Time and Time Again.
Author: Citanul
Feedback: Be kind, rewind? Seriously though all feedback is welcome.
Spoilers: Just about all of them. Go watch the show. And Angel too. Also Agents of Shield a little bit. You know what, if a name you don’t recognize pops up most of the time you can find dozens of pages of character bio if you type that name and the word comics into Wikipedia. It’s almost scary how much page space comic book fans have taken up on that site.
Rating: NC-17 = Smutty smut smut smut. Seriously though they make love quite often.
Pairings: W/T, B/F, G/J, D/J, F/G, A/?, X/C (X/A in half the worlds.) D/C (Though not till they’re older and even then maybe not so much with the graphic detail.)
Disclaimer: You all know I don’t own the rights to characters you’ve seen on TV.
Summary: A story of reincarnation and interdimensional travel made possible through the power of love. What misfortunes will our two favorite love birds be able to prevent with the aid of experience from countless past lives?
Author’s Note: So we've come to the episode where Willow and Oz breakup because of reasons but then later they get back together while Xander and Cordy don't live happily ever aft... Wait. That's not what happens at all in this version of the story. Okay maybe some of it is the same. In any case here is a story about a bunch of characters volunteering for escort missions.
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Chapter 29: Lovers Walk
“Oh my god Will!” Buffy said as she and her redheaded best friend walked out the front doors of the school. “I can’t believe we haven’t gotten a chance to talk about this yet but oh my god!” She finished with a delighted squeal.
“So I take it the girly lovin’ is agreeing with you Buff.” Willow replied with a wry smile. She and the Slayer sat down on one of the stone benches along the main walkway in front of the school and faced each other.
“It is!” Buffy cried out in joy before looking around nervously at the handful of amused stares her outburst had drawn. “It so is.” The Slayer continued quietly. “God Will, I had no idea before Faith, you know. Even with the way you and Tara were always cuddling and sneaking off I had no idea. I mean, on some level a part of me thought it was just about kissing and hand holding. Boy was I wrong.”
“I’m so proud of you Buffy.” Willow said with a smile that practically beamed out all the joy and pride she was feeling for her friend. “Tara and I were so worried about you in the early days. There were a few worlds at the start where your love life was the main thing holding you back. And then, out of no where, Faith admitted that she had loved you from the first moment she saw you walking through the gates of our city. It all made sense. The mistakes and grudges she made in our first life. The way she always tried to have you all to herself. She was in love with you from day one and none of us were smart enough to see it.”
“I still can’t believe it sometimes.” Buffy admitted. She let a remorseful grimace cross her face before another smile overcame her completely. “I have a soulmate. Someone who loves me in all those different dimension thingies you keep talking about. And she is so beautiful.”
“Trust me Buffy.” Willow said with a wink and a nudge to the Slayer’s shoulder. “The feeling is completely mutual. She thinks you’re the, and I quote, “most beautiful girl on the fucking planet.” She said so the first night we brought her home.”
“She did?” Buffy asked as a starry eyed, love struck look came over her. A moment passed before a look of confusion took its place. “Wait. The first night she came home with you guys? Oh god, you mean the night you had to save me from that horrible snake demon in the basement of the Kappa Zeta Douchebag house?”
“Yup. Plus it’s good to know that Faith’s knack for nicknames is rubbing off on you.” Willow said with a grin. “But I seem to recall you had the rescuing handled pretty well yourself.”
“Oh that is so embarrassing.” Buffy muttered to herself. “To think, my girlfriend saw me like that before we even knew each other’s names.”
“Illuminated by candle light in a dark and mysterious cavern. Half broken shackles hanging off your wrists. Fighting off waves of pathetic men who had no clue how much you outclassed them. Watching you use a bright and shiny long sword to cut a centuries old demonic serpent in half. I think you made a pretty good first impression on her.” Willow assured the worried Slayer.
“You don’t think I embarrassed myself too much with all that?” Buffy asked in an almost timid tone.
“Goddess no Buffy.” Willow replied with a laugh. “Faith was in awe of you. I won’t say what she called herself but right after she said you were so beautiful she got really depressed about how she knew you’d never return her feelings.”
“What did she say?” Buffy asked with sudden iron in her voice.
“Someone like you would never lower themselves to be with someone like her.” Willow admitted. “Faith spent the better part of the night crying herself to sleep after we got her to admit her feelings to us.”
“I keep telling her to stop that.” Buffy said as a depressed lull came over their otherwise cheery conversation. “Sometimes I just want to stake whoever it was that convinced her she was nothing but street trash. I hate that she doesn’t see how amazing she is. I can’t stand the thought that someone out there made her doubt herself. That they got away with hurting my Faith.”
By the end the Slayer’s voice was tight and her fists were clenched. Though few could understand why they did so, all of the students walking out of the school began to walk further and further off to either side of the bench where the Slayer sat. The witch smiled darkly as she noticed an ever widening circle devoid of foot traffic around their bench. Even with their senses dulled by the hellmouth most of their classmates had enough survival instincts left to subconsciously avoid an enraged Slayer.
“Now you know how I feel about Tara’s father and brother.” Willow said in a tone just slightly darker than the one the Slayer had used. “What that filth did to my Tara…” Willow shuddered as she suppressed the urge to humor her darker instincts. Buffy swore she caught a glimpse of something that almost frightened her. A sudden darkness filled the redhead’s green eyes for an instant. Buffy reached a hand out to her friend and the shadows clouding her emerald eyes vanished just as quickly as they had appeared.
“Will, I swear to you, if he ever shows up looking for Tara and Jennifer, I’ll stop him.” Buffy promised. “I won’t kill him. Not unless both your girl and your mother in law ask me to really nicely. But I’ll make him regret even thinking about coming after them.”
“Thanks Buff.” Willow said as she blinked the last shreds of anger and remorse out of her green eyes. She smiled once more as she looked to the Slayer. “I know I can always count on you.”
“I want more details on my girl’s first night in this awful town.” Buffy changed the subject with a renewed smile. “What brought on all her talk about how beautiful I am?”
“We asked her the question we ask all the potentials we plan to unlock.” Willow replied with a lighter smile. “What do you think of Buffy?”
“Really?” Buffy asked with surprise and no small amount of awed pride in her voice. “And she told you she loved me right there?”
“She tried to hide it for a minute or two.” Willow admitted. “But she couldn’t deny her heart.”
“I barely spoke to her that night.” Buffy said as she thought back to the brief greeting they shared during the car ride home.
“You made quite the impression on her.” Willow added. “She was in love from the first moment she saw you. All we had to do was give her the slightest glimmer of hope and we knew she would stay with us.”
“What did Alonna say when you asked her that question?” Buffy wondered as she and Willow’s eyes met once more.
“Oh that was just as striking in a completely different way.” Willow said in a cheerful voice as she recalled the morning after they had first met the ebony Slayer. “She wanted to be everything you were and more. She wanted the power and the authority of the chosen one. She hated being so helpless when if came to fighting off the vampires her brother’s group faced night after night. She wanted to be strong enough to protect all the people she loved.”
“She got all of that from meeting me?” Buffy asked in wonder as she thought about the first young woman who had decided to willingly share her burden.
“And then some.” Willow said with another smile. “Like I said, you make an impression Buffy.”
As the Slayer pondered her impact on others a familiar set of strong arms wound their way around her waist. Buffy turned her head back slightly to see her girl throw one leg over the bench as she sat down right behind the blonde. Each Slayer melted into the other’s embrace.
“Mmm, hi Honey.” Buffy murmured in perfectly content joy as she saw Tara slide in behind Willow in much the same way as Faith had with her.
“Hi yourself B.” Faith replied with a smirk as she placed a delicate kiss at the base of Buffy’s neck. “You get your test scores back yet?”
“Yeah.” Buffy replied as she held up her score sheet.
“Hot damn but I’m dating the brainiest chick there ever did was.” Faith cooed with the appreciative whistle of a slack jawed yokel.
“Easy there Cletus.” Buffy replied with a half hearted eye roll.
“The purdiest too.” Faith added with a light peck on Buffy’s cheek. “Looks like the Mom Squad is gonna be happy with all of our scores.” The brunette said as she handed her score sheet to her girlfriend.
“Wow Faith, you scored as high as Buffy did!” Willow squealed in excitement once Buffy handed the paper on to her. “You guys kicked ass!”
Tara let out an amused chuckle as the Slayers gave the redhead matching looks. “Okay, so academic achievement gets me a little excited.” Willow said in a much more measured tone.
“It’s okay Sweetie.” Tara whispered into Willow’s ear as her hands briefly tightened around her love’s waist. “I love it when you get all excited.”
“Oooh, Baby.” Willow moaned appreciatively as Tara’s breath warmed her pale neck.
“I’m just sayin’ it may hurt my standing as campus stud if people find out I’m dating a brain.” Xander said a little too loudly as he and Cordelia walked up to the bench filled with Slayers and witches.
“Oh please Xander,” Cordelia said with an exasperated huff, “I have some experience in covering these things up.”
“And how did you fine ladies do on the test?” He asked as he stood besides his four closest friends. “Buffy, Faith, am I gonna have company manning the drive thru window?”
“Nope.” Buffy said as she and her girlfriend held up their score sheets for him to see. “Looks like you’re on ya own X man.” Faith added with a grin that matched her girl’s.
“What about you two?” Cordelia asked the witches. “I can’t imagine Rosenberg scoring below two thousand, or dating someone who couldn’t almost keep up with her GPA for that matter.”
“Very funny Cordy, but Tara and I did just fine.” Willow said as she and her everything held up their sheets for the others to see.
“Holy shit Will!” Xander cried out as he saw the bold printed number on the paper.
“Will, you got a prefect score!” Buffy exclaimed in shock. “I thought they made it so no one got perfect scores.”
“And you didn’t do so bad yourself Blondie.” Faith added as she glanced over to Tara’s sheet. “That thirty points shy of Red’s score makes me think you’ve been holding out on us.”
“Oh, it’s nothing Faith.” Tara blushed slightly and almost hid her face in Willow’s shoulder length crimson locks, but she couldn’t help the almost proud smirk that covered her face. “Willow and I have taken these kinds of tests so many times its not even funny anymore. Willow almost always gets a perfect score.”
“Almost?” Buffy asked with a curious smile.
“Some worlds have unrealistic expectations about grading curves.” Willow said a little too defensively.
“Willow is a natural at these tests.” Tara added as she gave her everything a comforting squeeze. “Plus I’ve been around her so much that, well, some things rubbed off.”
“Mmm, that’s not the only thing.” Willow said with a lurid whisper as she leaned back into Tara.
“And there they go again.” Buffy said as she turned back to Xander and Cordelia. “I don’t know what I’m gonna tell my mom about this.”
“What’s to tell?” Xander asked. “She’ll be thrilled.”
“This is great, now you can leave and never come back!” Cordelia said a little too excitedly. The stunned and bewildered looks the others gave her only drew a confused expression from the cheerleader. “What? I mean that in a positive way. Get out of Sunnydale. That’s a good thing. This town sucks.”
“She’s got a point there.” Faith muttered with a light smirk.
