BtVS || Spuffy || BtVS || Spuffy || Keeping Up With the Scoobies || Spuffy || BtVS || Spuffy || BtVS

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

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

21. The Academy for Watchers

Rupert smiled faintly to himself. There was a warm sense of pride filling his chest. This wasn't something he'd ever imagined for himself. As a principal, of a Watcher academy. He'd always known the way the Watcher council was run wasn't right, it was why he'd wanted to become a Watcher – an active Watcher, the Watcher of the chosen Slayer – because he wanted to be able to change something and as much as he loved his books, he knew no change could come from behind those books. Real change came from actions. And he knew that in his time as Buffy's Watcher, he had done much good, he had changed the system, he had brought progress to a system that had been at a still-stand for too many centuries. Yet it still moved too slowly, slower than the Slayers.

With thousands of Slayers world-wide at this point, there needed to be more Watchers, Watchers with the right education. Wesley Wyndam Pryce was, surprisingly enough (first impressions and his short stint as Faith's Watcher considered), doing quite a good job as the head of the council.

But what remained, and what few new Watchers they had recruited – Andrew, Xander, Wesley's lovely partner Winifred, with whom Giles had by now exchanged quite a lot correspondence over this – were just not enough. They needed to teach new blood. Real new Watchers, who got proper education instead of the ad-hock improvisation that Giles had provided to them.

A real, true Watcher Academy, but one that would teach them better values. That would prepare future Watchers to what this new world would mean – a world where demons and humans lived side by side with each other, where demons would not be seen as the automatic threat, a world where there was not just one active Slayer anymore either, where a Watcher would be responsible for many active Slayers. The smile on Giles' lips grew as he looked at the beautiful brownstone.

"And we are so proud to call our beautiful city the home of the new Watcher Academy, where applications from all around the country have already come from."

The mayor's voice tore Giles out of his nostalgic musings and reminded him that this opening was not a private thing. He wasn't standing all alone in front of this new endeavor, the way he had when he'd opened the Magic Shop. No, this time, the world was watching him – quite literally so, as April Andrews stood in front of him and Mayor Peace with a microphone and a camera-man.

"Ah, yes," Giles cleared his throat, having the urge to clean his glasses. "And we are very grateful to be accepted here like this. Anyone who wants to learn more of the quite fascinating history of demonology and the lineage of Slayers and be a part in protecting our world is welcome here."

/break\

"This is crazy right?" Robert tilted his head, looking up the imposing-looking building. "I'm too old for a career-change. I got a good thing going. All this new stuff, learning all these new things, it's insane. I can't do that, right? It'll be too much."

Spike next to him chuckled and rested a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Man, you're talking to the wrong guy here. I changed careers after a solid century of being a bad guy. Actively fighting against Slayers. And now I'm one of the good guys, dating a Slayer and fighting with her. In my experience, it's never too late for a change in careers, Dowling."

"Right," Robert nodded, rubbing his thighs. "Right."

He'd been thinking about that since Miranda's death. Miranda Cheung, she'd been his partner. She'd been one of the first casualties to the uptake of vampires around here, when they stepped out of the shadows. Anger had gripped him, like most he'd been blinded by the wildly known 'fact' that vampires were monsters. And then he'd met Spike. He'd made a friend, in a vampire. He'd met Buffy, the other Slayers, Willow and Tara. He'd learned the nuances there were.

Not for the first time had he noticed the corruption within the precinct. Despite Buffy's best efforts to teach the force that not every vampire was an immediate danger, most cops were still stake-happy. Not for the first time did Robert realize that this wasn't the police force he had dreamed of signing up for. Protect and serve. He'd become a cop because he wanted to protect people, but corruption just ran too deep and being one cog in the system felt like fighting against windmills.

From everything he'd seen and learned from getting to know Andrew, Xander and Spike over the past months, being a Watcher seemed to come so much closer to the job Robert had always dreamed of having. It was still kind of scary, to start from scratch this late on.

"You got this covered," Spike patted him on the back. "If Andrew can become a Watcher, you absolutely got this covered, take a breather and go inside."

