A/N Part 2! Hope you enjoy it!

"Thanks for accompanying me home," Aisling said as they got into the Desoto and drove off. "Honestly this is so many different levels of stupidity. I've killed vampires."

"Your dad is just being cautious." Buffy said, "I mean… according to you, Drusilla is no joke."

Aisling sighed and leaned against her headrest. "I'll drop you off at your house. Vamps are fast but none are fast enough to keep up with my car."

"Ash—"

"Buffy." Aisling sighed, "Like it or not one of us is going to end up walking home alone, and my house is further away than yours."

"And…"

Aisling sighed, "Look. No one who lives near me is too eager to have the slayer snooping around."

Buffy looked at Aisling incredulously, "It's my job to take care of demons."

"Malevolent demons. The ones who live close to me are benevolent, the landlord is very strict about that."

"Doesn't he on occasion rent out to vampires?"

"Speaking of vampires." Aisling said, eager to change the subject, "What happened with that talk with Angel? From the looks of things, it lasts around two seconds."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but allowed the subject to change, "He lied." Buffy huffed, "Said he stayed in reading."

Aisling nodded as she made a sharp turn. "That doesn't sound good." She agreed. "Maybe you should just… tell him that you saw him and her talking together."

"Wish he'd just tell me the truth."

Aisling looked out the window and then back at Buffy. She wished she could advise Buffy but she didn't really know how. She'd never really dated. And the one boy she'd been seriously considering dating, she'd been forced to stake. "How was the walk with Ford?" She said changing the subject once again.

Buffy sighed a smile, the first smile since entering the car, played at her lips. "He knows."

Aisling stared at Buffy in surprise. She almost veered the car into the wrong lane before she righted her car. "What?"

"Yeah. Apparently, he figured it out back in Hemery." Buffy said.

"Huh." Aisling said, "And he never told you he knew?"

"No." Buffy said she looked at Aisling worriedly, "Why?"

"I don't know." Aisling said, "I mean he could have been waiting for you to just trust him enough to tell him yourself but…"

"I didn't tell him." Buffy said, "He's known."

Aisling sighed in leaned against the car. "I'm a paranoid girl with PTSD." Aisling said, "I'm sure there are 1000 reasons he never told you he knew that I'm not thinking of."

"It's nice to have another friend who's in the know." Buffy said, "Someone I trust."

"You trust him," Aisling said as she made another turn.

"Yeah." Buffy said, "Yeah I do." She looked at Aisling, "He's a good friend."

Aisling sighed, "Two years is a long time." She said. "Have you been in contact since you moved here?"

"Well… no not really," Buffy said. "But…"

Aisling sighed and leaned back as they parked in front of Buffy's house on Revello.

Buffy looked toward the house and back at Aisling. "Are you sure?"

Aisling shrugged, "Giles gave you the day off." She said, "I'm not planning on leaving my car for anything, and I'll park as close to the apartment as possible."

Buffy hugged Aisling tightly, "Be safe." She ordered, "And call me the moment you get home. So, I know you're safe."

Aisling smiled, "I will." Buffy quickly got out of the door and shut the door quickly and Aisling didn't waste any time to drive off, she hadn't even put the car in park when she stopped in front of Buffy's house.

She quickly did a U-turn and then hurried as quickly as was legal back home.

"Hey da'" Aisling said as she walked through the door and placed her purse on the chair by the dining room table.

"Hey, Bit," Spike said looking up from the couch a laptop was resting on his lap as he was typing away.

Aisling curiously walked over and leaned over his shoulder.

. "Hey, hey, Hey!" Spike immediately closed the laptop and turned to her annoyed. "You know better than to read over my shoulder."

"Sorry." Aisling said, "I was curious."

"I know. Still. No." Spike said.

"Ok." Aisling said, "What are you writing? Prose or Poems?"

"Thought I'd try my hand at poetry?"

Aisling grinned and giggled, "Yay!" She said hugging him tightly. "Yay! YAY! YAY!"

"Ok… hey. Ow." Spike said, Aisling immediately pulled away looking represent. "It's not a big deal Bit."

"You haven't written poetry in years." She said, "I know it's your real passion." She said, "Well… outside of monster fighting."

"I wouldn't go that far," Spike said.

"Ok. but you enjoy poetry more than prose." Aisling said, "Just curious what made you want to try poetry again?" Aisling asked. During the slow days, Spike would write in his room when Aisling was off at school. He'd even gotten published a few times but only ever did his prose get published, never his poetry and eventually stopped writing poetry together.