“Yeah, but most of us are gonna be stuck here for a while.” Willow said with a forlorn sigh. “I’ll help you break the news to your mom Buffy.”
“Will, with these kinds of scores the four of us can go anywhere.” Buffy said.
“And if he don’t mind stripping to pay for part of the gas bill we can probably bring the Xan man along for the ride.” Faith added with an exaggerated eyebrow waggle towards the dark haired boy.
“We could.” Willow said after a brief pause. “We could go anywhere we wanted. Do anything we wanted…”
“But then the world would end.” Tara finished the statement her always had left open.
Grim resignation settled over the Scooby gang. For all they had accomplished, they each knew there were many threats left that they couldn’t simply walk away from. Two of them had a much clearer idea of how many were left. They both dreaded the inevitabilities lying in wait for their family on the road ahead.
“We’ll be done with this town sooner than you guys know.” Willow promised in a voice she hoped sounded convincing. “And on that day we’ll all leave and never look back. Just not today.”
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“So how long have they been goin’ at it?” Rondell asked in a bored tone as he walked into the concierge office of the Hyperion Hotel. As he went over to pick up one of the many books lying open on the table the others, already deeply engage in research, gave him a series of noncommittal shrugs and glances.
The only person to reply to the question with confusion looked up at the young man and then out the doorway he had entered through. As the watcher’s eyes fell upon the Slayer and the newest redhead to join their ranks he frowned in exasperation.
“Girls, I dare say we could use your help in here.” Wesley called out in what he thought to be a firm tone. When the Englishman’s plea was resoundingly ignored he simply rolled his eyes and returned to his research.
“Let ‘em make out.” Gunn said as he flipped through one of the large source books they had claimed from the law firm’s vault. “Al always takes her time with the honeymoon part of the relationship. Right Sis?” He finished with a loud call to his sister without turning around to face in her direction. He smiled. The looks from the others around the large desk confirmed his expectation that his sister’s only response had been one solitary raised finger.
“Yo English, you should really get used to this kinda stuff if you’re gonna keep being Al’s watcher.” Rondell said with a chuckle. “Al don’t really sleep around or nothin’, but she ain’t exactly what you could call celibate.”
“Right.” Wesley murmured as he once more glanced up to his charge and then back to the young men who had known her the longest. “This is going to take some getting used to.”
“What?” Rondell asked in annoyance. “You and your council never had a gay Slayer before?”
Before the Englishman could answer two bursts of laughter came from across the room. “Council rules dictate that the Slayer is to abstain from interpersonal relationships with members of the general public. At best any such dalliance is a distraction from her training and at worst the civilian in question will inevitably be taken hostage and used against the chosen one, and just what do you two find so amusing?” Wesley asked in a clearly annoyed tone as he turned towards the two men snickering off to one side of the desk.
“Oh, nothing much.” Doyle said as he continued to chuckle. “Just the idea of a watcher not knowing about gay Slayers is too funny.”
“I assume Slayers are just as likely as the rest of the general population to favor their own sex over the other.” Wesley said with a straight face that only set the half demon and the vampire off into fits of laughter again. “In any case, while it may be clear that Alonna is not going to adhere to some of the rules regarding her personal life that doesn’t mean she can shirk her sacred duties, and why are you two still laughing?”
“Oh Wes.” Angel said as he let his mirth die down for a moment. “You really don’t know do you?”
“Know what?” Wesley snapped at the vampire as his patience wore ever thinner.
“About how likely Slayers are to “favor their own sex” as you put it.” Doyle replied with a chuckle. “They are way above the national average if you know what I mean.”
“What?” Wesley asked in utter confusion as the heads of the young men around the table suddenly looked up at the Irishman’s statement.
“How do you guys know about this when watcher boy doesn’t?” Gunn asked.
“Word gets around in the demon community.” Doyle said with a wry smile.
“Especially if you’re a vampire that’s smart enough to last past that first century.” Angel added with a knowing grin. “It’s usually the second thing you hear right after you learn what the Slayer is. The Slayer will almost always fight harder to protect a beautiful young woman. Most of the time, when a lone vampire survives their nest being wiped out by the Slayer, they come away with stories of the Slayer picking a survivor out of the left over snack pile and nursing them back to health.”
“The lucky morsel is almost always said to be a young woman around the Slayer’s age or slightly older and extremely beautiful by any human standards.” Doyle added. “You seriously didn’t know about this Wes?”
“That’s, I never, how often did you say this happens?” Wesley stammered until he decided to ask the most pertinent of follow up questions.
“Damn, looks like there’s something about Slayers your council don’t know jack about.” Rondell said with a brief laugh at Wesley’s expense.
“Or they know and they don’t want everyone finding out.” Gunn said before looking back to Angel and Doyle. “So what are we talking about here? One in every ten Slayers likes the ladies? One in five?”
“Two out of three.” Angel and Doyle said in unison.
“Preposterous! The council would have known…” Wesley snapped before trailing off and looking back to the ebony girl making out with the redhead perched in her lap. “Are you certain?”
“The average Slayer only lasts a year or so at best. Six or seven times a decade a new story makes the rounds at all the demon hangouts.” Angel said as he looked up from the sketch pad he had been focusing on throughout the conversation. “The Slayer wiped out all my boys and before I ran I saw her snatch up one of the humans we were going to eat.” The same story time and time again. One vamp got lucky and ran away. A few humans didn’t get eaten. The Slayer takes the prettiest girl out of the group home with her. And every time the dumb rookie has no idea why all the demons in the bar just roll their eyes at him.”
“It’s actually pretty funny if the council doesn’t know about something literally every demon with a working brain and ears has known about since forever.” Doyle remarked.
“And do the demons and vampires that know about this ever try to use it to their advantage?” Wesley asked as his mind filled with all the implications of frequent female hostages being taken from the Slayer’s protection.
“Well like we said.” Doyle began with slight smirk. “The smart ones that last a while are the ones who hear about it the most.”
“And the dumb ones?” Gunn asked as he suddenly understood what his sister would do to any evil thing that looked twice at her girl.
“They don’t survive the first time they try to capture any girl marked with the Slayer’s scent.” Angel replied as he fixed each of the humans with a knowing look. “Even if they kill the girl not one of them has survived the Slayer’s wrath after finding a dead mate. And if they were dumb enough to sire her, well.”
“Let’s just say the rest of the local demons do the smart thing and leave town.” Doyle affirmed. “Hell, if Ginny over there turned up undead I’d hop in a car and make one stop at Caritas to pick up Lorne on my way out of town.”
“Al wouldn’t come after you Irish.” Gunn said as he stared at the man in shock.
“I’m never going to put a grief stricken Slayer who just staked her lover to the test.” Doyle said in a firmer tone. “Whole clans have been wiped out of existence for doing that.”
“So everyone who has been around long enough has helped spread the word that any girl the Slayer boinks is off limits.” Rondell said after taking a moment to go over the news.
“And you never make a gay joke while facing a Slayer on patrol.” Angel added. “Every vampire dumb enough or bigoted enough to ask the Slayer about the last time she scored some trim has died horribly and slowly.” The vampire put extra emphasis on the last three words as he finished another drawing. He tore the sheet of paper from the pad, dropped it to the floor and brought the pencil up to begin anew.
“Usually screaming and in pieces.” Doyle said in a tone that sent a chill down Wesley’s and Rondell’s spines. Gunn just glanced back to his sister with a smile. If so many members of the demon community had made the decision to actively stay out of his sister’s love life then she and Virginia might have a shot at happiness. A part of him hoped for nothing less.
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“Darla?” The watcher asked quietly as he poked his head into the poorly lit room. He had made a habit of checking up on the petite blonde whenever the sorcerer’s plans called for her to remain hidden in the warehouse. The fact that the room they had set aside for the former vampire lay just down the hall from his quarters on the warehouse’s second floor made his doting all the easier.
As he looked around the darkened room he immediately came to the conclusion that something was not right. The tattered curtains drawn over the solitary window let little daylight inside as was usual. What actually was unusual was that each of the room’s few lamps remained dark. The one by the door had even fallen over causing the watcher to almost trip over its long narrow shaft as he entered. “Bloody hell!” The watcher muttered as he looked up from the displaced lamp to take in the general state of disarray.
The mattress was sprawled over one side of the bed. One end lay on the floor beside a messy, crumpled tangle of sheets. The small table set to the far side of the room was overturned. The two chairs that always sat beside it were on their backs. One chair was missing a leg. Drawers had been torn out of the short dresser set along one wall and the large mirror that had once taken up the wall space above that dresser now lay in ruins all over the floor. The watcher looked out over the countless jagged shards of glass that once made up the vanity mirror and shuddered fearfully. Darla’s bedroom had been ransacked.
“Hello Smith.” The deceptively soft voice came from one darkened corner of the room. The watcher nearly jumped out of his own skin as he spun to face the small woman.
“Darla!” He cried out in an almost panicked voice as he rushed to the woman’s side. “What the bloody hell happened here?” He knelt down beside her and reached for her open and outstretched hands. The slick warmth covering Darla’s palms sent a chill down his spine. “You’re bleeding.” He said as he took in the sight of the dozens of tiny scraps and cuts littering her hands and wrists. “Something happened.”
“Oh god yes.” Darla replied in a horrified whisper. “So many things, I remember them all.” Her head tilted to the side and she looked at the man with genuine curiosity in her eyes. “Which one were you thinking of?”
A worried look came over Smith’s face as he took in the woman’s almost helpless appearance. “It was too soon.” Smith muttered as he felt something inside himself stir for the injured blonde. “We shouldn’t have sent you to him. We should have waited.”
“Smith.” Darla whispered almost seductively as one hand came up to caress the side of the heavyset watcher’s face. “You never talk about yourself. Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Someone special?”
“No.” Smith replied in a voice he hoped was convincing. “There’s no one.”
“No.” Darla agreed in a detached voice as she glanced up towards the covered window. “No, there really isn’t is there? You can be with someone for a hundred and fifty years, think you know ‘em.” A small, empty laugh escaped her lips. “Still, it doesn’t work out. Angelus, oh you should have seen us together.”
“You were different then.” Smith assured in a voice that was just as hollow as Darla’s laugh. “Now you’re a person.”
“And so was he.” She admitted before looking back at the watcher. “Now do you know what we’ve become?”
“Enemies.” Smith stated in a firm voice. Darla couldn’t help but notice the slight hint of repressed anger in the man’s tone.
“Oh no. Much worse.” Darla shook her head as her eyes locked with Smith’s. He couldn’t help but grow all the more nervous as the blue orbs staring into him widened with several conflicting emotions. The slow smile moving across her face frightened the man far more than any fiend he had studied in his youth at the watcher’s academy.
“Now we’re soulmates.” Darla said with a chuckle the slowly filled the small room with dread. As her hollow mockery of laughter grew into a state of delirium Smith knew terror unlike any he had ever known before.
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“Sodding bitch.” The grumbling from the rear of the magic shop drew the clerk’s attention.
“Hello?” The woman asked as she came around the tall shelves forming a partially concealed nook to the rear of the small shop. “Did you come in through the back?”
“Yeah.” The bleach blond man dressed in a long black leather coat said as he looked up from the spell book in his hand. “I need a curse.”
