A/N : Woah, this turned into a big chapter, which is probably a good thing since you guys have been so patient waiting for an update I think you deserve it! Thanx to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter; Freezyboncoolipants, u2fan2005, pixiecorn, Demonic Mills, Moluvsnumber17, Spuffyfan4eva, spuffy4eva, sheilamarie, velja, SpikeAngel-Lover, Ape18, AraelMoonchild.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 11
The Scooby Gang had been in full research mode for a few hours now, most of them pouring over many books relating to the ancient demon they must face, whilst Willow got onto the Internet. The kids helped her out when so many hours of screen stareage made her eyes go wonky, and Xander was on food duty ensuring everyone had a never ending supply of coffee and snacks.
Inevitably after a while some members of the group started to get a little bored of book reading, one in particular was Faith. She got up from her seat, leaving Mandy in the capable hands of Tara since Angel was in deep conflab with Giles. She pulled up a seat next to Josh at the second research table.
"Hey kid, how's tricks?" she asked, straddling the chair beside him.
"I'm okay" he shrugged, getting up when Cordy did and offering to take the heavy pile of books from her.
"Thanks Josh" she smiled gratefully at her son as he took them across the room, adding them to the pile of volumes that were useless on this particular occasion. His leaving had left his 'aunt' alone with his mother.
"So Faith..." Cordelia began, not knowing where to go from there.
"See, that's what I love about comin' back here and seein' you Cordy" the darker haired woman smiled, "Always got a nice big awkward silence to greet me"
"There's no law that says I have to like you" Cordelia snapped, reaching for another book to take her attention.
"Too true" Faith nodded her agreement, "but this battle'd be a whole lot easier if I didn't have to avoid you and Xander and the kid" she pointed out.
"Makes me nervous when you two talk about me" the very man she'd just mentioned commented as he came back to the table, having just been out on another snack-food run. Faith sighed, picking a doughnut up out of the open box he carried.
"Don't sweat it, Xand" she said as she got to her feet, playfully slapping him across the shoulder, "You know I'll always be complimentary" she winked as she walked away. There really wasn't anything to be complimentary about since he was just one guy in an awfully long list, Faith barely even remembered how it felt to be with him.
"Cordy, you know I..." Xander began some kind of defence. Despite the fact his one time with Faith had been years ago and when he and Cordy were not even dating anymore, he knew she was hurt to know he'd chosen to lose his virginity with the second Slayer and not with her.
"I know, it doesn't matter" Cordelia shook her head and smiled as she put her hand briefly in his, before getting up and walking away. Josh passed by her as he came back to the table and sat down with his father.
"What's up with Mom?" he frowned, having noticed the strange look on her face, "Is it Aunt Faith again"
"No" Xander lied, "it's just..."
"There's something you guys are trying to hide from me" his son interrupted, bored of always noticing the strangeness between his parents and the dark Slayer and never knowing why, "I know Aunt Faith kinda spoiled Mom's friendship with Uncle Angel but it's like there's more to it than that"
"It's complicated, son" Xander sighed, squeezing his shoulder, "I'll explain it to you when you're older" he assured the boy, looking down at the book in front of him.
"It's another apocalypse Dad" Josh said sadly, "I might not get any older"
"Hey, I don't wanna hear that kinda talk" Xander snapped but in a whisper, hoping no-one else had heard, "You believe in your Aunt Buffy, right?"
"Sure I do" Josh assured him with firm nod, "but without Uncle Spike, makes it harder, doesn't it?"
"Buffy was chief apocalypse averter way before she and Spike hooked up" the veteran Scooby told the boy, "It'd be great to have him in this fight but we'll deal, I promise"
Across the room, Buffy was doing her best impersonation of a commander-general, making battle plans with Giles seated opposite and Spike and Angel on either side of her.
"...so basically I'm thinking if we...Spike?" she frowned when she realised he was listening intently, but not to her.
"Sorry, luv, what?" he checked, shaking his head as if to come out of a daze.
Glancing around the room suspiciously, Buffy smiled a little.
"If you weren't listening to me, who exactly were you tuned in on?" she wanted to know, wondering which of the gang were having the most interesting conversation.
Spike had been known to use that extra good vampire hearing of his for both good and bad eavesdropping, including the time he over-heard a couple of demons talking in the cemetery alerting him and the Slayer to a dastardly plot they otherwise might have had trouble dealing with, and another occasion when he'd had altogether too much fun listening to Tara and Willow's whispered plans for a quiet evening in. If only the words he heard now were as welcome to his ears.
"Xander's promising the boy a happy ever after from this fight" he told the others quietly, "I hate to say it but no-one can ensure all our lives in something this big"
"He knows that better than anyone" Buffy sighed, glancing over at her best male friend, "He just can't bear to think of losing Cordy and Josh, not after what happened with Anya..."
