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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

22. San Francisco's Siren Song (1)

When Spike had waltzed into her life, saved it and turned it upside down and then disappeared from it again, Dylan hadn't expected to see him again, not really. The whole thing hadn't felt entirely real. She was just a normal woman, after all, these things didn't happen to normal people.

And yet they did. And just a few years later, Dylan met Spike again. At this point, she didn't think she should consider herself 'normal people' anymore. She regularly hung out with a vampire and his vampire hunter girlfriend, recently she had also been meeting two witches for tea because Willow and Tara were often a part of group hang-outs and she'd kind of connected with Tara in particular. And then there was the cute guy, friend of Spike's – Robert. They'd met through Spike and by the nature of being Spike's only human friends, they'd grown closer in recent months. And closer. And... mh. She had to admit, he was a handsome guy. His enthusiasm was endearing too, now that he was starting this new chapter in his life, with the Watcher Academy.

"We—ell?" Buffy grinned and elbowed her gently.

"Huh?" Dylan looked up, blinking a couple of times. "What were we talking about?"

"We were talking about Robert Dowling," Renee pursed her lips as she picked up a mozzarella stick. "Xander's been impressed by how good he's doing in class! And then you kind of spaced out with a look on your face. You know the look, with the doe-eyes and the lip-bite."

"The crush look," Willow actually giggled at that.

"You absolutely had a crush look on your face!" Buffy agreed, waving a mozzarella stick at her.

Girls' night out was fun, unless Dylan got interrogated. It was nice though, being with them. Having found a connection here in San Francisco, being accepted by them even though she wasn't like them – wasn't supernatural in nature, was just a normal woman.

"He is quite cute," Dylan stabbed the dip with her mozzarella stick.

"Ask him out," Buffy gestured. "Come on! He is cute, you are cute, he does look at you like a lovesick puppy. Like, did you notice that he hangs around your gallery a lot?"

Dylan flushed. "Maybe so. But he might just like art."

"Ask him out," Renee rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you're a successful business woman and artist, don't be like that in your private life. Walk up to the awkwardly pining boy and ask him out."

"Listen to the woman," Tara nodded. "I am not an expert on giving advise on men, but they know. And as someone who is currently in a relationship after having lost before... Don't waste time. Time is precious. I remember the time in college of pining and blushing and longing stares in the hallway and they were precious, but... One day, you might look back and regret that this could have been time spent together instead of gazing at each other."

"Exactly!" Buffy pointed, first at Tara and then at Dylan. "You never know when the love of your life will catch fire in the basement of your old high school to save the world. And you can't guarantee if an evil law firm will bring them back to mess with your ex."

"...Girl, your life is a mess," Dylan huffed and blinked a couple of times.

But it was a compelling argument. Well, not so much the details of it, but the overall. One never knew how much time they had. A bus could hit her on her way out of this very bar. Demons were real! The apocalypse had been prevented multiple times by the very people at this table, who knew if it may hit one day. Okay. Perhaps she should ask Robert out.

"I'm so glad we're doing this," Renee heaved a slightly drunk sigh as she rested her cheek on Tara's arm. "It's so nice hanging out with you guys. I'm so tired of teaching the girls. Like. I love them, I do, but it's often like herding cats with the younger ones?"

"You're doing a great job," Buffy smiled and wrapped an arm around Renee. "Seriously, I am so proud of you. You were one of the first Slayers I trained after the awakening and I knew you had potential, but you are so living up to that and beyond. I'm glad to have you on our team."

Like all Slayers, Renee looked happy, flustered and overwhelmed at being complimented by Buffy. Sometimes Dylan wondered if Buffy even realized that, how much her word meant to them. She knew who she was, she knew she was the Slayer, had no qualms owning that, but Dylan sometimes had the impression that Buffy didn't quite realize how much the other Slayers looked up to her and adored her. She was the role-model. The one who'd saved the world repeatedly. The one who had given them this power. Not just given it, but chose to give it. She could have stayed the Chosen One, the sole hero, but she chose to share her powers with others.

"She's pretty amazing," Dylan whispered to herself, looking at Buffy.