He eventually sold a manuscript about A vampire who raised a human girl two years before, a book they were still collecting royalties on. Thank goodness doing so meant they could at least continue paying rent and buying food.

"That is true." Spike said, "Too bad I'm bad at it."

"Hey. No. That's not why you write poetry." Aisling said, "Isn't that what you told me? You write not because it's good, but because you have something to say?"

Spike looked up at Aisling, "Why do you always retain the things that don't matter but never retain the things that mean your safety?'

"I retain them." Aisling said, "I just… don't find much stalk in them."

"Yeah. I've noticed." Spike said dryly.

Aisling laughed, "Want me to make you anythin'?" She asked. "I'm hungry too."

Spike's stomach started to growl, and he looked down embarrassed, "I forgot about food."

"I'll get you the biggest mug we have," Aisling said as she turned toward the kitchen. "What kind of blood do you want today? Animal, human, yesterday was delivery day so I managed to get some unexpired blood… for like two days."

Spike sighed, "Human please." He said then he frowned, "You know I don't like you risking that."

"Risking what?" Aisling said her back to him as she rifled through the fridge, "It's not a big deal, you know a lot of hospitals sell the blood they no longer have use for." She said. "Especially in this vampire town."

"Yes. But delivery often happens after nightfall." Spike said he eyed Aisling from where he could see her from the window between the kitchen and the dining room, "You told me you were with friends the other night."

"I was." Aisling said she pulled out a blood bag and closed the door, "I convinced Angel to accompany me to the hospital to buy some blood. He seemed shocked at the under-the-table selling the hospital as doing." She dumped the blood into Spike's favourite mug.

"Course he was," Spike snorted. "I mean… how dare the hospital do anything to try and limit the number of vampires biting humans."

Aisling laughed as she placed the mug in the microwave and set the time for 61 seconds exactly, "Yeah… I mean not every human knows how to wield a stake so you do what you can."

"Exactly," Spike said.

Aisling leaned against the counter, "A friend of Buffy's showed up at school today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…" Aisling said,

"How do you feel about that?"

Aisling scoffed, "Oh come on don't try to psychoanalyze. Leave that for the therapists."

"Going to tell the therapist about it?"

"What, that I miss my friends from Los Vegas." Aisling asked, "I think she's still trying to process what I told her about that on Halloween."

"I mean… you were mentally regressed back to a time when you were at your most vulnerable." Spike said. "It makes sense that she'd be concerned."

Aisling roiled her eyes, "Sure, but like it's been a couple of weeks, I'm over it shouldn't she?" Aisling said, "And anyway… we're talking about my friends."

Spike sighed but he could tell when a conversation wasn't worth continuing. "DO you want to invite them over?"

The timer on the microwave went off and Aisling quickly turned and pulled the mug out of the microwave, while she thought of the proper response.

"I mean…" Aisling sighed, "On the one hand… yes. Yes. I do. I want them over. I want to be with Jackson, and Don." Aisling crumpled up some Weetabix and sprinkled it into the blood, before taking out Spike's spoon and stirring the Weetabix in with the blood., "But… with Drusilla out and about…"

"It's complicated."

"It's dangerous." Aisling said tossing the spoon into the sink, "I don't want my friends anywhere near here until it's over." she said as she exited the kitchen.

"Thank you," Spike said, taking the mug of blood from her. He took a deep sip. "You even put in some Weetabix, Ta' Bit."

Aisling smiled, "I know you Da'" she said.

"Anyway," Spike said, "If you wanted to go visit them." Spike said, "For a weekend or so… I'm sure Jackson's mum wouldn't mind having you over for a few days."

If you ever wanted to know just how unconventional a father Spike was that line right there would have told you. Not the blood-drinking. Not the fighting demons. That line.

"Pretty modern of you.," Aisling teased. "You trust me and Jackson to sleep under the same roof."

Spike gave her a look. "Should I be worried?"

Aisling immediately dropped her smile and a flush began to creep onto her cheeks. "No." She said, "Besides I've slept over at his place loads of times."

"Yes." Spike said, "Yes you have. And so long as you and he sleep in different rooms. And you're not being stupid. I trust you. And I trust him."

Aisling sighed and leaned down. "You've really left behind your Victorian lifestyle haven't you?"

"You've stayed at his place multiple times," Spike said. "Sleepovers. And if you stay in the guest room. And his parents are there. I don't see the issue."

Aisling sat up. "I'm going to call them."

"Tell Jackson 'Hi' for me!" Spike called.

