A/N: I own nothing of the Whedonverse nor any fairytales and I am not profiting from this work.

Chapter 9

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"Drusilla did not kill me! This is only temporary!"

"Well, since you are staying in your room, why don't we give him the guest room."

"Shut up, Spike!"

He was tied to the bed. Which wouldn't be such a snag if he were in a different situation, but, he wasn't. He was in the Slayer's guest room under White Hat enforced house arrest because he had tried, Just a little, to bite the postman. But come on! A bloke should know better then to bring a package into the house. There could be death mongering fiends round any corner. Now he was hungry and tied to the bed and had a splintering headache.

"Spike?" There was a knock on the door. It was not a nice knock. "Spike! If you're awake we brought you blood!" Slayer was tauntin' him and it was a cruel and unusual punishment.

"'M not comin' down there." He drew his chapped lips into a tight line.

Buffy looked at her mother who just nodded toward the door. "Spike," the Slayer sounded softer, "I would really like it if you would join us for dinner."

"No." Gah! Did he have to infuriate her at every turn. Buffy tried to calm down.

"Please come down for dinner."

"I'm not drinkin' pig's blood. It's swill and reserved solely for nitwit vampires who couldn't pull off a clean kill if it dusted them."

"You will eat what I eat or you will starve." Buffy growled at the captive through the two inches of wood.

"Then I'll starve thank you very much." Was the simple reply.

Buffy let out a very human growl of anger. "Fine!" She stomped back down the stairs leaving Joyce holding Giles and a very disgruntled vampire tied. To. The. Bed.

"So Buffster? Any reason that the Bleached Wonder is still in the house?" Buffy didn't answer her, now forgiven water under the bridge shouldn't stay mad at him since that would make things awkward, Xander-shaped friend. He still kept talking. "I just think if he isn't capable of performing his nightly duties that we should put him out of his misery."

"No, I can't do that." Buffy took a discreet sip from her travel mug.

"Why," Xander's face was all scrunched, "Because he's neutered?"

"No, because he's family." Anya hadn't looked up from cutting her food and was thinking about the first time she had eaten lasagna. Her train of thought was thrown off course when her orgasm buddy exploded. And not in the fun way.

"Family?!" Xander looked at Buffy in shock. "What does she mean 'family'?"

"I mean Alexander Lavelle Harris," Xander stared at Anya for using his full name like she was his mom, "That she is now a direct descendant of the Aurelius Line."

"That's because Drusilla turned her, right?" Willow was leaned forward a little.

"Yes, according to the siring bonds between Drusilla and the two vampires they cannot allow physical harm to occur to one another. This is basic vampire genealogy. Why don't you know it?" Anya looked at Giles for clarification.

"I did not think it important at the time. It is however a temporary state of mind as the fledglings grow into more self-reliant creatures they will only sense the familial bond and not the protective one."

"All I know is that my demon is telling me not to let him get hurt." Buffy's shoulders lowered a little. Her mom caught on pretty quick.

"Is there something wrong Buffy?" Her daughter smiled softly at her. It wasn't like there was anything completely right.

"My demon doesn't like that he isn't eating." Anya's brow quirked unnoticed by the others.

"We'll get him to eat, honey."

Spike listened from his prison and wondered exactly what to do next. Drusilla was out there turning Slayers. Why? What purpose would it hold? Was it something she had to do? Then epiphany struck, the bitch. He banged his head angrily against the pillow. God he was an idiot. It was a price. She had manipulated probability. Classic. Small price for a small tweak to the universe. Slayer's collateral damage. Drusilla's deal paid off through being the means to an end. To what end for the Slayer? It didn't matter. All that mattered was one thought. There's no cure for me.