Author's Notes: Set four years after 'Becoming' part two. Buffy ran away, and didn't come back. Now, four years later, she's about to be reminded of who and what she really is.
Rating: PG-13. Language and strong themes. Sorry, kiddies.
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognise is mine. Don't sue, please.
Feedback: Very welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome; flames will be used to help me toast marshmallows.
Chapter Notes: Thanks for the question, Jane. The answer is...I can't answer that. Really. Sorry. I like keeping my readers mystified! But I can tell you that a) Buffy doesn't have a proper relationship with anyone else in the fic, and b) I'm a Spuffy fan. that should help! This chapter, the Scoobies and Buffy's new friends all meet.
Chapter Seven: Challenge
It had been decided that of the ex-slaves, only a small group would actually help Buffy once they reached Sunnydale. Max, Sarah, Marcus and Ethan were the only ones Buffy would allow into the conflict. Her children protested this vehemently, of course, but Buffy was adamant that none of them were to be anywhere near.
"Besides," she said to Jake and Charlotte, "I need you to watch Hattie – not to mention Tom and Dave." Her face darkened. "Just keep everyone safe for me, okay? I'll check in every couple of hours."
Jake sighed. Charlotte looked as though she still wanted to argue, but instead she nodded. "Blood and bone," she accepted.
So the large group dissipated to various hotels in smaller groups. Each was to check in with Buffy every five hours. Buffy and the others were left standing in front of Revello Drive.
"So this is where you used to live," Marcus said softly. "It looks...nice."
"Thanks," Buffy said absently. "I don't really remember it much." She reached out for Ethan's hand, and he squeezed it tight. "This isn't going to be pretty," she warned.
"We know," Sarah said, unusually subdued. "When you're ready, Annie."
"Oh, come on, you tossers," Spike said impatiently, striding up the front path, blanket protecting him from the sun. He pushed the front door open and stepped inside. "Bit?"
"Spike!" Hurricane Dawn flew into his arms and hugged him tightly. "You're back!" She pulled him hurriedly into the house. "Giles! Buffy!"
Buffy forced a smile and walked up the path to the house. "Dawn," she nodded. "May we come in?"
"Of course!" She held the door open for them. Buffy glanced at her friends, then back at Dawn. "Oh. They have to be invited in too? Come in, guys."
"Thanks," Marcus said with a smile. "You must be Dawn. I'm Marcus."
"I'm Sarah, and this is Max," Sarah put in. "So, let's get the party going. Glorificus, right?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and sat on the couch. The transportation spell had taken a little much out of her – as had the argument she'd had with Dave before performing it. "No party, Sarah. You're just here to help, not to fight."
Sarah scowled. "What is your problem, Annie? You've been acting like this for hours. What, Ethan didn't do you recently?"
Buffy stared at her coldly. "Shut up, Sarah, you don't know a thing about it."
Max winced and turned to Dawn. "They're gonna be a while at this. We should meet the rest of the people here."
Dawn nodded, eyes wide, and led them into the kitchen as the sounds of Buffy and Sarah's argument grew louder.
"Hey, Faith, they're back," she announced. Faith looked up from her coffee. "These are some of Buffy's friends – Max and Marcus. Buffy is, uh..."
"Having a fight with my ex," Max completed calmly. "Are those pancakes I smell? I'm starving." He turned to Ethan. "You've got the blood, right?"
"Shouldn't you do something about them?" Ethan inquired, pulling a flask from his pocket and handing it to the man. "Annie's not exactly on top form, you know."
Max shrugged, grabbing a pancake and a plate and generously pouring the thick black blood over the food. "Annie may be my mate, but I have some feelings for Sarah. There's no way I'm getting in between them."
Faith frowned. "Would someone please slow down and tell me what exactly is going on here?" she demanded.
Spike shrugged and opened the fridge. "Buffy's crazy, and sleeps with everyone."
"Not exactly," Ethan said with an easy grin. "Crazy, I'll agree with. Most of us are. But she doesn't sleep with everyone."
"Mostly just her mates," Max nodded.
"Mates? Like friends?" Dawn questioned.
"No, Bit, not British slang," Spike answered, munching on some cold chicken. "Mate like partner. Like animals."
Buffy stormed into the kitchen and glared at Max. "Get her under control," she seethed. "Or I won't be responsible!"
Max took another bite of his pancake. "What exactly do you expect me to do?" he enquired calmly. "I'm not her mate."
Buffy gaped for a moment, mouth forming words and then rejecting them, then she gave a strangled moan and said something in a quick stream of some other language.
Max said one word in return – or at least, Dawn assumed it was just one word – and Buffy managed a smile.
"Sorry," she said then to Dawn and Faith. "Mate stuff. So where do we start?"
"With breakfast," Faith said with a yawn. "And coffee."
"Did someone mention coffee?" Willow entered the kitchen, looking as though she was being led by her sense of smell alone. She bumped into Marcus. "Oh, sorry. Uh...do I know you?"
Marcus flashed a smile. "No, but you will soon."
"Down, boy," Spike said with amusement. "The Witch's girlfriend won't appreciate it."
Marcus scowled. "All the nice women are gay," he complained. Buffy arched an eyebrow. "Or taken," he added hurriedly. "Not that you're taken, I mean you're not at the moment, unless you are, because we've all been wondering about Ethan and you..."
"Marcus, give it a rest," Sarah said, entering the kitchen looking a little pale. "Ooh, blood pancakes!"
Willow gagged as some of the thick blood dripped onto Max's plate. "What – is that?"