"She is," Tara agreed with a smile. "What makes her so amazing is that she doesn't even realize."

/break\

Things were going strange. The mayor had skipped on a couple of appointments, the council hadn't met up for two whole meetings now and Buffy felt herself become restless. There was a strange unease to the city in how... not uneasy it was? If that made sense to anyone but her? She doubted it.

"How does a calm and peaceful time make you uneasy?" Spike frowned at her. "Is this a Slayer thing? You don't do well in times of peace? Is that normal?"

Buffy wrung out her hands as she sat down next to him. "Honestly... I don't know? I don't think I've ever experienced this long a period of time that was just peaceful. I mean, we do still patrol and run into the occasional troublemakers. But... Maybe? You think so?"

Spike shrugged. "I don't really know. Never known a Slayer in times of peace either."

This didn't sit right with Buffy though. Doubting herself wasn't like her. There was just something about this that felt... less like peace and more like the calm before the storm? Heaving a sigh, she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"Okay. What can I do?"

Tilting her head, she looked up at him. "Mh?"

"If it bothers you," Spike elaborated. "What can I do?"

"I don't know. Something is off about this and I have a feeling like it relates to the council? I mean, the whole council didn't show. They all had vague reasons to cancel or having 'no pressing matter'? One or two or so, yeah. But everyone, in the same... manner? It feels... off. Like someone is tampering with them or influencing them or something."

"Look into the council. Got it, Slayer. I can do that, might ask Dowling for help."

"You just want to play private eye," Buffy huffed out a small laugh, shoving him.

"Not my fault I missed my opportunity for the gig with the hot femme fatal," Spike grinned. "You know, if you want to fill that spot, applications are still open."

She made a show of rolling her eyes. "You wish."

/break\

As much as Spike loved when his lady was right, he preferred when it wasn't concerning some serious magical crisis. Heaving a deep sigh, Spike took a drink from his thermos of blood. Dowling was next to him, drinking a coffee and eating a doughnut. They'd been staking out several members of the council all night, last of all had been council member Bifton.

"This isn't good, I take it," Dowling concluded, looking at Spike. "Unless this is just a general judgment on sex-work, which I somehow doubt on your part."

"No judgment on sex-work. Member of my clan was a former sex-worker and she was a hell of a woman. Horrible taste in men... like most women in my life somehow... and always the same man..." Spike shook his head as thoughts of Darla clouded it for a moment. "No, I doubt this is good. The Lilac Siren is the establishment of another council member. Between him going here and us seeing the mayor's date last night... I have a feeling it all leads to the same person. And it'd be a hell of a coincident if it's all just fun and pleasure."

Dowling stuffed the last of the doughnut in his mouth, put down his coffee and started the car. "So we're heading back to Buffy?"

Spike grunted his confirmation. He'd thought it fun and games, the siren on the council. It'd been adorable how flustered Buffy had been about the gorgeous woman. And with all the change, Spike had been swept up in believing in the desire for change too. Not everyone wanted change though.

Part of him really did want to cling onto all of this being a big coincident of them all enjoying the pleasure of the sirens' den, but what were the changes of them having fun and at the same time skipping out on their duties on the council? The very council that Buffy had pushed for to establish good relations between humans and demons. Spike had lived long enough to not trust this.

"You know your phone's been blowing up, mate," Spike arched one eyebrow. "Is that Dylan?"

He also raised his other eyebrow when he noticed Robert blushing. Huh. Interesting.

/break\

They considered making it a regular debriefing, but neither Buffy nor Spike felt like they had enough just yet. It was a hunch on both their parts, really. Buffy's hunch had led Spike to investigate and all they now had was that the mayor had a new girlfriend and that some council members enjoying going clubbing and/or paid for companionship. And besides, everybody was so busy with their own stuff! Renee had had this great idea of a retreat with the girls, some survival training up in the mountains, a proper camping trip with hunting and everything. While Willow had her tech business and position as the head-witch, Giles had felt bad about asking her to also teach classes at the Watcher Academy so he had instead asked Tara – and Tara had really taken to it. She'd finally found something of her own, being a teacher. Xander was currently off in Japan, helping Satsu out on something that she requested backup for. So why bother them with a hunch.