Robert Dowling, Watcher. It did have a nice ring to it, didn't it?

/break\

Artemis was laying on the couch upside down, legs over the backrest, head hanging over the edge of the couch. She kept squinting at Spike, who kept trying to ignore her. This was already embarrassing enough as it was and he kind of hoped that nobody else saw him. Meowing betrayed him. He cleared his throat. Nothing intimidating about a vampire covered in baby kittens.

"You... gonna explain 'em, or are they just... a fashion statement?" Artemis asked.

"You are so, so precious, aren't you?" Tara's voice was soft and sweet as she picked up the cream-white cat from Spike's shoulder. "Hello, gorgeous, who might you be?"

"Name still pending, open for suggestions," offered Spike.

"That's, uh, that's a lot of..." Willow behind Tara furrowed her brows. "What..."

And behind Willow came Buffy. While Tara seemed immediately smitten and Willow was confused, Buffy groaned and then huffed out in amusement. No confusion at all.

"Did you win a poker game?" Buffy asked, teasing in her voice.

"No?" Spike looked up at her from behind a fluffy cat-butt. "I was meeting Robert for a beer and noticing a poker-game in the back of the bar and... I kinda... they were so small and I didn't..."

Buffy caught her lower lip between her teeth at that. Her big, bad vampire of a boyfriend had rescued kitties. Wasn't that adorable? Walking up to him, she also picked one of them up, a gray one with black stripes. The kitten blinked at her and rested a paw on her face.

"I'm sure the house is big enough for six more roommates."

"Well, we should get them cat-trees and toys though," Tara turned toward Buffy.

"Right. Yeah. Let's go pet shopping tomorrow," Buffy put the cat down onto the ground.

"Big softie," Artemis turned to grin broadly at Spike.

Spike tried to keep some of his dignity and ignore her. Like he didn't know that.

/break\

Buffy heaved a deep breath. She supported her friends' dreams, she always did, always would. But Giles' Watcher Academy, once again, meant more work for Buffy. Because someone had to teach at this academy, teach the newbie Watchers how to actually be a Watcher. On account of there not really being all that many Watchers; yes, Giles had contacted the active Watchers to schedule lesson-plans and guest lectures and all, but yes, the Scoobies were an obvious choice. They had the first-hand experience and they knew what a Watcher should be.

Still. More work for poor little Buffy. Poor little Buffy who never thought she would be on this side of a classroom. She straightened her skirt and checked her buttons and questioned all her life choices. How did this work. Her thoughts drifted to college, to how it had felt to be a student.

"Buffy," Robert Dowling smiled at her as he walked up to her. "Hey. Spike said I'd be seeing some familiar faces around here. I, uh, hope you're gonna take it easy on me."

"Definitely not," Buffy smiled at him. "That's safer for you, and for whatever Slayers will be under your care one day, you know. Now take your seat, class is about to start."

"Yes, Professor Summers."

Ew, that sounded wrong and off and weird and how had her life turned into this. Taking yet another deep breath, Buffy turned toward the students gathered in front of her, in her new shiny classroom. Getting up, she walked in front of them.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Buffy Summers. I'm the Slayer," Buffy paused. "Not just a Slayer. I was the Slayer before the other Slayers were called. I've had three Watchers over my... time as a Slayer now. I've watched the ritual where the first Watchers created the first Slayer. I know the values that went into the Slayer-Watcher dynamic when it was first formed and I'm here to make sure that the future is a different one. Because you are here to support Slayers."

Buffy turned in her pacing. "Every day, Slayers risk their lives protecting the innocent. Out there, on the front line. Every day, Watchers used to... watch. From the distance. From the safety. Not my Watcher. My Watcher fought, with me, on the front line. Your job is to support the Slayer, when you first meet your Slayer, she'll be nothing more than a confused and maybe even scared girl, who will know nothing about her destiny or what she's about to face. It's your job to reassure her, to teach her, to prepare her. And it's our job to teach you and prepare you."

