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Title: Keeping Up With the Scoobies – The Long Way Home

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Joss Whedon. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/f, f/f, hurt/comfort, survivor's guilt, fluff, found family

Main Pairing: Spike/Buffy

Side Pairings: Tara/Willow, Xander/Renee, Robin/Faith, Connor/Dawn, Dowling/Dylan, Angel/Cordelia, Wesley/Fred, Gunn/Anne, Oz/Bay, Buffy/Satsu (briefly), Willow/Kennedy (briefly)

Buffy Characters: William 'Spike' Pratt, Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers, Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Alexander 'Xander' Harris, Andrew Wells, Tara Maclay, Renee, Faith Lehane, Robin Wood, Robert Dowling, Dylan Turner, Satsu, Kennedy, Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne, Bayarmaa 'Bay'

Angel Characters: Angel, Cordelia Chase, Connor Angel, Harmony Kendall, Winifred 'Fred' Burkle, Wesley Wyndam Pryce, Charles Gunn, Lorne, Anne Steele

Summary: Buffy shared her powers with all potential Slayers. But that was only the beginning. Now, she has to deal with all the new Slayers, with the aftermath of LA going to hell – and coming back. The world knows about the supernatural, there's no going back.

Keeping Up With the Scoobies

The Long Way Home

15. Peace and Harmony

"I don't know what to wear," Buffy groaned, throwing another outfit on the bed.

"Love, I'm sitting here," Spike removed the dress from his head.

"Oh. Sorry. I just. Urgh," Buffy turned around to face Spike. "The last time I met a mayor, it was to kill him. What does one wear to meet a mayor they don't intend to kill?"

Despite trying not to, Spike had to laugh at that, earning himself a glare from Buffy. "I'm sorry, that's just one hell of a question, Slayer. Okay, let me see... You... Wait a moment."

After glancing at the last remains inside the closet, he just walked out. Great. Buffy groaned and threw herself onto the bed. She needed more professional looking clothes. All she owned were cute clothes and clothes that were practical for slayage.

Spike returned and threw something at her. "Here, try that on."

Sitting up, Buffy looked at the sensible but nice lavender blouse and the white pencil-skirt. Huh. When she put it on, it actually fit pretty perfectly. And she looked really... serious and grown-up.

"Teresa works part-time as a lawyer, didn't want to quit just because of the Slayer call since it's her passion, and you guys wear about the same size," offered Spike at Buffy's surprised look. "She got a whole closet of looking professional."

Right. A whole house filled with women. More closets to raid. Squeaking, she jumped Spike with a hug and a kiss. This was perfect, now she looked all respectable and appropriate for this. Still, she couldn't believe that she had an appointment with the mayor tonight.

Willow stuck her head into the room. "Buff? Are you ready to leave?"

"Right. Yes," Buffy grabbed Spike's hands and pulled him down into another kiss. "Be good. Don't let Andrew get into the candy cabinet after eight, you know he can't sleep when he's on a sugar high, and could you maybe check in on Aiko? I'm a little worried..."

"I'll watch the kids," Spike grinned. "You, go be a breadwinner."

Buffy spotted a little grin at that. "Heh. I'm rocking this whole thing, aren't I?"

Which was true. But also thanks to the newly negotiated deal with the government. Being paid for their service as a Slayer. She would not feel comfortable working under the government, as their private little force to be send out by them. As an independent contractor though? Providing security and safety for the public, earning money with that. Also, having real working hours.

It was always only Buffy, 24/. Not anymore. Squads all over the world, protecting corners of it that Buffy had never been to – had never even heard of in some cases. Taking the local load off of Buffy's shoulders. There were ten Slayers living in this house, working in regulated shifts and each having two days a week off – Buffy Summers had weekends! Well, not on the actual weekend, her days off right now were Tuesday and Friday but oh well, still. Two days that Buffy did not have to think about her duties at all, unless the world was literally ending. Even vacation time! Buffy would be able to take an actual, real vacation, go somewhere not to find a rare artifact to save the world or battle a demon, but just to... sight-see? Not that she'd taken a vacation just yet, but the thought of it!

"And you're sure about that?" Buffy jerked her head a little.

Willow was holding a box, a very important box. Their meeting with the mayor was not just with the mayor, it was also with Harmony. They'd talked about it excessively, contemplated if this was a good decision or not. After all, unlike Angel and Spike, Harmony didn't have a soul. But then everything she had done in recent months? Years, actually. The way she had turned her life around even without a soul, the good she was doing right now. She deserved it.

"She's never actually taken a life before," whispered Willow. "And what she's doing right now is going to revolutionize the relationship between vampires and humans."