“A what?” She asked in a worried voice.
“A curse!” The strange man repeated. “You know? Something nasty. Boils! I want to give him boils, all over his face. Dripping pustules. Really go for the gusto here.”
“I’m hearing a lot of negative energy, and I bet…” The shopkeeper began to admonish the strange man before he interrupted her.
“Leprosy!” He shouted with far too much enthusiasm. “A spell that makes his parts fall off. That sounds proper.”
“We don’t carry leprosy.” She said in an all but bewildered tone before the bell above the front entrance signaled another customer. Seeing an easy way to temporarily avoid the deranged man, the clerk put on a forced smile. “Would you excuse me a moment? She asked before turning and walking over to the thin girl with light brown hair that had just entered the shop. “Blessed be.”
“Oh yeah, hi.” Amy said as she pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it over to the clerk. “I’m running a little late for my coven’s meeting and it’s kinda my turn to bring the basic supplies we burned through last time. It’s all here on the list.”
“Oh I see.” The woman said as she scanned the list. She let a genuinely amused smile cross her face as she recognized half the ingredients. “Planning on doing a little love spell?”
“What?” Amy shrieked in horror as she glared at the woman. “No! No, they would never. It’s just ingredients we ran out of for casting a bunch of different protection rituals, healing charms and maybe a few glamours.”
“That sounds advanced.” The woman replied as she tried to piece together what they were doing. She knew each one of the ingredients for a basic love spell could be used in a dozen more complicated rituals. If this girl’s friends were really trying that many things at once it could end very badly for them all. “Are you sure you and your friends know what you’re doing?”
“Trust me lady.” Amy said in a slightly condescending tone. “Willow and Tara know what they’re doing. Hell, the only reason they bother to have me backup their bigger rituals is that they don’t want me getting into any crap on my own.”
“Oh Goddess.” The clerk whispered before looking back to the young woman in shock. Even a minor practitioner like herself had heard those names whispered fearfully from half the creatures that supplied her with the merchandise she sold. “You’re with those two… Is, is what they say about them true?”
Amy leaned forward, glancing back and forth before locking eyes with the women. “Don’t tell anyone I told you so, but yeah.” The young witch replied with a smug expression, all the while unaware of the strange man listening in on her entire conversation. “Most of it is true. Some of it makes no sense until you hear their explanations for yourself, but almost all the rumors about serious power being thrown around are true. Just be thankful that both those girls are really just a pair of goody two shoes at heart.”
The shopkeeper gulped as she suddenly realized how dangerous her work was. The idea that a follower of the two most dreaded witches in the country had just walked into her store unannounced sent a chill down her spine. “I’ll get these things for you right away.” She said before turning and hurrying over to the shelves by the front counter. She grabbed a dozen items off the shelves and carried them back to the brunette who was waiting at the cash register with a smile.
“What’s the damage?” Amy asked.
“It’s free.” The clerk assured.
The smile disappeared from Amy’s face. “No it’s not.” She went on in a harsh tone. “Listen lady, if they found out I was name drooping them to scam free stuff from local businesses they would feed me to one of the tame demons they keep around. So charge me something and give me a receipt so I can put something believable on our group’s records.”
“Twenty dollars even.” The clerk said in a worried voice. Amy’s expression softened considerably as she pulled a twenty dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to the shell shocked woman. She picked up the bag full of her purchases and turned to leave the magic shop. “Blessed be.” The clerk called out one last time.
“Yeah, yeah you too.” Amy called back as she stepped out the front door. The clerk stared at the door in shock. No matter how disturbed she was by the wishes of the man who had wandered in through the back door they paled in comparison to the danger she would face if she angered an acolyte of the infamous Senior Partners.
The woman took a deep breath before returning to the business at hand. She knew she could find something harmless to appease the man lurking in the shadows of the tall shelves to the rear of her store. With another forced smile she walked back to where she had left the man. “So did you find a spellbook?” She began to ask just as a cold hand shot out from behind the shelves. Icy fingers wrapped around her throat like steel bands forming a viselike grip, silencing the woman before she could utter the slightest protest.
“Forget the book.” Spike said as his face twisted and morphed into the horrific visage shared by all vampires. His feral yellow eyes bore into hers just before he lashed out with razor sharp fangs. Spike drove the dying woman to the floor of the shop, drinking deeply from the gaping wound he tore out of her throat. “I just got a better idea.” He said as he looked up from the fresh corpse towards the door the young witch had exited through. A sinister smile worked its way across the vampire’s blood stained lips.
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“Buffy, this is, this is remarkable.” Giles said as he and Joyce studied the letter containing the Slayer’s standardized test results.
“So is this.” Buffy replied sarcastically as she examined one of the many pieces of camping equipment that now occupied the Summers’ living room. Willow let out a brief chuckle as she watched Buffy handling the small propane tank and portable cooking burner it was attached to. “So where is this retreat thingy? The Yukon?”
“It’s quite nearby actually.” Giles replied as Buffy put down the burner and picked up a compass. “It’s a clearing at the top of Breaker’s Woods. It’s the site of um, some fascinating druidic rituals.” Buffy checked her hair in the little mirror attached to the compass before turning back to Giles with an almost concerned expression.
“Okay but you’re just going for a few days right? I mean, you’re not gonna settle there and grow crops or anything?” Buffy asked with genuine concern as she eyed the piles of wilderness survival gear stacked atop and around the coffee table.
“What?” Giles asked in confusion.
“He better not.” Joyce chimed in with a not too subtle smirk as she leaned into the librarian’s side.
“Oh, my gear no, no this is basic necessities.” Giles assured the women who had watched him over pack for the short camping trip.
“Giles, you pack like me.” Buffy remarked with an amused grin.
“Yes, well I suspect your mother will want to put this on the refrigerator.” The watcher said with every hope of changing the subject.
“You bet.” Joyce replied enthusiastically. “Right next to all the college acceptance letters she’ll be getting.”
“Mom.” Buffy groaned with a weary eye roll.
“Buffy,” Joyce stopped her daughter’s complaints with a much more impassioned voice, “you’re always talking about how you wish you could lead a more normal life. Well this is your chance.”
“Yeah it’s just not that simple.” Buffy said yet again. The Slayer had grown tired of repeatedly deflecting this conversation. “I have responsibilities.”
“I know, I know, but it’s not like you’re the only Slayer running around anymore.” Joyce protested while glancing towards Willow. The Slayer’s mother had hoped that the witches could find more potentials to ease her daughter’s burden. But so far things had not panned out as luckily as they had with Alonna and Faith. Still Joyce had to try to help her daughter escape the gruesome fate that haunted her nightmares. “It’s time to think about your future Buffy. About your whole life.”
“Your mother is right Buffy.” Giles stated with care and concern that almost shocked Joyce. She had no idea her daughter’s watcher would side with her on this issue.
“See Mom, Giles knows I can’t just…” Buffy began to reply but faltered as the Englishman’s words sunk in. “Okay. Be kind rewind.”
Giles sighed and looked to Joyce for a moment before turning his compassionate gaze back to his Slayer. “With scores like these Buffy, you could have a first rate education.” He couldn’t help but feel relieved and emboldened at the way Joyce squeezed his hand ever so slightly. “Oh I’m not saying you, ignore your calling. But ah, you need to look to your future.”
For a moment Buffy’s eyes softened as a future she had often dreamed about was dangled tantalizingly in front of her. But then that hope was dashed as Giles’ next words brought to light what she would have to sacrifice for that deceptively appealing outcome. “With Faith here…”
“I’m not leaving Faith!” Buffy snapped before her watcher could even finish the obscene possibility.
Giles blinked in surprise for a moment before realizing his poor phrasing. “No one is suggesting you should.”
“Buffy you know how supportive I am of your relationship with Faith.” Joyce leapt in quickly before everything she and Giles had proposed could be written off completely. “Honey, I’ll never be able to thank her enough for all the love and support she’s given you. But Jennifer is obviously having the same talk with her right next door. You girls both deserve more than hellmouths and vampires.”
“Willow a little help here.” Buffy said without taking here eyes off her mother.
“Buffy and Faith will be attending U.C. Sunnydale with Tara and me for at least the two years after we all graduate high school.” Willow confirmed with absolute certainty.
“Willow, you can’t just give up on your entire future. You’re scores were higher than anyone else’s.” Giles said as he once more began to worry about the toll Buffy’s calling had exacted on all those closest to her.
“Tara and I have seen this play out so many different times.” Willow said in a calm and even tone that belied her firm conviction on the issue. “Buffy is the last guardian this hellmouth will ever have. She needs to stay here until it is closed.”
“You can’t just simply close an active hellmouth with a spell.” Giles protested. “The sheer amount of dark energy you girls would expose yourselves to in doing so is far too dangerous.”
“Which is why we won’t be casting a spell.” Willow assured the worried watcher. “There is a way to seal an active hellmouth. We’ve used it many times before. But this town isn’t ready for what we have to do to get there. In the years ahead we’ll all have to prepare for the worst. Buffy is the only one who can see this world through the coming war. She’ll need all of us to support her, follow her, and fight for her if any of us are to survive.”
“What war?” Joyce and Giles asked almost in unison.
“You guys aren’t ready for that reveal just yet.” Willow told the two shocked adults. “Just please trust me when I say that certain things need to happen, and one of those things is the greatest Slayer in history spending the next few years of her life guarding the hellmouth.”
Willow let the tension ease out of her voice. She knew they would consider everything she had said. The witch knew Buffy could handle the two most important parental figures in her life. She also knew she had to check in with Tara and see how the same argument was going with the only decent parent in Faith’s life.
“Sorry Mrs. Summers, Giles. I have to head home for a meeting with Amy.” Willow said in a much more chipper tone. “This isn’t the end of Buffy’s education. After we all leave this awful town she and Faith will easily be able to study anywhere they want. Cambridge, Oxford, any of the big Ivy League schools. They’ll just have to put those off for a few short years.”
With a not too reassuring smile the redhead stood up and waved goodbye to the two concerned parents and the daughter they both loved. She practically skipped out the door, leaving the Slayer to weather the concern of her watcher and mother. Before Joyce could bring up another argument to sway her daughter Buffy countered with the most important fact she believed in.
“I’m not leaving Faith.” Buffy said with iron in her voice.
******************************
“I’m not leaving Buffy!” Faith told Jennifer in a tone that left nothing open to interpretation.
“Sweetie please think about your future.” Jennifer pleaded. “She loves you enough to follow you wherever you go.”
“B would never leave the hellmouth unguarded.” Faith shot back as she fought to keep her growing agitation in check. “I can’t leave her to die in this fucking hellhole of a town alone!”
“Mama, please.” Tara begged her mother to back off. “Buffy needs Faith’s h-help for all the battles ahead. If they l-leave this town before the hellmouth is sealed then everything is lost.”
“Tara Sweetie, please don’t lie to me.” Jennifer told her daughter in an exasperated voice. “There is no spell powerful enough to seal a hellmouth the size of this one, and even if there was it would be too dangerous and need too much dark magic for you girls to cast.”
