Willow asked with a concerned look on her face as she stepped back to let Angel by.
"Simple Willow, we stop hiding in this hotel like rats and go out and…," Angel started to say with a very determined and angry scowl on his face before he was interrupted.
"And still look like the same old wanker that I remember," Spike exclaimed with a proud smile on his face before he slowly stepped down the small steps after the landing.
"Spike," Dawn shrieked in relief and joy before she started to walk towards him but was stopped by Andrew.
"Careful Dawn…it might be Spike, but it could also be a trap, a hologram, a clone…or…," Andrew started to offer up good possibilities before going off on a tangent.
"Shut up Andrew…this is the real Spike," Giles interjected with a disapproving and frustrated scowl on his face as he walked in behind Spike and entered the lobby.
"Giles you're back," Anya said with a happy smile on her face as beside her Xander could only roll his eyes and shake his head.
"Yes Anya, I'm back…and so is Spike, but that's not what's important right now, what's important right now is that we get this all over with and get down to business, stopping the Beast and the Scourge" Giles replied with a serious and nervous look on his face as he wrung his hands and looked to Spike.
"Look Angel what Rupert means is that we're all going to have to fight together if any of us have any chance of making it through this alive," Spike stated with a very serious look on his face as he walked over to Dawn while keeping his gaze locked onto Angel. "Hey Nibblet," Spike said softly to Dawn with one of his sly smiles before she reached out and poked him in the chest, softly at first before doing it again, this time with forced.
"Sorry…just had to make sure that it was really you," Dawn said softly as she flushed red with embarrassment before she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Spike, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Nice to see you to…," Spike managed to slip out in between Dawn's mumbled apologies before Angel spoke up.
"I hate to break up such a touching reunion but I'm in charge here and…," Angel stated with a very commanding edge to his voice as he stepped up to Spike and walked around his former grandchilde until he could look him in the eye, putting his back to the kitchen.
"Lay off Angel…," Dawn grumbled with an angry pout on her face as she let go of Spike and glared up at Angel.
"Sorry Dawn but this is serious and we don't have time for Spike to play any of his usual games," Angel declared with an unhappy scowl on his face before Cordelia pulled him away.
"Whoa Angel, calm down," Cordelia exclaimed with a shocked and worried look on her face as she got in between Angel and Spike.
"Yes Angel, you should calm down before someone gets hurt," Buffy stated with a certain and serious glint in her eyes as she slowly walked out of the kitchen and into the lobby, not heeding the gasps of astonishment and excitement at first.
"Buffy…," Angel gasped softly as a great amount of his anger towards Spike seemed to abate, if only for the moment.
"Angel, I…," Buffy started to say with a relieved look on her face before she was interrupted by both Xander and Willow as the two rushed up and hugged Buffy at the same time.
"Buffy," Xander and Willow shouted in unison with overjoyed smiles on their faces before they backed off, letting Buffy take in a much needed breath.
"Hey B…lookin good," Faith offered with as sincere of a smile as she could muster but stood unmoving from her spot next to Wesley, more from not wanting to leave his side rather than to appear mean to Buffy.
"You to Faith…," Buffy replied with a nice smile on her face before she arced an eyebrow and stared silently at the formerly rogue slayer for a bit, almost as if she could guess the reason for Faith staying where she was and it being news to her. Before anyone else could say anything Dawn hurried forward and gave her sister a hug.
"Buffy what happened…how did you…," Angel started to ask with a concerned frown on his face, as the perfectly combined smell of Buffy and Spike wafted into his nose, but stopped abruptly as he heard low voices from the kitchen.
"What is it…," Robin asked with an uneasy look on his face as he looked to Angel for an explanation.
"There's someone in there…I can hear them," Angel declared calmly with a serious look on his face before Spike jumped in.
"Easy Peaches, no need to wig out, it's just Molly…," Spike informed Angel with an equally serious look in his eyes as he glared straight ahead at his former grandsire before saying the new slayers name loudly, as if calling her out.
"Yeah Angel, just me…see," Molly said softly with a nervous and timid smile on her face as she walked out of the kitchen, carrying a fussing Joyce in her arms.
"See, I told you it was her," Kennedy announced loudly with a vindicated and proud smile on her face as she turned to Willow and the others.
"Molly…," Vi whimpered softly with an overjoyed smile on her face before she sniffled and wiped away a tear.
"Here, she was throwing a bloody fit earlier," Molly said with an impatient and nervous look on her face as she handed Joyce to Buffy.
