Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS or anything by MJD. Although there are enough hints that you should know who that is by now.

Meeting Betsy

Chapter 2

Buffy was sure she had heard wrong. "A what is calling you?"

"Our queen."

"You have a queen?"

"Yes."

"And you're not talking about the Queen Elizabeth of England, cause that would be too much to hope for right?"

"Yes."

"Quit it with the one word answers. Spill now, before I .."

"Stake me. Please, don't hold yourself back. At least then I would have peace and quiet. No stupid whiny voice in my head and no stupid whiny slayer in front of me."

"Hey! I resent that. Now spill."

Spike huffed. Reprieve had once again retreated into the distance. Plopping down onto the sarcophagus behind him, he prepared for a Buffy-grilling of the not-so-good kind.

"It's like this. Vampires are a bit feudal, you know that right?"

"Giles told me, sires and all that."

"It's a bit more complicated than that. Sires are like overlords, the children owe them allegiance and in return they get protection. Some are better at it than others." The last remark came out more bitter than he had intended. It would not do to give the slayer extra ammo.

"Not all vampires are like the ones here. The hell mouth sort of fries your brain and makes you go all…" Spike waved a hand in the air as he tried to find a suitable word.

"wiggy?"

"Okay, wiggy will have to do. Anyway at the top of all these feudal lords is the king."

"I though you said it was a queen."

"Just listen you stupid bint and I'll tell you. As I was saying. At the top is the king. He passes judgement and lays down the law and his archive keeps track of who is where."

Buffy looked at him with wide eyes, not sure if she liked the society that Spike was describing. It was much too human. She shook the thought off her like a dog does water.

Spike continued, oblivious to the thoughts running over her face: "A couple of days ago I heard the old kingwas dead, that's when it started."

"When what started? 'Cause the whole you insane thing started way before that."

Spike could only glare when he clearly just wanted to rip her head off.

"When a new king or queen is created, all vampires feel the call to visit and pledge their allegiance. The queen then decides what will happen to them. Either she accepts you or -"

"Or?" Buffy prompted.

"Or she kills you. If you are not up to scratch."

Buffy looked thoughtful: "And you have the chip, so are afraid you are not enough."

Spike was gob smacked at Buffy's insight, causing said young woman to go all defensive - again: "Hey! I have a brain. And I use it. Occasionally."

Then she brightened. "So what's your problem? Just don't go." She felt very pleased with herself. Buffy to the rescue. Problem solved.

"Have you even been listening? It's not that simple, slayer. I feel the call day and night, incessantly." He looked so tortured, Buffy almost felt sorry for him.

"So go. What's the worst that could happen?"

Spike glared at her, convinced she had just jinxed any journey he might have taken.

"I'll go with you."

"Well then the answer is nothing."

"We can leave - Hey! Did you just say I'm the worst thing that could happen? Cause then I am so going to stake your ass."

Spike shrugged. Wait until she found out she would have to pretend to be his sheep.

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Let's get his straight." Giles said.

"You're going on a road trip?" Willow provided.

"With SPIKE!" Xander squeaked.

"That's so cool. Can I come?" Dawn interjected.

"Yes to the road trip. No to the come-withage."

"No fair. I never get to do anything fun." The young woman slunk off to add another scathing entry to the Dawn-Files.

"And why are you going with Spike?" Giles had to resist the incessant urge to clean his spectacles, they were already wearing thin.

"Well first there is the queen thing. I could totally find out things, get the inside scoop. I bet there's nothing about this in the diaries, am I right or am I right. And then there is the insane Spike thing. So not a good thing."

"May I remind you of the spell that went wrong only a week ago. Are you sure your sympathy for Spike's plight is not just a left-over of the emotions you were forced to feel then?"

Willow cringed and pushed the cookie plate closer to the others.

"What sympathy?" The slayer said a tad too fast. "I'll take him there, we meet the new queen of the damned and I stake her. End of story."

Giles did not look convinced, while Willow and Xander just looked worried. Buffy decided to wheedle. She was a champion wheedler.

"Oh, please. Spring Break starts tomorrow. I won't miss anything and don't tell me you are not curious about the whole 'vampires have a feudal system' thingy."

"Well it does throw up interesting questions-"

"Alright! Road Trip!"

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Spike was furious. First that female had insisted on coming with him. Then she had said it was for his protection because now that he was - god help her if he ever got the chip out - neutered, he couldn't help himself. And then that harpy had made him clean his car. Too good to set foot in it otherwise. Some of the rubbish in there was practically antique, not to mention the sentimental value.

And now she was humming. The bottle song.

"Woman! Will you please shut up! And keep your eyes on the road."

Buffy just sent him a sunny smile and turned the radio on - to a poppy station. Playing Take That. And then she started singing again.

It was going to be a long trip.

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"So, what's her ´name?" Buffy was getting bored.

"Elizabeth the One."

"You mean Elizabeth the First."

"No. I meant Elizabeth the One."

"What kinda name is that?"

"Yours I thought."

"Oh"

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"Blood oranges. Have to have blood oranges." Spike was muttering to himself as he scoured the aisles of the supermarket.

Buffy trailed after him, highly amused. This was the third supermarket they had been in on the quest to find blood oranges. Her eyes lit on something in the cooler department.

"Hey Spi-ike." She warbled. "I found some blood orange juice. Does that help?"

Her only response was a frustrated groan that caused some shoppers to drop their things in fright. Buffy smiled to herself. This road trip was turning out to be fun.