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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

24. Couple's Vacation

Giles closed his eyes and leaned back in his armchair. It was a good chair. Large, strong, leather. The right kind of armchair for the headmaster of an academy. There had been a moment of genuine concern on his part when the council had declared they didn't want the Slayers in town anymore.

He had worked so hard for this. For… so long, if he really thought about it. Ever since he first stepped up to become Buffy's Watcher. Because he wanted to change something. And he'd always been a cog in the greater machine. He'd thrown in a wrench here and there, but this organization was too old and too large to be stopped by one old librarian.

Thankfully enough, his Slayer was a force to be reckoned. She'd threatened them into compliance even back in the day. And now, with all the Slayers activated, with – and this part, Giles wasn't happy about, as much fault as he saw with the council, there had been many good people in it – the many losses at the hands of the First, it was easy to reshape. Giles stood at the head of this reshaping, together with Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Winifred Burkle now.

And this, oh, this was going to be so instrumental to that reshaping of what Watchers were, what the Watcher Council was going to represent. A new Watcher Academy that was going to teach better values, better lessons. Watchers who weren't just going to watch.

Knocking on his door disturbed his musings. "Yes. Come in."

His most eager student entered his office. Mister Robert Dowling. Spike's friend, which was perhaps the biggest surprise here. Then again, over the past months, years at this point, he had to reevaluate his opinion on Spike, forcibly as that was. Mister Dowling was a former police detective who wanted to do more, to be able to do more in this magical world. An aspiration that Giles could respect. His work-ethic was something Giles respected even more.

"Mister Giles," Dowling spoke up after a moment. "With half the professors out, I was wondering if I could pick your brains on something…? When I was working on the essay for Andrew's class – Mister Wells, pardon me, it's a bit messy to know most of staff in private – I came across this fascinating book and it cross-referenced something…"

Giles adjusted his glasses as Dowling put a book down in front of him. Someone enthusiastic to learn, to read in books. How much he wished his young charges had met this man back in high school, just perhaps he would have motivated Buffy to stick her nose into a book or two more. While his fingers brushed over the page and his eyes scanned the paragraphs, his mind wandered to the part of staff currently on vacation. Giles had found it very hard to argue with Buffy when she had declared that she was taking a vacation. In all the years he'd known her, she had never taken a vacation, aside from that one time she ran away for a while, if that could be counted as a 'vacation'.

A couples' vacation, Buffy and Spike, Willow and Tara, Xander and Renee. Giles was making due at the academy. They'd asked him if he wanted to come too, but it was already enough that he was living in a house with them all, going on a vacation with them sounded very exhausting. No, he was going to have the house essentially to himself for the first time – yes, thanks to Willow and Tara's magic, it was bigger on the inside and allowed for more privacy – but to not run into one of them constantly. Perhaps he was going to call Olivia, ask her if she had some time…

/break\

"A beach. A beach in France. Real France," Buffy bit her lip hard, her hand clinging onto Willow's, while her other arm looped with Spike's. "Look! It's all so French."

"Sure is, love," Spike chuckled amused to himself.

He'd been to France before, a couple times. But she hadn't. And the fact that he got to be here, with her, during her first visit to France, during her first real vacation, it made him smile to himself.

"I've never been to France myself either," Renee spoke up, her eyes wandering too. "So, which one of these is ours…? Who got the key and the address…?"

They were wandering the shores looking for their vacation home. They'd rented a house together, three bedrooms, a fireplace, a backyard with a pool and a Hollywood swing. It was perfect, it was absolutely perfect. And they could afford it, because they were six grown adults with income! Glorious. Buffy was filled with eagerness, remembering the past years of struggling financially. Finally, she was making money with the thing she was doing anyway. Plus, additional income from the classes she'd taught to the police force, directly from the state, and now the classes she was teaching at the Watcher Academy. On the risk of sounding like Anya, but money! Glorious! Mh. The thought of her dead friend still stung, but there was mostly the warmth of a good memory.

