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: I apologize for the lateness in this chapter. I could get into all of the details as to what's been going on but I'm not trying to depress anyone. Suffice to say that there has been a lot of tragedy and drama going on in my life as of late and it's really killed my inspiration to write. I'm slowly getting myself out of the depressive funk that I've been in and I'm writing. However, it's a slow process. Here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, it's a little uneven in some parts and for that I apologize. Sorry to any Darla or Riley fans as this chapter doesn't portray them in the best of lights… like the story did in the first place. Oh well, hope you enjoy. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed. It means a great deal to me. Thank you.

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A Modern Myth

Cordelia couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief as she found herself outside the doors of Crawford Manor for the second time that evening. She shivered involuntarily as she looked up at the looming building. "One of you two want to explain to me what we're doing here after we spent the better part of our night trying to get out?" her eyes flickered over to the pair standing beside her. "And why Buffy, Angel and Dru get to sit this one out."

"They're getting soft, and Dru pisses me off," Darla replied, tartly. "If you're going to keep whining about this, you can go home. No one is forcing you to be here."

Cordelia opened her mouth about to reply when Riley stepped between the two girls. "Cordy, we're not going to be in there that long. We're just going to go in there and prove once and for all that there is nothing going on in there."

"But what if there is? You were there tonight. You saw the house changing itself to let us out. How can you still think that there is nothing going on in there? And you said it yourself, you saw Faith."

"Right that just proves that Faith has been hiding out here all these years. If we can get in there and reason with her, maybe Angel will just drop all this nonsense and things can get back to normal."

Cordelia ran a hand through her hair. "So basically we're doing this because you're jealous of the fact that Spike is moving in on your territory as best friend?"

Darla huffed. "Are we going to stand here all night while you two bicker or can we just go in and get it over with?"

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Good, then keep the car warm," Darla smirked, tossing her keys at the brunette. "Riley, you in or what?"

"Let's do this." Riley leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on Cordelia's cheek. "We'll be back, babe. Just relax."

"I hate it when you call me babe," Cordelia hissed. Riley merely smiled and backed away from her. He spun on his heels and joined Darla at the door. Cordelia huffed as the two disappeared into the house. This was a stupid idea and she knew it. This was the type of stuff they normally did. They were mean, catty and didn't take no for an answer. So why suddenly was she feeling guilty about it?

"Oh just suck it up, Chase," she muttered to herself. She started pacing to and fro. "It's all just your mind playing tricks on you. Everything is perfectly fine." She continued to pace and mumble to herself reassured by the constant sound. She glanced at her watch periodically. It was entirely too early in the morning for her to be awake, much less standing outside a house that she knew was haunted. The air around her grew chillier and she clutched her light jacket tighter around her body. "You're fine, Cordelia. Everything is alright."

"Help me."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end at the whispered voice. "It's alright, Cordy. You're going to turn around and there's going to be nothing there. Everything is fine. You're fine. Now stop talking to yourself and turn around."

Cordelia turned around slowly, dreading what she would find behind her. She let out a sigh of relief as she found nothing. "Just my imagination playing tricks on me." She turned around to face the house again and found herself face to face with a woman. "Or not." The cheerleader began to backpedal away from the ghostly figure before her. The woman reached out a hand to her.

"Help me."

"Help you? Help me!" Cordelia snapped. She turned around ready to bolt when the woman was in her face again. "You seriously need to stop doing that!"

"Please, you must help me."

"Lady, you're dead. That's a little beyond the scope of my abilities," the cheerleader retorted, moving past her and back towards the car.

"You have questions. I have some answers."

Cordelia's forward march to the car halted. She turned around slowly to see that the woman was still in the same place she had left her. At least she was grasping the concept of personal space. "What do you mean, you have some answers? You know why the house wants Spike? And why it's haunted?"

"The answer to both questions is the same."

The cheerleader sighed. A month ago she would have blown this off, gotten into the car and waited with the radio blasting for Riley and Darla to come back. But that was a month ago. Now for some unknown reason she was actually contemplating assisting the ghost. The next time she saw Spike she was going to slap him. Or better yet, slap Xander. It conveyed the same message and had less chance of pissing off Angel.

