Chapter Four – Diamond in the Ruff

Wincing painfully, Spike stepped out and into the light. It was the first time he was really under the sun in almost one hundred and thirty years and although it was near sundown of the next day and it meant the world to him. But he was still far too weak to move around much and thankfully Roho had been there to help the blond man to the fireside.

Roho's clan was ready for the spell when they arrived. There was a strange mind numbing chant and then all the pain just seemed to blissfully drain out of Spike, leaving him feeling normal. But inside, he knew the truth... Then both Spike and Roho had their faces painted with a strange red brown paint that Spike would have mistaken for dried blood any day.

"We are to follow the Sun from thirty-one days" Roho began once that was done.

The boy looked like a warrior now, much like Buffy and Scoobies that saw her had described the First Slayer to him. To that he noted he must be similarly painted up.

"So what's the paint for?" he finally asked.

"Protection spells, healing spells, all that we must need for this journey. The fate of the world is in our hands now, we can't be too careful"

"Now what" Spike grumbled.

"We follow the Sun my friend"

"Still can't get use to calling me William? Or Spike... well thanks for not calling me William"

"And you haven't called me be Roho once yet either friend. Its kid, boy or half pint – I am seventeen... but I believe that makes us even"

The both just smirked at each other, Spike with his arms crossed and Roho looking off into the horizon.

"Just a question" Spike started. "You tell me about the demons that were cursed to become the vampires, but you can't tell me anything else – can you at least tell me what they were called?"

"They were known by many names, but the greatest was that of the Vapiris"

Then Roho turned and started to walk off in the direction of the sun.

"So then, you ready to get this over with? Because destiny is calling the both of us to something more"

Who can say where the road goes, Where the day flows? Only time...

And who can say if your love grows, As your heart chose? Only time...

Who can say why your heart sighs, As your love flies? Only time...

And who can say why your heart cries, When your love dies? Only time...

Who can say when the roads meet, That love might be, In your heart.

And who can say when the day sleeps, The moon still keeps on moving If the night keeps all your heart? Night keeps all your heart...

Who can say if your love grows, As your heart chose? Only time...

And who can say where the road goes, Where the day flows? Only time...

Who knows? Only time...

Who knows? Only time... Along the road as Buffy and Dawn entered the Los Angeles city limits, they had listened to Enya's A Day Without Rain. It suited the mood as they pulled up to Angel's hotel home. They had barely gotten out of the car when Cordelia came rushing out to greet them.

"Buffy! How are you?"

They embrace and then let go to look at each other for a moment before just smiling back.

"I'm fine Cordy. How did you know to expect us?"

"I had a vision – hasty painful one too. But why are you here?"

"You'll find out when I tell Angel, its important and I don't want to have to repeat myself"

"That's good... so, who's your friend"

Dawn glowered at the seer and crossed her arms. Apparently while Dawn remembered her, Cordelia had no idea who she was.

"I'm Dawn Summers, Buffy sister"

Cordelia was about to say something like that Buffy didn't have a sister until she saw the look in Buffy's eyes and kept her mouth shut. So then it was Cordelia leading the way into the hotel to meet with the others. They meet up with Wesley and Fred in the lobby talking, which soon lead to Gunn and then Lorne coming along, soon all there was left was Angel and Connor.

"Hi Buffy, what's new?"

That took Dawn's interest out of everything. She wandered about in the wait for Angel and hadn't been watching where she was going when she collided sharply with someone. They were both knocked to the ground and Dawn had to massage a painful bruise that she knew would soon to appear on her bottom.

There was a tall brunette boy of a few years older sitting next to her, trying to get his barring back. When he looked at her though, she had to flinch. His gaze was had and clod, as if there seemed to be no light in his dark brown eyes at all.

"Watch where you're going!" he snarled coldly and then got to his feet.

"Or maybe you should. What are you, blind?" Dawn retorted bitterly, also getting to her feet.

"You have no authority to tell me what to do"

"And neither do you!"

The sound of angry, raised voice caught the attention of Buffy and the others.

"Connor, leave her alone" Wesley demanded, but the anger between the two teens heated.

