"Spike!" Buffy yelped as she took a menacing step towards the unexpected and shadowed interloper on her porch step. In the darkness, only his hair seemed to throw back anything other than shadow. The teen could not see his expression or tell if he had additional undead company hiding in the darkness of her front yard. A frisson of fear ghosted up her spine and she tightened her grip on her stake as she realized she was seriously at a disadvantage for the moment. When last she faced her current opponent, Buffy had been in top form and they had still battled to a tie. Tonight, the teen was less than at her best. She was tired and mildly injured. Shoving down her scared inner voice, Buffy opted for aggression in hopes that she could take Spike out quickly. She knew that she wasn't up to a prolonged battle. Having her mom come home to her corpse on the front porch was not how she wanted the day to end. After a quick step, her stake arced towards the dark form of his chest.
Without moving down the porch step, the leather clad vampire swept aside the pointy wood attack with his left arm. His eyes widened in unexpected pain though as the little blonde followed the dusting attempt with a knee to his gut. His unneeded breath wheezed out from the force but he recovered faster than Buffy hoped.
Spike quickly grabbed the attacking teen by her shoulders and gave her a small shake before shoving her backwards. Because of the force of the push and her injured leg, Buffy took three steps back before regaining control of her body. She raised her weapon one more time but paused from attacking again because her opponent did not follow his counter with any type of aggression. Instead, the vampire raised his hands once again. His pale hands could just be seen at the end of his dark coat as he mimicked the universal sign for surrender.
"Hey! White flag here," Spike pleaded. "I quit."
"We're mortal enemies, Spike. We don't get time-outs," Buffy answered as she struck at the vampire again. Her left fist caught the vampire on the chin and his head snapped to the side. He growled as Buffy followed the strike with yet another attempt to dust the bleached blond.
Once again, Spike blocked the attack but refrained from striking the little warrior even though he was sorely tempted. The vampire was quickly losing his temper with the little fighter. Instead of throwing his own punch towards her head though, Spike skittered sideways on the front steps and just out of easy reach.
"You wanna go a round, kitten, I'll have a gay old time of it," he warned with a grin that conveyed that he almost hoped Buffy threw another punch. "I would prefer we play this a bit different though."
"What are you talking about?" the teen replied as her eyes narrowed and she silently wondered why he was on her porch. The question flew from her mind though when the vampire stepped from the shadows and into the light of the porch lamp.
"Whoa..." she exclaimed as she stared in amazement at the damaged vampire before her. The yellow glow highlighted the terrible burns covering all of Spike's exposed skin. The tops of his hands, his neck and his face were covered with deep injuries that had only partially healed. Some of his skin was still charred black while other parts were open wounds where the burn scabs had cracked and peeled.
"What happened to you?" Buffy demanded as she actually stepped a bit closer and slightly lowered her stake. Her other hand raised slightly as if to touch and confirm the obviously painful injuries. She was horrified to see the extensive damage Spike had taken without dusting.
"I forgot my sunscreen frolicking at the beach," the vampire snipped.
The stake raised once more.
"No need to get snarky," the teen warned in her own snippy voice.
Spike sighed dramatically.
"It's your sodding fault," he accused.
Buffy raised her eyebrow.
"Look, do we have a cease fire for a moment?"
Although Buffy doubted she would appreciate anything her unexpected visitor had to say, she nodded slowly. The teen was realistic enough to understand that she had a much better chance of surviving a temporary truce than she would if the vampire decided he wanted to attack her on her front steps. She wasn't sure how much the burns would limit her opponents offensive abilities but she knew her fatigue and injured foot would curtail her chances. If she was honest with herself, she was also extremely intrigued as to why the powerful vampire had sought her out for anything other than violence. The nagging reminder of potential skittered through her thoughts and her stake slid into the small of her back along the waistband of her pants.
At the accepting nod from the teen, Spike dropped to the step as if he were a marionette whose strings were suddenly cut. The vamp groaned slightly as he settled into place on the stair. Buffy suddenly realized how utterly exhausted the demon appeared. She didn't even realize vampires could look tired. It was a strange observation and nipped at her conscious thoughts about what exactly vampires experienced. The idea that they might share more than just appearances with humans was a strange and uncomfortable idea that the teen chose to squash for thought later.
"So what do you wanna discuss?" she prodded as she too took a seat on the front porch step. She folded herself into place just out of easy reach of the injured vampire. She searched the injured vampire's face for any trace of deception or ill intent. She saw nothing but pain and frustration. Her stomach contracted a bit and she attempted to shove away the confusion. The teen reminded herself that she was sitting beside a vampire and not the shy young man she originally met in a dream.
"It really is all your fault," Spike accused once more as he sighed and started searching his coat pockets for his cigarettes and lighter. He found his lighter but only an empty pack of cigarettes. Disgusted, he crumbled the empty container and shoved it back in his pocket. A bit nervously, he fiddled with his lighter a couple times until Buffy broke the awkward silence.
"What is my fault?"
"Everything!" the vampire bit out in frustration as his lighter snapped shut sharply. He growled softly then ran his other scarred hand through his hair.
Watching the pain shift across the vampire's face made Buffy feel even more uncomfortable and she had to fight the urge to reach out to the demon and offer him a comforting touch on his arm. He seemed so utterly desolate. In that moment, the vampire seemed so very alive and reminded the girl keenly of the restrained young man she met in her dreams. Both had seemed to hold an overabundance of emotion in their gaze but both incarnations seemed constrained. The first was forced into a mold by societal expectations while the second was caged with a demonic nature. To combat the unexpected urge to offer comfort to this man she glimpsed behind the demon mask, the teen grasped her hands tightly and forced them into her lap. She doubted either of them wanted to see how the vampire would react to any type of sympathy.
