Spiderwebs

By: Willow 25

A/N: This story picks up a few days after the end of Fade Away Again, and it won't make much sense how we got from the end of Not Fade Away to here unless you read FAA before this. Also, if you did read FAA, one of the reasons that story took so long for me to write was the challenge of writing an ensemble case in first person narration. I'm glad I tried it, but I am never torturing myself like that again. This is in third person.

The title comes from the No Doubt song, 'Spiderwebs', although the song is reflected in the plot only in the most tangential way.

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Chapter 1

"So, I think we're in good shape to leave next week, assuming we can relocate the last few Slayers by then." Buffy dropped the hamper of clean laundry on the couch with a sigh, clenching the phone between her head and shoulder. "We've already got the younger girls off to Bath with Giles, and my first two heading to LA leave in the morning. I guess, if worst comes to worst, the rest of them can also head to LA. You'll have the space, I think."

"Yeah, Jezzie said we've got a Watcher and two teen Slayers coming in from Europe this week. Believe she said the rooms are all set up." Spike responded. "I'm not honestly sure how many rooms we're meant to have here once construction is done. We lose hotel rooms converting space for classrooms and offices, but then they're putting five penthouse apartments up on the roof. And probably the students can double up if we need them to."

Spike looked around. He was still in the same room she'd shared with him during her three days in Los Angeles, although it was due to be converted into a classroom eventually. His complete lack of mobility and their inadequate elevators had been one of the few roadblocks to the construction that was rather quickly turning the art deco Hyperion Hotel into the Hyperion School for Girls (according to the State of California private school affidavit Jez and Wes had filed) and the Los Angeles branch of the Council of Watchers and Slayers (according to Giles and his annoying assistant).

Buffy huffed into the phone. "I don't know how Jezebel convinced them to start construction so fast, and I can't begin to imagine how they built an entirely new elevator tower without knocking down half the hotel."

Spike smiled. "Money, my love, can accomplish anything."

"I wouldn't know." Buffy snorted. "I'm off the all-ramen diet these days, but I'm definitely no heiress." Buffy searched her mind for something to ask to continue the conversation. Better to keep him talking. "So, how's everyone dealing with all the people and noise and stuff? Most of them were living alone before the battle, weren't they?" Buffy folded towels, trying to figure out how much time she had before she should be headed back to the dryer for the next load, and if she could fix Dawn some dinner before she went out to teach her evening class.

Spike chuckled, "We're doing, mostly. Wes at least still has an apartment to hide in. And Jezebel has her house, although she's been making noises about selling it and moving here full time once there's an apartment ready. Sometimes Gunn crashes with one of 'em, but mostly Charlie boy's here. Merry's here full time now, after the big blow-up with her boy…Well, she wasn' livin' alone anyway, so not much difference other than noise. Chas… You remember other Charles, Carolyn's watcher?"

"Yeah, I met Chas Ambrose. He showed up the day before I left."

"Right. 'S all starting to feel like a blur at this point. Think it's being always in the same room…Anyway, Chas is just thrilled to have other grownups around; noise is the least of his concerns. He's starting to help Wes and Jez with the construction stuff, really gettin' into his groove now. Think he'll be helpful to you with the Slayer training. An' I'm fine about the construction; noise or quiet makes no never mind to me, and if it's noisy there's people around, which helps with the feeling of being shut up in here. Mostly, I'm still workin' on figuring out how Ms. Jezebel convinced Liam to sell her his precious hotel."

Buffy shook her head. "That's still so weird, Angel changing his name back to Liam. I don't know if I'll ever get used to calling him that."

"Well, you know how he is. Every big life change comes with an identity crisis, which comes with a name change and a new wardrobe." Spike snorted. "Can't imagine what he's gonna do to himself if he ever gets hitched."

Buffy really tried to hold in her laughter, but eventually couldn't stop it and dropped the phone onto the pile of towels as she laughed uproariously. It really should not be that funny, but it so was.

Angel had been awful the whole time she was in LA; trying to get her to pay attention to him like a spoiled kid, interrupting while she was working on next steps with Jezebel and the Council, and taking every opportunity to snipe at Spike. She'd been close to kicking his ass up and down the Hyperion more than once. Fortunately, Jezzie had put herself in charge of giving him a reality check, so Buffy bowed out and just tried to avoid him as much as possible. She thought he'd gotten the hint by the time she left to head back to Rome. She hoped

When she calmed down enough to pick the phone up again, Spike's voice was muffled, like he had his hand over the receiver. "William." She gasped. "I'm back."

There was a murmur and a shifting noise. "Hey, there you are. Thought we got cut off for a mo'."

"Nah, just a case of the hysterical giggles." Buffy tucked the phone against her shoulder and went back to folding. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, Jezebel came in to give me the latest update. The clinic downstairs should be ready by the end of the week with its bright shiny new x-ray machine, and they finished installing the new freight elevator, so I get to be rolled down on a gurney and they'll be able to finally take some X-rays, see how the bones are healing."

"That sounds…Not exactly fun, but…"

"Yeah. It'll be good, though, to know how much longer I have to lay here like a useless lump. I'm about barmy from not doing anything. Only so many video games a bloke can play. If they can at least get me into a wheelchair I can get around, try to help out with something." Spike shifted moodily, glaring at the hip-to-toe casts on both his legs.

"Hey, no one expects you to be up and around yet. I know it's not the most exciting way to spend a few weeks, but try to make the best of it, you know? Get some reading done. Pick out a paint color for our new room."

"I know you're trying to be helpful luv, but please stop." Spike sighed. "I know you mean well, and I appreciate your concern, but I'm antsy and in a foul mood. You being perky isn't helping."

