Chapter 8: The Master

A/N: Remember...Buffy is Elizabeth...Elizabeth is Buffy and if you don't understand why read the chapters before.

Sunnydale

"So…this Master…he's going to rise on New Years Eve?" Elizabeth asked Giles as she walked around the apartment.

"Yes…" Giles said and leaned back in his chair thinking.

"Why this year? He should have come last year with the whole changing of the millennium…he really missed out." Elizabeth said joking, "He could have gotten those cool 2000 glasses."

After Christmas passed, both Elizabeth and Giles got straight to work on The Master and trying they were trying to find a plan on how to stop him.

"He was around in about three hundreds ago…he sort of disappeared into the earth after that…" Giles threw the thought out.

"But why would he want to come to Sunnydale to celebrate the New Year?" Elizabeth asked which made Giles lean forward in his chair and start to read a book, "Does this guy even know this town? I mean, sure, this is the Hellmouth but not exactly—"

"He's not coming here…" Giles said while looking down in his book.

"Huh?" Elizabeth stopped pacing and looked up at Giles.

Giles brought the book to his lap, "He's…it says that he will be raised where he died…"

"Which is?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Green Chapel…" Giles read.

"Like in the story?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Green Chapel, a cave that is buried under…." Giles looked up at Elizabeth, "New York…"

"New York..." Elizabeth thought about it for a moment, "Makes sense…this master vampire is raised…he's going to want blood, lots of it."

"Precisely…and what better place to find blood than on the streets of New York at night on New Years Eve?" Giles said. Both Elizabeth and Giles exchanged a look.

"Looks like I'm going to the Big Apple then." Elizabeth said.

New York

2 days before New Years Eve…

"So Spike you going to the city to see the ball drop?" Dawn asked.

"Don't know…maybe…Angel will probably be dragging me to some party." Spike said.

Dawn, Joyce, Spike, and all of Buffy's friends were gathered at the Summers house. For the holiday's Buffy's friends didn't want Dawn and Joyce to be alone so they mostly came over almost everyday.

"Don't tell me you're going to miss the ball drop…" Willow asked with a pout on her face, "We all were going to go down together."

"Going down to that bloody place is so overrated…and plus its always bloody freezing." Spike said.

Spike he knew that was a lie. He was always warm when he went to Time Square to see the ball drop because he had his girl warming him.

Spike frowned at the thought about not bringing in the year yet again without her. His friends saw the frown and deep thought look on his face. 'He's thinking about her again' they all thought.

"You should go Spike…it will be fun." Joyce said with a smile as she got up and took the tray of hot chocolates out into the kitchen.

However, Spike didn't want to have fun. For some reason he thought if he had a one bit of happiness it would be betraying Buffy in some way.

"Yeah…since I'm so young you have to go for me." Dawn said, "Oh, and get me one of those goofy hats." She smiled.

Spike smiled at Dawn's comment, 'She seems to be getting better' the thought to himself.

"Alright I'll go, if it will make you all happy, I'll go…" Spike said.

"Great…" everyone exclaimed.

Later…

All of Buffy's friends were hugging Dawn and Joyce goodbye.

"Thanks for having us over." Xander said softly to Joyce as he hugged her.

"Thanks for coming over." Joyce said as she broke the hug, "I know you guys are busy now that you're in college…"

"Never busy for you guys." Oz said. Joyce smiled and hugged Oz too.

"Now you call me if you want to go out to eat or shopping." Willow said to Dawn.

"Okay…" Dawn smiled. Willow hugged Dawn.

Oz, Cordelia, Xander, and Willow started to walk down the path to their cars, leaving Spike with Dawn and Joyce.

"I'll see you later." Spike said to both of them.

"Alright." Joyce said with a sweet smile and hugged Spike a little longer than she did to the rest of Buffy's friends, "Don't be a stranger." she said a little teary.

"I won't." he whispered and broke her hug, "If you need ANYTHING…." Spike said seriously, "Day or night…"

Joyce nodded and hugged him again.

After breaking his hug with Joyce he moved to Dawn and simply stared at her.

"Don't forget my hat." She said.

Spike laughed and grabbed her and pulled her in a hug and kissed her on the top of the head. When he pulled away he looked at both of them and started to back away, "Guess I'll see ya next year…" he said with a smile.

"See ya next year Spike." Joyce said as she put her arm around Dawn.

Spike gave a little wave and turned around and hopped into his car and drove off.

TBC…