"Everything how?" she prodded. Her voice came out breathy and less confident than she would have preferred. She squirmed slightly in discomfort because when she looked at her companion, she kept remembering her dream encounter. She had been happy to make the older man's acquaintance through the intervention of the Entity and she had been impressed with the couple times he had actually seemed to slip from the control of the God's possession. It showed a definite personal strength that impressed her as a warrior and as a girl. She also remembered thinking how earnest the man from another time was as well as how attractive and expressive his eyes were. Buffy immediately squashed that thought trail because she knew only pain would be found on it. Realizing that she found the man attractive actually made the teen tense for another reason. She began to inch further away from the vampire as she felt the stirrings of panic start to hover in her mind. It was the first time since her attack last spring that she actually found even a fleeting entertainment of attraction. That fact alone almost sent her into a full blown panic attack. She immediately clamped down on her physical reaction and fought to keep lucid and in the present.
Spike sighed and turned so he was facing Buffy. He tilted his head slightly in confusion at the sudden increase in her respiration and heart rates. Unsure of why his presence was suddenly causing the girl distress, the vampire actually slid his body farther from Buffy. He once more raised his hands in a symbolic show that he was not holding a weapon. He reminded the little warrior that they had a truce and stressed that he was good for keeping his word.
The vampire fell silent and just watched with fascination as the young woman slowly regained control of herself once more. He nodded in acknowledgment of her restraint once it was reestablished and Buffy once more asked why he approached her. The vampire allowed her respect of not questioning her brief loss of control. Instead, he focused on the reason for his unexpected visit.
"I can't take care of her properly now," he admitted with a voice that reflected the pain clearly written on his scarred face.
"Who? Oh... Drusilla?" Buffy questioned then her eyes grew larger as she suddenly realized the problem. "You didn't vamp her again?"
Spike shook his head. The teen incredulously stared at the powerful vampire. Her mouth opened a couple times but she never actually found the proper words to react to his revelation. She finally snapped her jaws shut again without further verbal expression of her startled amazement.
"She wanted the sunshine," the vampire finally explained after watching Buffy's fluster. He enjoyed the brief moment of amusement before returning to the pressing matter of his lover's newly human state. He sighed deeply then groaned as the movement shifted painful skin. "I can't go in the sunlight with her."
"Sorry?" Buffy offered in confusion. For the first time, the teen felt truly guilty about what she had done during the Halloween spell. Even after the fact, she had believed returning Drusilla to life was a good thing to have done. She had been a bit worried when Giles had become concerned but that feeling had quickly fled with reassurances from the librarian and from Oz. Only now that she considered it from another perspective did she realize it was not a simple good or bad type situation. After more than a century as a vampire, being human again could not be easy. Even not considering the mental anguish, the returned physical demands must be a horrid adjustment.
Spike snorted.
"Somehow, I don't rightly believe you."
"It's not like I make a habit of resurrecting vampires," Buffy responded with an edge of defensiveness in her voice. "Normally, I just dust them."
Her companion growled at the implied threat.
"Human's better than dust," the vampire admitted begrudgingly. "Still, leaves me in a pinch. I can't rightly care for a human. She needs food and shelter and a chance to play in the sun. I can't properly protect her in the sunlight and she lacks the self preservation skills to take care of herself. Hell, there's times she lacks awareness of self let alone safety skills."
Buffy gasped as she realized why the vampire was covered with burns.
"You went into the sun to protect her?"
"Saved her from dancing with the bumper of a truck," Spike explained with a slight shrug.
"You could have dusted yourself," Buffy accused.
"I love her," he simply replied as if that explained everything.
The two quiet warriors sat and contemplated that statement for a few moments.
"What help do you need from me?" Buffy finally asked. "I can't really spend my days watching Dru for you. I have school and stuff."
Spike shifted uncomfortably.
"She needs a real place to live," he proposed first. "She can't stay at the factory with me. Too much of a temptation for the fledges. Already had to thin the herd since they seem only to see her as a midnight snack. It's also dirty and damp. Not healthy for those with a pulse."
"Food. A warm bed. Some place for her dollies."
Spike turned pleading eyes towards the little warrior silently considering his requests.
"Someone to help her deal with her confusion about being alive and souled after more than a century of death and destruction?"
Buffy bit her lower lip and admitted that she wasn't sure if they could swing the last request but she would talk to Giles about it. When Spike asked who Giles was, Buffy provided him with the same explanation that she provided Oz. Spike smirked at the description of the librarian's duties but then asked if she thought he would have a problem with helping Drusilla.
Buffy suggested that the vampire bring her to see him and that they could ask together.
"Giles is kinda a sucker for pouty face," she counseled. "I bet if we spring the request on him with full damsel in distress theatrics, he will cave."
Her manipulative streak impressed the vampire and he offered her a softly amused smile that the teen found herself comfortably returning. The exchange eased the tension between the two natural enemies enough to slip into a more easy discussion.
The duo created plans to meet at the school library tomorrow evening after the sun set. Buffy expressed concern about Dru needing someone tomorrow during the day but Spike waved off the worry. He promised that he and Dalton could handle one more day of protecting and watching her until the next evening. In turn, Buffy questioned who Dalton was. Spike provided a quick description of the bookworm which led to Buffy suggesting that he bring the other vampire along to the meeting. She was intrigued by the chance to meet a vampire who willingly drank butcher blood without the benefit of a soul pricking at his undead conscious. She also figured that anyone with an affection for old books would be a kindred spirit for her previous Watcher. Perhaps Spike's little bookworm would be the little extra help that moved Giles to support the cause.