"Hey, Ash." The familiar voice said.

"Hey Jackson," Aisling said as she jumped onto her bed and lay down. "How you've been."

"Last Full moon was fine." Jackson said, "Don was here we played games until the sun went down. Then we went to bed."

"Just Don?" Aisling said, "Crystal wasn't there?"

"Yeah it's weird," Jackson said, "Crystal hasn't been around for a while. We thought she was getting better regarding her brother's death but then she just… stopped showing up to school."

Aisling frowned, "That doesn't quite sound like her." Crystal was the type of girl who took days off school – mental health days she called them. "How long has it been?"

"Two months." Jackson, "We've spoken to her, and she seems fine… she just… doesn't come to class."

Aisling winced, "Maybe…" She sighed and shook her head, "I don't know what to say."

"It's not your fault," Jackson said.

"I killed her brother."

"No." Jackson insisted, "No. He was trying to kill you. You just… defended yourself and Crystal."

Aisling leaned against her bed and sighed. "Everyone says that." She said. "Only Crystal holds me accountable for what happened. As she should."

"He wanted to turn you."

"Would that have been so bad? I've met some vampires and they…they're not all psychopaths." Aisling paused. "Ok most of them are. They all don't think twice about killing if they have to. But…"

"Ash," Jackson said. "Your father is 1 in a billion. It's ok to acknowledge that. It's ok to not want to be like him. Because you know you'll be different." He paused. "Ok that came out weird but you know what I mean."

Aisling chuckled, "Yeah. I do."

"Besides you and I both know that Your dad would be devastated if you became a vampire."

"You darn right I would!" Spike called from the living.

"Turn off your ears!" Aisling called back before she returned to her phone call. "Nice to know his senses are still insanely strong."

Jackson laughed warmly. "Never change Ash," Jackson told her. "I mean that."

"I'll probably change a little."

"I know," Jackson said. "Never lose what makes you."

Aisling sighed and thought of Prague, and Drusilla." Aisling sighed, "I think there are something's you'd want me to shed if you knew about them."

Jackson went quiet for a long moment, "You're probably right." HE said. "But… don't let anyone else forcibly change you into something you don't want to be. Change on your own merit."

Aisling sighed and nodded before remembering that on the phone Jackson couldn't see her. "I'll do my best." She looked outside and then at her clock. "I should let you go." She said. "It's late."

"Want me to sing you to sleep?" Jackson teased.

Aisling blushed deeply. "Mmm." She said. "Yeah." She said, honestly. "Yeah, I would."

"Alright," Jackson said. "Get ready for bed and I'll sing you a lullaby."

"Ok," Aisling said as she placed the phone face down and hurried around her room to change as quickly as possible. She knew Spike was likely waiting to discuss her fears but she also knew that he wouldn't want to discuss them while Jackson was on the line.

She jumped back onto her bed and grabbed the phone and pressed it against her ear. "Ready."

Jackson laughed, "I feel like a father, putting his child to sleep."

Aisling chuckled, "I feel safe." She said.

"I'm glad."

"Don't think I don't know why you let Jackson sing you to sleep," Spike said.

Aisling rolled her eyes as she fiddled with the zipper on her backpack. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is that you can hear my private conversation?"

"It's not like I can just shut my ears off."

"Wow," Aisling said unimpressed. "It's not like you don't have headphones and music you can listen to."

"Aisling," Spike said unimpressed.

"Da'" Aisling said in the exact same tone

Spike chuckled for a moment before he became all serious again. "In all seriousness… do you want to talk about it? About Tyler? Crystal?"

Aisling looked at her toes. "Not really." She said, "It's… it's not… I mean it is a big deal. But…"

"I know." Spike said his eyes full of sympathy, "I'm so sorry. You were too young to have to deal with that."

Aisling sighed, "Not that young." She said she eyed the clock. "School starts soon. Will you be, ok?"

"Yes, Bit." Spike said, "I'll be ok. Are You?"

Aisling smiled, "Yep. Bye Da'" She said as she all but ran out the door.

"Hey, Willow," Aisling said as she walked up to the redhead.

Willow turned around looking surprised and apprehensive. "Oh. Hey Aisling." She said, "Say you haven't seen that new guy Ford have you."

"No…?" Aisling said confused. "Why?" She nudged her in the arm. "Did you find something odd about him on the deep web?"

"What?" Willow said looking at her terrified. "Oh… you were making a joke. No. No, I haven't I found nothing."

Aisling tilted her head confused, "Umm… ok." She said as they reached the fountain.