Buffy had spent the better part of two weeks on the phone, trying to keep him entertained while simultaneously packing up her life in Rome and re-distributing all the Slayers in her charge. She was exhausted, and obviously punchy if that giggle fit was any indication. She wouldn't have said she was perky by a long shot, but she got his point.

She was trying to put a bright side on him being bedridden, while they both didn't talk about the elephant in the room that was his future ability to walk. They didn't know anything concrete, so it was hard to make plans, and easy to be wildly optimistic or pessimistic. She tended to swing more one way, Spike the other.

Buffy cleared her throat. "Okay, so at the risk of bringing up an uncomfortable topic; what about the magical solution? Any news on that healing therapy Willow was talking about?"

"No, still don't know a damn thing. Red's flying back in this weekend to check on the injured parties, see if she can do anything for us. I 'spect she's more worried about Liam than myself; his arm's not healing right, even after the surgery to re-attach the tendons."

"Great." Buffy muttered, punching her neat stack of folded towels. "He annoyed me the entire time I was there, now he's going to distract the witch who's supposed to be helping you."

Spike laughed despite himself. "I think she's supposed to be helping everyone who needs help, something about harming none? Penny's big on it."

"Yeah, that figures." Buffy smiled, remembering the strawberry blonde Slayer she'd become friendly with in LA. "I'm kind of bummed she and Tommy won't be there when Dawn and I get to LA. I think she'd love them."

"Actually, they're coming back." Spike said. "They weren't supposed to, last time I talked to Tom he was gonna send a FedEx with documents for me to sign, then he calls yesterday and says they're coming up tomorrow…Er, today, and he'll just bring them. He didn't say how long they're staying, but I gathered it'll be more than a few days."

Buffy sighed and hauled herself to her feet, grabbing the laundry to put away. "Well, since I'm not supposed to be getting my hopes up, and they have a hall booked for their wedding in Arizona, I'm going to assume they'll be gone again before Dawn and I arrive."

There was silence on the line as Buffy juggled laundry around, putting a few things in the linen closet and boxing up the rest, and for a minute she worried he'd fallen asleep or they'd been cut off. Then Spike spoke again. "So, what's the word from Spain?"

Buffy huffed and rolled her eyes. They'd been through the Spain update before. A lot. "No news, still. There's never anything new when I call these days. Whatever the deal is with Dad, they're still passing me off to HR, who won't tell me anything. It's the same song and dance over and over again; come to Madrid and prove your identity, then we can tell you stuff."

Spike took a deep breath. He really didn't want to suggest that Buffy delay her return to California. He missed her like crazy, and it wasn't just because of the boredom and how low he'd been feeling. "You should go to Madrid, then. Pack a bag and go see what's what. It's a beautiful city, you'll love it, and it'll be easy to do a layover on your way home. You'd be passing by on the way anyhow. Something could be wrong with him, he might need you."

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, you do remember that this is the guy who walked out on us; who didn't bother to make it to my high school graduation, or Mom's funeral, and who allowed Dawn and me to nearly lose the house because he couldn't be bothered to send child support for her. I can't tell you how much I don't care if he needs me."

"He is still your pop, though."

"I know. That's the only reason I'm bothering to re-establish contact; because if he is actually worried that the town where we lived is a gigantic hole in California and he has no way to contact us, letting him know we're okay is a nice thing to do. I'd have left it at that, except no one at that God damned office of his will let me fucking talk to him!" Buffy flopped down on her bed.

Spike laughed. "Summers, I'm surprised at you. You kiss your sister with that mouth?"

"Only when she stands still long enough." Buffy smiled as Spike continued to chuckle at her.

Talking on the phone wasn't like talking to him in person, where she could see the looks in his eyes, the tilts of his eyebrow. It was better than nothing, though. Considering how long it had been since they'd seen one another before LA, Buffy wouldn't have expected to miss seeing Spike the way she did. It was like a physical ache, and she'd swear it was getting worse the longer they were apart. This morning during breakfast she'd been blindsided by the memory of touching him; helping him get cleaned up, shaving his head so he wouldn't have to worry about the bleach growing out while he was laid up. She'd almost started crying, and she was pretty sure Dawn noticed. Fortunately her sister was either learning tact or was too preoccupied with school and moving to have a real conversation with Buffy.

Buffy sighed. She should probably have spent her afternoon break writing up the physical training plans to send along with the girls who would be heading to Cleveland to work with Faith and Robin, but she really needed to talk to Spike, or they'd both go nuts. Lesson plans could wait a little longer. Robin would probably understand if her notes were sparse. She'd promised to visit in a month or two anyway, they could fix her plans then if they needed to.

"Hey, luv, I just thoughta something. If they can get me into a chair before you and Bit leave Europe, I can meet you there. I have to go to London anyway at some point to set up my new documentation; I can meet you in Madrid. Don't like the idea of you goin' without me anyway."

Several responses sat on the tip of Buffy's tongue; from 'I don't need you to take care of me', to 'Do you realize how long it might take to get you into a wheelchair?'. What came out of her mouth was, "That sounds nice. Like a family vacation. With all the frustration and hurt feelings that go along with a Summers family vacation. It'll be just like those drives to Disneyland, where Dawn and I fought the whole way and Dad ended up yelling."

"Oh, come on now, he's not all bad, I'm sure. There must be a bit of alright in him; after all, he had a part in making you two."

Buffy smiled. It figured, no matter how depressed he was, Spike could in fact be an optimist, or whatever else she needed him to be. And, bonus points for including Dawn in that, when technically her Dad had no part in Dawn's creation at all. "Yeah, he had a part in the making of me. The part that results in me being a bitch at times, and made me the spoiled, shallow cheerleader I was before I got Called."

"Well, then, sounds like good times all around."