"Think that is a good idea, kitten?" the vampire cautioned. "Humans in the know don't tend to take well to lotsa vamps visiting."
"I can promise you no dustings for you and your geek as long as neither of you start anything."
Spike considered the teen's words then stood. He nodded in agreement and promised to show up the next evening. The vampire wearily moved off the porch and took a couple steps across the front yard. He stopped moving when Buffy called to him though. In the shadow of the trees, his leather clad body was barely visible to the now standing teen.
"Why did you come to me, Spike?" the still slightly uneasy girl questioned. Although she understood the vampire's dire need for help, she couldn't fathom why he would have chosen to seek out the one person who had tried to kill him and his associates for assistance with his lover. "I kill vamps and demons on a regular basis."
Spike chuckled.
"Yeah... think that makes you one of the good guys then. Guess that makes you a bit more trustworthy."
Now it was Buffy's turn to chuckle.
"So that means I shouldn't trust you?"
"Never," the vampire replied with a flash of white teeth before he faded into the darkness.
Buffy stared into the darkness for a while after he had gone as she considered his final words. Finally, she turned and retrieved her key from the porch floor and sought the safety of her house. She shut the door on the darkness as she played with the idea that perhaps the strange vampire had more potential than even he would credit himself. Thinking about a meeting between the needy vamp and Giles made her hope that her instincts were not off the mark with Spike. In the teen's mind, it kept coming back to what Oz kept calling potential. The Entity would not have introduced them if it wasn't there and what good was having been touched by a God if it didn't provide the touchee with at least a smidgen of guidance. Until she saw proof otherwise, she was going to accept some of Oz's logic and some of her own instincts. She was giving the vampire a chance. It might not be trust or friendship but it was something. Buffy just wasn't sure what that something was at this point.
"Are you sure you want me here?" Anya asked uncomfortably as she trailed Buffy and Oz down the empty hallway on the way to the library. The teen was still unsure of her place in this new world as a human and didn't want to overstep the boundary of her budding relationship with the two people who had been most accepting of her. Even though her relationship with Sam had dissolved as soon as the demonic magic no longer compelled him to be her boyfriend, she seemed to have something real building with her current companions. They didn't seem annoyed by her forthright manner or her fumbling social skills. It made the ex-demon feel warm and content. She didn't want to lose that feeling.
Buffy turned back and offered her new friend a bright smile.
"Absolutely," she confirmed. "Giles was totally impressed with your insight-y-ness on Halloween so you can totally be helpful with my side of the inevitable argument brewing for tonight. It isn't every day an ex-Slayer brings home an ex-Vamp to her ex-Watcher. Its gonna be a world of fun... in the not kinda way. You can help me with the wordage while Oz does his strong silent support thing."
The happy contentment erupted into excitement and Anya gushed about how happy she would be to share her thoughts and feelings in any manner that would be helpful. Both Oz and Buffy smiled at the animated brunette and her enthusiasm. The smiles and Anya's chatter faded though as they reached the library door. Through the doors, they could hear a heated discussion. The trio stopped and listened for a moment. The three frowned when it became obvious that the exchange was more than a simple loud discussion. A verbal battle was raging in the normally quiet library.
Mr. Giles and Ms. Calendar seemed to be arguing rather emotionally about something involving secrets and souls. The harsh exchange stopped immediately when the doors opened and the three students entered. The librarian stood in front of the tall check out counter while the computer teacher stood on the far side of the research table. Both educators were glaring at each other with a venom that was unexpected given their recent relationship status. Two patches of heightened color showed through Jenny's make-up and Rupert had flung his glasses on the counter in disgust while his tie hung loose around his neck. Neither did more than glance quickly at the arriving students before they were back to glaring at each other.
The air of animosity between the two verbal combatants was so thick that it actually took a few moments for the trio to even notice the third occupant of the room. Silent and still, Angel stood at the top of the steps near the stacks. He looked decidedly uncomfortable as he leaned against one of the tall bookcases. His arms were crossed over his chest and his lips were pressed into a deep frown. His expression did not lighten at the sight of the interrupting teens. If anything, his scowl deepened and his eyes shifted away from making contact with Buffy's narrowed gaze.
"Is this when I should start making my arguments?" Anya helpfully injected into the awkward silence.
All eyes shifted to the perky brunette and she smiled in return. The ex-demon enjoyed being the center of attention and especially liked it when her comments dispelled other unpleasant topics. She might not understand all the social human niceties of her current time and place but she knew how to read tension. Even without her demonic powers, Anya still wanted to solve problems and she found that directness worked wonders when limited to mundane means of addressing issues.
"Ah... I did not realize it was quite so late," Giles finally responded in way of an apology. The ex-Watcher had only planned for a short meeting with Angel and Jenny to discuss Buffy's concerns about the vampire's teetering soul. He had not expected the situation to escalate so far out of control. The flustered librarian glanced across the room where Jenny was pacing in a tight circle. Her heeled pumps clicked sharply on the hard floor tiles. It was obvious he was not the only one agitated by the recent confrontation.
Giles retrieved his glasses and attempted to calm his frazzled nerves. He had not expected to learn that the woman he was dating and with whom he was considering a more permanent relationship had been keeping secrets from him. When he had presented the concerns about Angel's soul to the vampire and the techno pagan, Jenny had not been surprised. She had sheepishly admitted to knowing about the curse. This admission had then led to more questions. Rupert had not liked any of the answers.