Her eyes wandered over to Xander and Renee, Xander having a physical paper map unfolded and arguing about them being wrong here. There was a sparkle in Renee's eyes as she rested a hand on his arm. She loved him, and he loved her. And this time around, he wasn't being a fool who rushed into things. Rushing into things was what had ruined what Xander and Anya had, if only they hadn't gotten engaged and tried to get married too soon, maybe they could have been happy longer, as a couple, maybe they would have gotten to a real wedding then. But those were things in the past that couldn't be changed. All Buffy could do was be glad Xander had found happiness in the now.

"That!" Tara exclaimed, pointing. "That's the house we picked out online, right, sweetie?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "It is! We picked it because of the cute windows."

"See," Renee slapped Xander's chest, with a little too much gusto, causing him to grunt. "I knew we're right around here and that you're holding the map the wrong way, Xan."

Xander grumbled beneath his breath. "It's all French, it's hard to read..."

Out of the corner of her eyes did Buffy see the way Spike rolled his eyes. Oh, she knew he didn't mean that. He'd sought Willow out for council and comfort more than once, even back before he had become one of the good guys and joined them. And he had endured living with Xander back in the day, and did so now. It was more than just endurance now; Buffy knew about their cute little Dungeons & Dragons campaign (probably more than she wanted to know considering she wasn't a part of it, but oh boy could Andrew talk and talk and talk about his world-building…).

"Welcome to our home for the next ten days," Xander unlocked the door and opened it, ushering everyone inside. "The downside: We will have to cook ourselves, which means we'll have to buy groceries, which means we'll have to somehow communicate with the French people."

"Does it make me sound very much like an American tourist if I say: But I'm sure they speak English?" Buffy turned hopeful eyes on their friends. "Right? Like? Right?"

"I do still remember my school French," offered Tara amused. "It should be enough to get us around town and grocery stores, but it's… a bit rusty."

"Either way, I am sure we're not going to starve to death," Willow declared. "For now, I call dibs on the bedroom with the ocean-view!"

She grabbed Tara's hand and ran off, laughing. Tara joined into the laughter as they made their way up the stairs, followed by Xander and Buffy, both protesting loudly. The bedroom that was facing the ocean was the most desired. Aother one was facing the garden and the third facing the street.

Spike turned to look at Renee. "I guess that leaves you and me with the luggage."

She gave it an affirmative shrug and grabbed hers and Xander's bags.

/break\

Buffy tried hard not to laugh. And then she took a picture, so she could laugh in peace later. Because Spike and Xander in matching Hawaiian shirts was going to get framed somewhere in the house at home, definitely. The glare Spike threw at her was half-hearted at best. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her into a kiss that was anything but half-hearted. She reached up, resting her hands on his shoulders. For this vacation, she had given him a strict no-black order. This vacation ought to be fun and cheerful, which included colors.

"You look cute," Buffy smiled, pecking Spike's lips one last time.

"From the bane of Europe, reduced to being… cute," Spike made a face, before his eyes landed on her. "You, on the other hand, look absolutely stunning, pet."

After claiming their rooms and putting away their things, the six of them had headed out into town. Originally to get groceries, but then Buffy had seen this cute dress in a window and suddenly, the afternoon turned into a proper shopping spree. Buffy, Tara, Willow and Renee had gotten matching summer dresses in different colors and they looked so cute in them.

"Now that we have clothes that we don't need," Xander pulled on his own Hawaiian shirt. "Can we get the groceries that we actually went out to buy in the first place…?"

"Right," Renee laughed softly as she leaned against him, kissing his cheek. "Good plan."

"We're going to have a big barbecue tonight," Xander declared, wrapping one arm around Renee's waist. "To celebrate our first day of this glorious work-free time."

"Barbecue sounds good," Spike nodded in acknowledgment. "Your steaks are on-point."

Oh. The manly men bonding over barbecue. Buffy leaned back to lock eyes with Renee and then pointedly roll them, though with a good-natured smile.

/break\

Buffy, Renee, Tara and Willow were playing beach volleyball together, laughing, while Xander was putting the first steaks on the grill. They were on day three of their vacation and had figured out that they could carry the grill onto the beach with them, so now they could enjoy their barbecue with the ocean in their back. Spike was sitting on a beach chair, right next to Xander, a book in his hand. He'd been doing some reading lately, but it was honestly harder at home with the Slayers who were technically living in the house right next door but they used the connecting doors a little too frequently, and then there was the teenager who'd moved in with them. Speaking of, Artemis had been texting them near constantly. Despite being the one who had ditched them. Spike and Buffy had asked her to come with them, but then she'd realized it'd just be her and three couples and she had made a face, said 'ew, gross, no I'm not gonna watch you snog on the beach, I'll stay here with uncle Andrew and the Slayers. Besides, hello? I have school?'. And right. School.