"Willow!" Willow jolted as though she wanted to run.

"It's ok." Aisling said confused, "It's just Buffy and Ford. Everything alright Willow? You seem Jumpy. Do you need to lie down?"

"No," Willow said with a laugh. "No, I'm fine perfectly fine."

"Ok…" Buffy said. "Do you want to hang out? We're cafeteria-bound."

"No. I'm going to go do work in the computer lab on school work that I have so I cannot hang just now. Hi Ford."

Aisling tilted her head confused.

"Good Morning."

"Ok, Will, Fess up."

"What?" Willow said her expression fearful for a moment before it chilled.

"Were you drinking coffee again? Cause we've talked about this."

Willow laughed nervously. "It makes me jumpy." She said to Ford. "I have to go. Away." Willow then turned and walked off.

"Nice Girl," Ford said to Buffy.

"There aren't two of those in the world." Buffy turned to Aisling, "What about you?"

"Homework." Aisling said, "Essay due in History, next week. And Dad's been hogging the laptop."

"For what?"

"Writing?" Aisling said with a grin. "Which I am in no way going to discourage so… computer lab it is."

"Buffy." Giles showed up hand in his pocket as he fished around for something. "Um… yes, uh, Ms. Calendar and I are going somewhere tonight," He finally found what he was looking for in his breast pocket. "And she's given me the number of her beeper thingies," He handed it to Buffy, "Uh, in case you need me for, um…" he gave a half glance to Ford, "Study help uh suddenly."

"He knows Giles," Buffy said as Giles bent down to collect his belongings.

"What?" Giles said a hint of worry in his tone.

"Ford knows I'm the slayer."

"Yeah." Ford said, "I figured it out back in Hemery."

"Figured it out?" Giles said, "So Buffy did not tell you?"

"No Giles," Buffy said with amused annoyance. "He figured it out."

"Oh Good, Right then. If you—"

"Go.' Buffy urged, "Experience this thing called fun. I'll try not to have a crisis."

"So," Aisling said as she entered the computer lab. Willow jumped in her seat. "What are you actually hiding from Buffy?"

"What makes you think I'm hiding anything?" Willow asked, "I mean… it could be nothing."

"Will…" Aisling said amused as she sat down by the monitor right beside Willow, "Come on, you were acting all… what's the word Buffy uses? Wiggy?"

"It's the caffeine?"

Aisling looked at Willow amused, before she turned on the Monitor. "They why did you phrase that like a question?" She typed in her password and turned back to Willow as it loaded.

Willow huffed, "OK, fine. Angel visited my house last night. Asking me to look up information on Ford."

Aisling blinked before she snorted, "Huh. Jealous boyfriend much?"

Willow winced, "I mean… I did bring that up. But… that wasn't the weird part."

Aisling tilted her head. "Then what was the weird part?"

Willow looked back at the computer screen before she sighed. "You know how Ford said that he was going to start at Sunnydale High?"

"Yeah…?"

Willow looked back at the screen, and back at Aisling, expression uneasy, "Well… I couldn't find any documents that suggested he was even registered at Sunnydale."

Aisling's brow furrowed, "So he lied to Buffy?" Aisling asked. "IF they're friends… why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Willow said as she began typing away on the computer. "Angel asked me to keep quiet about what we found until we knew more. Don't want to cause Buffy grief if we don't want to."

Aisling looked off to the side before she met Willow's eyes. "But if he's hiding something nefarious… it could hurt her if she's caught unawares."

"I know." Willow insisted, "And she'll be told just as soon as we have something more substantial. I mean just because he's not registered… like… ok… so he's lying but it doesn't mean that.'

"Willow," Aisling said putting a hand on hers. "Take a deep breath."

Willow took a deep breath and then slowly let it out.

"You're safe." Aisling said, "I'm not going to yell alright? I'm just… I'm just trying to understand."

Willow nodded though she still looked uneasy. "But you disagree."

"Yes," Aisling said. "I do. I can do that, and still not hate you." Aisling turned her attention back to the monitor of her computer and eyed the time. "Yeesh. I only have half an hour to work on the essay."

Willow chuckled as Aisling immediately started opening the document and started typing away quickly.

"Don't you need your notes?"

Aisling laughed, "Not at the moment. I'm just trying to get the first paragraph, and the first paragraph is basically me discussing the argument I'm trying to prove. With… maybe a quote or two which I already have in my head." She said as her fingers flew across the keys.

"Need any help?" Willow said.