Jenny Calendar was actually Janna of the Kalderash Clan, the same clan of gypsies that originally cursed Angelus. She had been sent to Sunnydale by her clan in order to watch Angel and ensure that their vengeance remained true. The vampire was meant to suffer for eternity. The computer teacher had originally maneuvered herself into an acquaintance with the librarian in order to have an excuse to interact more personally with the cursed vampire. Even if she truly wanted to help and support both Buffy and Giles, her original duplicity weighed heavily on Giles' heart.
"Should we come back later?" Buffy asked as she once more shifted her vision around the tension filled room. She knew from experience with her parents' divorce that verbal fights between adults were not the place for kids, even if said kids were actually supernatural, teen-aged warriors for the side of good. Adult relationship fights were every bit as scary as an impending apocalypse but without the benefit of having someone or something that the blonde could punch.
Giles shook his head.
"No, no," he offered as he glanced once more at Jenny. His lips pressed together in equal parts indignation and sadness. "I think we are done with this discussion."
"For now," he added with a steely tone that everyone could tell meant he really wasn't finished with the topic and would be revisiting it later when the younger audience was gone.
Jenny flinched slightly at the harsh tone. She crossed her arms over the middle of her stomach and stopped her pacing. She offered Giles a pleading expression that begged for forgiveness but it faded when there was no answering softening in his eyes. The techno-pagan was between a rock and a hard place. She had her duty to her family but she also felt compelled to preserve her growing relationship with Giles. She swallowed her desire to plead for forgiveness.
"Perhaps I should go," she murmured as she collected her purse from the table.
Buffy glanced to Oz in hopes of getting some clue as to whether or not she should ask Ms. Calender to stay. He shrugged slightly because he was also unsure if her presence would help or hurt Buffy's upcoming confrontation. The computer teacher often seemed to support Buffy's positions and needs but her arguing on their side might make Giles dig in his heels on the subject since he was already angry with her. In the end, the teens did nothing to stop Ms. Calender from leaving. It seemed the safer choice.
Angel pushed off his place along the bookshelf and came down the steps.
"I think I will walk you out," he started as he glanced first at Giles and then at Buffy to see if either was going to protest. Giles barely looked at Angel while Buffy shifted unconsciously closer to her friends and her hand slipped into her pocket where she hid one of her stakes. Pain slashed through the souled vampire's chest at the ongoing negative reaction from the petite Slayer. He never realized how much he would miss her innocent little shows of interest until they were gone. A deeper twinge of sadness settled onto his already burdened soul.
"I have some questions for you about the curse," the vampire added when neither Buffy nor Giles offered any comment on his plan.
Jenny nodded once to the vampire before stalking from the quiet room with her vampire shadow. Giles watched her leave with a heavy feeling sitting in his gut. He feared that the only chance at a mature and meaningful relationship was slipping from his grasp in time with her disappearing heel taps. In his mind, he weighed the measures of duty and forgiveness. Overshadowing all those thoughts was the specter of betrayal. It hurt and Rupert was unsure if he could overlook the potentially harmful secrets that Jenny had kept from them. Desire and anger warred in his silent thoughts.
Lost in his swirling thoughts, it took Rupert a moment to realize that someone was talking to him. Shaking his head, he turned to his young charge and asks her to repeat what she just said. The teen again stated her concern for her mentor and Giles thanked her for the thoughts. He then insisted that he was fine and motioned the trio towards the large table as he invited them to share why they wanted to meet. Oz and Anya slid into seats on either side of Buffy in an outward show of support.
"Last night was a really weird night for me," Buffy stated in opening.
"How so?" Giles responded as he too took a seat at the table. He moved his ever present notepad, books and pens aside so that he had a place to rest his arms on the tabletop. The older man did his best to likewise shove aside his frustration at Jenny and focus his mind on his previous Slayer. He may no longer be an official Watcher but he truly wanted to keep supporting his young charge in all her endeavors.
"Well, I ran into some more of those lollipop vampires," she explained with a head tilt and an innocent smile that she figured would keep Giles from getting too frustrated at her for calling them such. Her grin only grew when the Brit did not cringe or appear even a little annoyed at her silly description.
"So more vampires in what we are assuming is the same family as Spike and Drusilla?"
Buffy nodded.
"Yup. Although these ones felt a bit different. Kinda like Spike and Dru are red raspberry and these ones are like black raspberries. Kinda the same but just a bit different. Like Luke was just a little different than Angel. Kinda the same but not."
"Two of the vamps were mega-hotties. Like double Tyra Banks with bumpies. They moved in synch and were dressed uber trendy. It was too bad I dusted the one wearing the red dress. Her shoes were totally designer. What a waste," the teen lamented but then shrugged. "Okay, I am over it. Anyway, the third one was deformed. And I am not just talking a little bit ugly but really wrong. Like that Squashy-momo guy from the Disney movie."
For a moment, Giles attempted to properly interpret Buffy's comparison.
"Quasimodo?" Giles clarified with a minor shudder at the horrible butchering of Hugo's literary classic character. Somehow the librarian doubted the teen even knew the poor hunchback was a character in a book long before he was a cartoon character popularized by Disney Studios.
"Yup, him," Buffy confirmed with a nod and a grin.
"Anyway, the hottie twins seemed to be helping Squashy with hunting. I think they enticed dinner into the alley where he was waiting for them. I saved the idiot dinner and dusted the three vamps. They were not easy dustings though. I mean, Squashy didn't move real well so he wasn't much of a challenge but Tyra One and Two were more of a main event. They were definitely not young vamps and they fought really well together. Like they had been doing it for years and years."
"Do you think they might be companions of Spike and Drusilla?"
Buffy cringed.
"I didn't think to ask," she admitted without a thought of how Giles would take the unexpected confession.
Giles didn't miss the strange comment.
"When could you have asked?" the ex-Watcher prompted a bit suspiciously.