"Are you going to help me?"

Cordelia shook her rambling train of thoughts off to stare at the ghost. There was something familiar about her, but she just couldn't place it. Finally after the staring match to end all staring matches, she sighed and nodded her head. "What is it that you need me to do?"

"I need you to show them the truth. Inside the house there is a journal. That journal has all the answers to the questions you seek. The journal says what really happened here and will help free all the souls trapped here."

"And Spike. Will the house let go then?"

The woman's face darkened and her expression became unreadable. It was only through her eyes that Cordelia knew she was sad. "I can only hope so." Cordelia bit her lip looking between the house and the ghost.

"I'll help you," she replied finally. "Where is the journal?"

A wide smile broke out across her companion's face and Cordelia was once again struck by the familiarity of it. "The journal is inside the house in the parlor. She's probably hidden it since she knows that I want it found."

"Who is she?"

Another frown. "My daughter, Elizabeth."

"Whoa, you're Rebecca Crawford?"

"That was once my name, yes," a soft smile appeared on her face. "But I had another name. One that meant a great deal to me. One that I have to protect before this house consumes it. So you must get into the house and get the journal. Take it to Rupert, he will know what do."

"Why me though? Why not Darla or Riley? They just went in there. And how do you know about Mr. Giles?"

"I know a lot of things. But most importantly, I know that your two friends are selfish and arrogant. They seek the truth to fit their needs. Crawford Manor does not take trespassers lightly. I will try and block you and your friends for as long as possible, but you must hurry. There is only so long that even I can hide you from her."

Cordelia nodded. She started to walk away when another question came to mind. She turned around and saw that Rebecca was gone. The cheerleader shook her head. "I'm going to slap both Xander and Spike. Buffy be damned."

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Giles stood in the doorway of his son's room watching his offspring stare up at the ceiling. True, it was not the most enjoyable activity he had ever engaged in, but neither was yelling at him or punishing him. Both of which he was sorely tempted to do. And he would have been in the right too. Spike had lied to him. He went back in that house after he specifically told him not to. And he had promised. Well of course he found a loophole in that promise but the fact was he told him to do something and as usual Spike did the opposite. So he was angry. Very angry. And scared out of his mind.

"Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to ground me?" Spike's voice dragged him out of his thoughts. The boy was still lying on his back with his eyes focused on the ceiling.

"Sometimes I don't know whether I want to hug you or hit you," Giles replied honestly. "Right now is one of those times. I want to hit you for being stupid enough to go back into that house. And I want to hug you and never let you go."

Spike's eyes flickered briefly to his father before looking up at the ceiling. "Are you sure there were no other children in the Crawford family tree?"

Giles arched an eyebrow entering the room. "There were only four. None of them ever had any children as they all died young, with the exception being Elizabeth."

Spike shivered but said nothing for another moment. "When did their mother die?"

"I don't see what this has to do with anything."

"Please, just answer the question."

"1926."

Spike nodded and kept staring at his ceiling. "Does it say how?"

"It actually doesn't. Rebecca Crawford is the only member of the family aside from Elizabeth that lacks information regarding her death."

"Did you ever notice how Rebecca Crawford has the same name as mom? Have you found any pictures of her?"

"No," Giles replied, frowning. "Spike…Will, what is going on with you?"

His son sat up slowly and finally met his father's eyes for more than a brief second. "Nothing. Just thinking things through."

Giles closed the remaining distance between him and his child and sat beside him. "You're telling me the truth, right?"

"As much as I can, yes. There are some things that I just don't understand myself," Spike sighed. "I'm sorry I went back there. I didn't do it just to piss you off. I just needed to…"

"To what?"

"Make it stop. Make this feeling go away. I feel like I'm going crazy. I don't know who I am anymore and I just wanted to make that go away."

Giles put a hand on his shoulder. "And did it?"

"Yes," Spike whispered, as if he were ashamed. "It did. I felt like I was home. And that's wrong because this is home. You are home. Not the house of the dead. But I felt at peace there. I'm sorry."

