Summary: Very AU. Everyone is human. Every town has a house with a story, with a past. Sunnydale was no different. But Crawford Manor was much more than just a house. It's alive and events that were set in motion over a decade ago are finally come to ahead. And it's all because of one platinum blonde bad boy, William Giles.

Pairings: Buffy/Angel, Willow/Tara, Wes/Fred, Cordelia/Riley with hints of past Darla/Angel, and future Buffy/Spike. It will be a Spuffy story eventually, just fair warning to all those that aren't Spuffy fans.

Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Expect weekly updates from this point on. I didn't know my job was going to be so demanding this summer. Yeah, working as a camp counselor and I somehow thought that was going to be easy. Sometimes I amaze myself. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter though. Trust me the next chapter will be up early next week, probably after the holiday.

To Hell and Back... Sorta...

"So let me get this straight," Tara McClay said, as she leaned against the headboard of the bed she and Spike were sitting on. "You're helping some guy that you barely tolerated, much less liked, solve the mystery of what happened to his sister years ago. Not to mention, that you're completely head over heels in love with this guy's girlfriend and it sounds like its pretty safe to say that she might be feeling the same. Meanwhile, you're having dreams that are creepy just hearing about and Aunt Rebecca is involved. Did I get everything in there or did I leave something out?"

Spike arched an eyebrow, shooting the girl a dark look. "Whatever would I do without your emotional guidance and support, Glenda?"

"When are you going to stop calling me that?"

"Oh, I'm thinking six days after never."

The young woman tried to muster a dirty look but as usual failed when it came to her beloved younger cousin. With only a two year difference between them, the two cousins had pretty much grown up together. There was only a fence to separate the two from one another and as a result they were extremely close. That is until Spike's mother had passed away when Tara was nine and Spike seven. That's when Giles and Spike had moved back to England for awhile. Now ten years later they were back and only a two hour drive away from her. The boy that had left Los Angeles had been quiet, small for his age and clearly lost in his skin after the sudden loss of his mother. The boy that she had met two years later was drastically different. He was cocky, loud and boisterous and had a brand new nickname to go with the attitude. And at the moment, she wasn't sure who she was looking at, William or the Spike persona he built to protect himself.

She reached over and took his hand in hers. "I talked to Wes this morning. He's worried about you."

Spike gave her another look. "So big brother had to call big sister, huh? You two do this often?"

"Can the attitude, Will. You know it's only because we both care," Tara snapped. "We both love you, although sometimes I wonder why." She sighed once the kicked puppy look appeared on his face. She squeezed his hand. "I really don't know what it is about you that makes people love you."

"That's been something I've been trying to figure out since he could talk," Giles chimed in the conversation. Spike looked over his shoulder at his father. The elder Giles didn't bother to look back at the pair sitting on his bed. Instead he kept his attention on the computer before him. "Your mother put it down to your eyes."

"Yeah, I'd have to say it's the eyes. But really, Will, are you okay? And no snarky answer. Just the truth. Are you alright?"

Giles turned around now, clearly interested in the turn this conversation had taken. He knew that his son was trying to put on a brave front, but the lack of sleep and ever increasing feeling of doom was wearing him down. It had been less than a week since he had been in that house and he was already starting to show signs of cracking. He was happy that Tara was here. If anyone could get through to his son, it was Tara.

"I'm scared," he finally answered. "What do they want from me? That house keeps calling to me and it's getting harder to avoid going back. But what if I go back there and I can't get back out?"

"Do you really think I would let that happen?" Giles asked him. Spike mustered a wan smile.

"No, I know you'd burn that place to the ground to get me back, dad. But I just don't understand why they want me in the first place. I know I'm hard to resist but this is a bit much, don't you think?"

His father nodded, glad to see the valiant effort at levity. It was more than Spike had offered up in the last couple of days. Tara was already having a positive effect. Now he just had to convince his in-laws to let him keep his niece there until all this was over. How hard could it be? Just call them up and ask permission for Tara to skip a few weeks of college so that she could support Spike who was being haunted by a house. Yeah, that was going to be a productive phone call.

Shaking off that train of thought, at least for now, he turned his attention back to the two teens in front of him. "I've been researching any possible connection between you and the Crawford's and everything is coming up blank. As interesting as their family history may be, there is nothing that connects you to them."

"Maybe I'm a great grand child or something."

"Impossible."

"How do you know? Mom was adopted. You never know if one of them could have been related to her or not."

"No, I mean its impossible because of the four children, none of them lived long enough to have children."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah, well that would do it, I guess."