"Oops?" Buffy muttered sheepishly before glancing at both her companions. Anya was sitting quietly with a curious expression on her face while Oz was attentively leaning against the table. He smirked and offered Buffy a wink that conveyed his amusement at her verbal slip. The blonde warrior took courage from her friends' encouraging presences and jumped into an explanation. The teen described the confrontation with Spike the previous evening on her porch. As she spoke, her audience became more agitated until he almost rivaled the controlled tension that had sizzled in the air when they first arrived at the library.
Buffy finally fell silent. She nervously gnawed on her lower lip as she waited for Rupert to respond. Although everyone was expecting a sharp response, they were pleasantly surprised as the librarian sighed before slowly removing his glasses and placing them carefully on the table. The tension seemed to leak from the librarian's body like a tire with a nail puncture. His shoulders lowered and the tension left his face. Giles shook his head but a small smile slid across his lips.
"You never cease to amaze me," the ex-Watcher stated with a touch of amazement in his tone.
Buffy smiled in return and Oz shifted back to a more relaxed position in his seat. They were silently thrilled at the easy capitulation from the normally less flexible older man. Anya frowned.
"Wait," the confused ex-demon suddenly interrupted. Her gaze shifted between the suddenly happy teen and her relaxed mentor. "Does this mean I don't need to help convince Mr. Giles that helping Spike and Drusilla is a good thing?"
Oz chuckled while Buffy reached over and patted Anya on the arm.
"Guess not," the blonde consoled. "But don't worry, I'm sure to mess up some other time and will need your keen insights to help smooth over the Giles grumpies."
The brunette slumped in her chair with a petulant pout on her face as Giles sputtered over being accused of having fits of grumpiness.
"So how do you propose we assist Drusilla?" Giles finally prompted when he had finished his short stammering fit of denial.
"Well, she needs some place safe to live first."
Giles nodded in understanding and agreement but then he frowned.
"Where does Spike fit into these plans though?"
"Spike fits where Dru fits," intoned a sharp British voice from the shadows of the library stacks.
The four people at the table jumped slightly at the interruption. They quickly stood and turned to face the new arrival. Cautiously, Anya sidled around the edge of table until the large wooden piece separated her from the vampire who stepped from the shadows. She moved closer to Giles a bit nervously. She had already seen the bleached blond vampire battle with Buffy and his presence in close proximity to her now fragile form suddenly made her nervous.
"Hmm, guess the logic is overshadowed by the fear," she muttered a bit loudly to herself.
Giles snorted slightly at her comment and patted at her arm despite not moving his vision from the dangerous vampire now in their midst. He was shocked to see how badly damaged the vampire's visage still appeared. He would have figured that the vampire's innate healing would have addressed the majority of his injuries in a few days time. He wondered if the promised change of diet that Buffy had mentioned had led to the decrease in healing abilities.
"So, um, Spike?" Giles started a bit nervously at he fought the urge to clamor for one of the weapons tucked nearby in his office or the locked storage cage.
Spike nodded in amusement as he assessed the four humans. The vampire recognized two of Buffy's companions from his ill-fated encounter with the warrior at the pizza joint. He remembered that they both handled the violence with an impressive amount of courage for a couple of walking Happy Meals. He offered the pretty brunette a wink in acknowledgment of her tasty fear reaction. He did not get a chance for a proper read on the tweed clad gentleman who he suspected had all the markings of a member of the Watcher's Council. Instead, his attention shifted to soft singing that whispered behind him.
"I told you to wait until I said it was safe, Dalton," the vampire stated with a heavy tint of anger in his tone.
"Sorry Spike," the nervous translator apologized as he too stepped from the shadows with Drusilla at his side. "She wouldn't stay put."
Spike sighed as he reached towards the now humming human. The dark haired beauty had shifted from her little softly off pitch song to a gentle melody without words.
Drusilla smiled softly at him but did not take his offered hand. Instead, she swayed towards the steps with a radiant smile blooming on her face. Her humming quieted as she locked gaze with Buffy. Despite being returned to life, her body still appeared very weak. She looked like someone who had been ill for a long time. Her skin was ashen and her cheeks held only a hint of pink. Her white gown flowed around her and made her appear both more fragile and more innocent. In her one hand, the willowy beauty clasp two small gift bags topped with colorful bits of tissue paper. The newly living woman had pitched a fit earlier in the day and insisted that they had to bring gifts to the meeting. Spike had indulged her whim with a grumpy sense annoyance tempered with affection.
"Pussycat, Pussycat, where have you been?" the dark haired woman questioned as she took a step down the stairs from the stacks. Her free hand trailed over the wooden banister as she continued the nursery rhyme.
"I've been down to London to visit the Queen." Dru stated as she reached the bottom of the short staircase.
"Pussy cat, Pussy cat, what did you there?" she asked as she approached Buffy and Oz.
"I frightened a little mouse under her chair," she finished as she stopped in front of the teens. Drusilla shifted one gift into each hand and held one towards Buffy and the other towards Oz. She stood silently and waited patiently for them to reach for the offered presents. The newly turned human shook the bags in an attempt to entice the teens into taking them more quickly.
Buffy shifted her eyes towards Spike and raised her eyebrows in question.
The vampire offered her the tiniest of shrugs and informed them that Dru insisted on bringing them presents to their first friendly meeting. Even though he thought it rediculous, he had been easily moved to follow her silly wish.
A bit confused, Buffy reached for the pink topped gift. She had never expected a gift from the evil undead or newly returned from the undead either. Following her lead, her friend also reached towards the one offered to him. When their hands touched the handles, Drusilla meowed loudly and then started to giggle at their startled responses.