Buffy hummed her agreement as they got into the car, nudging Willow when they both sat down. "A—And how's work going, miss business lady?"

A light flush dusted Willow's cheeks at that. She'd gotten a business degree back in college, working toward this very goal. It had been put on hold by the last apocalypse, but ever since Sunnydale had disappeared from the map and they'd gotten their lives back on track, it was back on.

The Calendar Project, was what Willow had decided to call it. Carrying on Jenny's legacy; online witchcraft. Willow had spent months training local witches in it and they were now accepting cases all over the world, working their magic not just locally but reaching them everywhere thanks to the internet. A service that the Slayer squads all over the world used too, particularly the ones that didn't have a local witch or a good relationship to the city's local coven.

"I'm not entirely comfortable being the boss, but I do love the work."

"Of course you do," Buffy grinned. "It unites your two specialties. Magic and computers."

There was a beat of silence where both Buffy and Willow just looked out their respective windows, watching the scenery pass them. Though Buffy had been living here for a while now, she still loved taking it all in. San Francisco was beautiful, Buffy loved living here so far.

"You and Spike have been... co-parenting," there was a teasing note to Willow's words.

"I mean, you and Xander have been parenting them as much as us! It's just our responsibility as the mostly oldest around and the senior Slayer and-" Buffy flushed, stumbling over her own words.

"Relax, Buffy," Willow laughed softly, holding up a hand. "I'm just teasing you. Though... I just, things are different now, Buffy. Not just in general, also very specifically for you. You got a future now, not just... the next fight, following the next fight, and so on. There are others. You could... You could actually retire at one point. You have the chance at a normal life..."

"What? You picturing me and Spike with a white picket-fence and two and a half kids?"

"Why not?"

Such a simple question, just two words. Why not. And it gave Buffy pause. Willow was right, theoretically speaking. She'd just thought about how she now had days off and the potential for vacations. At the end of the line, she could retire and leave the next and second next generation. She wouldn't have to work herself into the grave. Maybe, just maybe, she could one day retire. But children? Was that... No. Right? Frowning, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You are currently raising about half a dozen Slayers. The other ones, yes, they're old enough to not need it, but some of them are basically still kids. You took care of the Potentials before the big fight. And Spike, he's... he's been great with Dawn for so long now," Willow offered a tentative smile. "I just, I love you, Buffy. I want you to know that you have more options in life now."

/break\

When Willow and Buffy reached city hall, the mayor was in the middle of a conversation with potentially the most stunning woman Buffy had ever seen in her entire life. Her skin seemed nearly translucent, glowing in the dark of the evening, her hair like ink, so dark it appeared to blend into the dark of the night. Buffy couldn't help but follow the line of her spine, the...

"Ah, Miss Summers, Miss Rosenberg," the mayor spoke up, interrupting Buffy's thoughts.

Buffy's thoughts that had been running into entirely inappropriate and surprising directions. Flushing brightly, she tried to turn her focus away from the stunning stranger and to the mayor instead. Straightening her back, Buffy tried to look her most professional self.

"Madam Mayor," Buffy smiled and offered her hand. "Thank you for having us."

"Please, call me Margaret, I would love for us to have a close relationship."

Buffy's eyes drifted back to the other woman. This time, Mayor Peace caught her staring.

"Ah, pardon me. This is Miss Vesper, she's a local business woman. Miss Vesper, those are..."

"The head Slayer and the head witch. I'm aware. Your reputation proceeds you both."

Miss Vesper smiled the most charming smile and Buffy's blood ran hotter. The woman's eyes and attention on her like that. Eyes nearly blood-red. Definitely not... Her eyes drifted... down. Mh. Not a better place to look.

"My eyes are up here, Miss Summers."

Hng. Had Buffy just made an embarrassing noise? Yes. Yes she had. Damn it.

"Well, it was... a pleasure... to meet you, both. And I'm very sure we will see more of each other. But I have important appointments and I assume you have one of your own."

Right. Right, Buffy was not here to stare at pretty women. She was here to meet the mayor. The farther Miss Vesper walked away from them, the clearer Buffy's mind felt. Finally, she could let herself be led to the office of Mayor Peace, where Harmony was already waiting in front of.

"A—ah, gi—irls!" Harmony squeaked and jumped Buffy to hug her.

The mayor seemed oddly pleased by that. Oh well. Buffy offered an indulgent smile.

"It's good to see you. How have you been, Harm?" Willow asked as she got hugged too.