"But I've only been looking for a few days. Sometimes these things can take weeks, even months," Giles paused, seeing the dimming light in his child. "But we will find something, Will. I promise you."

"I know," Spike lay back down on the bed, his eyes closing his eyes. Suddenly they snapped open again and Tara looked at him with a question in her eyes. He grinned sheepishly. "Really don't want to fall asleep right now." He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Dad, I know I have school and all tomorrow, but can I take a walk over to Xander's?"

"Sure, but Tara, you go with him. I need someone there to make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid along with Xander."

"On behalf of myself and the whelp, I'm offended. But only a little given that the last time we went unsupervised a house started haunting me."

"And on that note, promise you won't go anywhere near the Crawford house tonight."

"Father, I'm appalled that you don't trust me."

Giles peered over the top of his glasses. "William, you forget that I know you. Now promise me."

"I swear Xander, Tara, and I will not go anywhere near Crawford Manor alone tonight," he held up a hand in solemn promise. Giles narrowed his eyes but nodded allowing the two to leave for the evening.

Half an hour later found Tara staring at her cousin in disbelief. The place was making her skin crawl just standing near it and she couldn't begin to imagine actually going inside. No wonder Spike's dreams were being haunted by this place. She knew she wouldn't be able to shake the imposing image from her dreams tonight. Which is why she was absolutely dumbfounded as to why they were standing outside the house in the first place.

"Will! You promised Uncle Giles we wouldn't go anywhere near this place."

"I said we wouldn't go here alone," Spike amended. "And we're not. I called Red."

"Oh, I don't believe this," Tara muttered. "And she is actually contributing to this madness? Oh, you're one of a kind, Will."

"Ta, pet," he pecked her on the cheek quickly before rising from his crouched position to greet the very grumpy redhead currently approaching them. He flashed a brilliant smile that usually never failed to bring a smile to her face. Usually, but tonight was far from usual circumstances. For one thing she was being asked to meet up with her best friends and girlfriend outside a haunted house that for some reason or another was haunting them. No, tonight was definitely not usual. This is why Spike wasn't surprised to see the dark glare she was giving him once she finally came to a stop in front of the pair. "Hello, Red. You're looking lovely as usual."

Willow ignored the attempting at winning her over to his side and instead crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "Spike, have you completely taken leave of whatever brain cells you had left? What are we doing out here? I distinctly remember your father said for you not to go anywhere near this place. But look here we are, right where he said not to be."

Spike feigned a look of innocence. "I thought you would be happy to be spending some quality time with your girlfriend."

Willow glanced down as if noticing Tara for the first time. She smiled tensely. "Please tell me you had nothing to do with this."

"I'm as shocked and appalled as you," Tara grinned. "Although given what I know about my darling cousin, I really shouldn't be." She rose as well. "Let me guess, Wesley didn't warrant a phone call, huh?"

"You really expect me to take Percy in there? He'd probably be jumping all over the place either scared out of his mind or trying to study it. Fred would ramble on in that adorable geek speak of hers. And I really couldn't deal with either of that tonight."

"Not to mention both of them would have called your dad."

"I really hate you, you know that?" Spike smiled sweetly at his cousin. "So where the hell is the whelp? He should have been here by now."

They heard a rustling behind them and a moment later, a yawning Xander appeared. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. "He's right here," Xander said around another yawn. "I bought some reinforcements."

"Really now?"

"Yes, really," Angel appeared behind Xander. He pinned the younger blonde with a look. "What were you thinking coming out here alone?"

"But I'm not really alone if you think about it."

Angel rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. I'm starting to realize why I never liked you." The smile playing across his lips relieved any tension the statement might have caused. "You think way too much like me."

"Coming from you, Peaches. I'll take it as a compliment."

Angel nodded hesitantly and then glanced over his shoulder. When he turned back around he saw the four friends staring at him. "He's got that look," Xander said.

"Yup, that look like he's about to say something that's going to make me want to hurt him," Spike added. "Angelus, don't tell me you did what I think you did."

Angel chuckled nervously and shifted from one foot to the other. "And exactly what is it that you think I did?"

"Don't tell me that you brought your merry band of idiots with you."

The football player remained silent. He lowered his eyes to ground when he heard footsteps behind them. Pretty soon he heard Spike let out a low growl and stomp away. Tara went over to attempt to calm him down while Xander and Willow were left to witness the arrival of the Fang Gang.