Without warning Connor lunged at Dawn in fury, only to have his target give him a snap kick to the chest, sending the boy crashing down hard across the room. He got back up and it was a flurry of fists – like Spike would say; a dance. It was as if all the power in the world was centered on them and Buffy didn't even move to help – she knew Dawn could defend herself.

Then suddenly, much to Connor's great surprise, he found himself pined to the floor with his arms yanked painfully up behind back and the girl's knee panted firmly at the center of his back, enabling him any movement.

"I'm the slayer's sister you asinine prick, don't even try a thing" Dawn snarled into his ear and then got up, giving him a kick for good measure as she left.

"Sister?"

There was Angel standing on the stairs, having seen everything. He had been wondering who the girl was and when Connor had tried to attack her and she defended herself against his super strength perfectly, he had never expected that.

"Oh hooray, it's Peaches" Dawn groaned using Spike's infamous nickname for the souled vampire and then turned her back to him.

"Dawn!" Buffy snapped at her sister. "We are guests here; please do refrain from the sarcasm"

"Well Buffy, I was taught by the best you know. Still I don't think that the hosts should sic their 'guard dog' on the guests the moment they arrive either. It's the same old story"

And then she marched herself back to Buffy's side humming, while Connor forced himself to his feet and Angel finished his decent down the stairs.

"Umm Buffy, can you tell me what's going on? The last I remember, you didn't have a sister. What kind of hooky magic now?" Angel asked as they met in the lobby and earned a scowl from the teen, thoroughly reminding him of Connor standing only a few feet away.

"Oh don't worry about that Angelcakes" Lorne butted in, smiling all the while. "That Sugarplum is a gem. She's the slayer's sis through and through, you only don't know her because she was just created two years ago. Supernatural energy, add the blood of the slayer, put into human body and then you have Dawn. Oh and Angel, I do warn you... the girl hates you with a passion"

"Then I'm just surprised that she's not getting along with Junior here" Gunn muttered before walking away to find something to drink, with Wesley and Fred following.

The others just stayed silent. Buffy and Dawn on one side; Angel, Cordelia, Lorne and Connor on the other. The air was almost seemed to crackle with the tenseness in the air, before Angel spoke.

"Well, it's nice to see you Buffy" he smiled. "You already know Cordy and Wes, so I'll introduce the others to you. This is Lorne, he's an empathy demon. The two over there are Fred, she's a scientist and Gunn... a former vampire hunter" he turned to look at Connor and then sighed loudly. "And this is Connor, my son"

Buffy's jaw dropped as she caught that last one and rounded on a retreating Dawn.

"You knew didn't you!?" the slayer snapped angrily.

"Giles told me. He found out from Willow's Coven... I sorta forgot to tell you"

"Sorta forgot? That was my biggest question! I asked Giles if any other vampire has had a kid, and he trusted you to tell me. This is just great. It had to be my ex that had a kid. Grrr! I hate being pregnant!"

Those four words were just the catalyst in a sting of exploding voices. It was all to do with Cordelia's vision, but all the while Angel was more silent then darkness itself and Buffy stood still, just watching the expression the was being to surface on her former boyfriend's face. Then the tears came and Cordelia clued in instantly. The seer took the slayer by the arm and dragged her away, away from Angel. When the two were go completely up the stairs, Dawn punched Angel in the face.

The souled vampire gasped as he staggered back from the girl's blow and then looked down at her with an unreadable look.

"How dare you!" Dawn glowered. "You gave up on her years ago. You had a child of your own and then when it comes to Buffy, all that changes? Your green friend here is right Angel, I hate you. I hate you for what I remember of you – even if they were all made up memories. She moved on, she found someone better then you. I was friends with Spike and he told me everything. What he did, what you did... he was always better then you and I'm proud the he's the father of my new niece or nephew to be"

"What... Spike!?" Angel sputtered flabbergasted.

Buffy being pregnant was one thing, but by his grandchilde? When did that happen? But before Angel could say a word more, Dawn stopped off in a huff, going after Cordelia and Buffy to leave Angel in a place that not even his friends could get him out of.