-
The funeral was a small affair. Xander couldn't bear to invite any of her demon friends, though he knew in some ways she might have wanted them there. It was just a week since the day it happened, up in the spare bedroom at Buffy's house. She and Spike had gone out on patrol to find the latest semi-big bad in town, leaving Anya to babysit for baby Becky. She wasn't the usual choice for looking after the child, but since Xander left her at the altar the gang had made extra efforts to include her in things, and she seemed grateful for it.
By his own admission, Xander had not gone through with their marriage because of Cordelia, and the fact that when faced with the prospect of pledging his life forever to Anya he started to realise that his love for Cordelia had never truly died. It was clear the former high school bitch had some kind of feeling for him too, and she and Anya had several fights over petty little differences, all leading back to jealously and insecurity regarding Xander. Now as the two brunettes stood at the graveside of the former-demon, they thought back over the events of the past week, specifically the day she'd passed away.
Knowing she would be at 1630 Revello Drive, and hating the ill feeling between them, Xander had convinced Cordy to go with him to see Anya and try to apologise for the hurt they'd inadvertently caused her. She let them in but made it clear she didn't want to talk to them. There was yelling before long which woke the previously sleeping Rebecca upstairs, and Anya went to her, taking her from the cot and holding her close to her body, still arguing with Xander who had followed on up the stairs.
Cordy stood in the hall, throwing in her own comments where she felt appropriate. Anya soon got upset, yelling that all this arguing was only making the baby cry more.
She stormed past the couple she felt had betrayed her and went into the first room she came to, the spare room.
The three had no idea that down below in the garden, Buffy and Spike had just arrived home. They had been followed by Warren, a boy the gang had once gone to school with who had now turned into a psychopath gunning for the Slayer. He pulled a gun and levelled it at Buffy.
The first two shots veered wildly off course, the third came straight for Warren's target and Spike wasted no time throwing his woman to theground and taking the bullet that was meant for her. It did him little damage, passing straight through his shoulder.
It was the fourth bullet fired that was deadly. Having heard the shots down below, Xander and Cordy ducked for cover. Anya threw her body around to cover the baby in her arms, as the final stray bullet came crashing through the window, embedding itself in her spine and killing her outright.
Becky's life was saved, not even a scratch on her as Anya slumped over the bed with the baby still in her arms. Cordelia grabbed Rebecca as Xander went to his ex-love, praying it wasn't true, that he hadn't just seen her die - but he had.
"I'm sorry, Xander" Cordelia had cried then and she did again now as the two of them walked away from the grave.
"It wasn't your fault" he said, squeezing her hand, "I know it's not really mine either but..." he paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "I feel so bad for being relieved you're still here" he said, voice shaking as a tear fell down his cheek.
"It's okay" Cordelia promise him, wiping away his tear, "It'll all be okay, I promise"
He nodded that he knew she was right but it didn't mean it hurt any less.
-
"All this book reading and computer looking is giving me a headache" Becky complained, shattering the near silence of the Magic Box, "Besides I've been sitting too long" she demonstrated by getting to her feet and stretching out her stiff muscles, "I need to hit something"
"S'not dark yet, Bit" Spike pointed out, turning in his seat to look at her, "Doubt you'll find any baddies about"
"So how about we hit the training room" she grinned, "Spar for a while"
"Still reckon you can take the old man down, do you?" he smirked, getting to his feet and hiding well the disconcerting feel of realising that which he already knew - his baby girl was all but the same height as he was now.
"I'll give it my best shot" she smirked right back at him as they headed for the door that led out to the back of the shop where the training room resided.
"This oughta be fun" Faith grinned, and Buffy smiled too as both Slayers vacated their seats.
"Audience is always welcome, luvs" Spike assured them as he held open the door for the three women to pass through.
Once inside, Becky started stretching and preparing herself for a fight. Her mother and aunt sat down on the bench at the side of the room, whilst Spike removed his prize coat and carefully laid it next to his wife. He made the novice mistake of turning his back on his opponent.
"Hey Dad" said Becky standing directly behind him.
"What...?" he began to ask as he turned, but the rest of the sentence disappeared as a small fist struck him at half-power across the face. Becky smirked at his expression when he turned his head back straight.
"Playing dirty, huh?" he asked her as she backed up a step and prepared for his counter-attack.
"Just like you taught me" she started to laugh as he came at her. She blocked his first few punches but eventually his fist made contact with her ribs. The fight went on, no real violence in it and no real injuries endured by either party as the battle continued.
"The kid got the moves, B" Faith chuckled as Becky expertly swept her fathers legs out from under him, sending Spike crashing to the floor on his butt.