“Which is why we won’t use a spell to seal the hellmouth.” Willow said as she walked in through the front door and all but immediately melded into Tara’s arms. “Not going so well Baby?”
“No Sweetie.” Tara replied as she began to stroke Willow’s hair.
“Willow Sweetie, I know your heart is in the right place but this is about what’s best for Faith.” Jennifer said in the firmest voice she had used on any of the girls since coming to the hellmouth. “Faith I know I’m not your mother, but…”
“Damn right you ain’t my mother!” Faith shouted only to immediately regret her choice of words as she saw the pained look in Jennifer’s eyes. As she stared the older blonde down tears began to build in the corners of the Slayer’s eyes. “God damn it Jen, I wish you were my mom. You know that right? If my old lady cared about me half as much as you do I wouldn’t be such a fucking mess.”
“Oh Sweetie.” Jennifer let out in a whimper as she felt all the pain and remorse in the brunette’s aura pour out of the young woman and wash over the entire room. Before Faith knew it the older witch’s arms were wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m here for you Faith.” The witch assured the Slayer. “I love you like you’re my own. I’d never ask you to give up your girlfriend. I just want you to have the life you’ve always deserved. I can’t see that happening for any of your girls in Sunnydale.”
“Sunnydale ain’t so bad.” Faith muttered into Jennifer’s shoulder. “It’s the first place I ever went that I wanted to call home. It’s where I fell in love for the first time. It’s were I met my family. I’ve lived worse places.”
“The fact that you think the hellmouth is a good enough place for you to live your life makes me want to turn your birth mother into a rat.” Jennifer seethed in a tone that shocked the other witches in the room and drew a chuckle out of the young Slayer.
“It’d probably be an improvement if she’s still alive.” Faith admitted with a small laugh.
“Goddess Faith, I just don’t want this awful place to take you away from me.” Jennifer told the Slayer as they both fought back tears.
“I’m not gonna die on you Jen.” Faith promised. “I got way too much to live for to let any shit like that happen.”
“No one in this family is doing any dying!” Willow stated in a voice that shocked Faith and Jennifer. “We are all going to get out of this town alive. Just not for a few years.”
As the redhead’s words sunk in Jennifer let out a forced smile. She hated the danger each of her daughters was forced to live with. She wanted nothing more than to convince the three girls and all their friends to pack up and leave the small nightmare of a town behind them. To let another set of chosen warriors handle the threat the hellmouth posed.
But she knew there were no warriors walking this world capable of even holding a candle to the feats Faith and Buffy had accomplished. There were no witches half as remarkable as her daughter and the young redhead that had changed all of their lives. Her girls were stuck here. She was stuck here. With a sigh Jennifer gave Faith’s long brown hair one final stroke before letting go of her impossible dream. The hope of sparing her adopted daughter the pain destiny would eventually bring down upon her shoulders.
******************************
“So everyone is clear on the mission?” Gunn asked as he and Fred finished drawing up plans and patrol routs on the large whiteboard in the hotel lobby.
“Yeah, yeah, the new patrol stuff is fine.” Rondell said before casting a sideways glance at the vampire who sat off to the side of the room. Angel had been painstakingly focused on the large sketch pad all day and was beginning to run out of pages. The floor around him was littered with penciled drawings few of the members of the Hyperion Crew had bothered to look at. “But are we sure we need to go on the warpath looking for these people? Won’t they come to us again?”
“We can’t risk them getting desperate and falling back on the use of lethal force the next time they target Ms. Gunn.” Wesley stated in a far too detached voice that drew stunned looks from the young people gathered all around the large chamber.
As if on cue Virginia’s head shot up from her tender exploration of the Slayer’s lips. “Someone’s trying to kill Alonna?” She all but shrieked as her girlfriend shuddered at the sudden severance of their kiss.
“Yeah we got a watcher problem.” Gunn said as Bethany went over to the other redhead and began to explain the sporadic assaults and interferences perpetrated by the special operations team.
“Sorry guys, but we need to find Angel’s ex.” Alonna said as she gathered her wits. “She’s part of a bigger plot that will bite us all in the ass.”
“But watchers are supposed to help the Slayer!” Virginia exclaimed in shock once Bethany finished retelling the events of the last year or so.
“And parents are supposed to do right by their kids.” Gunn told the newest resident of the Hyperion in a dull emotionless tone. “So far English over there is doin’ just fine. We don’t need anymore Mary Poppins knockoffs telling her she don’t need backup and support when she patrols.”
“So what does this woman actually look like?” Chain asked after the room grew silent at Gunn’s remark.
As the question drew a few murmurs from around the room Doyle walked over to the vampire and scooped up a large number of the drawings littering the floor. “Hey! I wasn’t done with that.” Angel protested as the half demon tore away the portrait still on the sketch pad and walked the stack over to Gunn and Fred’s board. The Irishman picked up a magnet and placed the newest picture in the center of the board before he began to pass out earlier drafts. The members of the Crew who had yet to see the blonde or the vampire’s artistic talents gasped as their eyes took in the dozens upon dozens of lifelike renderings that Angel had absentmindedly pumped out in the course of a few short hours.
“Damn but you can draw.” Rondell whistled as he looked over the two different pictures of Darla’s smiling face. “Pretty good taste in women too.”
“Well it wasn’t her sparkling personality that lured him into the back alley where he was turned.” Wesley quipped.
“Got any of her from the back?” Joey asked only to receive a slap to the back of the head from Anne.
“None that I’d care to share.” Angel replied with a sigh. “All we need to do is narrow the search down a little. Once she’s close I’ll be able to feel her presence.”
“And this is the same woman that you didn’t notice was in your bedroom, every night, for like three weeks straight?” Alonna asked for clarity’s sake with evident disbelief in her voice.
“That was different.” Angel grumbled in mild embarrassment.
“Different in the sitting right on top of you sense, yeah!” The Slayer quipped, drawing a slight giggle from the redhead perched in her lap.
“Alonna has a point.” Wesley added.
“Finally.” Both of the Gunn siblings said in matching exasperated huffs.
“The last time Darla emerged she wanted to be found.” The watcher forged ahead as several of the assembled teens chuckled. “Now she’s out there among, oh say, six million other people.”
“She could be sitting on top of anybody.” Alonna said as she stroked the girl in her lap. Virginia blinked and let out a small chuckle at the mirth in her girl’s voice and the way the Slayer’s strong fingers massaged her lower back and thighs.
“That’s why we worked out the new patrol routs.” Fred chimed in with no small amount of pride. “Based on numbers taken from the last census and various business and housing licenses from the Hall of Records we were able to narrow down the search to places that a small group of out of town mercenaries would be able to retrofit or fortify.”
“What she said.” Gunn jumped in as his girlfriend shocked the skepticism out of their friends. “We know they aren’t hold up in anything fancy or legal. That leaves potential vamp nests. And what is our main job if not clearing out potential vamp nests?”
“So this is more than just light recon then.” Rondell said as he suddenly realized what they would also be looking for.
“Everyone will go out in small groups with radios on at all times.” Gunn said in a firmer tone. “You see anything you fall back, call it in and the combat team on standby meets you and anyone else in the area. We all go in guns a blazing and dust every creepy crawly we find.”
“What if they’re in the sewers?” Chain asked.
“She’d want someplace with a view.” Angel replied.
“Alright guys, you know the drill.” Alonna said as she stood up from the lounge chair with Virginia still in her arms. “We regroup here in an hour in full tactical gear. Start patrol of the most dangerous sites while it’s still light out and then work through targets slowly once the sun sets. And most importantly follow rule one.”
“What’s rule one?” Virginia asked in a quiet voice.
“Don’t die.” Alonna told her before turning and carrying her up the nearby staircase to the room they now shared. ******************************
“Mr. Mayor we might have a problem.” Larry said as he came into the mayor’s personal office. The large jock found the smaller man readying a swing with his golf club only to stop the instant the tone in Larry’s voice registered.
“You know I always get this grumbling feeling in the pit of my stomach when I hear you talk like that Larry.” Mayor Allan Finch said as he set the putter aside and faced his most trusted aide. “How bad is it?”
“Spike is back in town.” Larry said as he handed the Mayor a slim file.
Allan visibly cringed as he took the news. He had heard more than enough stories about William the Bloody from casual conversations with his two most powerful wiccan benefactors. None of it was good and most of it would have been enough to send him running for the hills.
“This is bad.” Allan said as he turned to his desk, resting both palms on its surface. “This is very, very bad.”
“Sir I’ve already called Willow and Tara.” Larry said as he walked up behind the man and brought both of his hands to rest on Allan’s weary shoulders. “They’ll know what to do.”
“Oh thank god.” Allan breathed a sigh of relief as he began to roll his neck between the two strong hands massaging his shoulders. “You’re a life saver Larry.”
“No sir.” Larry replied with a smile. “I just go to school with a half dozen life savers.”
******************************
“Hello Mr. Newton. Is Cassie home?” Xander asked as the front door of his neighbor’s house opened.
“Harris?” The man asked in surprise as he took in the oddly well groomed teenager standing on his porch. “What the hell are you doing asking me about my underage daughter?”
“Oh did she not say?” Xander asked as he fought to keep a smirk off his face. “Her best friend called me earlier. I’m heading over to the Espresso Pump to meet my girlfriend and Dawn wanted me to walk Cassie there and make sure nothing happened until they both got picked up by Mrs. Summers.”
“The Summers girl?” Mr. Newton asked as he took another look at the young man standing before him. “I don’t know about this.” He muttered just as his daughter ran up behind him.
“Hi Xander! I’ll be ready in a minute.” Cassie said with a cheery smile.
“Okay no rush, except for the fact that we’re both keeping people we care about waiting.” Xander said with a smile and a slight nod towards her father.
“Cassandra.” Mr. Newton said in a slightly worried and mildly indignant voice. He turned to face his daughter who was lacing up her sneakers. “Tell me again why I should let you hang around with high school boys.”
“What?” Cassie asked before her eyes widened in shock and then again in disgust. “Eww! Daddy! Xander is like, eww!”
“Hey, I’m standing right here kiddo.” Xander protested loudly.
“Hush you.” Cassie said dismissively in a way that put her father’s fears a little more at ease. “Dad, Xander is like totally harmless. Plus he’s so in love with Dawn’s older sister that it’s not even funny.”
“Hey!” Xander complained even louder than before.
“You know you are you big doofus.” Cassie mocked him in a way that actually brought a smile to her father’s face. “Dad, I’m just going to spend the night at Dawn’s house like usual. Xander has this big date planned with his girlfriend and I won’t even see him after we get to the coffee shop. He’s just being nice because our closest friends live in the same house.”
“Alright Honey.” Mr. Newton said as he caved into his daughter’s almost pleading look. “You have fun at your friend’s house.”
“Thanks Daddy. I love you.” Cassie cheered as she hugged her father. She ran back into the house to grab her overnight bag and left the two men staring at each other through the open doorway.
“Harris, if anything happens to my little girl, I’m coming for you.” Mr. Newton threatened the young man in a way that he didn’t know had actually greatly increased the respect Xander held for him.
“Sir, if anything happens to your daughter I can assure you that Dawn and her sister will beat you to it.” Xander replied.