"In New York, it's as glamorous as I ever pictured! But then they did splooch on letting me stay in a really fancy hotel so yeah," Harmony giggled. "So Peggy, I got you a fabulous gift!"

Mayor Margaret Peace looked half-amused by that but she accepted the... sparkly statue of liberty riding a unicorn. That was somehow incredibly on brand. Buffy suppressed a wince as she got handed one of her own. It was kind of sweet that Harmony had been thinking of them, right?

"Thank you, that's... very unique," Willow turned hers over curiously. "So, what else did you bring us? I know this meeting is about an idea of yours."

"Ye—es!" Harmony looked so eager. "Okay, so, I saw this thing in New York that really gave me the most amazing idea. And I figured, where better to propose it than where the big head Slayer lives, right, boss lady? Since we've been supporting each other and all."

And beyond that, she seemed to have also grown close to the mayor. Which wasn't stupid. Buffy knew that Harmony had been shifting more and more to San Francisco lately as her base of operation, most likely due to the presence of Buffy and Willow, who had both been seen on TV before in support of Harmony. It was easier to push for change when one had someone backing them up. And it suited Buffy just fine too; she wanted to represent change. The world was changing and Buffy knew that as the Slayer, even among all these other new Slayers, she was a figure of importance, someone others looked toward to set the course. Buffy had spent a lot of time thinking about what she wanted to stand for, what she could change. And she knew, she knew the danger all these Slayers could pose – the potential of oppression.

The world liked to think in black and white. Good and bad. Slayer good, demons bad. But... all of her career, Buffy had worked with those she was supposed to fight, people considered monsters, considered those the Slayer was supposed to slay. Angel, Oz, Anya, Clem, Spike, now Harmony and to an extend also Lorne. Not every creature of the night was evil and it was important for her, as someone in a position of power, to set an example.

"So the high-society of vampires actually has feeding contracts in New York," Harmony interlaced her fingers. "Consensual feeding on humans who are paid for their time and blood. We've been doing contracts with butchers, who would throw all the nice, perfectly fine blood away anyway and who now have a whole new variety of customers and additional income. But... not every vampire likes feeding on animal blood. It is... a different taste. Think about, uh, being forced into being a vegetarian when that's so not the diet you're used to. Kinda sucks, you know?"

Oka—ay, Buffy had never really looked at it that way. Still, she turned toward Willow.

"But... wouldn't people feel... coerced? If it's for money," Willow frowned worried.

"I mean, people get paid for giving money to hospitals," argued Harmony. "Like, that's okay. And if they have proper contracts and everything is consensual? For many people that could be a great new source of income, right? It'd just... need to be sanctioned and monitored, of course."

While not wanting to insult Harmony, Buffy did feel as though Lorne had given some input there, on how much thought got put in there. This, however, also explained why the mayor and the head Slayer had been requested to be here. The first thing Buffy had to think of though was that awful feeding den where she had found Riley back in the day.

"If you get proper and clean facilities and can guarantee the safety of people..."

"That would be where you come in," Harmony smiled brightly at Buffy. "Cordy suggested a Slayer as security. To let vampires know they can't step out of line, let humans feel safe."

"Mh, that..." Buffy trailed off for a moment, looking thoughtful. "That doesn't sound... bad. If people want to give their blood, to a non-killing degree, and vampires pay them in a fair manner."

"We could revolutionize the relationship between humans and vampires," the mayor looked interested. "Vampire hype is at an all-time high, now that people know vampires are real. So we do need to provide security. It's... a high risk. But if it succeeds, this could make our city stand out."

"How about a trial run?" Willow suggested curiously. "Smaller scale, with higher security than you suggested, though if it is a success, we could dial it down later?"

"If this is a success it may actually lower the number of rogue vampires and fatalities," Buffy bit her lips. "Sure, there are the evil-evil vampires, but I do suppose... many feed because they refuse to give up human blood. This... could actually be... very good, for everyone."

"Right?" Harmony looked excited. "So, is that a yes then?"

"A reluctant one and we will have to talk more about details, such as facilities and staff. You would need medical personal too, of course," Margaret nodded. "But yes, I'm inclined to greenlight this, if all health, safety and medical requirements are met."

And so was Buffy. Safety of the innocent first, but she couldn't deny the fact that there were people out there who wanted to be fed on and people who wouldn't mind, if the pay was right. What they needed to do was provide the right environment for it.

With all said and done for now, they bid their goodbyes and left. Only outside of city hall did Willow pause Harmony. Especially after this meeting, both Willow and Buffy felt more determined. Smiling, Harmony offered a small box to Harmony.