Cordelia sat beside the sobbing slayer, holding her close in a hug that was trying to tell her that she understood. Within a minute Dawn was there to sit with Buffy so that Cordy could go down stairs and straiten everything out. They just sat there together for what seemed like forever and then Buffy fell asleep.

Gently as she could, Dawn slipped out of the embrace to leave her sister curled up on the bed and then pulled a cover up over her. She sighed with everything that had happened. Buffy didn't need this – first Xander, now Angel; Dawn just shook her head sadly. As much as she hated that vampire, she would have to tell him and his friends sooner or later why she and her sister were here.
It was that world again, but things were different. There was a blazing red sun in the sky and the colors around her were a pastel pallet of reds, oranges, browns and golds. To her shock, Buffy found that she was once again near the home of the First Slayer. It was Africa, and yet she knew it was her dream world as well.

The dust of the desert blew gently about her and the heat wasn't even burning her delicate skin, no matter what temperature it was – and then through the waves of heat that dance like a shimmering liquid curtain, a figure appeared.

"Spike?"

"'lo pet, you come to visit me again?" he smirked as he came to stand beside her.

"I couldn't stay away" she smiled back.

He kissed her softly and they just stared at each other, then Buffy snickered.

"What is it luv?"

"You're all painted up. Ooh great big bad warrior" she giggled at his decretive style.

He looked very good like this... he wore no shirt and a something that resembled a toga.

"No mocking no. I didn't choose this setup, it was chosen for me. You see pet, I'm on a mission"

"A mission? I thought you told me you were dying?"

Spike glared at her incredulously.

"I am luv; I wouldn't lie to you about that. The elders of the village I was staying in used some powerful mojo to 'heal' me. It won't last forever, but it's enough to get me where I have to go. I also have this kid with me, reminds me of the bit. His name is Roho and he's a descendant of the First Slayer's clan. Good kid. He'll help me find what I need to do. I also learned a lot from him – about vampires and slayers, it would amaze you how much the lines of good and evil are blurred"

"What do you mean?" Buffy was puzzled now, lost in everything that Spike had just told her.

"I don't know. Everything I guess"

They sat down together in the sand and were silent. That always seemed to happen in these moments. So that was it, a standoff until some had the words to say. And then the sky began to grow dark and Spike watched it thoughtfully, hoping that Buffy would speak soon before they were separated once again.

"I went to Angel's"

Spike turned to face the slayer, shock completely written across his face.

"Oh don't look at me that way!" she snipped.

"What way? With shocked pride? I'm so prude of you luv, you didn't let your old feeling for the Poof get in your way of getting what you want. No let me guess, he acted like an ass didn't he?"

"Yes" she muttered gloomily. "But Dawn kicked his son's ass"

"Good for her... wait Peaches has a kid too?"

"Got it in one" Buffy grinned at him. "So do you still want me to come and find you?"

"Of course... even if you have to bring my grandsire with you, as long as you come. I don't know how long I'll hold out after I get done what has to be done. I'd really like to hold you in my arms for real just one last time if I'm meant to die"

"Don't say – I know you'll. You're like that cartoon 'The Cat Came Back'"

"I'm glad you think so pet, but I've to go now. I have places to go, a destiny to fulfill" he snicker just because of that "And you have a vampire with aerodynamic hair to whip into shape. I love you Buffy"

"I love you too Spike. You come back to me"

"I'll try"

And then it all faded into back.
Buffy shot up in her bed, fully aware of the dream and of Spike. "And you have a vampire with aerodynamic hair to whip into shape..." With a frustrated determination, the mother to be forced herself up and out of bed and then padded out of the room to the staircase that looked down on the lobby of Angel Investigations.

There was Dawn sitting with them all, snapping at Angel on her behalf, and telling them what they had come about. Before anyone could look up to notice her standing there, Buffy held her head high and shouted out as loudly as she could.

"Hey Angel, there's a few things I want to get strait with you"
So I hope that was good enough for you all! The reviews are great and now I ask everyone what I should do next? How should Buffy get to Africa to find Spike? What three people should accompany her and how long should it take? Please give me some suggestions, I need all the help I can get. Later!