"Oh, William," Giles pulled his son closer. "You can hardly blame yourself for any of this. Something is going on and it's not necessarily something either of us can control. But I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this. You're not going anywhere. I promise."

His son nodded tiredly and sighed. "You know if we keep having these mushy moments we're going to have to officially hand over our manhood."

"Nice," his father shook his head. "Now get some sleep. It would be nice if you went to school at least once this week not looking like the living dead."

"But I heard pale was in this season. All the emo kids are doing it."

"For the sake of holding at least a smidgen of respect for you, I'll just pretend you didn't say that."

"Gee, thanks." Giles smiled and started walking towards the door. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

Giles smiled and turned around to face his son. "I know. I love you, too. Oh and by the way, you're grounded."

"I love you a little less right now."

"I thought you would." He backed out of the room after one last dirty look was thrown his way. As he headed to his office he caught Wesley hiding behind a couch while Tara flung pillows at him. "Do I even need to ask?"

Tara turned around and huffed. "Nothing to see here. Just go on about your merry way, Uncle G."

"I told you not to call me that," he warned, only half seriously. "So why are you trying to kill Wesley, this time?"

"Because he broke rule number three."

"Which is?"

"Never get parents involved unless jail time is being seriously considered," Tara replied crossing her arms over chest. Giles blinked in disbelief. He had a pretty good idea as to who had come up with that particular little rule. He shook his head and left Tara and Wesley to solve their own problems. He was definitely getting too old for this.

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"Alright, if you were a journal hidden in an old, creepy, haunted house, where would you be?"

Cordelia paused to consider her own question. "My life is not like others. I'm going to slap Spike, Xander and Angel." Satisfied with this plan, she continued to venture further into the house. She clutched the flashlight she held tightly. The good news was that it was that the sun was rising, so it wasn't quite as dark as it was earlier that morning. The bad news it that the sun was coming up which mean that she had to be at school soon and she had no journal and no clue where either Riley or Darla were.

"Okay, can you give me a hint at least? I don't know. Send a little scary wind my way or something? I can't play 'Raiders of the lost house' much longer. I have a test in third period!" she huffed, waiting impatiently for a sign she knew would never come. "Great, just freaking great."

"Looking for something?"

Cordelia froze at the sound of the voice. "Rebecca?"

"Guess again."

"Darla?" she ventured weakly.

"You wish."

Cordelia took a deep breath and turned around to face the newcomer. "Actually, no I don't. You of all people should know that, Faith."

"So do you remember me," she said in a mocking tone. "I'm touched."

"You're dead."

Faith sighed. "I've already been through this enough tonight. I'm not dead. I'm standing here talking to you, aren't I?"

"Yeah well I just had a conversation with the matriarchal Casper outside, so I really can't be expected to keep straight who the living impaired might be."

"Still the same old Queen C, huh? Which makes me wonder what you're doing here? It can't be because of your feelings of friendship with William or any of the others. And I seriously doubt that you would do it just because Buffy told you to. No, I think there is something more."

"Doesn't matter what you think," Cordelia snapped. "Now go away, disappear or flicker, whatever it is you do. I have worked to do and you and your little ghostly buddies aren't going to stop me."

Faith's grin grew wider. "What makes you think we want to stop you?"

"Huh?"

"There is no harm in Spike finding the journal. He's already had a taste of the peace he can only get from here. It's not going to get better for him ignoring the pull he feels. It's only going to get worse until he goes mad. Now I don't know about you, but I really don't want that to happen. Neither does the family. But we also know he won't come back until he knows the truth. So here."

Cordelia took a step back as Faith pulled something seemingly out of thin air and handed it to her. Her eyes widened as she took in the leather clad tome in her former friend's hand. "Is that…."

"The journal of one Elizabeth Crawford. And let me tell you, C, its one hell of a read."

Cordelia took the book hesitantly, flinching as her hand brushed against Faith's cold hands. The jolt was so strong that she dropped the book. She bent over to pick it up and found that some pictures had fallen out. Curiosity peaked, she picked the pictures up and sorted through them. The top picture was of a younger looking Rebecca Crawford and her husband, Michael Crawford. Then there were a few pictures of the parents with their four children. But the one that caught her attention was one of a very pregnant Rebecca surrounded by her four children. Then another of a baby with the four children standing around. She turned it over and read the back.