It was three days later that Buffy regretted that. She was surprised to see Mayor Peace.

"What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?"

"Miss Summers," the mayor smiled at her with a slightly glassy-eyed expression. "I just wanted to let you know that we won't need your services any longer."

"My..." Buffy blinked repeatedly. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, it's quite alright," Mayor Peace patted her hand. "You did quite fine, I just don't think we will be needing your services any longer. Don't you see? We haven't required the council in two months either. It's all good. It's not needed. The Slayers are not needed either."

"What... does that... mean?"

"It's time for the Slayers to find a new home."

There was something off about the way she smiled. It was empty. Margaret Peace had one of these warm, big smiles that made Buffy want to smile along with her usually, but this wasn't it – and not just because of the situation itself. Something was off here. Something was really, really off.

"Right," Buffy cleared her throat and forced a smile of her own. "Sure."

"Wonderful. I'm so glad you agree with me."

/break\

"We have a problem," Buffy took a deep breath, arms crossed over her chest.

She kept herself from pacing. Everyone was gathered in the joined upstairs of their double-house. Scoobies and Slayers alike. It had been a while since Buffy had last held a war council. There was a strange warm nostalgic feeling overcoming her as she remembered days in the library at the high school, Giles' home, the Summers home. She shook that feeling to concentrate on the now.

"No—o," Xander, who had literally landed two hours ago and looked like he hadn't slept in two days, groaned and rubbed his unshaven face. "I hate when you say that. Can't you say 'Xander, you did so great, we booked a weekend get-away for you and Renee and we will cover your shifts' because everything is going so smoothly and with no problems'?"

A small smile played on Renee's lips as she reached out to take his hand. Buffy sighed.

"Wish I could, but we've just been... evicted by the mayor," Buffy winced at the various noises of distress, disbelief and confusion from everyone in the room.

"What... happened, Buffy?" Giles gave her a look before he started cleaning his glasses. "I just opened a Watcher Academy here. The mayor has been quite supportive of our presence here."

"We're not sure what exactly it is but it's gotta be Lily," Buffy tapped her fingers against her upper arm at that because she hated not knowing why in this case. "I've had a bad feeling about how things with the council were going and I had Spike and Robert shadow them. They all have some kind of personal connection to Lily Vesper's business."

"Lily Vesper...?" Andrew frowned at her in confusion. "The scary council lady?"

Willow blinked. "Scary is not the word I would have used to describe her."

"Because you're a lesbian," Xander offered, receiving some looks. "What? No. That's. She's a siren, you know. Attraction-based powers. And Andrew's... uh..."

He motioned awkwardly and didn't finish that sentence while Andrew looked at him in confusion. Buffy cleared her throat and moved on. If he wasn't ready yet to come out, that was his thing, not theirs. Right now, they had to concentrate on the siren threatening their home.

"I have no idea what exactly she wants, or why, but somehow, it does tie back to her," Buffy continued. "The council seems to lay back, the mayor does too. They all seem to think that the Slayers are no longer needed in San Francisco and I can't... I don't know what to do about it."

And that was the truth. She was a warrior, a fighter. Not a politician. This whole council thing had already been uncomfortable for her, at best. She'd played along, because it'd helped her do her job more efficiently. A means to an end. This was different though. What could she do now? It wasn't a direct attack, after all. She couldn't go and punch Lily in the face about this. ...Right?

"Wild idea here," Rox looked up at her. "Go and... talk to her? I mean, maybe it's a misunderstanding? Or maybe it can be resolved otherwise? And if not... get prove for her intentions so we can work on what to do about it."

"That. That is a good idea actually," Buffy nodded. "Talk to her. Right."

"Maybe... don't go alone," tagged Lilah on. "Take a straight girl with you."

Buffy flushed. "Maybe not a bad idea either."

"Aw, don't you hate being voted out of a mission?" Willow pouted, looking at Xander.