"Blood," Max said. "Don't worry, it's a long story."
"And can we please get on with finding Glory now?" Buffy demanded, wide-eyed as she watched her friends make themselves at home in the kitchen.
"Sure," Angel agreed from the doorway. Buffy turned to face him. "That would be a good idea."
Max lifted his head suddenly, a strange mix of anger and protectiveness on his face as he stared at Angel. He growled low in his throat. The kitchen suddenly went very quiet. Angel frowned in confusion.
Buffy was the first to realise it. "Aw, crap," she swore. "Max, honey, don't do this."
"He doesn't have a choice," Marcus reminded her. "I assume you had a relationship with this guy?"
"It was fifty-seven years ago!" Buffy protested, looking anxiously between Max and Angel. "Neither is an Alpha! Or even a current mate!"
Spike frowned. "What's going on?" he demanded.
"Max is about to fight this guy," Marcus informed him. "He sees him as a threat to Annie."
"That's ridiculous," Angel scoffed. "I'd never hurt Buffy."
"You did once," Max growled. "I can feel it." He looked at Buffy, as if for permission. "Annie?"
"No," she said softly. "No, Max, please don't."
He shook his head, baring his teeth. His eyes glowed white. "Alpha!"
"No!" she snapped. "No, Second."
"He calls himself your Alpha!" Max snarled at her, taking a step towards her. Ethan and Marcus surreptitiously ushered the others to the other side of the kitchen. "He has no right!"
"He does." Buffy frowned. "Sort of."
"Annie, stop trying to reason with him and hit him already," Ethan complained.
"Shut up," she shot at him. She glanced at Angel. "I think you'd better vacate the room, Angel, unless you particularly want a fight right now.""No," Max said tersely. "He stays."
"Second! You will listen to me!" Buffy cried out, finally snapping. "Blood and bone, Max! I call, I command, I bind!" Her eyes glowed fiercely white for a moment. "You will stop this. Now."
Max seemed to grow smaller for a moment before her, and then he shook his head to clear it and put his head on one side, baring his throat in a universal gesture of submission. She touched his jugular with her fingers, accepting the submission, then kissed him gently.
"It's alright," she soothed. "It was a long time ago. It doesn't hurt anymore." She glanced at Angel. "And he doesn't know not to think of himself as my Alpha. It's alright, Second. Don't worry about it, Max."
Faith raised a hand. "Can I just say? That was weirder than we usually see in Sunnydale."
Sarah gave a light laugh and guided Max out of the kitchen into the lounge. Marcus, with a glance at Buffy, followed suite. Buffy sat down at the island in the centre of the kitchen, suddenly feeling very weak.
"You've no idea," she said faintly. "So. Um."
"What was that all about?" Willow asked. "That was...it looked like vampire family supremacy, but it wasn't, right? I mean, you're not vampires, so..."
"No," Buffy shook her head. "But we've enough alien blood in our systems to make our family behaviours similar." She traced her scar absently. "Max was my Second, my mate, and he's the most superior still living." She flinched slightly. "Actually, the only one still living, now Simone's dead."
"Could that be any vaguer?" Faith inquired. "Here, coffee. You look like you could use it."
She looked at Faith strangely. "A Slayer with a caffeine addiction?"
"No worse than one with a blood dependency," Ethan murmured to her. "I'm going to check something with Giles." He left the room.
"So, is someone going to explain this to me?" Angel queried, pulling a bag of blood from the fridge.
"It's complicated," Buffy said shortly. "And not really any of your business. I'm here to fight Glory, not to tell you about my personal life."
"I'm sure it is complicated," he agreed. "Must be, if you've been in Phtygiktha."
She met his eyes coolly. "Yes. For fifty-three years. You got a problem with that?"
"Slayer," Spike began, "Got a question for you. If Max is your second mate, and Simone I'm guessing was your third, who was your first, your Alpha?"
Buffy took a sip of the coffee. "I'm not discussing this," she said clearly. "Glory. Start talking."
Dawn looked angrily at the two vampires. "Geez, you two, leave her alone. She only just got here." She turned to Buffy. "Giles has all the books at the Magic Box – that's where Anya and Xander are right now. I guess we should head over there."
Buffy nodded. "Right. Can I use your phone first?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Buffy dialled in the familiar mobile number quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Ella."
"Annie! We weren't expecting your call for a couple of hours. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, fine. Had an incident with Max over something, but nothing serious. Is Hattie there?"
"Yeah, she's just here. You wanna talk to her?"
"Please." She glanced up at Angel, who was watching her with an odd expression on his face.
"Mommy!"
"Hi, sweetie." She smiled. "You being good for Auntie Ella?"
"Uh huh. We're going to the park later! Can you come too, mommy?"
"No, sweetie, I'm sorry. You know we're here for a very important reason. But I'm sure Jake and Charlotte will go with you, and your nephews too."
"Don't wanna go with them. Want you to come, mommy." Buffy could picture her daughter's pout perfectly.
"I know, Hattie, but if you're a good girl, I'll bring some people to see you later, okay? Can you put your Auntie Ella back on, please?"
"Annie?"
"Can you make sure Hattie has her morning milk? I forgot to mention it."
"Sure thing. You doing okay?"
"As well as can be expected," Buffy answered dryly. "I'll talk to you later, Ella. I love you."
"I love you too, Annie. Take care."
Buffy hung up and sighed. "Right. Let's get going."
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Coming next chapter:
Buffy meets Glory. (Cue dramatic music!!)