"William 1926… what…. She had another child?" she looked up to find Faith was gone. "Now she takes my advice." Cordelia swept the pictures back into the journal and shoved the book into her bag. A quick glance at her watch showed that she had been in the house for close to an hour and had yet to run into anyone with an actual pulse. "Where the hell did those two go anyway?"

"Lost something?"

She turned around with a gasp to see Faith standing next to her. "Can you not do that? Please?"

"Sorry, C," she smirked. "Force of habit. So what's the little girl lost look for? You got what you came in here for, right?"

"Yes and no. yes, I got the stupid journal. But now I'm missing Riley and Darla. You didn't happen to kill…. I mean see them, did you?" Cordelia asked, with a sugary tone that Faith knew to be mocking. It was amazing how easy it was to fall into their old habits.

Faith's face went first from annoyed to sad. "Maybe you should just go, Cordy. There is only so long that those that live here are going to tolerate your presence. You got what you needed, now go."

"Not without Riley and Darla."

"Why do you care about either one of them? I thought you couldn't stand Darla."

It was Cordelia's turn to smirk now. "I can't, but Angel would have a fit if he knew I just left them in here. Not to mention Riley is my boyfriend."

"Since when?"

"Since a little after you… disappeared. Now where are they?"

"I really mean it, Cordelia. You should just forget about them and go. They found their way in here and they can find their way out."

Cordelia stopped walking and turned to face her former friend. "What are you trying to hide from me? They're not already dead are they?"

"Would that make you leave?"

"No, because I would want to see the bodies and you know it. So take me to them, now."

Faith gave her a long suffering sigh and motioned with her hand for the cheerleader to follow. She led her down a hall that Cordelia had already come from. Just as she was about to mention this to her tour guide, Faith beat her to chase. "The house changes at will. When Spike walked through those doors he woke it up. Nothing is ever the same in here." Cordelia nodded. Finally, they stopped in front of a doorway. "C, are you sure you don't want to just leave?"

"Thanks for you help with the journal," Cordelia said, already walking away. "I'll tell Angel."

Faith nodded her head once and returned to the shadows. Cordelia stood in the hall watching the place where she had disappeared from with a pang of regret. "It shouldn't be this way," she whispered. Shaking her head clear of the dark thoughts, she remembered Rebecca and Faith's warnings. The house would only tolerate them so long. And she wasn't really in the mood to find out how long that was. So with that in mind she opened the door to the room already addressing the not so missing pair.

"There you guys are, you would not believe what I've been through," she paused as she saw them pull away from one another. "Were you just kissing her?"

"Cordy, it's not what it looks like," Riley said, pushing Darla further away.

Cordelia shook her head in disbelief. "You really are just a wannabe Angel. You feed off his castoffs. First me, now Darla, who's next Buffy? Oh that's right. She wouldn't give you the time of day so that's why you went after me. Don't look so shocked, Riley. I always knew I wasn't your first choice. But for some damn reason you were mine. I cannot believe I wasted so much time with you!"

"Baby, like I said it's not what it looks like."

"Don't lie to her. It's about time she got clued in anyway," Darla smirked. "Your boyfriend has been sleeping with me for the past two months. Although, it's been a little less sleeping and a lot more…."

"Hey, if I wanted details from the skank gallery, I would have asked," Cordelia cut her off. She turned her attention back to Riley. "You're pathetic. You know that? I loved you. I thought that was enough. But apparently I was wrong. I hope you enjoy being with Darla and half of the football team. With any luck, she gives you syphilis!"

"Cordy, baby, wait!"

Cordelia paused in the doorway of the room and turned around to face Riley. He smiled at her and walked closer. "Baby, we can make this work. I'm sorry."

She shook her head before punching him in the stomach. "I told you I hate it when you call me baby. Enjoy your walk back home. See you in fourth period. I'd leave really soon if I were you two. The house might decide to eat you!" With that said she spun on her heels and stormed out the room. As she walked she noticed that the house was changing and it was pointing her towards the exit. She knew without really being sure how that Faith was somehow protecting her. As she walked out of the house, she paused staring at its imposing figure.

