A/N: Sorry for the longer than normal wait for the chapter. Last week, my grumpy old man of a dog Ollie, passed away. It's been very hard on me and my family. I'll be back to normal posting soon.
"Hey Chief, wasn't expecting a call from you so soon, figured it'd be another year or two till our next meeting. Drusilla send you away again?" Lawson said once he got in the passenger seat of Spike's car.
Spike didn't tell Sam why he was coming, all he said was 'I need you to come to the Hellmouth,' and Lawson was on his way. Spike is excited to tell Sam why he's needed, Spike knows Sam hates Peaches almost as much as he does. Peaches did turn him just to use him then left him for dead, after all, and that was when the wanker had his soul. Lawson never hurt Angel because he'd rather watch him live in pain and guilt. Now that Angelus is back, Spike is pretty sure Lawson will change his mind.
"No, she didn't send me away this time, I left her. Got me a new girl too. Much better than Dru, she's loyal for one. That's not why I called you though, you'll never guess who Dru's taking up with now."
"Didn't you just say you left her? Why would you care who she's with? More importantly, why would I care? She might technically be my sister but I've never met her and after everything you've told me she's done to you over the years, I don't care one whit about her."
"Just soddin' guess so I can tell you why you're here."
"Fine. Don't know, last time it was a fungus demon. Hopefully, this time it's someone that's a little more humanoid in shape, maybe a vampire?"
"Yeah, it's a vampire. Sod this, I'll just tell you. It's Angelus, Lover Boy lost his soul again." Spike said, losing patience with his own game. He supposed he should probably work on that, it's why his plans always go to shit.
"Again? When did he lose it the first time?"
"Bollocks, I forgot, I haven't talked to you since then. Bout a year ago. It wasn't for too long, my girl killed him when he was trying to end the world. Hell, if it wasn't for Angelus, I don't think we'd have even gotten together, it was the first time we were on the same side of a fight."
"What do you mean? You used to fight your new lady love?"
"Of course, she's a Slayer. It's what I do."
"You're dating the Slayer?" He asked incredulously.
"Yeah mate, she's the best one I've ever come across. You got one thing wrong though, technically, she's not the Slayer, she's a Slayer. Don't get me wrong, to me she'll always be the slayer but old Bat Face drowned her and her friend revived her. She was gone long enough to call another one, so there are technically two now. That was before I even met her. That's part of the reason I called you, the new one has gone dark. Dru woke me up one night when we were in Brazil and told me she had to go to her Daddy. I didn't want to go but you know me, can't tell my lady no.
"So we came back to Sunnyhell, I was hoping to warn my golden girl about the chances of Angelus returning so we could stop it before it happened but when I got here, Angelus was already soulless. He was fucking the dark Slayer right in front of some poor chit, tied up. Come to find out, the bird tied up was Buffy. I got her out of there all quick like, and I've been playin' on the white hat's team ever since. So now that you're here, it'll be you, me, and my girl against Dru, Angel, and the dark Slayer. We also got a witch, a warlock, and a werewolf on our team. Oh, and a human. They got minions on theirs."
"Wait, didn't you say the Slayer killed him?"
"Sent him straight to hell, she did."
"Then how are we about to fight him?"
"The powers that buggering be, that's how."
"Wow Chief, sounds like we're about to have ourselves a damn good time."
Spike gave Lawson an evil smile, a smile that promised lots of bloodshed and mayhem. He spent the rest of the ride catching Lawson up with everything else that has happened over the last few weeks. Lawson was excited to finally get payback on his sire.
At Giles' flat, the Scoobies had been doing research trying to figure out anything they could about the weapon that Buffy found. They hadn't had any luck though, unfortunately. Some were also fidgeting and were worried because there was about to be another vampire in their midst. Xander slammed his book closed.
"I can't take this anymore! My eyeballs are going to fall out if I read one more word tonight!" Xander complained. Buffy took the opportunity to close her book too. She and research will always be unmixey.
"I agree with Xander, I have to be done for the night. I'm action girl, not research girl."
"Don't worry Giles, Oz and I aren't giving up yet. We'll find it."
Oz gave Willow an apologetic look as he closed his book. "Actually, I'm gonna have to agree with them this time. I'm done for the night too."
Willow let out a disappointed sigh but didn't complain, she just went back to work.
"So, what do we know about this vampire that Spike is bringing?" Oz asked.
"Oh yeah, I forgot you weren't there when Spike told us about him. He hates Angel, even with the soul. He was turned by him during World War II to help Angel, then immediately after he helped him, Angel threw him and Spike into the water to swim a bunch of miles not long before sunrise. He's not really a normal vampire because he was turned by someone with a soul. He doesn't hurt people, well that's not true, he's like a viga—vagil—vagisil?" Buffy trailed off but thankfully, Willow was listening.
"Vigilante."
"Thanks, Wills. Yeah, what she said. And he'll feed from the criminals he catches."
"Hmm, interesting," Oz commented but didn't say anything more.
Spike walked in just then, "Hey, Rupes, mind inviting my friend in?"
Giles stood up and grabbed his crossbow, one could never be too careful. Buffy also pulled out Mr. Pointy and walked over to the door. Spike was disappointed because he missed where she pulled the stake out from, again. He'll figure it out even if it's the last thing he does.
"Spike told me about you, I can understand that what you do is ultimately for the greater good but no killing in my town. Spike does catch and release, can you handle that? If not, you'll be on pig's blood for your stay here."