"Yeah" Buffy smiled fondly at the scene, watching her 'husband' scramble to his feet and flying kick his daughter into the padded wall on the other side of the room, "As crazy as it would sound to the world outside, I love to watch them fight like this" she shook her head at how weird that really did sound and at the expression of Faith's face.
"Yeah, you're right, kinda crazy" the brunette smiled, "but I get it" she nodded.
"As much as anything it's great to know he can fight humans again of his own free will" the blonde admitted, eyes following the two fighters as they came back across the room "I mean, obviously I'm glad he didn't go back to eating people but there's evil in the human world too that has to be dealt with and what the Initiative did to him..." she got mad just thinking about how cruel it was, like muzzling a dog. Spike had been evil before, she wasn't stupid enough to not remember, but he didn't deserve that chip, no-one did. Most vamps might need staking, but that was death, plain and fast. What the government tried to do was sick torture. Besides, how do you teach morals to anyone or anything when you have none yourself?
"Don't sweat it, B" Faith urged her, noticing the too serious and angry look on her face "it all worked out" she reminded her.
"Only cos you helped" Buffy managed a half-smile as she turned to glance at the brunette beside her.
Faith grinned.
"Hey, like I was really gonna turn down a gig like that"
-
"Well" Faith sighed, hefting the axe on her back a little higher, "Gotta tell ya B, this isn't exactly how I planned my visit to good old SunnyD" she smirked as they walked along in the dark.
"I'm sorry" Buffy apologised, "but I kinda need someone to watch my back on this one"
For one of the first times since becoming a Slayer, Buffy was less confident about her own abilities. After spending a couple of days and nights at Spike's side, watching him suffer, hearing him scream, as the chip fired over and over for no good reason, she was emotionality exhausted and physically almost just as tired. She needed back up and with all that had been going on with Spike and of course looking after Becky, she'd completely forgotten to cancel Faith's little visit this weekend. Joyce, Willow, and Tara had taken over Buffy's wife and mother duties for just a few hours whilst she and her fellow Slayer went back to the old Initiative in the hopes of finding something, anything of use to Spike.
"What exactly you think we're gonna find down here" the brunette asked as they arrived at the hatch that led down to the old government institution.
"I dunno" the blonde groaned as she and Faith pulled on the chain to open the hatch, "I don't care, I just need to help Spike"
Back at Revello Drive, Willow was by Spike's bedside as he slept. He awoke and found her reading.
"Anything in there about brain-frying chips and their removal from the undead cranium?" he asked groggily, attempting a smirk.
"I wish there was" the red-head told him sadly, closing the volume, "Still hurting?"
"Only when I'm awake or asleep" he told her with a look, "Reckon this might be it for me, Red" he admitted, looking away.
"Don't say stuff like that" she admonished, "You have Buffy and Rebecca to fight for, so you're not going to give up, right?" she said, resolve face firmly in place.
"Yes ma'am" he smiled, wincing as pain shot through his head again and blood ran from his nose once more. Willow pushed a handkerchief to his face, looking worried by the sight of more blood, and then exceedingly relieved when Joyce called that Buffy and Faith were back and they'd brought company.
"This is a highly inappropriate setting for this kind of operation..." the man in the doctors jacket was saying as he was hurried up the stairs and into the bedroom by two brassed off Slayers.
"So make it appropriate, dumbass" Faith snapped, "Or we're gonna get cranky"
Spike couldn't help but smile as Buffy gave the doctor a shove towards him.
"Well Doc" he smirked, "Reckon you better do as these ladies say, cos believe me when I tell you, you wouldn't like them when they get mad"
It had been a minor miracle to find people still working in one sector of the underground labs. A certain amount of Slayer-strength threats and a doctor had been given to them to help Spike.
Just four hours later and it was all over, the chip was out and Buffy had never cried so much or so hard from pure relief.
-
Spike was breathing unnecessarily heavily as he let his daughter out of the choke hold she couldn't escape from. If it were a real fight and she were the enemy he could easily have snapped her neck from there. She knew it, and when he asked her where she'd gone wrong, she obediently noted her mistake and told him what it was, promising never to let it happen in a real battle.
"Well, then. I reckon that's one down, and two to go?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at the other two women.
"Bring it on, Blondie" Faith challenged, getting to her feet, arms gesturing to match her words. Spike glanced between her and Buffy.
"Sure, take Faith down first" the blonde shrugged "Save the best for last" she said with a look he knew so well.
"Works for me, baby" he shot back, the glint in his eye conveying his understanding of exactly what she meant. Without taking his eyes off her he lunged at Faith taking her unawares and knocking her to the ground. The second fight was on, and he was loving it.
"You okay?" Buffy frowned a little as Becky walked over with a bottle of water in one hand, squeezing her ribs with the other.