"You know, Angel, when I called to tell you what was going on, I didn't think you were going to bring the whole damn neighborhood with you!" Xander snapped. He rolled his eyes as he took in the newcomers. With the exception of Buffy and Angel, they were all wearing black clothing complete with camouflage gear. Drusilla was wearing her typical garb of a long form fitting black dress and appeared to be carrying a doll with no eyes. This was their team. They were doomed.

Angel sighed. "They were going to tell my parents. And I couldn't let that happen. If they even thought I was doing something around this house they'd ground me for life. So I had to let them come."

Xander sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. Finally he turned around to where Spike and Tara were standing. "Spike, we still going in or what?"

"Wait, going in? As in inside the house?" Willow squeaked. "Okay now I know you've lost it! You really want to go in there?"

Spike rolled his eyes as Tara pushed him towards the larger group. "We're not going to find anything standing out here. I doubt the house is really going to start spitting stuff at us through the windows." He paused for a moment and noticed that he wasn't the only one who glanced at the house briefly. Satisfied that at least for the moment the house wasn't going to be throwing anything at them, he focused his attention on convincing Willow. "The house is only awake when I'm in there. So I have to go back in."

"Spike, the last time you were in there, something scared you so bad that you jumped out a window to get away!"

"Yes, but last time I was alone," he grinned. "This time I'm not. I've got you guys."

"And the canon fodder," Xander added, nodding his head towards Riley and Darla. "Everyone knows that the skank and the dumb jerk jocks die first."

"I'll show you who's a jock!" Riley started towards him, but Angel put a hand quickly separating the pair.

"Knock it off! We're on the same side tonight, alright?" he snapped to his friend. "We all want to know what's going on in that house and this is a really good way to figure it out. So just chill, alright?"

Riley rolled his eyes but did as he was told. It was then that he noticed Tara. He cocked his head to the side. "Who's the new chick?" he asked, before noticing Willow and Tara's joined hands. A look that could only be described as a leer entered his eye and both found themselves shuddering.

Tara sighed. "We're so going to die."

"Riley, Darla, Cordy, just back off alright?"

"What?" Cordelia snapped. "I didn't even say anything!"

"But you were going to," Buffy replied, speaking for the first time that evening. The tallest of the pair gave her a look which the blonde returned with equal intensity. Finally, Cordelia shrugged and looked away. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Angel gave her a grateful smile. "Look for tonight, we're all on the same side, so there will be no insulting Spike or his friends. Got it?"

"Even Xander?"

"Especially Xander," Spike retorted coldly. Cordelia glanced in his direction and sighed once again.

"God, this is like a twisted episode of Scooby Doo. What's next, Freddy? You gonna tell us to split up and search the place?"

Despite himself, Angel couldn't help but smile. It didn't hurt that Cordelia smiled just a bit herself. He covered up the moment with a curt nod. "I think it's better if we all split. It'll be more productive. Buff, you and Cordy should go with Spike's group. The rest of us will cover the other side of the house."

"You want us to go in there with the one that makes the place act all whacked out in the first place?" Cordelia blinked in disbelief. "We really are canon fodder!"

Xander grinned in her direction. "Told you so."

Spike rolled his eyes. He was starting to think it would have been better to return to the house alone if this is what he was going to have to deal with. Without being conscious of it, his eyes drifted towards a certain blonde and her boyfriend. They were whispering quietly to one another. At one point, Angel glanced briefly at Spike and then smiled down at Buffy. The conversation seemed to end after that. He gave Buffy's hand a tender squeeze and the pair joined the group at the foot of the porch stairs.

"Be careful," Angel said to Spike, pointedly ignoring the almost glowering look the younger teen was giving him.

"Yeah, yeah. Easy for you to say, you're not the one the bloody house is after." He frowned as they broke into their groups with the Fang Gang in the lead. Drusilla was the first to reach the top of the stairs and she placed her hands on the wooden doors silently. Suddenly she gasped and turned around with wide eyes to Spike.

"You shouldn't be here," she shook her head. Her breathing was coming in rapid gasps now. "They want you back. They want you very badly. Leave."

Despite himself, Spike mustered a smile and approached the girl. "Yeah, well they ain't getting me without a fight, pet. So don't you go worrying your pretty little head about me." He gave her shoulders a gentle shake and was rewarded with a hesitant smile from the frail girl. He failed to see the scowl that darkened Buffy's face while watching the exchange. Finally, Spike turned to the others. "Alright, let's just do this."

"Famous last words, Custer," Tara muttered as she followed her cousin into the house and what she was sure to be certain doom. The things she did for this boy.

Hope you all liked. Happy Fourth of July to all those that celebrate the holiday.