"I can do that just fine, ma'am. In fact, that's what I normally do anyway. I don't hurt people, well I don't hurt innocents, anyway."
Buffy gave him a hard look, some call it her Slayer look, but eventually nodded her head and put her stake away. "I believe him, Giles."
"Forgive me if I'm not as trusting as Buffy. How do I know you won't try anything on us when you come in? Or while I'm sleeping if I give you access to my house?"
"I don't hurt good people, I never have. I try to help them, it's what I've spent my unlife doing. I know I'm not on the same level as the Slayer and her people but I've saved six people from being mugged, two women from men trying to force themselves on them, and one person from being murdered this month alone. I mean you and your people no harm."
After a hard look at Lawson, Giles lets the crossbow hang limply at his side. Spike noticed he didn't put it down though. Xander was trying to be inconspicuous but he had a cross in his hand too, he wasn't trying to attack though. Spike figured he was just trying to protect himself and the Scoobies if the need arose.
"Sam Lawson, you may come in." Sam walked in with a smile on his face, he understood why they were all wary but he had nothing to hide. He meant what he said, he didn't want to hurt anyone here. Now Angel on the other hand… His smile turned a little predatory at the thought but he quickly changed it back when people started looking uncomfortable.
"Right then, did you find any information about the ax… stake… scythe? Whatever you soddin' want to call it."
"No, not yet. These translations are taking longer than I'd like and the children haven't found anything in the books written in English."
"What's the language you're trying to translate?"
"A few actually, do you know more than English?" Giles asked in a strange tone Spike couldn't decipher. It was clear the watcher was fishing for information though.
"I know a few," Spike answered carefully.
"Spike, I've never known you to be modest before." Sam interjected then looked to Giles, "He studied at…"
"Oi! Those aren't your secrets to tell!"
"I knew it! So which was it? My guess is Oxford." Giles said, feeling victorious.
"You'd be wrong," Spike replied shortly.
"You went to college? Where?" Willow asked excitedly.
"Was a long time ago," Spike replied without answering her question.
"What I want to know is when did you go? The council's books say that you were a highwayman and a ruffian when you were human. But just a few days ago, you told us you couldn't even control yourself around humans for the first few years as a vampire and the books have you traveling all over the world with the scourge for over 20 years."
"I told you before, Rupes, your books don't know what they're talking about. Half the stuff in it is wrong."
"Don't be a pillock, just tell me which part was wrong. The human part of your life or the early vampire years?"
Spike let out an angry growl, he didn't want to talk about this, he was feeling attacked. He looked around at the people and realized no one was laughing at him or trying to make fun of him. They were treating him like they were his friends and just wanted to know more about him. That calmed him down some but it also made him more uncomfortable. He was a vampire, vampires don't have friends. They have their nest, their minions, their lovers, and their future meals, but they don't have friends. He looked around again and realized maybe he was wrong, because he really liked Red, the Wolf, Lawson, and Rupert, and he loved Buffy. He decided to answer the question but he spoke in his more refined English accent, the one he used to have when he was human, he sounded a lot like Giles.
"I was born in 1853 to Ann and William Pratt. My father owned a shipping yard and three ships used for import and export. He accumulated a fair bit of wealth that supported our family long after his untimely death. In 1875 I graduated top of my class from Cambridge." He switched back to his normal cockney accent. "After I was turned I just kept going, I've learned a few demon languages and some human. Unlife would get bloody boring if you don't ever do anything new and I enjoy learning." He said with a shrug like he didn't just blow their collective minds. He walked over to the books and sat down to start reading. He didn't look at anyone because now that he was done, he was embarrassed. He hoped he wouldn't come to regret opening up to these people
Buffy didn't really know how to react, to say she was shocked would be an understatement. It made her realize how little she really knew about him, and she decided she had to change that. He was her boyfriend, after all. She won't make the same mistake she made with Angel, she won't let him keep her in the dark about his feelings and his past. She doesn't think that will be a problem though, Spike never stops talking and he doesn't lie to her. She just has to ask and he'll tell her.
She figured she must have been lost in thought longer than she realized because the conversation had obviously continued and now everyone is looking at her like they're waiting for her decision. The problem is, she has no clue what they were talking about.
"Sorry, I was being all Spacey Buffy. What are we talking about?"
Giles was giving her a weighing look, he noticed where she was staring, or rather, who she was staring at. He was sure there was something more going on there, and he'd decided he was going to get to the bottom of it. He likes Spike well enough, much more than he thought he'd ever like another vampire and a soulless one at that, but he doesn't like him enough to entrust him with his Slayer's heart.
"We were trying to decide on our plan of attack when it comes to Angelus."
"I'm thinking we're just going to take them head-on. It's three against three now, and we have the weapon."
"Watcher, come look at this" Spike called. Giles walked over and looked at the section Spike was pointing to.
"Buffy, please bring me the weapon, I think Spike found it." Buffy went over to where she stashed it and brought it over to the table. Giles looked at it then the book and back to the weapon again. "Yes, this is definitely it, with Sineya."
"The first Slayer?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, look." He handed her the book and they were right, it was a picture with the first Slayer holding the weapon.
"If that's it, it's described as a scythe and it was made from the same power a Slayer is made from. It's probably why it calls to you. It was made for you, or your kind, anyway."