Fascinated at the strange transaction, Oz exchanged a quick glance with Buffy. She shrugged slightly and so he indulged his curiosity. The musician pulled the green paper off the top of his gift bag. He reached inside and pulled out a black leather dog collar with silver studs on it. The cuff was not one of the punk or goth accessories available at trendy stores. This one was an actual collar intended for a very large dog. It even had a strong metal clasp to attach a leash. Oz smiled at the obviously expensive pet accessory but wondered why it was being offered to him. He didn't own a dog. He decided he liked it anyway. With a small smirk tilting on his lips, the teen made a minor adjustment on the collar then snapped it onto his own neck. It fit perfectly.
After watching Oz uncover his present and playfully buckle it in place, Buffy whipped the pink paper from the top of her gift and discarded the tissue over her shoulder where it fluttered to rest on the table. She pulled free a huge ball of soft, fuzzy yarn. The blood red ball of spun wool rested in Buffy's open hand as she offered a confused smile to Drusilla.
"Thank you?" she shared in a tone that was almost more a question than an admission of gratitude. She had no idea what to do with a ball of yarn. It wasn't like she knew how to knit. She was more likely to stake a vampire with a knitting needle then create a sweater.
If possible, Drusilla smiled even wider as she opened her arms and stepped towards the younger woman. The newly turned human wrapped her frail arms around Buffy in an unexpected hug. The teen could feel an unhealthy coolness as well as the goosebumps on the other woman's skin. She also noticed the fine tremble in Dru's over-taxed muscles. Leaning into the embrace, Dru whispered into Buffy's ear.
"Thank you for the sunshine, Daughter," she murmured softly although not softly enough to keep the others in the room from hearing the title given the blonde.
"You know that Buffy is the Daughter?" Giles sputtered in surprise.
Dru released Buffy from the embrace and turned her dreamy eyes towards the librarian.
"Choices and Chosen, Teacher," she replied with a tilt of her head. "The Slayer was Chosen but the Daughter Chooses."
Drusilla slid her eyes closed for a moment and she swayed slightly. Before anyone else could react, Spike was suddenly behind her. He wrapped his arms protectively around her waving form. Dru pulled her arms down. Her right hand pressed into her stomach.
"My tummy has the growlies again, Our Sweet William," she pouted as she leaned back against him.
Fascinated, the others watched as the previously vicious vampire gently moved the fragile female towards one of the large library chairs surrounding the research table. He removed his long coat and wrapped it around Drusilla's chilled form and guided her to sit. He then turned his attention to the other Brit in the room and requested a warm drink. Giles resisted the request at first but finally agreed to prepare some tea after Spike promised not to munch on the teens and Buffy assured him that they would all be fine without his immediate supervision. Buffy couldn't resist rolling her eyes as her previous Watcher kept stealing glances over his shoulder at the visitors as he made his way to his private office.
While Buffy and Spike were reassuring Giles, Anya moved around the table once more and slipped into the seat beside Drusilla. She leaned close to the shivering woman and asked if she found being human once more to be scary. Dru shook her head in reply.
"I dance in the sunshine," she offered in reply. "I missed the sunshine. It's warm and tingles on the skin. It paints the world in colored shades unseen in silvered moonlight."
Anya frowned.
"Is the sunshine all you wanted?" the ex-demon prodded curiously. She faced daily fears about her new humanity and loss of power and so she could not understand how the previous vampire could seem so accepting of her sudden loss of demonic status.
Dru's eyes flitted towards her companion who was nervously pacing while grumbling about the wait for the tea. They then shifted to Buffy who was busy curiously watching Spike moving around energetically. A quick glance to the side showed Oz splitting his attention between the vampire and ex-Slayer also. She smiled in an almost predatory manner when her eyes fell on the compact musician. As if feeling her attention, Oz turned his head. His eyes widened and he unconsciously frowned at the strange expression on Drusilla's face.
Dru demurely dropped her glance and a slight blush bloomed on her cheeks.
A few steps away, Spike stopped moving. He breathed deeply and frowned as his head whipped sideways to stare at Drusilla. He recognized the telltale scent of attraction in the air and it confused him for a moment. His head tilted ever so slightly as Dru began to mumble.
"The Sunshine doesn't just call to me," she murmured softly to the ex-demon. "Our William is meant for great things too."
A giggle fell from Dru's lips. She raised a hand and roughly tugged at her long curls. The giggle turned into a sob as her hands began to rip violently at her hair. Anya reared back from the frenzied woman. She clamored from her chair as Spike reached Dru's side. He knelt in front of her chair and grabbed her hands. He pulled them down towards her lap while murmuring soft and soothing words.
"The stars are screaming!" Dru shouted as she struggled to pull from Spike's protective grasp. "THE STARS LIE!"
"They lie. They lie," she kept repeating as she sobbed and shook.
In response to the screaming, Giles exited his office with an empty tea cup in his hand. He sat the porcelain piece on the counter and rounded to the cluster surrounding the distraught seer. The four humans as well as the timid vampire circled Dru and Spike and wondered helplessly what they could do to lend aid. One of Dru's hands escaped Spike's gentle hold. It flailed in the air until Buffy stepped forward and caught it in her own grip.
Drusilla instantly stilled. Her cry ended in the middle of the breath. It was as if someone had turned off a switch and the room was suddenly plunged into silence. The distraught seer snapped her eyes towards Anya.
"Grandfather must not know about your secret, Pretty New One," she intoned seriously before closing her eyes and leaning to the side until her head bumped against the hand Buffy was holding. Surprised by the movement, Buffy lifted her free hand and brushed it through Dru's tangled curls.