"Somehow, Faith, we will set you free. Whether you want it or not." She clutched her bag tighter, got into Darla's car and drove away, never looking back once.

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"I can't believe that little bitch actually left with my car!" Darla spat out, turning away from the window.

"What did you expect she would do if she found out? And for that matter, how the hell did she get in the house anyway?"

"It's your own fault, farm boy. Bringing your girlfriend along while you planned on hooking up with me. Not the smartest of moves."

"She was asking questions. I couldn't leave her," Riley ran a hand through his hair. "Now what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Darla rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. "What else do you think we're going to do? We're going to walk back to town because your precious girlfriend just ditched us. And don't even think that Angel is going to come get us. He'd have a heart attack if he knew we were in here. Fluffy is out because she's probably already consoling poor heartbroken Corny. That is if she isn't too busy macking on Spike."

"Don't call her that," Riley growled. "Her name is Cordelia."

"Oh sure, now you respect her. Get over it. She's dumped you. It's you own fault. You really thought she wouldn't find us in here?"

Riley sighed again. "There was no way she could sneak up on us like that. We would have heard her. There is no way she should have been able to find us."

"Unless the house wanted her to."

"Cute, Darla. We're stranded in this rat hole of house and on top of that my girlfriend just dumped me and somehow this means you should joke around."

Darla glared at him out the corner of her eye. "I didn't say anything, White Bread."

The football player arched an eyebrow. "If you didn't then who did?"

"I did," they both turned to see a young woman enter the room. She had long brown hair that was curled to perfection around her shoulders. She had a very familiar smile on her face as she leaned against the doorframe. Her brown eyes glittering with amusement and merriment from above the sharp planes of her cheeks. "You've both been very naughty," she drawled, leaning against the doorframe. "Very naughty indeed."

"Oh yeah," Darla challenged, climbing to her feet. She put her hands on her hip and smirked. "What's it to you? And how did you get in here anyway?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "How did I get in here? The real question is how you got in here! You don't belong!"

"Oh and you do? What are you some kind of loon that follows people into 'haunted' mansions?"

"Who says this place isn't haunted?" the girl asked teasingly.

Riley scoffed at this. "Ghosts aren't real."

"Oh too right you are about one thing. This house isn't haunted. That would be to imply that the beings that dwell in here are dead," she moved further into the room prompting them both to step back. "You've both very naughty disrupting my plans. My plans for a happy family. And now you get to see that there are worse things than just death. Now you get to see what this house can really do."

While she had been speaking, her eyes were shifting from their teasing brown to an unnatural black coloring. Her wide smile grew even wider until it was as unnatural and ghoulish as her eyes.

"Oh my god," Riley whispered. Darla inched closer to him holding on to his arm for support. "What did we do? Just let us go."

"No one hurts William. Not after everything I've sacrificed to make this happen. Not after the decades I've waited for this moment. I will not have two idiot excuses of humanity ruin my plan."

"We're sorry," Darla pleaded. "Just please let us go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, love. You wanted to find out what happened to Faith. Well, you're about to find out."

Their pleading fell on deaf ears as the woman moved further into the room. Unnoticed just outside the door, Faith winced at the sounds of terrified screaming. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. Finally, after what seemed like hours the tortured screams ended. She opened her eyes to find the woman standing before her.

"Faith."

"Elizabeth," she returned. "Riley and Darla… are they….."

"They are no longer a concern," Elizabeth smiled grimly. "Once William reads the truth about who he is, what he is, the pull he feels will be undeniable. He'll come to us and then the circle will be complete. And then we'll show Sunnydale a hell of a good time."

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So this chapter got a little more into what the deal is with Spike. By now I think you all have theories and it might be glaringly obvious after this chapter. So I hope you all enjoyed. Sorry again for the lateness in getting this chapter up. I can't promise when the next one will be up. I'll be writing as the inspiration comes but don't worry I will be finishing this story. I just ask you guys to stick with it and with me. I promise this story will have a conclusion. Thanks again.