"Buffy...," Angel asked with a look of great concern and confusion on his face as he brushed by Spike and stood at Buffy's side, gazing downward at Joyce.
"Angel…Dawn…everyone, say hello to my daughter, Joyce," Buffy said with at first a slightly shaking tone of voice before her confidence was restored and she finished feeling proud of her words. Spike could only bite his bottom lip with earnest to keep from first smiling wickedly and then laughing his full head off at the looks that Buffy's statement received from everyone in the room, especially Angel and Dawn.
"Oh man…this is priceless…," Spike joked softly with a laughing smile on his face as he walked back over to Buffy and lightly tapped Joyce on the nose, receiving a wide eyed stare from his daughter.
"Joyce is Buffy…and Spike's daughter," Giles said softly at first before repeating it only louder and then clearing his throat.
"Spike's…daughter," Angel stammered out with an overwhelmed look in his eyes before he set his jaw and snapped his arm out, grabbing Spike by the throat and lifting him up off of the ground.
"Angel no," Buffy shouted with a terrified and shocked tone to her voice as she turned to hand Joyce back to Molly.
"I don't care…this son of a bitch is evil Buffy, I don't care what he told you…they're all lies, you can't trust him," Angel growled loudly with a very angry scowl on his face as he began to squeeze Spike's throat, forcing the latter to cough and choke.
"Let him go Angel," Giles exclaimed with an angry look on his face as he started towards Angel and Spike.
"Don't do this Angel, let him go," Wesley shouted with an alarmed expression on his face as he quickly stood up, letting go of Faith's hand in the process. Had Robin or anyone else been looking his way when he had spoken those words they would have seen the two's hands clasped together.
"Why, are you all delusional, he's no different than he was before…," Angel started to shout back with a defiant glint in his eyes before his world fell apart.
"The same could be said about you Angel, or is it Angelus," Jenny interjected calmly with a very determined and serious slant to her walk as she pushed the kitchen door open and stepped out into the lobby, garnering a few confused looks from some and a sharp, stunned, intake of breath from Xander, Cordelia, and Willow.
Angel reacted as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He let go of Spike and took a couple of steps back, all without lowering his arm or turning around. Buffy rushed immediately to Spike's side, kneeling down and nearly in tears as he tried to regain his breath. For several seconds no one spoke. Jenny slowly made her way further into the lobby, staring solidly, coldly, and accusingly solely at Angel. Angel staggered back a few more steps before Cordelia managed to regain control over herself and grabbed a hold of his arm.
"What's wrong Angel…you look like you've seen a ghost," Jenny stated with an almost mocking smile on her face as she continued to walk towards Angel, blocking everyone else out of her field of vision.
"No, you're not real you're not here, you're dead, I killed you," Angel stammered out with still a shocked and alarmed look on his face as he leaned back away from Jenny as she came to stand in front of him.
"Yes…you did, but a funny thing happened to me after that, I got better," Jenny said with an odd smile on her face before she surprised everyone by rearing back and slapping Angel as hard as she could. Angelus' reaction was to seethe with anger at the slap but Angel went sent into a tailspin or emotions, with the least of which being anger. Unlike him in years past Angel took the assault without striking back. In fact he did not even go so far as to glare at Jenny, only staring at her with now wider eyes with the realization having dawned on him that she was indeed real and not some trick.
"Jenny," Giles called out with a very nervous and panicked tone of voice as he pulled Jenny back from Angel and hoped that everyone would stay calm.
"It's really Ms. Calendar Angel, the teacher that you killed…no make that murdered when she tried to give you back your soul, the same teacher that after having taken her life you went to the house of the woman that you professed to love more than any other before or since and got off on watching her and Red's reactions to Rupert's phone call telling them of her death," Spike said with a very profoundly accusing tone to his voice as he stood back up with Buffy's help and glared coldly at Angel from across the room. Beside him Willow's lower lip began to tremble before tears rolled out as she did the math in her head.
"Thank you for reminding me about that Spike, there was something that I wanted to say to you when I got back about that Angel…and here it is…," Buffy said with a confidant and deadly serious tone to her voice as she left Spike's side and walked up to Angel before clenching her fist and giving him one good punch in the face. Angel shot off of the ground and flew up into the air before finally crashing into the wall near the Hyperion's front doors and flopping back to the ground.
"Serves ya right ya bloody bastard," Molly muttered under her breath with a smile of satisfaction on her face as everyone else in the room look at each other with the question of what now on their lips.
END OF CHAPTER 26