“Ready!” Cassie called out as she reappeared next to her father. “Love you Dad.” She said with a quick kiss to the man’s cheek.
“Love you too Honey. Be safe.” Mr. Newton told his daughter as he fixed Xander with one last wary eye.
“I’m not in love with Buffy.” Xander told the young blonde as they turned and walked down the sidewalk.
“Oh shut up!” Cassie shouted back loud enough for her father to hear the argument. “You are so in love with Buffy that it makes her little sister gag. You’re just lucky her girlfriend likes you enough to let it slide.”
“Well at least I’m not the only one in love with a Summers.” Xander remarked quietly as he playfully nudged Cassie’s shoulder.
“Can you really blame me?” She asked in a hushed tone. “Those Summers girls are a trip.”
“You got that right kiddo.” Xander agreed.
******************************
“She’s falling apart.” Collins grumbled impatiently as he leaned against the doorframe of Ethan’s office.
“Good.” Jenny replied, drawing concerned looks from the watcher and the sorcerer. “What? You didn’t think I cared about that woman, did you? She wiped out an entire caravan of my clan’s ancestors. Uncle Enyos will be delighted to hear she is suffering just as much as Angel.”
“Yes, well be that as it may, she’s cracking up ahead of schedule.” Ethan said as he turned back to Collins. “Mr. Collins my good man, would you be a dear and take Mr. Weatherby on a trip to the other side of town? I’ll need a few things from our usual magic shop for the next stage of our plan. Oh and on your way out have Mr. Smith gather up any letter openers, pens, nail clippers. Anything with a sharp edge should really be removed from her room. Thank you.”
Collins fixed the sorcerer with a steady glare before nodding and retreating from the office. At the door he called out to the less agreeable of his men. “Weatherby! We’re going!”
“Me too sir?” Ethan chuckled as he heard Smith ask the question. Jenny only rolled her eyes.
“No Smith.” Collins said more quietly. “I need you to…” The voice trailed off as the smile on Ethan’s face widened.
“My dear would you be so kind as to ready the first aid kit?” Ethan asked in the marginally beguiling tone the gypsy had grown used too. “I believe our friend Mr. Smith will be receiving a lesson in unhealthy attachments fairly soon.” Jenny just rolled her eyes before a slight smirk slipped across her face. Ethan saw the quick expression and let out an amused chuckle. The day was about to liven up more than anyone save for the English sorcerer could expect.
******************************
“Thanks for walking me to the coffee shop Amy.” Dawn said as she and the young witch walked down main street towards the Espresso Pump. “I know you probably had plans.”
“Oh yeah, like I’m gonna turn down doing a favor for the big bad scary couple’s favorite little kid.” Amy said sarcastically before her eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t mean that. Please don’t tell Willow and Tara I said any of that.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” Dawn replied in a far too innocent tone. “For now.” The frightened look in Amy’s eyes drew a giggle from the younger girl. “You don’t have to be so terrified of them you know. You’ve been behaving yourself with the magics and that’s all they want from you. Unless of course you want to end up trapped in a pie eating contest trophy next to Mommy Dearest. Then knock yourself out.”
“That’s not funny.” Amy grumbled before letting a slight smile creep out. “I can’t believe Mom trapped herself in her stupid cheerleading trophy.”
“Well at least she won’t go skinwalking in people while she’s in there.” Dawn said as they turned the last corner and came face to face with an unexpected acquaintance.
“Dawn?” Cordelia all but shouted as she saw the girl. Her expression soured as she noticed the teen besides the younger brunette. “Amy.” The head cheerleader remarked coldly.
“Hi, Cordy.” Amy said with an almost timid smile. “Still holding a grudge about tryouts our Sophomore year?”
“You blinded me!” The haughty girl snapped.
“It wasn’t me!” Amy pleaded yet again. “It was my mom. She went crazy and tried to Single White Female me!”
“Oh like you weren’t going to go all dark witch anyway until Rosenberg and Maclay cracked the whip last Halloween.” Cordelia dismissed the other brunette’s excuses. “I’ve got my eye on you.”
In silence the three girls once more began to walk towards the coffee shop. Just as Cordelia and Dawn caught a glimpse of their significant others waiting by the Espresso Pump two arms shot out of the darkened alley they had stepped in front of. Cold hands snaked through Cordelia’s and Amy’s hair, violently yanking them into the shadows.
Dawn saw this and let out a scream. She watched as the attacker slammed the two girl’s heads together with a terrifying thud. The platinum blond assailant let Cordelia slump to the ground as he threw Amy’s limp form over one shoulder.
“You’re gonna do a lit’ ol’ spell for me.” Spike slurred before lunging out and grabbing Dawn’s hair. “Better take you along just in case the Slayer gets any ideas.”
“Cordelia!” Xander shouted as he appeared at Dawn’s side. He dove for Spike but the drunk vampire simply dropped Dawn and spun so that Xander’s head smacked painfully against the brick wall of the alleyway.
“No, no, no. None of that.” Spike slurred once more as he stooped to grab Dawn. “Just need the little witch.”
“What?” Cordelia moaned as she tried to stand up. Spike simply grabbed her and threw her down the alley. The cheerleader flew over and into a large dumpster. Dawn hoped the cheerleader hadn’t been injured further by falling amid the debris from the nearby construction site. She didn’t see the girl climb back out.
“Dawn!” Cassie screamed as she made it to the mouth of the alleyway. She saw Xander slumped against a wall but no one else. Her girlfriend was gone.
******************************
“Darla?” Smith said as he came into the blonde’s room.
“Say that again?” She asked in a detached voice as if she didn’t quite comprehend the word he had uttered.
“I just, um, ah, said your name?” Smith replied as he set the sandwich he was carrying down on the table he had put right side up the last time he was in the room. The watcher gazed at the petite blonde as she stood in the narrow swath of sunlight pouring in through the small window. “Darla?”
“Sounds so odd, doesn’t it?” She asked as she turned to face the man.
“I don’t think I… Huh?” Smith asked as he grew confused at the former vampire’s bewilderment.
“It wasn’t my name when I was human.” She told him in that same detached voice. “First time I was human I mean.”
“What was your name?” Smith asked, growing more interested as she admitted something to him that he imagined the council records didn’t even know.
“I don’t remember.” Darla said with a slight shake of her head. “I’m not her, whoever she was. I was Darla for so long… Then I wasn’t. I, I wasn’t anything. I just stopped. He killed me, and I was done.”
Smith watched as the woman slowly worked her way through a trauma he could scarcely imagine. He almost smiled when she finally turned to look him in the eye. The emptiness he saw in her sent a chill down his spine.
“But then you brought me back.” She said in a tone that held the faintest glimmer of accusation.
“Yes.” Smith admitted weakly.
“What did you and your watchers bring back Smith? What am I?” She took a step towards the stunned watcher. Then another. When she spoke there was fear and uncertainty in her voice. “Did you bring back that girl whose name I can’t remember? Or did you bring back something else? The other thing.”
“Both. Neither? Maybe…” Smith began to say but realized he was truly out of his depth. “I’m not all that sure you see. It was Rayne that cast the spell.” He grasped for any excuse that could shield him from Darla’s question. As he fumbled his way through the conversation she took another step towards him.
“Why haven’t you kissed me?” She asked as she stood a hair’s breadth from his mildly rounded stomach. “You’ve been dying for it, haven’t you?”
“I didn’t know if you…” He gawked at the attractive blonde he had been trying his best not to leer at for months. “I mean, is it even okay to, I mean if we were to…”
“Why should any of that matter?” Darla asked in that same hollow voice that belied her detachment from the world of the living. “Do you think I ever hesitated when I wanted something? Life’s too short. Believe me, I know. Four hundred years and still too short.”
“You should eat something.” Smith said as he turned back to the small table. “I brought you a sandwich.”
“What am I?” Darla asked.
“Darla, I.” Smith began to reply but turned away from her. If only he had faced the small woman’s questions head on. He might have dodged the lamp hurtling towards the side of his skull.
A sickening crash filled the room. Before the sound could fade from his ears darkness filled Smith’s world. He came crashing down to the floor in an undignified heap. A thin trickle of blood slid from his scalp, down one cheek, to the dusty floor.
“Careful. Darla would have snapped you in half.” The blonde said just before fear gripped her heart. She let the ruined lamp fall from her hands. It shattered into even smaller pieces as it hit the floor. She turned from the fallen watcher and fled.
She ran as fast as her weary legs could take her. Out the small room she had been confined within. Down the short hall and narrow staircase. Across the main floor of the derelict warehouse. Out into the blinding sunlight. The former vampire had no idea that her exodus was witnessed by the two people who had brought her back into the world. They hadn’t even tried to stop her.
******************************
“Tara, I just got a call from Larry.” Willow said as she came into their living room. She stopped short as one of their many mystical sensors screeched in her mind. Telling her their loved ones had been attacked.
“Willow!” Tara shouted as she felt her heart seize up.
“Baby.” Willow said as she clutched at her everything’s hand. “We have to go!” She said as she and Tara turned back to Faith and Jennifer.
“What’s the what?” Faith asked as she subconsciously reached for one of the many stakes she kept hidden on her person.
“It’s Dawn.” Tara said as Jennifer snatched up her purse and car keys.
All the concerns from the earlier argument melted away as the Slayer surfaced in the face of yet another crisis. “I’ll get B. You three drive to the Pump. Lil’ D was gonna meet C Dawg there before heading next door to girl up the place while the G man’s gone.”
The three witches practically flew out the door and into Jen’s hatchback. The older blonde drove as fast as she could without risking adding a major car crash to the already dreadful situation. The coffee shop came into view just a moment before Tara shouted for her mother to stop the car.
“Pull over there Mama!” The younger blonde cried as she jabbed her outstretched arm towards an alley. Jen parked, doing her best to quickly unbuckle and follow her girls as they leapt from the barely stopped vehicle. The sight awaiting them in the alleyway broke her heart.
“He took her.” Cassie whimpered as she cradled a dazed Xander in her lap. “He took Dawn.”
“We’ll get her back Sweetie.” Tara assured as she placed a hand on the massive bruise covering Xander’s forehead. A soft light appeared in her open palm before guttering out. “Oh Goddess.” Tara whispered as her eyes fell upon the dumpster further down the dimly lit alley.
Willow jerked her head away from her fallen friend as her always flew towards the dumpster with her feet barely skimming the pavement. The gut wrenching onslaught of emotions she felt through her connection to Tara terrified her to no end. Fear crystallized into panic as Tara floated up and over the rim of the dumpster. Willow knew her love wouldn’t have used magic so callously without good reason. The emotions she was feeling from Tara changed as the blonde witch caught sight of the dumpster’s contents. While feelings pouring down their connection couldn’t be mistaken for relief, Willow knew what Tara was looking at wasn’t as bad as she had feared just moments before.
“Willow!” Tara shouted back to her love who had already shot down the alley and crested the dumpster. She knew she would need the redhead’s help to fix the gory mess before her.
“Oh Goddess.” Willow gasped as she looked into the dumpster for the first time. Cordelia lay motionless, sprawled over refuse from the building’s renovation. The scent of dust and grit warred with the tang of blood as red seeped down into the pile of broken concrete slabs. A single length of steel rebar protruded from the pale cheerleader’s torso.