"Oh my gosh that is actually gorgeous," Harmony gasped as she put the silver ring on. "Pretty! Aw, you didn't have to get me anything, that is so sweet!"

"That is... not just a ring," explained Willow. "I've been working on a spell to recreat-" Willow paused. "Never mind that, the ring protects you from sunlight, as long as you wear it, you can walk in the sunlight just like this new breed of vampires. Especially with what an important spokesperson you have become for vampires, it seems... important, that you can go to meetings and travel not just at night, we want to give you the opportunity to be more present."

Harmony's face was priceless. And then Willow and Buffy got hugged again, even tighter.

/break\

"You are looking very James Bond, Mister Giles."

Andrew raised both his eyebrows as he looked Giles up and down, making the former librarian squirm a little and straighten his bow-tie. Tara, who had been eating a quick dinner with Andrew, Carina and Mei. Most others were either out on grocery duty, on patrol or asleep after a night-shift.

"Wait, do you have like a date?" Mei gasped. "Do you have a gi—irlfriend?"

Giles glared. The most annoying part of living here was living with teenagers, again. He had really thought he had gotten to move past that, with Buffy. Then again, nobody forced him to live here.

"If you must know, I do have a friend, who happens to be in town and we are... meeting."

"O—Oh, wait, I know this one, I heard about her!" Andrew looked excited. "Olivia, right?"

Giles looked displeased by the fact that Andrew knew this. There were too many people living here and knowing his personal business. All the more reason he was looking forward to meeting Olivia and spending some time with an actual adult again. He still had a hard time considering Buffy, Xander and Willow adults. They would probably always be children for him.

"Have fun," Tara smiled warmly at him. "You could bring her by the house sometime too."

The one person he had thought he would not be teased by. Sighing, Giles left the house.

/break\

"You're in a good mood today," Robert grinned curiously at Spike.

After a long day of lessons with the rookies, Spike was ending his day by joining Robert on patrol. At least until they reached his destination. Robert Dowling was good for hitching a ride. Honestly, the only one of the cops that Spike really liked. The two had been growing closer over weeks. Usually, Spike liked to go to a bar with Robert after work. Heh. Spike still thought it weird that he had work. Working as a teacher, a trainer who taught cops how to fight vampires but also how to respect the supernatural. It was weird to him still, but going on patrol with Robert felt a lot like going on patrol with the Slayer back in the day. Doing good, helping. And yes, Spike was aware that this was only because he got one of the good apples there; Robert genuinely wanted to protect the innocent. He was a good guy, which was why Spike had come to see him as a friend.

"Got a date with my lady tonight," Spike grinned, looking giddy. "In fact, a triple date with her two best friends and their partners. Came a long way with them."

"Yeah?" Dowling huffed. "You do have quite a special lady, I gotta say. Lucky man."

"I am, ain't I?" Spike offered the most dopey grin. "Ah, there it is. Just let me out, okay?"

"Have a good night," Robert patted Spike on the back. "I'll see you Tuesday, yeah?"

Spike waved him off and got into the restaurant, where he found the other two couples and Buffy already waiting. Buffy looked stunning, wearing a soft-green dress that complimented all the right curves, her hair falling over her shoulder in tight curls. Smiling at her like she was her sun, he kissed her quickly before looking at the others. Oh, the girls had all chosen dresses that complimented each other in style, but were in different colors. Tara in blue, Willow in lavender and Renee in red. Each of the ladies looking lovely.

"Even you look dapper, Harris. Did Renee dress you?"

The way Xander glared and didn't argue told Spike that he had nailed it. Grinning smugly, Spike sat down with them. They'd gotten the restaurant recommended to them by Giles – because even the Watcher was apparently getting shagged, who would have thought, right? Shocking.

"It's a beautiful evening," Spike tilted his head back, enjoying the warmth of the slowly setting sun.

Their table was outside and with a perfect view on the sunset. How amazing it was, to have the sun back in his life. He turned his head when Buffy reached for his hand, linking their fingers.

"Huh, look at that," Renee sounded surprised. "They have blood on the menu."

"What?" Xander grunted and leaned over to look into his girlfriend's menu. "Seriously. Huh."

"Many restaurants have been putting a 'sanguine option' on their menus," stated Tara. "Vampires are known and people realized they can capitalize on that. Dishes prepared with blood, blood extra."

Spike hummed to himself as he scanned the menu himself. Well, he'll be damned. There really were different types of blood – pig, cow, lamb. Nice. He was used to just eating human food, for the taste but now he could actually fill up on dinner too. He liked this new harmonic coexistence.


Author's note: Next chapter is going to introduce a new young Slayer crashing into their lives!