A shot of pain flashed across Spike's face as Dru sought comfort from someone other than him. To vent his anger, he turned his head towards Giles and snapped about where the bloody tea was. Flustered by the unexpected outburst, the librarian apologized for the delay and quickly excused himself to retrieve the promised drink. Before he disappeared into his office once more, Giles cast a speculative glance at Miss Emerson. He wondered just what Drusilla meant by calling her a Pretty New One. It would be something to consider in a spare moment in the future.
By the time the ex-Watcher returned to the general library area with her treat, Drusilla had calmed. She was slumped in the chair with a death grip on Buffy's hand. The blonde teen perched on the table beside the dark haired woman and was looking distinctly uncomfortable with the physical neediness of the unstable woman. Spike was back to pacing. Oz and Anya had withdrawn to seats on the opposite side of the table while Dalton was thumbing happily through one of Giles' resource books. With a contented sigh, the quiet vampire easily translated the Greek entry about soul magics. He was oblivious to the movements of the rest of the room.
"Um, I brought some biscuits to go with the tea," the British man offered as he set the tiny tea service he kept in his office onto the table. "I fear they are nothing fancy. Just simple sugar cookies from the convenience market."
Drusilla finally released Buffy's hand as she delicately reached for a cookie. She nibbled the edge before offering a soft thank you to Giles as he poured her a cup of tea from his small teapot. As Giles added two sugar cubes to the cup, Buffy teased him that he never fixed her tea so nicely. The librarian rolled his eyes and informed her that she didn't drink tea; she drank sugar syrup lightly colored with a drop of tea. Spike scoffed at the comment as he slipped to the table and snagged one of the cookies which he then chomped noisily as he stomped across the room to lean against the banister that led to the stacks.
Taking a seat at the table, Giles broached the subject of offering assistance to Drusilla. Buffy expressed that she could stay with her at night for a couple days but that she doubted her mom would understand if she stayed longer. It also didn't solve the problem of her care during the day.
"Perhaps she could spend the days in the library with Mr. Giles," Anya suggested. "She could be a visiting relative if anyone asks. Not that anyone would ask. No one ever seems to use the library at this school for anything other than monster related stuff anyway."
The ex-demon smiled perkily after offering her suggestion.
After a moments consideration, Giles agreed with the plan. It would work for a few days at least until a more permanent solution could be found.
Once again, Anya's common sense made itself known as she reminded Buffy that she needed to ask Spike about the recent vampires she had dusted. Giles offered Miss Emerson a quick smile of appreciation to the teen as he also stressed how important any information available would be.
Spike had shrugged and admitted that he had no clue. He admitted that he didn't really keep track of the comings and goings of other vampires if they didn't affect him or Dru.
"The Master called him Friduhelm. Also Meine Fliege." Dalton offered softly from his quiet spot among Giles' books.
"My Fly," he added in translation as if he couldn't help himself from changing the original language to one everyone in the room would understand.
For the first time, the occupants of the library paid attention to the timid vampire who originally accompanied Drusilla into the room. He sheepishly stared at the floor while he explained about the contacts he had made on behalf of the Master in an attempt to entice other members of the elder vampire's family to come to the Hellmouth and assist him in his plans to escape his prison and open the gateway.
Giles moved into his office and quickly returned with an armful of old tombs. He carefully placed them on the table and pulled the top one towards him.
"If he is an old family member, it is possible he will appear in the Black Annals," the librarian offered as he began paging through listings in the book until finding the section on the Master and his known descendants in the time before the Black Family completed their collected research on familial lines. Generations of Black scholars had spent their lives collecting the information recorded in the resource known as the Black Trilogy. While the Annals feature family lines, the Chronicles contained listings and descriptions of Hell dimensions and the Registers featured known black magics spells and their counter-spells.
The new books captured Isiah's attention and he sidled towards the pile.
"I have a copy of the Black Chronicles and the Black Registers but I have never been able to secure any edition of the Black Annals," the translator admitted with fascination obvious in his tone as he attempted to steal a peek at the book in front of Giles.
Giles glanced up from the Latin in his book to the translator.
"Are your editions in the original Latin or are they translations?"
"Oh God," whined Buffy as she reached out and smacked Spike in the arm. "You had to bring me ANOTHER book geek? Like Giles wasn't bad enough already with the word love?"
Both Giles and Dalton shifted their gaze from the Annals to the blond teen. They both appeared highly peeved at her disparaging comment about their affection for words.
Dru giggled.
"Our William loves words too," she offered with a sly smile.
"Dru!" Spike sharply barked as he suddenly feared what horrid secrets Drusilla might share about his past. He might be willing to eat butcher blood and refrain from murdering the masses for the sake of the woman he loved but he wasn't keen on allowing her to completely ruin the Big Bad image he crafted over the past century.
Uncowed, the dark haired beauty just giggled again. Her giggle turned to a full laugh as both Anya and Oz reached for their own books from the large pile of research. She reached out and patted Buffy on the arm before nodding towards the other teens.
"You seem to be the odd one out, Dearie," Drusilla consoled as Buffy noticed her friends joining on the side of the books.
Buffy groaned.
"Traitors," the teen hissed as she glared at the pile of the research material. She flung herself back until she was laying on the tabletop. She placed her arm over her eyes and moaned again.
"Just wake me up when you have something for me to pummel," she added.
"Fascinating," softly murmured Eubha as she pushed the vampire's chair back slightly from where he sat staring at a computer screen. The fae settled herself onto Lawson's lap without an invitation but he offered no complaint at the situation. Her eyes quickly scanned the information meticulously recorded in the Watcher Council's computer files. She leaned back against Sam's shoulder so that she could place a distracting kiss on his jaw.