/break\

A Watcher Academy. In the United States. They used to keep that kind of thing in England. Lily had no high opinion on Watchers, however they were reliably set in their ways. For centuries, they did things the way they did. Keeping their Slayer on a comfortably short leash and out of Lily's business, keeping her concerned with vampires – the vampire Slayer, as she was known as. Lily could go about her business and broaden her realm, gather more wealth and more respect.

Millennia ago, she had started out as nothing more than a little no-name nymph in a tiny pond in Greece, one of countless water-sprites. Nobody cared about them. Bigger monsters, slayed by big heroes, they made the books. Not her, not little Lilaea, daughter of Lord Vesper and a naiad.

She hadn't worked this damn hard to build an empire in the shadows just for the damn Slayer to step out of the shadows and out them all and now have tea-parties with everyone. What had she worked this hard for then?! How did one intimidate low-ranking vermin if said vermin could now crawl to the Slayer for protection. How could the underworld run like this, if demons could seek protection from an entire network of Slayers. This was absolutely ridiculous.

"Do... Do you need anything, mistress? This was the second vase you smashed, mistress."

Lily turned to glare at her minion. "Wine. A lot of it."

/break\

Being a Slayer was really cool, actually. The strength! The sisterhood! The powers! The long lineage of superpowers that she came from! But then she had to learn to control her powers and stuff. Couldn't accidentally hurt some jerk at school. That got her detention and got her grounded, which just sucked so badly. Also Buffy was a total hard-ass about grades. Who would have thought. Artemis thought that Buffy would be super cool and let her be a cool Slayer and stuff.

"Well, you see, she never really..." Dawn on the other end of the phone-line sighed. "When she was in high school, she wasn't so sure about where it would lead her, because... things were different for her back then, when she was the only Slayer. Things are different for you. You aren't the only Slayer, Artemis. There are other Slayers. You have... You can have a future, outside of being a Slayer. You don't have to be just a Slayer. She wants you to do good in school so you can have your options open, so you can be... whatever you want to be."

Artemis paused, wiggling her nose. Urgh. Adults and their 'plans for the future'. Artemis didn't want to plan that far ahead. Besides, if she were to plan that far ahead, she would say that she was going to become the best Slayer in the world and that was it. She wasn't going to end up in some stuffy office job or whatever. Groaning, she flopped down on her bed.

"But school is getting in the way of learning how to be a Slayer, I am already wa—ay behind."

Dawn laughed softly to herself. "I know what you mean. Being the only human, aside from Xander, always made me feel way behind too. Don't be too hard on her, mh? She only means well."

Artemis groaned again, though this time more begrudgingly. "Okay. Fine. Thanks, for listening."

"Anytime. If you ever need to talk, you can always call me, okay? Now do you homework, or whatever it is a responsible aunt should say at this point."

/break\

So much to do, so little time. Buffy walked into her bedroom with her eyes closed, but then she was grasped by the shoulders and steered into another direction. With a pout did she turn to look at Spike, who offered simply an ominous smile. He pushed her toward the bathroom, where candles were lit and a bath was drawn and a very nice scent was in the air.

"I figured you could use something relaxing, after a night-shift of patrol and a day-shift of teaching upcoming Watchers," Spike leaned in to kiss her cheek. "How does that sound?"

Buffy sighed contently and leaned against his chest. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

He was... so much more thoughtful than she had ever anticipated. Sometimes, it made her feel bad. Like he did more for her than she did for him. He supported her in all respects, was always there for her. And she had such trouble making time for him, now even more. She sighed to herself as she shed her clothes before sinking into the bathtub. There had to be something nice that she could do for him, to show him how much she appreciated him too... But what...?

/break\

Buffy pursed her lips as she sat at the breakfast table watching Willow and Tara be cute with each other. Relationship goals right there. They made it look so easy. How could Buffy find the right thing to do for Spike, that would really make him happy...?

"What's on your mind, Buffy?" Tara asked when she sat down next to her.

"Trying to plan a Spike-centric date. Really struggling with that," Buffy pouted a bit. "I have come to realize that he usually plans our dates and we usually just... Either we go out to dinner or a bar or club, or on patrol or a hunt together. We never really... do something... specifically according to his taste. Something that he likes."

