Third section of “The Slayer Series”

Sequel to: ‘Twisted Fate’

Title: One, Two, Three Times A Slayer

Author: Gillian Silverlight

Distribution: My site at www.homestead.com/gilliansspikelair/, those that have previous permission to post my fic, others ask first please. (Please keep the three parts of ‘The Slayer Series’ together. I’d also appreciate it if you’d not rearrange the sentence groupings of dialogue. It can alter the story line. Thanks.)

Disclaimer:  If you don’t recognize the character, they are my own creation. Otherwise, they belong to Joss, the WB, UPN, pretty much everybody except me. I just play with them all.

Summary: A third Slayer has been found. Can they keep her out of the clutches of the Council of Watchers? The Council’s attack on Faith is dealt with; Buffy comes into her own after ‘The Gift’. (Author’s Note: ++ denotes flashback.)

Spoilers: Major spoilers for 5th season end- BtVS, 2nd season AtS; After “The Gift”.

Lyrics: ‘Once Bitten, Twice Shy’ by Great White; ‘Absence of Fear’ by Sarah Mclachlan; ‘Blue On Black’ by Kenny Wayne Shepard; ‘It’s Over’ by Dollshead; ‘OverFire’ by Verucka/Shy/T.H.C; ’Hands’ by Jewel; ‘Under the Milky Way’ by The Church; ‘Everything I Do’ by Brian Adams; ‘Let Me In’ by Save Ferris.

Author’s Notes:  Again, I give much thanks to my sister, Dyane Windshadow, who brainstormed with me on this, as well as Meredith who brought up a idea and allowed me to use it. It too set off a chain reaction of thought and helped me to figure out what actually happened and how. I also include Joss Whedon in this dedication for the ideas he hid so cunningly in several episodes. I borrow his characters and make my speculations from the clues he threw in our faces, so of course he deserves a dedication!

And lastly to the actors who portray the characters we have all come to love so much that we spend hours reading about them or writing about them. Where would we be without any of them?

I hope you all enjoy my efforts.

 

One, Two, Three Times A Slayer

 

 

Buffy and Spike found her by following the sounds of the fighting. They turned the corner Willow had indicated and there she was. The new Slayer was a curvaceous slender young woman with below-the-shoulder length almost black hair. She fought hard although seemed to have little training.

Buffy thought of her first weeks as a Slayer after she was Called.

Squeezing Spike's hand quickly before releasing it, on one side of her and Willow's on the other; Spike and Buffy rushed in to help the girl against the overwhelming odds of the vampires around her.

Willow cast a protective shield around Buffy and Spike.

The new Slayer wouldn't know anything about Spike except that he was a Vampire, and Willow planned to always protect Buffy whenever possible now.

 

In short order, the vamps were all dust. Buffy stood looking at the dark haired girl in front of her.

"W-who are you? Why did you help me? And he.. He's a vampire!"

 

Buffy grabbed the girl's arm before the stake could move far toward Spike.

"Yes, he's a vampire, but he's my vampire. This is going to be very confusing, I know. I remember what it was like for me. I'm Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is my mate, Spike. And my best friend and witch back up, Willow. We came to take you to my Watcher and help you."

 

"I- I had a Watcher, but she died the first night. Please help me! I don't want to die!"

 

"It's no fun, but it's not so bad. I've done it twice, which is why there are three Slayers now. Faith, you and me. What's your name?"

 

"You're Buffy? Buffy Summers from Sunnydale? The Hellmouth?"

 

Buffy just nodded at the frightened girl.

 

"My Watcher told me about you. You're the most famous Slayer ever, even if they don't like you. It's the vampires, you know.. And you don't do what they tell you.."

 

"Yeah. I know. That's why we're here. We can teach you how to stay alive. The Council will just get you killed. To them, you're expendable. They'll just get another one just like you. What's your name?"

 

"I'm sorry. This has just been so overwhelming all at once. I'm Michelle Allen, the Vampire Slayer."

 

"Nice to meet you, Michelle. Now you're not alone."

 

                                                *****************************************

 

Michelle had been having horrible nightmares for several days when the strange redheaded woman approached her in the Mall.

“Michelle? Michelle Allen?”

 

“Ye.. Yes. Who are you? How do you know my name?”

 

“I’m Abigail Owen, Michelle. Is there somewhere we can talk? I’m not here to hurt you, just to help you. You’ve been having very bad nightmares recently haven’t you?”

 

“How.. WHO ARE YOU?!” Michelle was ready to panic. Between the nightmares and this strange woman knowing so much about her, she just wanted to run.

But the nightmares were horrible and Michelle wanted them to stop.

 

The woman named Abigail led the frightened 17 year old to a table in the corner of the food court. Motioning for the girl to sit, the woman took the other chair.

“I know this may seem very strange to you, Michelle, however I will try to explain.

I’m something called a Watcher. It’s my job to guide and train a special girl who has been chosen by the Powers That Be, to help rid our world of things like vampires and demons.”