Suddenly no longer interested in the Council of Watcher's stolen archive of potentials and slayers, Sam wrapped his arms around the magical creature's sexy body. He pulled her more firmly against himself and nuzzled against her exposed neck. The vampire resisted the urge to shift and sink his teeth into the vulnerable flesh. Instead, he licked a wet trail over her pulse point and elicited a throaty moan from his voracious lover.
Eubha had just relaxed back against the vampire and turned her head to return his kiss when she suddenly stiffened. She jerked from Sam's grasp and suddenly stood.
"Oh how utterly beautiful and ironic!" she exclaimed in excitement that had nothing to do with sexual passion.
Lawson shook his head in confusion. Even though he had learned soon after meeting the fae that her moods were mercurial at the best of times and down right frightening at the worst, she did not normally become easily distracted from carnal pleasures. In fact, the vampire would be willing to bet that no human lover would stand a chance in the fae's bed. Even with his supernatural abilities, he was hard pressed to meet her insatiable hungers.
"What was that?" he muttered as he watched the exotic beauty set to pacing around the small den of the townhouse he had stolen. She was a vision in motion and he found himself thoroughly mesmerized by her movements.
"Such poetic justice, I think," the fae replied as she rubbed her hands together. "For untold years, the Council has torn families apart. Stolen their daughters as they stole mine. Spent them as disposable tools to be easily replaced just as easily as they called for the murder of my daughter. They have shattered families. I believe it is fitting to shatter their strength by giving it back to the very families they destroyed."
Lawson frowned as he considered her words. His eyes flickered to his computer screen where a list of the most recent Slayers and their families where listed by date, location, period of service, and name. His eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened in understanding. In the case of humanity, money was the ultimate in power resources.
"You... You mean give the money to the um... Slayer families?" he sputtered.
A particularly evil smile settled on Eubha's lips.
"Oh yes," she purred.
"But why give it away?" the vampire demanded in horror. With the stolen account information and the well planned and orchestrated deaths of the Council's entire accounting department, the pair had access to untold riches that would be long gone before they were missed.
"Oh, but that is the beauty of it all," the fae countered. "There is a certain cosmic justice to the balance. Their daughters were stolen and forced into servitude and ultimately into death. My payment is in the revenge. I need not the money nor do you. We can take what we want and need. To give it to the other side that was harmed by the Council balances our revenge on the scales against the horror of their pain and loss."
"But isn't that a bit altruistic?" the skeptical vampire countered. "I was kinda in this for the death and destruction. Not to do good."
"Ah, but we will have our death and destruction. This way, perhaps, we won't draw the attention of a Greater Power. We are balancing our scale with revenge for me on one side and your so called altruistic gifts on the other. Hopefully, the balance will remain and limit any consequences to ourselves in the ultimate tapestry of the universe."
For a moment, Sam considered his lover's words. Finally, he snorted.
"You're in charge of this war, Gorgeous. I'm just the technical support and muscle," he conceded.
A hungry and almost feral expression arose on Eubha's face. She stalked towards Lawson in a wave of sultry, shimmering power. She reached towards her lover with pure joy radiating from her overheated body.
"I know just what technical thing you can do with your muscle now," she purred as her eyes shifted to black pools of nothing that seemed to swallow all the light in the room.
Lawson shifted from his human guise. As his eyes flickered to gold and his ridges rose on his brows, his lover tackled him to the carpet where he allowed them both to be distracted by bliss until well past sunset and prime time for hunting finally distracted them from their mutual pleasures.
Eric Gittleson never really enjoyed his mortal life. He hated being the butt of jock prank and popular girl ridicule. His only real friend had been a fellow science geek and he had never had even a sniff at a date. Life had been a cruel joke with him locked in the punchline.
Now that he was a vampire, he had other plans. Gittleson wanted to be a power in the supernatural world. The sly turned teen contemplated the gagged and bound chaos mage he currently had tossed over his shoulder. If there was one thing that Eric had learned well in high school, it was that those in power didn't share unless you proved you were worthy. The pretty girls only dated the rich or the good looking guys. They didn't care how smart a fellow was. They only cared how important and stylish they would look on the arm of the guy they dated. They wanted someone who would help them gain or at least retain their current status. Eric was intent on gaining a bit of his own status now that he was undead.
Eric shifted the captured magician as he moved from the periodically lit city maintained tunnels into the sunken remains of a long forgotten church. He didn't care if he was maneuvering behind Spike's back. The newly turned vampire snorted as he considered his uncaring Sire. The powerful vampire was scary but seemed easily distracted. Eric was not. He didn't understand the older demon's obsession with his crazy lover. Now that she was no longer a vampire, she was nothing but a liability. While distracted by Drusilla's care, Spike had been unaware of Eric's maneuvering. He hadn't notice the young fledgeling making plans to turn a group of vampire worshiping idiots he discovered when searching for clues about the chaos mage. He also hadn't noticed Eric liberating the same magician from the factory. He had simply walked out the front door with his current captive after Spike had left the lair with his little nerdy vamp and his resurrected lover. It had been simple.
Eric wanted power and he knew that Spike was not the ultimate power in this town. That distinction belonged to the Master and Eric planned to provide him with something he wanted in exchange for the power the turned teen so desperately craved. The demon reveled in the thought of all the exquisite revenge he would have once he received his anticipated gifts from the true demon in charge. Once he was established as the Master's right hand man, the useless maggots that attended Sunnydale High would truly have something real to fear.
A/N: Thank you to Celgress for reading the first section of this chapter and offering suggestions to make the original piece better. Your assistance was greatly appreciated! -Me