"Can't believe we both got booted for the same reason," Xander nodded in agreement. "Not being straight women or gay men."

Buffy blinked as she looked at her two best friends before laughing just a little bit. "...The three of us are a Venn diagram of siren targets."

"Yeah, I'm volunteering," Roxanne raised a hand. "Since it was my idea to go."

"It is so brave of you to come out as heterosexual to us," Lilah looked at her with mock sincerity. "Thank you for sharing your truth with us and we still love you."

Roxanne flipped her off with an unimpressed look on her face.

/break\

The two Slayers grabbed their leather jackets and moderate weapons – those that could be concealed beneath their clothes so they didn't look outright threatening – and then they made their way to the Lilac Siren together. Having backup was nice and though Buffy would always have a soft spot to going out with her Scoobies, she had also grown very comfortable with the squad and among the squad, she had grown the closest to Roxanne.

"Thanks, for coming along," Buffy looked ahead, where she could see the club's neon sign.

"Of course. I've wanted to go on a real mission with you for a while," Roxie grinned and hip-checked her at that. "Let's hope there is going to be a fight in it for us."

Buffy hummed, hating that she agreed. Shouldn't she want a peaceful solution? Peace was good. But her Slayer-blood wanted a fight too. Wanted to punch someone who would punch back.

The two of them entered the club and Buffy felt herself overcome by a strange sense of warmth. Like being sleeping and coming out of a long, hot bath. Relaxed, satisfied and somewhat tired. The scent was similar too. Very much like flowers and sugar. Surrounded by beautiful women left and right, who smiled charmingly at her and made her walk without thinking.

"Hey there," Roxanne spoke up louder, grasping Buffy's wrist and stopping her. "We're here to talk to your boss, Miss Vesper? She doesn't happen to be in?"

"Miss Vesper is the owner of the establishment, she doesn't make it her priority to be present here. She owns many businesses," replied the receptionist.

"Right," Buffy cleared her throat, embarrassed by her own distraction.

So that was it then? The power of the sirens? Temptation? Seduction? Well, that checked out with the stories she remembered. She gave the receptionist a look, waiting.

"I'm Buffy Summers. I'm pretty sure Miss Vesper is waiting for me. Care to tell me where I can find her," Buffy raised her eyebrows, mildly impatient.

There was no way this woman didn't know who she was, Buffy could see it in her eyes. Yet still the receptionist feigned not to know her at all. Oh, Buffy didn't like this one bit.

"I can call her secretary and make an appointment with her if you'd like," the receptionist smiled. "I'm sure she could make the time within a week or so."

Buffy frowned annoyed and just reached over the desk to grab the phone from the receptionist. "Hey, Lily. Buffy Summers here. You free right now? Because I think we need to talk."

There was silence on the other line, before it connected from the secretary's line to Lily Vesper's direct line. "Miss Summers. What is it that I can do for you?"

"I think you know exactly what you can do for me and I think we shouldn't do it over the phone."

"Mh," Lily's voice sounded curious at that. "Very well, Miss Summers. Feel free to come by my offices to 'talk', if you'd like. I see you're calling from one of my other businesses. I'm sure my people there can give you the address."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the receptionist, who could hear what Lily was saying. The woman nodded hastily and grabbed a pen and scribbled something down. Buffy really didn't appreciate Lily's tone of voice, because she remembered that tone of voice. The haughty arrogance and superiority that she had encountered in Glory already. A woman in power who thought nobody could touch her. A villain who thought she could do whatever she wanted.

"This isn't going to be a light conversation," Buffy said to Roxanne as she pocketed the address.

The two of them got out of the club to head toward the business district together. Roxie's hand rested on her blade in her holster, as she often did when tense. Her other hand was reaching for her phone to call for backup. Not a two person job after all then. And if they weren't just going to the small club but rather the large building that she controlled.

"Guess it's time for the squad to get their real first test," Buffy whispered as she looked up at the building, just waiting for their backup to arrive.

Roxanne rested a hand on her shoulder, quietly waiting with her.


Author's note: Sooo next chapter we're gonna fight our villain! ;)