“I need to stop the bleeding and ward her against infection until the ambulance arrives.” Tara said in an authoritative tone that shocked her nearby mother. Only Willow had ever heard Tara speak like that before that day. It shocked the redheaded witch as she recalled just how many lifetimes it had been since she and Tara had faced something that drew out the iron in her voice.
“Take what you need.” Willow said as she placed her hands on Tara’s shoulders.
Jennifer and Cassie peeked over the wall of the dumpster as Tara and Willow set to work. They both immediately regretted their curiosity. “Cassie, I need you to run to the coffee shop and call an ambulance.” Jennifer said as she pulled the girl back towards the mouth of the alley.
“I didn’t even know she was in there. There’s so much blood.” Cassie whispered before looking up to Jennifer’s worried blue eyes. “Is Cordelia gonna be okay?”
“Tara and Willow will do everything in their power to save that girl.” Jennifer swore. “But they can only do so much. Cordelia’s holding on but her aura is weak. She needs real doctors or else no amount of magic will save her. We need to be strong for her. Can you be strong right now?”
Cassie nodded before turning and running to the coffee shop. In her heart Jennifer knew her girls would pull them all through this catastrophe. They just had to.
******************************
“Okay, so y’all know the drill.” Rondell said as Chain pulled the van up to the edge of the first warehouse district they had been tasked with checking. “Standard nest sweep. No engagement. If you see anything fall back and call it in. We could be out here all god damn night looking for Fang’s girl.”
Before the handful of teens sitting in the back of the van could ask him any follow up questions or grumble about the jobs they had been given a loud thud came from just outside as the side door of the van vibrated violently. Rondell leapt forward and threw the door open. He saw nothing until a soft moan drew his gaze down to the pavement below. The woman they had been sent to find had found them.
“Or she could just run into us ten seconds after we pull up to the first checkpoint.” Chain muttered from over Rondell’s shoulder.
“Darla?” Rondell asked, gaining all of the disoriented woman’s attention. “We’re friends with Angel. Would you like us to take you to him?”
A confused look spread over the blonde’s face. It was gone in an instant as she practically leapt under the young man’s outstretched arm and into the back of the van. Rondell and the others made room for her shaking form. Rondell closed the side door as Chain crawled back up to the driver’s seat.
“Looks like that great big ‘Mission Accomplished’ sign won’t be going to waste.” Chain said with a chuckle as he pulled away from the curb.
******************************
The young witch let out a weak groan as she regained consciousness. The first sensation to register in her aching head was the feel of thin fingers nervously interlaced with her own. Amy groaned again before cracking her eyes open. The sight awaiting the witch did little to comfort her.
“S’bout bloody time.” Spike slurred before taking a long swig from the last third of a bottle of whisky. “You’re gonna do a spell for me.” He paced at the end of the burnt bed Amy realized she and Dawn were laying on.
“What?” Amy asked as she tried to sit up only to clutch at the throbbing ache within her own skull. “What spell?”
“A love spell! Are you brain dead?” Spike shouted back at the young woman.
“Well you did almost bash in her skull.” Dawn muttered only to flinch as Spike turned away from them and threw the bottle in his hand against the far wall. The deafening sound of shattering glass quieted the two girls sitting on the ruined bed. The vampire let out a hollow laugh as he went back to a fire damaged dresser covered in burnt dolls and glass bottles. He fished out another bottle of hard liquor.
“I’m gonna get what’s mine.” He grumbled as he downed a fifth of vodka. “What’s mine. Teach her to walk out on me.” He turned and saw the two girls watching him in shock. “What are you staring at?”
“Nothing.” Dawn said with just a little more venom than she intended.
“You can do it, right witch?” Spike asked as he rounded the bed to loom over Amy. “You can make Dru love me again. Make her crawl.”
“Yeah, yeah sure, whatever.” Amy said as she began to rub what she knew had to be a massive bruise across her forehead. “Just let me unscramble my brains and I’ll try.”
Spike lashed out and grabbed the witch by her hair. “What are you talking about try? You’ll do it!” He shouted. “You lie to me and the next bottle gets shoved right through your face! You want that?”
Amy glared at the enraged vampire for a moment without saying a word. When she finally spoke her voice was cold and unwavering. “Do that and you’ll never get your girl back. There’s a thousand different ways for you to screw up what you’re asking me to do and the first twenty of them involve harming either of us.”
A slight grin played across the vampire’s face as he relaxed his grip. He chuckled as he leaned away from the bed. “You’re bluffing.”
“You want me to do a love spell on a woman I’ve never met or even seen.” Amy shot back in an aggravated huff. “For that I need the standard love spell crap plus a clear head.” Amy paused and turned to Dawn for an instant. “Hey kid, you haven’t had your first period yet have you?”
“What?” Dawn shouted in disgust. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Relax Dawn.” Amy replied as she began to rub her temples once more. “Having a an extra virgin to hold candles and waft incense around will make the spell stronger.” She then turned to glare at the vampire once more. “But none of it will work if either of us are bleeding. You want this Dru to become obsessed with you and no one else right?”
“Damn right.” Spike growled as he turned back to his bottle. “She wouldn’t even kill me.”
The vampire sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. Dawn and Amy shared a worried look as Spike let out a faint sob. Dawn nodded once towards the demon’s back only to roll her eyes when Amy just shook her head. The vodka bottle fell to the floor with a dull thud.
“She just left.” Spike went on in a broken, sullen voice. “She didn’t even care enough to cut off my head. Or set me on fire.” He sniffled before turning back to the girls. “I mean is that too much to ask? You know? Some little sign that she cared.”
“It was that fight with the Slayer that did it.” Spike went on. “After that whole mess Dru was always going on about finding her keys. Or her little ball of sunshine. Whatever the hell that meant. I told her it didn’t mean anything. The only reason we came to this sodding town was to get her well again but she didn’t care. So we got to Brazil and she was...” He paused a moment as the scope of his loss hit him once more. “She was just different.”
“I gave her everything!” Spike told the girls he had kidnapped. “Beautiful jewels, beautiful dresses, with beautiful girls in them, but nothing made her happy.” He shook his head and let out an anguished chuckle as his lover’s transgressions played out in his mind yet again. “And she would fliiirrrrrt. I caught her on a park bench making out with a chaos demon! Have either of you ever seen a chaos demon? They’re all slime and antlers! They’re disgusting!” He looked at the young witch again before running one hand through her hair. “She only did it to hurt me.” He said quietly. “So I said ‘I’m not putting up with this anymore.’ And she said ‘Fine.” His voice began to quiver as conflicting emotions batted him back and forth. “And I said ‘Yeah, I’ve got an unlife you know!’ And she said…” He began to sob even harder as his head came to rest on Amy’s shoulder. “She said we could still be friends.”
He wept openly as Dawn let out an almost involuntary “Aww.”
“I mean friends!” He cried into Amy’s shoulder as the witch just glared at Dawn’s shocked and bewildered expressions. “How could she be so cruel?” A moment passed before he stopped weeping. Amy felt the unstable vampire drink in her scent. “That smell, your neck.” She cringed as she felt his face shift and disform. “I haven’t had a woman in weeks.” Spike told her as he brought his game face up for her to clearly see.
“Damnit you stupid vampire, what did I just say about blood and virgins?” Amy shouted as she and Dawn scrambled off of the other side of the bed.
“Well, unless you count that shopkeeper.” Spike added as he stood to follow his captives.
“I’m serious Spike!” Amy shouted in a tone that brought her headache back into sharp focus. “You touch either of us and this spell won’t work. It’s bad enough the chick is in Brazil or wherever. The further away she is the harder I have to push to get through to her.”
Spike grabbed the witch by the back of her neck and leaned in close. Dawn gasped as his face shifted back to normal right before her eyes. “Alright.” He released Amy and went back to the dresser to search for another half empty bottle. “Get started.”
Amy walked over to a box he had sat on the end of the bed. She peered inside to find all the ingredients for a standard love spell. It was exactly what she needed. This would not do. “This isn’t enough.”
“What do you mean it isn’t enough?” Spike growled. “This is all the stuff the shop girl sold you earlier that she thought you needed for a love spell.”
“And if I was casting a love spell on two humans I’ve known for years this would be plenty.” Amy shot back in exasperation. “But you want me to do it on two vampires I’ve never met before today! And one might be on the other side of the planet! See the difference?”
“What else do you need?” Spike asked in a menacing voice.
“Depends.” Amy said as she turned over jars of dried herbs and desiccated animal parts. “Is this Dru a vampire you or someone in your line turned, or is she from another undead bloodline?”
“She’s my Sire!” Spike snapped back defensively.
“She sired you?” Amy asked in shock before a fit of hysterical laughter doubled her over.
“What’s wrong?” Spike asked with growing agitation.
“Oh man you are lucky neither of us has ever gotten laid.” Amy said with a slight gesture between Dawn and herself. “This is still going to be a major pain in the ass to pull off. Unless of course you have a handful of the grave soil from both of the places you and your ex crawled out of the first time you were each buried? No?” When Spike just shook his head in annoyance she turned back to the box and began pulling out items to show him. “Okay then we need double what we have here for this, this and this. I need something that belonged to her that she cared about and don’t be cute and say you count because if that were true we wouldn’t be here. Also something of yours to focus and anchor the spell to. And Dawn is going to need a menorah and a full set of candles to walk around the spell circle and chant over while I work. If you have a lock of her hair give it to me now because it will help a lot.”
“No hair.” Spike grumbled dejectedly as Amy continued to rattle off things she needed.
“That’s it for the basic bare minimum stuff.” The witch said before she turned back to the disgruntled vampire. “But if you really want anything I cast to stick to her for more than a week I need a copy of the Libre Mortis. That’s the only way a witch at my level can mix the enchantment you’re asking for with the kind of necromancy I’ll have to piece together just to be able to target the two of you.”
“Where the bloody hell do you expect me to find a copy of that book in this town?” Spike shouted in disbelief.
“The Slayer’s watcher has a copy you might be able to borrow.” Amy told him with what she hoped was a straight face.
******************************
“You really are a sodding idiot sometimes Smith.” Weatherby grumbled as he watched the gypsy fix the other watcher’s bandage. The only reply he received from the injured man was a weary groan.
“What does this do to our plans Rayne.” Collins asked the sorcerer while they both ignored his subordinates.
“I’d say they’re moving along quite nicely.” Ethan told the man. “Right now that woman is doing everything we expected of her and then some. The vampire won’t know what hit him when the truth finally comes out.”
“You’re sure about that?” Collins asked once more with skepticism.
“Absolutely.” Ethan’s absurd grin did little to reassure the watcher.
******************************
“Ready?” Amy asked the Slayer’s little sister.
“Ready.” Dawn told the witch. With a sly grin Amy turned back to the door at the top of the narrow flight of stairs that led out of the basement they had been locked in. She carefully walked up the steps, keeping to the edges just next to the wall.
“Watch your feet Dawn.” Amy told the girl following right behind her. “These stairs look like they’re about to fall apart more than the rest of this hellhole.”
