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

Chapter 16

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

But I'm the Slayer. I'm not a-Wait, what!?

Angel had a mission

Why doesn't anybody ever listen to me?

As was wont to happen the young Slayer looked to her Watcher.

"Buffy, I have had the time and resources to ponder the effects vampirism has had upon you. The slayer essence is really the essence of a demon. An ancient vampire's demon that was given to you and all of the girls that were chosen before."

"So," Spike grabbed hold of her grasping hand and nodded his encouragement as she worked through her thought. "If I was always part vampire when I was just the Slayer why could I have a reflection, and wear crosses and touch holy water? Walk in the sun? If I'm-"

"Buffy, the point was that you were no less human. You were a warrior of light. You still are. What the essence does is simply add not detract. I fear my education was lacking in that I was told all vampires were inherently evil. It would seem a sense of humanity," He looked significantly from Spike's face to the clasped hands of the two. If vampire's could blush it was clear William the Bloody would have been as red as a beetroot. "Can linger. It would seem the vampire that was used to create the first Slayer offered herself up as a willing participant. In an oddly concise account for such a cryptic topic it stated that the younger vampires, made of human and demon bloods intermingled, were overhunting and the progenitor, as it were, of the Slayer essence had given her existence to live within the girl chosen. It is this vampiress' strength and instincts which each subsequent Slayer has called upon."

"Okay." Buffy sounded small as she processed but her Watcher wasn't done.

"With the ease, even accounting for Spike's aid, with which you have suppressed the vampire population. I am afraid there is only one aspect of my research that can shed even a modicum of light. As it stands you are the strongest of the...living Aurelian line and the only one who isn't hampered by a curse, a chip, or madness. Your slayer demon is amplified through the Aurelian magic. You are effectively the Master of Sunnydale."

That had been a big heaping helping of food for thought, but lucky for Buffy, Sunnydale never stayed quiet long enough to over analyze. Not even for its Master!

Just as she was settling into the calm before the Thanksgiving storm some creepy guys with some awful adult braces and pet mental patients showed up and stole everyone's voices. Only a princess's scream could stop them. Whatever that meant. She and Spike were going to do their slayage as best they could tonight.

Joyce and Dawn were setting up the house for the scoobie meeting to discuss a plan of action against the mysterious Mirage when there was an unnaturally loud knock on the door. Buffy walked over to the door and was sure she was wrong but was proven right as her big lurking left-for-her-own-good this-is-a-freak-show ex stood there on her back porch on Thanksgiving eve. He walked right in like he owned the place when she waved him in.

"Buffy. I went to Giles' but no one was there so I checked the campus and found your dorm but it doesn't seem you've been staying there. So I came here. What is it? Is it S-"

Spike walked in from the basement at that very moment. He looked over at Angel without really paying much attention and leaned inside the fridge. Buffy held up a finger to stall their guest and walked over to the bleached blonde with his head practically in the crisper. She poked him playfully in the back and grimaced when she heard the clunk of his head against one of the shelves. She gently rubbed his head and pointed to the microwave where his blood waited in his usual mug. He smirked at her and swaggered to the appliance. He gave an odd look that Buffy interpreted as 'Is it still warm?' and she made the wobbly hand gesture that meant 'Maybe?'. He plugged in 15 seconds on low power and pulled the mug out finally deigning to acknowledge his Grandsire's presence with a self satisfied smirk.

"So you keep blood for him? Put up blackout curtains in your mother's kitchen and treat him like what? I know he doesn't have a thrall... What are you doing?"

Buffy had started writing down that Spike was going to help take down a big bad and that they had to start moving before anyone else got hurt. It was going to go on for a week if they didn't stop it now. So he could follow or get out of the way. Because, right now, she was the leader.

Angel followed Buffy and Spike trying to figure out what was going on with the Slayer. She was off. But how? They were following the demons into an old building when Spike stepped on a rotten plank and nearly fell in. When Buffy pulled him up they semi embraced for little more than a moment which was just enough time for Angel to go blue in the face and ask 'What the hell was going on?' in a very loud voice. After the sounds of popping and squelching were done and Angel was flinging goop off his eyes and mouth the only thing that could be heard was the, in Buffy's opinion, utterly adorable belly laugh that Spike couldn't seem to stop. Angel stomped down the stairs and all the way back to Revello Drive only to be greeted by a nearly giggling Dawn.