"Bloody phone," Spike heaved an annoyed sigh as his phone buzzed again.

"We could have as well just taken Artemis with us," Xander commented dryly. "Feels like the kid's right here with us, with the running commentary, honestly."

"School," Spike stated. "Also, this isn't the niblet."

"Right. School, huh," Xander blinked, turning one of the steaks. "It's so easy to forget about that once you stop going to school. It's not a break right now. Wait, if it's not the kid, who's texting you? Is it Andrew? Is he pitching something else for our campaign?"

That made Spike chuckle a little. If someone just five years ago had told him he would have fun playing DnD with two nerds and a stuffy librarian. Potentially also Dowling; Andrew had been working on trying to drag Dowling into their campaign too, but so far Dowling was skeptical.

"It's not, it's Dowling – unrelated to the campaign, even though Andrew's been pestering him with DnD rules and proposals for character creation," Spike smirked to himself. "He's nervous about his first date with Dylan. Pathetic bastard."

After a moment of thinking, Xander actually out the steak down and walked over the two steps to Spike. "Hold on, Dylan, like hot artist chick to whose art show Renee dragged me?"

"That would be the one," Spike confirmed. "She befriended Buffy and some of the Slayers."

"Huh," Xander raised his eyebrows. "Successful, gorgeous lady. Playing so far outside of his league. Good for him. Tell him good for him from me. He better not screw that up."

Spike snorted amused. "That's gonna help him with the nervousness."

"He—ey, you guys. I am seeing no meat being barbecued. Why is no food being made?"

Xander immediately raised his arms, tongues still in hand, and walked back to the grill, just as Buffy plopped down on the beach chair with Spike, half on his lap. Leaning against him, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. He turned to kiss the corner of her mouth and look at her for a moment. There was a glow to her. Buffy, getting to play in the sun, having fun with her friends. She'd built a sand-castle earlier. Spike had taken a photo of it, because she'd been so proud of it.

"Texting Dowling to talk him off the ledge," Spike informed her. "He's freaking out about his date with Dylan tonight. Glad we're all the way in France so I don't have to watch him pace and change outfits ten times. The guy only has like six shirts."

Buffy laughed, the sound vibrating against his chest as she curled right there. "Poor him."

While Spike finished yet another reassuring text to Dowling, Buffy started placing something on Spike's chest. Only after he put his phone away did he see that she had been sorting small shells and sea-glass on him to inspect. Gathering treasures and souvenirs from her first vacation.

"That one's particularly lovely, pet," Spike picked up a dark shell, turning it a few times.

"This is nice," Buffy's voice was a gentle whisper against his neck. "It's so… normal. I like this. I like feeling so normal. I'm just here, on a vacation, with my boyfriend and my friends."

"I think we're not that normal right now. Not everyone can go to France for a vacation."

"Tru—ue," he could feel her smile against his skin. "But this is like the good kind of not normal."

"Here's to being the good kind of not normal then, pet."

/break\

Tara twirled in front of her mirror. The dress was a bit more fancy than what she'd normally wear these days, but Willow had made reservations at a fancy restaurant. A fancy French restaurant in France. What a date-night. Renee had done her hair, curling it a little. Honestly, Tara wasn't entirely sure, but Buffy had said that the curls looked very cute and why not try something new.

Knocking on the door and then Willow poking her head in. "Are you… oh. You look… lovely."

There was a blush on Willow's cheek. Tara had always loved when she could make Willow blush, it seemed so rare. For her to be the one to put someone else in awe? It had taken her so long to gain a sense of self-worth and she knew she owed so much of it to Willow. A different Willow, but the more time she spent with this Willow, the more she realized how much the same they were.

"You look beautiful took," Tara smiled, taking Willow in.