“Yeah, when Willow and Tara run a guy out of town they really run a guy out of town.” Dawn replied. “Scorched earth, and all that stuff too.”
They both quieted down as they reached the door. Amy put one hand out to the space just above the doorknob and closed her eyes. “Goddess Hecate, remove that which bars my path. Ignis!”
Dawn stared in wonder as the metal under Amy’s hand began to glow. If grew brighter, then began to flow downwards. When the witch took her hand away there was a grapefruit sized hold where the doorknob had once been.
“Don’t tell the lovebirds I did that.” Amy begged Dawn with a nervous chuckle in her voice. “We’re in an emergency and this was the fastest way to get you home. Yeah, that will get them to go easy on me.”
“Relax Amy.” Dawn told the worried young woman. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“Right.” Amy snapped to attention before pushing the door open and taking Dawn by the hand. They had a great deal of ground to cover and night had already fallen over the hellmouth. Little did they know that one set of curious red eyes followed their every move.
******************************
“So I’m strolling through the park, looking for a meal, and I happen to walk by and she’s making out with a chaos demon.” Spike retold the story of his breakup yet again as he sat in the open doorway of the backdoor to the Summers residence. His back was leaning against the invisible barrier that kept out his kind. His audience listened patiently as she readied the steaming kettle to make two mugs of warm cocoa. Once the drinks were poured she set them on a tray and carried them back to her guest sitting in the doorway.
“And so I said ‘You know, I don’t have to put up with this.” Spike went on as Joyce set the platter on the floor and slid the end with his cup just over the threshold. “And she said ‘Fine.’ So I said ‘Fine, do whatever you like!’ I thought we were gonna make up.”
“Well she sounds very unreasonable.” Joyce said in her most consoling voice as she listened to the vampire’s woes.
“She is. She’s out of her mind.” Spike agreed, letting a rare smile play across his face. “That’s what I miss most about her.”
“Well Spike, sometimes even when two people seem right for each other their lives just take different paths.” She tried her best to consol the heartbroken vampire as she sat on a stool just a foot inside the back door to her home. “Like when Buffy’s father and I…”
“No! This is different! Our love was eternal! Literally!” Spike cried out in pain and frustration. He couldn’t believe how little these humans understood that the sheer number of years he spent with Drusilla set his love life apart from the brief flings they called forever. He settled down after a moment, having no real urge to fling himself against the barrier. Especially while the Slayer’s mother was freely offering all of her attention to his plight. “You got any of those little marshmallows?” Spike asked as he looked into his warm mug.
“Oh, let me look.” Joyce said as she got up to check one of the cupboards. Spike watched her as she moved about the kitchen. In a moment he’d get around to asking for the spell book. Joyce would hurry to help him once she learned who his hostages were. Before he could chuckle at his morbid train of thoughts a heavy fist contacted with the back of his head. Spike saw metaphorical stars for a moment before he was grabbed by the collar of his long black coat and hoisted up from the small back yard deck. The vampire found himself hurtling through the air for an instant before his back slammed into the ground. His vision of the very literal stars in the night sky was blurred by yet more metaphorical stars.
“You!” An angry voice shouted as its owner pounced atop the stunned vampire. “Do!” The second word was punctuated with a fist to his face. “Not!” Punch. “Get!” Backhand. “To!” Punch. “Come!” Two quick jabs. “Here!” The anger behind each blow and shouted word was more than Spike was expecting from anyone in the Slayer’s camp.
“Good evening Faith.” Joyce called out casually as she stepped out onto the porch for the first time that evening. “Is Buffy with you? I was worried I’d have to keep him distracted until your normal patrol ended.”
“Shit!” Faith exclaimed as she continued to pummel Spike into the ground. “Did no one tell you what’s going on Mrs. S?”
“Sorry Mom.” Buffy said as she came out through the back door and joined her mother on the porch. “But we’re on high alert until we find whoever took… Spike!”
“Slayer!” Spike yelped in between strikes from the enraged brunette.
“Think he’s in on it B?” Faith asked as she slowed her assault.
“Can’t rule it out.” Buffy said as she came up beside her girlfriend. The two Slayers hauled the injured vampire to his feet. “You shouldn’t have come back Spike.”
“I do what I please.” Spike said with smug contempt in his voice. Buffy simply pulled a wooden stake from her sleeve and readied a strike for his chest. “Your sister!” He shouted at the last second.
“You took Dawn?” Buffy asked in a cold voice as she drew the stake back, still ready to end his existence.
“Dawn’s missing?” Joyce shouted.
“You do me now you’ll never find her or the witch.” Spike threatened with an all too self assured smirk.
“Where are they?” Faith demanded an answer as she squeezed his arms with all of her strength.
“It doesn’t work that way kiddies.” Spike said dismissively as he tried to shrug out of the death grip the Slayers had on him. “Your friend’s gonna work a little magic for me. When she does my spell I’ll let them both go.”
“You’re not famous for keeping your promises Spike.” Buffy said with a cold glare.
“Well, you and your butch girly girl want to tag along that’s fine.” The vampire quipped in an all too amused tone. “But you get in my way and you kill your sister.”
Both Slayers let Spike go and Faith went to follow him into the alley that ran behind the backyard. Buffy turned to her newly terrified and anxious mother and did her best to consol her before vanishing into the night. “I’ll bring her home Mom.” Buffy swore in an authoritative tone that momentarily shocked the fear and panic out of the older woman.
“She’s right Joyce.” Jennifer said as she and Joyce watched the trio exit through the gate in the backyard’s fence.
“They’ll bring her home.” Cassie added in a tone that said the young seer was speaking out of hope rather than certainty.
“Jennifer? Cassie?” Joyce whispered in surprise before turning to the other woman. “When did you? What’s going on?”
The witch simply put an arm around Joyce’s shoulder and guided her back into the kitchen. As Jennifer readied the kettle for a comforting round of tea she told her friend everything they found in the alleyway near the coffee shop and all that happened once they got Cordelia and Xander to the hospital. By the time she finished her tale Joyce was shaking and Cassie was fighting the urge to cry.
Before any questions could be asked the front door opened and the three blondes heard footsteps coming down the hall. “Mom? Are you, oh, hey guys!”
“Dawn!” Cassie shouted as she leapt up and ran into the other girl’s arms.
“You’re okay!” Joyce added in an equally relieved cry as she joined the two girls.
“Yup, got her home safe and sound and all that stuff.” Amy said as she went over to the fridge and opened the freezer door. “The Slayer keeps ice packs in here right.”
“Goddess girl, come here and let me take care of that awful bruise.” Jennifer said as she took in the sight of Amy’s still swollen face. The young witch complied as Jennifer tended to her with a minor healing chant. Amy basked in the warmth that far surpassed any she had ever experienced from her own mother’s magic.
“Thanks Jen.” Amy said as she felt the dull ache melt away. “Think I can get a ride back to my Dad’s house? The sun’s been down for a while and I’ve already had my fill of vampires for the month.
“Of course Sweetie.” Jennifer said as she turned to see Joyce and Cassie still caught up in greeting the youngest Summers. The crisis had been averted. Now all that was left to do was anxiously await the return of the Slayers from dusting their bleach blond annoyance. As Jennifer guided Amy to her car she knew the girls would come home safely.
******************************
“Oh would you get over it already!” Faith shouted as they rounded the corner and caught their first glimpse of the magic shop.
“Shut your gob.” Spike said as he glared at the brunette.
“We’ve been listening to your moping all night!” Faith shot back. “If I have to hear one more story about a bench or fire hydrant where you and your slut killed someone I’m gonna stake your ass!”
Spike took a swing at the Slayer only to have his fist caught in mid air by the brunette while the blonde grabbed his shoulders and tossed him against a brick wall. “What do you know?” He shouted. “It’s your fault! The both of you! She belongs with me. I’m nothing without her.”
“Yeah, that I’ll have to agree with.” Buffy quipped and Faith came up to stand beside her. “You’re pathetic, you know that? You’re not even a loser anymore. You’re a shell of a loser.”
“Yeah?” Spike asked as he stared down the Slayers. “You’re one to talk.”
“Meaning?” Buffy said in a tone that betrayed just how close she was to losing her patience just like her girlfriend had.
“The last time I looked in on you two you were completely oblivious in your precious little closet,” he jabbed a finger at Buffy before turning and jabbing the same finger even harder at Faith, “and you just followed her around like a stray puppy. Now you’re all lovey dovey like none of that tip toeing around each other ever happened. Makes me want to heave.”
“Shut up.” Faith growled.
“You must be some kind of unlucky sod.” Spike said directly to Faith as he leaned forward a hair. “All the not too picky Slayers in history to get all a quiver over and you fell for the one that thinks she’s straight.”
“Our relationship is stronger because we started as friends.” Buffy said defensively as she reached out and grabbed Faith’s hand.
The look of scorn mixed with amusement on Spike’s face showed how little he was convinced. “You’re not friends. You were never just friends. You were in love from the first second, only one of you was too scared to admit it and the other is just damaged goods. You’ll be in love till it kills you both. You’ll fight. And you’ll shag. And you’ll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you’ll never be just friends.”
“Love isn’t brains children.” He went on ignoring the glare the blonde was shooting at him. “It’s blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love’s bitch but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”
As he came to a close Spike couldn’t help but feel the relentless waves of animosity coming off the blonde Slayer. “Don’t you ever compare the soulless mockery you had with that crazy whore to what I have with my Faith.” Buffy seethed with ice in her voice. “And if you ever talk about my girl like that again I’ll track you down and make you watch as I stake Drusilla right in front of you.”
For a moment Spike was speechless. The naked animosity in the petite blonde’s voice shook him harder than any of his previous encounters with these or any other Slayers. Before he could come up with a snide reply a lighthearted laugh came from the mouth of the nearby alley.
“Oh, ho, good one Slayer.” A diminutive demon in a burgundy suit and checkered tie clapped his hands as he stepped out into the street. His skin was a dull gray, his hands sported three mildly flipper like fingers while the rows of sharp teeth, black eyes and the gray fin atop his head were clearly that of a shark. “But if you’ll excuse my intrusion for a moment Mr. Spike here owes me a rather substantial debt.”
“Really?” Buffy said as she and Faith shared a look before turning back to the shark headed demon. “How much?” They both asked as they watched a half dozen mismatched demons join the well dressed sharkman.
“About forty Siamese.” He said while idly waving his flipper like hands about. “And since he has a history of running my associates and I are keen to collect while he’s in town.”
“Siamese?” Faith asked in confusion.
“Kittens my dear Slayer.” The demon said with what barely passed for a smile.
“Kittens?” Buffy asked in even more confusion. “Why kittens?”
“Poker winnings.” Spike grumbled before turning back to the demon. “And just how did you know I was back in town Bro’os?”
“Oh the mayor’s aide called Willy to tell him about the shopkeeper.” A demon with drooping folds of pale, loose skin, floppy ears and red eyes chimed in. “Willy told everyone in his bar.” Once his explanation was through the demon took a sip from the large slushy in his hand.
“Clem?” Spike said as he looked closer at the other demon. “What the hell do you want?”
“You borrowed half my CD collection before you left town last time.” Clem told the vampire. “Any chance I can get them back?”