"Yeah" she winced just slightly as she sat down, knowing the pain wouldn't last long anyway "You know Dad never goes all out with me like he does with you" she rolled her eyes, knowing that despite her father saying he'd never pull punches with her, he always did a little bit.
"He's just worried about hurting you, sweetheart" Buffy told the girl that looked so much like herself, "You're our baby and we love you" she reminded her, tucking loose strands of hair behind the young girls ear, "neither of us wants anything bad to happen to you"
"Bad's coming Mom" Becky sighed, looking down at her water bottle and then up at the fight between Spike and Faith, "You can't protect me from it, especially not this time with Dad all out of the game and pretty much just you and me and Aunt Faith with any kind of chance of inflicting damage" she said, eyes turning to her mother now.
"Then we'll do what we do best" Buffy said firmly, putting her hand on Becky's on the bench, "We'll save the world, and be heroes, cos it's what we do"
The two blondes shared a smile before a sharp yell broke their mother-daughter moment. Spike got up from the floor and offered a hand to Faith who took it, pulling herself up too but wincing as she did so.
"Geez, Spike" she complained, one hand on her back as she tried to ease the pain,"When d'you master that move? It's gonna take me a week to re-align my spine, man" she joked as she clicked a couple of joints back into place.
"If you can't stand the heat, luv, vacate the fight zone" he told her with a smirk, leaning over slightly with his hands on his knees, "Know what I mean?"
Faith shot him a look but had a hard time not grinning at his attitude. She liked him a lot. He was okay, for a vampire, and whilst her heart belonged to Angel she knew back in their wild days she and Spike could really have had some serious fun.
"You're up, B" she told her sister Slayer, slapping her on the back as she walked past and headed for the door. She should check on Angel and Mandy, make sure the little girl hadn't gotten herself into any trouble, though the likelihood was that she had.
"My turn now, huh?" Buffy smiled as Faith exited the room, "After the run around you gave these two, sure you're up for it?" she asked Spike who looked a little tired but by no means out of the game.
"Always up for you, Slayer" he told her as they stood toe to toe. His double-meaning was not lost on Buffy, who purposely put her body as close to his as possible.
"Tell me something I don't know" she said softly, and it was tough to know whether it was fighting or loving that was really on their minds.
"Eeew" Becky's immature noise broke whatever moment they might have been having "Enough with the gross-at-your-age innuendoes, get with the hitting already" she complained.
"Buffy" Spike pretended to look surprised, "I do believe our daughter wants us to fight" he said as if it was absurd.
"Really?" Buffy played the part of equally-stunned-woman, as she backed up a step, "Well, I suppose we could" she shrugged, looking as if she were considering difficult options.
"You wanna take the first shot?" Spike asked her too politely, "Y'know ladies first and all that rot" he gestured with his hand and Buffy continued to look thoughtful before nodding.
"Okay" she agreed, a smile spreading across her face, "Here we go" she grinned, kicking out at him, but he anticipated her move, catching her booted foot in his hands and almost spinning her completely off her feet.
Becky watched with astonishment as she always did. No matter how many times she saw her parents spar, it was always incredible and never once did the fight go the same way. Sometimes Spike would win, sometimes Buffy, sometimes it'd go on so long they'd call it a truce because they were too bored to keep going, but it was always one hell of a fight. It didn't look brutal though, Becky observed, though some of the kicks and punches they landed would have broken the flesh and bones of lesser beings. They fought as if they were dancing with each other. She'd told them that once and her dad had just given her this odd look, kissing her on the forehead and saying he quite agreed before walking away.
When it became obvious to Rebecca that the previous lusty looks between her parents were going to develop into something icky somewhere after or even during this fight she got up from the bench and slid out the door in silence.
"You had enough of sparring, sweetie?" Joyce asked as she came back into the main room, sipping at her water.
"Mom and Dad are taking a turn at each other" she explained, "They're so well matched, it could go on for hours before one of them calls a truce"
"I do hope they don't tire themselves out with practise" Giles worriedly polished the lenses of his spectacles, "The upcoming battle will require a great deal of preparation and whilst that does include physical training it might be in Buffy's best interest to reserve as much energy as she can"
"Relax, Giles" Willow told him,"You know Buffy and Spike, they'll only fight for so long before...well, y'know" she tried to get away without actually saying it but a few people really didn't seem to know what she was saying at all. Faith was biting her lip, obviously having already caught on before Tara spoke up.
"I think Will means that their passion for the fight doesn't necessarily stay...fighty" she said, looking at her girlfriend, as they both giggled like teens.
Becky and Josh shared a disgusted look.
"Eeeeww"
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : Hope you liked the new chapter - please review and let me know. Thanx.