She was wearing a green dress that ended in soft violet at the bottom. Reaching out, she took Willow's hand and pulling her in for a kiss filled with love and gentleness.

"We… should get going," Willow said reluctantly when their kiss parted.

"Do you think the others will be alright without us?"

Tara asked the question half-jokingly, which was a sign for how comfortable she had gotten with this family she had found here. The two of them walked down the stairs, finding their housemates in the living room with a board-game. Spike and Xander willingly playing board-games with each other (actually having fun). It made Tara smile to herself.

"Guys? We're leaving for dinner. You going to be fine?"

"Yes, Rosenberg, we will survive without you," Xander gave her a playfully pointed look. "We ordered pizza and me and Renee are going to beat Buffy and Spike. I need revenge. I need revenge on Spike, I don't need you guys for that, you're free to go on your date."

"That's so generous of you," Willow rolled her eyes. "Have fun, guys."

Spike, Renee and Buffy waved at them as Willow and Tara left the house. It was still light outside but slowly cooling down with the evening, a breeze blowing Tara closed her eyes to enjoy the ocean scent on the breeze and the refreshing feeling of it on her skin.

"We never did this in my world," Tara mused after a few moments. "Going on a vacation. You and me, we… meant to. But then we took in Dawn and… everything went too fast after that."

"Yes," Willow's voice dropped some. "That's how it was for us too. We never had the money for a vacation either. What little money we made went to our shared household with Buffy. We always wanted to though. I went… After she died, I went to England, but it wasn't exactly a vacation, it was more… magic rehab, and I had little… mind-space to enjoy it."

Tara pressed her lips together, but it was important for them both to talk about these things too. The fact that they had had a life before meeting each other, and that Tara used to have a Willow, and Willow used to have a Tara, in their lives. At first, they thought it'd be awkward and didn't want to bring the other up, but they had come to realize that only made them feel like replacements.

"I love you," Tara whispered as she leaned in to kiss Willow's cheek.

A smile bloomed on Willow's lips when she turned to look at Tara. "I love you too, babe."

/break\

Buffy was laying in the water, face up, staring into the beautiful starry night sky. The pool was great. She was floating and watching the sky that was so different from the sky she was used to from home. It was dazzling how many things during this vacation had amazed her.

Stretching out, she dove under watcher, enjoying the submersion, before swimming over into the direction of the Hollywood swing where she knew her boyfriend was sitting. Heh. Boyfriend. Still giggling like a little school girl at it. She'd worked too damn hard to get here to not be happy about it. They had been through so many hardships, she deserved this silly little bubbly happy feeling. Breaking the surface, she climbed out of the pool and walked over toward Spike.

He did look cute in his Hawaiian shirt. Grabbing her towel from next to him, she quickly toweled her hair off a bit and laid it around her shoulders before leaning in to kiss his cheek. He grunted, scowling, as he tried to dodge her.

"You're dripping pool-water onto my book."

"...You sound like Giles. Stop that."

Putting the towel down on the swing, right next to him, she sat down and leaned against him, making sure to spread her wet hair all over his shoulder. He gave a startled yelp at the cold and glared at her, which she could only return with a smirk. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, she pulled him in for a real kiss. What started slow deepened quickly, growing more passionate, to the point of Spike just dropping the book in favor of grasping her by the hip. He laid down more comfortably on the swing, then adjusted Buffy to half lay on top of him. Her hands wandered over his chest, playing with the buttons of his shirt, while her lips trailed down his neck.

"Oh no, no. No, no, no. You are making me want to gauge out my good eye. Stop that."

Buffy and Spike bolted apart, mostly out of surprise because they had gotten so lost in each other, they had forgotten that they weren't alone out here. With a bright blush did Buffy turn to stare at Xander, the stare quickly turning into a glare, followed by her throwing her wet towel at him.

"Oh, please, you were full making out with Renee before breakfast yesterday! Shut up!"

"There are different rules for me and you!" Xander yelped in defense. "I don't want to see you undress Spike, ever, under any circumstances, especially not on any furniture I use too!"

Spike huffed, knowing Buffy was now distracted with bickering, so he returned to his book.


Author's note: Next chapter is going to be the final one of this story, checking in on the other characters too to see here we're ending for them ;)