The Great War

'The burning embers, I vowed not to fight anymore, If we survived the Great War. It turned into something bigger. Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I'd been betrayed'

CHAPTER SEVEN

Faith stood in the courtyard with a cigarette in hand, staring off into space.

"You know those things will kill you" said Spike

"Meh, cigarettes… vampires… something's gotta do it" shrugged Faith

Spike laughed as he lit one of his own and inhaled deeply.

"Did Giles teleport in yet?" She asked

"Not yet"

Faith studied him for a moment. His eyes were downcast, he looked like his heart had just been ripped out.

"I thought brooding was more Angel's thing" she smirked

"I'm not brooding, I'm mopping" said Spike

"Same thing… B really does know how to do a number on you vamps"

"That she does" said Spike sadly "You met her new squeeze?"

Faith nodded "Not my type but seems like a good guy… I give them six months tops"

Spike laughed "Is that so?"

"Oh c'mon. We both know she's gunna get bored of this whole 'normal girl' thing she's got going on. My guess, he'll be the the first thing to go" said Faith bringing the cigarette to her lips

"Maybe…"

"Definitely… And who do you think she'll come looking for?" Faith smirked

"Not me!" He said

"You're kidding yourself just as much as her" said Faith "You two belong together like some fucked up Romeo and Juliet… Angel even knows it"

Faith flicked her cigarette away and returned back inside.

XXXXXX

Giles burst through the door of the Hyperion closely followed by Andrew, Xander Dawn and Daniel.

"This is the last time I teleport with any of you" Giles sighed

"Yeah well if you actually teleported us to the right place?" Xander rolled his eyes

Willow and a few of the girls rushed to them.

"You're here!" said Willow excitedly

"Almost didn't make it" said Dawn

"Ohh what happened?" asked Willow

Giles shifted awkwardly

"Let's just say we've had to run around the streets of Los Angeles trying to find this place" said Xander

"I think Mr Giles did a good job!" said Andrew

"Suck up" Dawn rolled her eyes

Buffy came to the top of the stairs followed by Spike. This didn't go unnoticed by Daniel who looked up at them with a sad smile.

"Daniel?" Buffy smiled "What are you doing here?"

She rushed down the stairs and pulled hugged him.

"I couldn't stay away" said Daniel, he didn't take his eyes of the blond vampire.

Spike also made his way down the stairs. Dawn made a beeline for him immediately

"Nibblet" Spike smiled

Dawn slapped him and then threw her arms around him "You jerk!" Dawn cried

Spike was taken back by the slap, he put his arms around the younger Summers girl "I'm sorry Bit" he whispered and stroked her hair gently

"I missed you" Dawn sobbed

"Shhh…" he said softly "I missed you too"

Dawn pulled away from him, her face was red from crying "I'm still mad at you"

"I know" Spike smiled

"Spike!" Andrew cried as he threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly

"Get him off me" Spike complained

Daniel had his arm draped around Buffy's shoulder possessively.

Andrew composed himself "You look better than the last time I saw you"

Andrew grabbed Spike's hands "And your hands! They did an amazing job with them"

Spike pulled hands away from Andrew.

"What's he talking about?" asked Buffy

"Nothing" said Spike

Andrew shifted uncomfortably "Sorry" he mouthed to Spike.

"What happened to your hands?" asked Buffy

"Dana cut em' off" said Angel just entering the room with Connor.

"Dana?" Buffy asked

The group stood in silence for a moment.

"But wait… You came to pick up Dana months ago how could she?…"

It dawned on Buffy, Andrew obviously knew that Spike was back and didn't tell her. Buffy shrugged Daniel's arm from off her shoulder

"You knew" said Buffy "You knew and you didn't tell me?"

Buffy stepped towards Andrew and he backed away "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He asked me not to" Andrew said uncomfortably

"Don't blame Andy" said Spike

"Yes, he was doing as he was told" said Giles

Buffy looked at Giles "You knew didn't you"

Giles didn't answer.

"Oh my god…" said Buffy in disbelief "Who else knew?"

Buffy turned to her friends. Xander's face had guilt written all over it as did Willow's.

"Xander… Willow?" Buffy questioned them

Buffy bit her lip in frustration "Y'know I expected it from Giles and hell even you Xander but Willow? I confided in you!"

"I'm sorry Buffy" Willow said with tears in her eyes

"Unbelievable" Buffy said before running up the stairs, Daniel followed her.

"Well… that didn't go well" said Faith.

XXXXX

Buffy sat on the bed, Daniel entered the room and closed the door behind him.

Buffy wiped her tears from her face quickly.

"I can't believe you're here" said Buffy

"I had to make sure you were okay" he smiled

"It's not that I'm not glad that you're here but it's dangerous" she told him

"I know" he replied

"You sure you weren't just checking up on me?" She asked

"Do I need to?" He asked her

"What?"

"All that downstairs… you know your friends were just doing what they thought was best for you. You have all this emotion when it comes to him" Daniel raised his voice

Buffy looked at Daniel "Of course I have! He was back and he didn't tell me!"

"And why should he?" asked Daniel "He wasn't your boyfriend"

Buffy opened her mouth to say something but then thought better of it.

"He wasn't anything to you Buffy, he owed you nothing"

"He was something!" Buffy yelled "He was something to me"

"Sounds like he still is" Daniel said quietly "You still love him don't you?"

Dawn flew through the door "Don't worry Buffy, I just handed them their asses!"

"What?" said Buffy

"All of them! Keeping that from us?" Dawn raged "I could kill them!"

Dawn sensed the awkwardness in the room "Sorry was I interrupting something"

"No… I think we're done here" said Daniel, walking out of the room

"What was that about?" Dawn raised her eyebrows