"You... know Spike," offered Willow after a moment. "You know what he likes."

"I do," Buffy answered quickly. "I just... know nothing about it. Like. I know he loves poetry. He recently picked up writing poetry again! Though he doesn't let me see it. So I was thinking something poetry related but I don't know anything about the... poetry-scene? See, know nothing!"

Willow and Tara exchanged an amused smile. But in the end, it was Andrew who spoke up.

"Okay, but you have connections now, right? Don't you have an artist friend," Andrew asked. "Dylan, right? Maybe she has connections beyond paintings?"

Mh. That was maybe a stretch but also definitely worth a try. Definitely more than she had right now. Maybe she had some connections? And it'd be nice to talk to Dylan again. She wanted to keep in touch with Dylan, it was hard being friends with non-Scoobies.

/break\

Spike looked around curiously. He had no idea where they were going. Buffy had told him not to have plans this Saturday. He let her lead the way, but she refused to tell him where they were headed. Just smile mysteriously at him and link fingers with him.

"What is this place? Doesn't look like our usual bar."

"It i—isn't," Buffy looked very proud at that, grasping him by the biceps to lead him over toward a table. "This is a... a poetry bar. They have regular open mikes. Like tonight. We can have dinner here, they have light menus here, nothing very fancy, but they're mostly about wine and stuff. And the poetry. We're here to listen to some local poets."

Spike turned to look at her in surprise. "Po... etry?"

"Yes," Buffy smiled brightly at him. "I know you're not ready to share your own poetry with anyone right now. But I thought you might enjoy listening to some poetry. At least for now. And maybe, at some point, some night, you can come here and share your own poetry. But no pressure! Just, introducing you to the place. And tonight, we're here to listen to poetry and eat dinner."

The look on Spike's face was so soft and filled with love as he looked at her. Not just because she had found this place for tonight, for them to listen to poetry together. No, what got to him even more than that was how much she was trying to encourage him to share his poetry.

One of the big memories of his mortal life was the mockery he had faced for his poetry, the discouragement. People had made fun of him for it, called him weak for it, ridiculed him for it. The closest Buffy had ever come to hearing his poetry had been for her to hear him sing his heart out during that demon's spell that had made them all sing and dance. The only one who had always loved his poetry was Drusilla and everyone knew that her judgment was a little twisted on all sides.

"I know nothing about poetry though," Buffy frowned at the menu. "So, you gotta tell me if they are any good, okay? I mean, I tried, you know, during high school, but..."

"I feel like you didn't try too much during high school," Spike argued while weighing his wine choices. "You had an average of like one apocalypse per school year, luv. Not that much time to get into any own interests and hobbies there, mh?"

"...True, I guess," Buffy frowned. "I did enjoy reading. I just didn't have much time."

"Giles promised he's only gonna require you to teach entrance classes, didn't he? Not to teach full semester," Spike reached over the table to take her hand. "Things will calm down again. You and me, we got to enjoy things calming down and being more regulated. They will be more regulated again. And you will have more time then too."

"Hopeful thinking," Buffy huffed softly. "And I'll still have the teenager to deal with. Who is still grounded and will hopefully stop punching classmates and pick her grades up. So, aside from the parenting and the Slayer work, maybe. I do like the thought."

They picked wine and food and then got to sit more comfortably, next to each other on the couch-like booth facing the stage. The place was in soft, warm colors, dimly lit. Everything was very cozy and the interior was just vaguely Victorian, as Spike noted. Something about it was comforting.

"How did you find the place? Not your usual scene."

"I, uh, I called Dylan and asked her if she knew anyone? I figured, artists may know each other. And! She actually did know someone, she gave me the address."

"Huh," Spike blinked a couple of times. "That's nice of her, I should call her again. It's been a bit."

"Yeah," Buffy snuggled up to him a bit, one of his arms around her shoulders.

A lanky guy stepped up onto the stage, so the two of them fell into a companionable silent, listening to him talk about love and flowers. Spike smiled, soft and warm.


Author's note: Time to move the villain plot along next chapter ;)