“Oh sod off you loose skinned wanker!” Spike snapped as Faith and Buffy shared a giggle.
“As much of an honor as it is to meet you two fine Slayers, I’m going to have to ask that you let us conclude our business with Spike.” The shark demon said. The Slayer gave the demons and the vampire a speculative look and appeared to be seriously weighing her options.
“I die your sister dies.” Spike snapped.
“Wait. One of those brunettes was the Slayer’s little sister?” Clem asked, causing everyone to turn and stare in his direction.
“You saw my sister?” Buffy all but shouted at the loose skinned demon.
“I saw Spike lurking around earlier and went to see where he was going.” Clem told the Slayers in a worried voice. He had never gotten such direct attention from someone so powerful and didn’t dare to even consider tempting her wrath. “He stopped by this burned out old factory in the middle of the abandoned industrial district and when I stopped by to check on him later I saw two girls with light brown hair sneak out and run off. I followed them all the way to Rovello Drive to see if they might know where Spike had my CD’s but stopped when I saw them go inside a house.”
“You really did have them at the factory!” Faith shouted as Buffy shouted “Dawn’s already home!”
“As interesting as all this is, I believe that concludes your business with this vampire.” Bro’os said in his most diplomatic voice. “If you Slayers would be so kind.”
“Now hold up.” One of the other demons chimed in for the first time. His head sported a row a dark purple spines that ran down the back of his neck and skewered the center of his shirt at regular points. “I hear that Slayers are good for all kinds of tasty things. No reason to rule anything out just yet.”
“Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to test those myths boy.” The shark snapped at the other demon before turning back to the Slayers and putting on his toothy facsimile of a smile.
“Okay, here’s how this is gonna go.” Buffy called out as she drew her long sword from her sheath. “Anyone who’s eager to get Slayed form an orderly line. If you just want to beat on Spike without testing our patience go fight him over there.” She finished with a vague wave to the other side of the empty street.
“Hey!” Spike growled.
“Prepare to die Slayer!” The purple spined demon shouted as he charged. Faith’s blades lashed out in the blink of an eye and the demon’s head bounced off the pavement twice before rolling along the ground.
“Any other takers?” Buffy asked in a chipper voice.
“Thanks but no thanks.” The shark said with a mild bow to the two young women.
“Oh no not me.” Clem agreed as he raised his hands in submission. “I don’t do the whole fighting thing.”
“Hey B, didn’t G man or the witches say that loose skinned demons were vegetarians?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Buffy agreed. The Slayers stepped to one side of the street as the shark and the rest of the demons squared off against Spike. The battle was fierce, bloody and sloppy by their standards. After a few moments Buffy and Faith found themselves gravitating towards Clem who had pulled out a sealed bag of mixed nuts and began idly snacking away as he watched the carnage. “So you followed my sister all the way home?” Buffy asked a moment after Clem tilted the bag to offer her and her girl a handful of his snacks.
“Oh, yeah kinda.” Clem said before a terrified look crossed his face. “I didn’t try anything Slayer, I swear. But this is the hellmouth and they seemed to be running on adrenaline so I figured better safe than sorry. I didn’t talk to them though. I think the witch might have sensed me once or twice but she didn’t stop to say hi.”
“Relax, Clem was it?” Buffy told the worried demon. “Thank you for watching out for my sister. Keep up the good behavior and you’ll get a spot on our do not Slay list.”
“There’s a list?” Clem asked with a just a glimmer of hope shining through his astonishment.
“Sure, why not.” Buffy told him as Faith let out a laugh and took a large handful of nuts from the bag in his hand.
“Well that’s a relief.” Clem said with a sigh. “You know you two are a lot nicer than all the rumors let on. Plus I can tell you make a lovely couple.”
“Why thank you Clem.” Buffy said just before a roar from Spike interrupted their pleasant conversation. The Slayers and the loose skinned demon turned to see the last of the demons who had followed Bro’os dead on the ground around Spike.
“Now that was fun!” Spike said with a genuine smile and a delighted chuckle. “Oh, don’t tell me that wasn’t fun. God it’s been so long since I had a decent spot of violence. Really puts things in perspective.”
“It’s so hard to find good help these days.” The shark muttered with a disappointed shaking of his head. “About that debt Mr. Spike, we can just call it squaresies.”
“I’m no welcher.” Spike growled at the shark. “Meet me in LA in a week and we’ll settle it.”
“Sure, sure.” Bro’os said with a slight bow. “I know you’re good for it.” The shark quickly slunk off into the shadows.
“Now for you, you loose skinned ponce!” Spike shouted, turning an angry glare on Clem.
“Back off blood sucker!” Faith shouted as she stepped in between the vampire and the cowering demon. “Floppy ears here gets a pass since he went out of his way to make sure the brat got home safe.”
“Bugger off Slayer.” Spike snapped at the brunette. “I was just gonna tell the little git that Dru kept all his Lilith Fair CD’s when she left.”
“Aww.” Clem said with evident disappointment.
“Poor guy.” Buffy said while offering Clem a consoling pat on the shoulder. “But now that we know they’re safe you’re not getting that spell.”
“Fuck the spell! He’ll be lucky if we let him leave town in anything other than a dust buster!” Faith shouted.
“Oh, sod the spell.” Spike said with a dismissive wave. “I’m really glad I came here, you know? I’ve been all wrong headed about this. Weepin’, crawlin’, blamin’ everybody else. I want Dru back, I just got to be the man I was. The man she loved. I’m gonna do what I should have done in the first place!” He went on with far too much cheer. “I’ll find her, wherever she is, tie her up, torture her, until she likes me again.”
With a wide smile the vampire turned and began to stroll down the empty street. Just before he was about to disappear down an alley he stopped and turned back to the Slayers and the confused demon. “Love’s a funny thing.” He said with an amused grin before walking off into the night.
“Well that happened.” Faith muttered in annoyance.
“Yeah, I really don’t know why I used to hang out with that guy.” Clem added. “What kind of friend looses all the stuff you loan them?”
“Come on Clem.” Buffy said with a reassuring smile. “Willow gave me an MP3 player with like fifty thousand songs on it. You can share my Lilith Fair collection.”
“Really?” Clem asked in hopeful surprise as Faith asked the same thing in bewilderment.
“Sure, why not.” Buffy told her girlfriend and her new friend. “I’ve got another one I haven’t opened yet and Willow is always giving me new stuff to help immerse myself in our “new lifestyle.” Plus Clem seems like a decent guy.”
“I like to think I am.” Clem agreed with a happy little bob of his head.
“Okay.” Faith said, shaking her head in amusement at her girl’s easy acceptance of the odd looking demon they had just met. “Let’s head home.” She said with lighthearted laughter.
******************************
“Angelus.” Darla whispered as she walked into the front office of the Hyperion Hotel and saw her former lover leaning over the desk.
“Not that we aren’t just thrilled to have you, but he goes by Angel around here.” The Slayer said as the petite blonde walked right by her.
“What with everyone in here having a soul and all.” Doyle chimed in.
“Guys.” Angel whispered as he locked eyes with his sire. “you mind? Just give us a minute? Please.”
“Of course.” Wesley said and he turned and strode from the room.
“Yeah, whatever you need. We’ve got a patrol to get back to anyway.” Gunn added as he and everyone but his sister followed the watcher. The Slayer gave Darla an almost withering look before favoring Angel with a concerned one. She then got up and left the two in the privacy of the small room.
“I thought I was going to die.” Darla whispered as she came around the desk to stand by Angel’s side.
“You’re not.” He assured her.
“Not sure how I feel about that.” She admitted with a sigh.
“I know what you mean.” Angel said as Darla leaned back and took in the sight of him.
“I’m so lucky. To have someone who understands. Who knows.” Darla said as she realized for the first time what he must have experienced when she condemned him the very second he was cursed with a soul. “That’s something you never had, is it?”
“It wasn’t your fault.” He said to ease her newfound guilt.
“No. But there’s so much that is.” She went on as a far away look came over her eyes.
“It’s gonna be okay.” Angel assured her once more.
“I knew you’d help me. Knew if I could only get to you, it’s why they brought me back. To get to you.” Darla said as she once more stared into the eyes she had missed so dearly over the last century. “Now I find I need you just as I’ve always needed you.”
“You’ll make the pain stop won’t you?” She asked in an almost pleading tone that surprised the vampire.
“It takes time.” Angel tried to explain.
“It takes moments.” Darla countered as she threw her hair back and bared her throat for him. “Do it. Now.”
“What?” Angel was sickened by the request. How could she misunderstand him so completely? How could she ask him to do the unspeakable?
“Make me what I was again.” Darla pleaded in the voice she had once used to seduce countless men.
“Darla.” Angel said as he began to back away.
“You said you’d help me!” She demanded as she followed.
“I will. I want to but,” the shock and disgust warring within the cursed vampire rose again as his pleas grew more adamant, “not like this.”
“Turn me back.” She begged. “God, I can’t bear this pounding in my chest for another second.”
“It’s a gift.” Angel told her with just the barest traces of envy in his voice. “To feel that heartbeat. To know, really and for once, that you’re alive. You’re human again Darla. Do you know what that means?”
“Of course I do. It means pain, suffering, and disease. Death! I released you from this world once. I gave you eternal life.” She reminded him as she went on. Failing to see what was holding him back. “Now it’s time for you to return the favor.”
“Favor?” Angel asked in disgust as he stepped back from the aggravated blonde. “Is that what you think? You think you did me a favor?” His voice grew cold and distant with each word. His eyes stared without recognition, through the woman standing before him. “You damned me.”
“Fine. Fine then. If it’s such a punishment take out your revenge. Pay me back.” She went on in a huff before a pained look of desperation filled her eyes. “Please.”
Silence reigned over the tense standoff for far longer than either expected. Angel knew what she was asking of him. He could even understand why she was asking. That knowledge did little to fight the abject horror and utter disgust at the very idea of what she wanted. In all his aimless wandering since being cursed with the return of his soul only three such instances had sickened him so completely. The irony that she was the cause of the first instance was not lost on Angel.
“I can’t.” He said at last.
Darla looked Angel in the eyes for a long moment. No words were exchanged as they each realized just how far separated they had become. Without a moment’s hesitation the petite blonde turned and fled the hotel. Angel couldn’t find it in himself to call out to her.
******************************
“Cordy?” Xander said quietly as he peeked inside his girlfriend’s hospital room. He saw the cheerleader lying in the hospital bed with her head turned away from the door. “They wouldn’t let me out of my own bed till now.” He remarked with an upbeat smile.
The silence coming off the brunette worried him. Yet he still managed to pull up a seat beside her bed. “I went down to the gift shop but they didn’t have ‘Sorry our date got sidetracked by vampires.’ cards. So I got you this little bear with a stethoscope.”
“Xander.” Cordelia said as she finally turned her head and stared at the young man with an empty expression. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what?” He asked before the cold look in her eyes registered. “Oh, you mean us?”
“Stay away from me.” She said.
The young man slowly stood from his seat. Though it broke his heart, he turned and left the room. He never noticed the faint trail of tears streaming down Cordelia’s face.
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