"Umm," Aisling said. "Thank you. But I already have an idea of how I'm going to do this. If I need help I'll let you know." She looked back at Willow. "But thank you for the offer, I do appreciate it."

Willow didn't say anything to that, instead, she just turned back to her computer and started typing. Aisling started typing away on her computer.

She'd been able to write a few sentences before she heard Willow speak. "Huh," Willow said as she stared at the screen.

Aisling didn't stop typing, "What?"

"Well… I can't find a single paper trail on Ford. Except for one thing." Willow said.

Aisling stopped typing and turned to Willow confused, she stood to look at the screen. "Sunset Club." Aisling said, "Sounds like a vampire wannabe thing."

Willow turned to Aisling her brow furrowed. "Those things exist?"

"Yeah." Aisling said, "Came across one while Dad and I were in England one year…. It was an interesting time."

"England?" Willow said, interested, before she shook her head. "Not important." She looked at Aisling. "So… clubs like that exist?"

Aisling nodded, "Nine times out of ten, the club members believe that vampires are just lonely and exalted, and they have no desire to hurt anyone." Aisling rolled her eyes.

Willow stood and quickly shut her computer off, "I have to go." She said.

"Dad hates these kinds of clubs." Aisling sighed as they made their way to the aforementioned club. "Thinks they're dumb."

"He's not wrong," Aisling said.

"Speaking of what exactly did your dad say when he found out we're checking out a potential vamp lovers club?"

"He laughed," Aisling said. "Like I said nine times out of 10 these vamp lovers have no desire to hurt anyone they just think vampires are good people who have no desire to hurt anyone. Which… probably says more about them than it does about actual vampires."

"Yeah, that there morons"

"And harmless." Aisling said, "I mean… for the most part."

They approached the club house place thing and knocked on the door. A cover flipped open, and a pair of eyes stared back at them.

"We're friends of Ford's," Angel said.

The cover flipped back down, and the door opened to a metal staircase that led below.

"Ooohkay." Aisling said, "Definitely vampire-esque."

"Does look very Vampire-yay."

"Could be goth-y." Aisling said, "But given this is Sunnydale on a Hellmouth…"

"Yeah. Unlikely."

"You're new here aren't you."

They turned around to see a light blonde girl approach them.

"Oh no, we're all so for the vampires and the turning and…"

Aisling rolled her eyes and stabbed in, "Sort of." Aisling said, "I was… aware of something like this back in Nevada." Aisling, "Checked it out once or twice but it was never really my thing."

"Oh." The girl said, "Well what changed your mind."

"Didn't really." Aisling tilted her head at her friends, "These two got curious, I'd heard about the Sunset Group from a friend named Ford. He told me where it was though, since he couldn't really make it today."

"Ford! Yeah." The girl said, "Word has it he made a deal with a group of vampires that will allow us to be exalted."

Aisling blinked surprised, "Oh yeah?" She said stepping forward to block Xander and Willow's faces so that the woman didn't see their shocked faces. "Tell us more?" Aisling said.

"Of course."

"What's your name?" Aisling asked with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't catch it."

"Chanterelle." She said.

"Aisling." She said holding out her hand. She gave Chantarelle a dazzling smile. "Tell me more about this deal?"

"Wow." Aisling said, "Just… wow."

"So, Ford made some kind of deal with a vampire or two that are going to turn them all into Vampires."

"According to Chanterelle." Aisling said, "But it's possible she was lied to,"

"You think Ford made the deal just for himself?"

"I think…" Aisling paused and bit her lip. "That we have to look at all possibilities before drawing any and all conclusions."

Angel sighed, "Well no matter what is going on, I think Buffy should know." He said, "We finally have proof that Ford isn't who he says he is."

Aisling looked at him with pity.

Angel looked at Aisling, "I'll walk you to your car, get these two home and then I'll go speak to Buffy."

Aisling eyes widened before she waved her hands as she stepped away, "Ok, hey Dead boy. I can walk home on my own."

"Drusilla is dangerous in ways normal vampires are not." Angel said, "She can hypnotize you into doing whatever she wants."

"And what makes you safe from her." Xander stepped in.

Angel sighed.

"He's 200 years old Xander," Aisling stepped in to protect Angel from answering. She wasn't entirely sure why. She knew part of it had to do with not wanting a screaming match in the middle of the street, "You don't think he's figured out a few ways to protect himself from mind control?"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever."

Angel and the others walked Aisling to her car, watched as she entered the car, and then eyed her as she drove away.

A/N Hope you enjoyed that! Please leave a review. Let me know what you loved. What you hated. And everything in between.