 

“Right. Vampires and demons? You’re kidding me, right? And how does this explain my nightmares or why you knew about them?” Michelle had expected something weird, but this was much more than she had expected.

 

“The girl chosen is called a Slayer. That’s what they do, slay or kill the vampires and demons. You’ve been having the nightmares because you’re the current Slayer. The dreams started when the previous Slayer died. I’m here to help guide you and train you on what to do.” Abigail was worried she might not have enough time to train this new slayer before she was injured if the girl wouldn’t even believe her.

 

“So if that’s what I’m dreaming about, what do vampires look like?” Michelle asked rather scornfully. This was a whole lot to swallow at once, or at all..

 

Abigail told the dark haired girl in detail what vampires looked like and did, watching the new Slayer pale with every word.

 

“Yeah. That’s what I’ve been dreaming.. Can you prove this to me?”

 

“Of course. If you’ll come with me, we can go someplace private so I can prove to you that you really are the new Slayer. It will be public enough that you need not fear me.”

 

“Ok. Let’s get this over with.” Michelle got out of her chair waiting for the redheaded ‘watcher’ to lead the way.

 

Abigail walked out of the Mall and around toward the loading dock area. She directed Michelle to an abandoned car on one side, which the police hadn’t towed yet.

“Grab the bumper of the car and pull.”

 

“Right. And I’ll do what? Have superpowers and can pull it off or something?”

The girl was openly scornful of every word the woman told her.

 

“Basically.. Yes.”

 

Looking distrustful, Michelle gripped the bumper with one hand and pulled as hard as she could. With a groan, the metal of the bumper began to separate from the rest of the car.

Looking at what was happening with disbelief and amazement, Michelle tried to pull harder.

As the metal fell to the ground with a clang, she looked at the stranger.

“Wow! Wow… I…I…. What do I do now?”

 

“We need to go have a long talk, Michelle. May we do that now?” Abigail asked as she offered her drivers license to the young woman in an effort to prove her identity.

 

Convinced she was being told at least part of the truth about what was happening, Michelle went with the Watcher.

 

                                                *****************************************

 

Abigail had gone through all her Watcher Diaries with the new Slayer. She told the dark haired girl everything she could fit into the hours they had spent together. They had started a training regime.

 

The cover story to Michelle’s mother wasn’t even that hard to create.

Ms. Allen was very busy with her social circle of friends and had little time for the very attractive 17 year old that was her daughter. The competition in looks was not in Ms. Allen’s favor.

So the older woman was more than glad to have someone willing to take her daughter off her hands for the rest of the summer.

 

The Watcher Abigail and her new Slayer had had less than a week together when they were attacked one night right after sunset.

The vampires had managed to kill Abigail before Michelle killed two of them and then had to run for her life.

She’d never done any fighting and had no idea how other than what little Abigail had taught her.

 

Several days later Michelle knew she couldn’t continue to stay in Abigail’s house. She knew she’d have to go back to her own home.

As Michelle tried to make her way back to her mother’s house, darkness fell before the young slayer could reach her destination.

Looking around her and hurrying from fear and worry, Michelle didn’t notice the vampires until they had surrounded her.

 

*I’m gonna die. They’re gonna kill me like they did Abby.*

Michelle pulled out the stake she was never without now and set her jaw. If the vamps were going to try and kill her, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

She charged the vamps.

 

                                                *****************************************

 

Deep into the fight and one vamp dusted, Michelle glimpsed a slender white-blonde man rush around the corner of the building. At his side was a small blonde woman.

Both of them dived into the fight and had dusted the other vampires in no time at all.

As Michelle struggled to catch her breath, she felt that warning tingle that said the man standing there was a vampire…

 

                                                ******************************************

 

It had been almost three weeks since Buffy, Spike and Willow had found her.

Buffy, Spike and Giles all worked every minute possible to help train Michelle.

The new Slayer was living with Buffy, Dawn and Spike, so she was getting a full dose of slayer information with her training almost every hour she was awake.

Michelle was alive and well but was more sore than she had ever been in her entire life.

They were going through their usual training program when strangers walked into the back room of the magick shop.

 

All activity stopped as Buffy, Spike and Giles went to greet the two men, the one dark-haired woman and another vampire.

 

“Michelle, would you step over here for moment please?” Giles asked the girl.

 

The young woman walked over to her temporary Watcher and the famous Slayer and vampire.

“Michelle, This is Faith. She’s the Slayer that died so you were called. She, ah.. was strangled but was revived by her Watcher and friends. This is Wesley, her watcher. The vampire with her is Angel. He has a soul, so it’s similar to Spike’s chip. The other man is Colin. He’s your new Watcher.” Giles explained to her.

 

“New Watcher? Did I do something wrong, Giles?” Michelle asked the older man in a very worried voice.

 

“Michelle, You’ve been doing quite well. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Giles tried to reassure her.

 

“Chelle, it’s usually one Watcher, one Slayer. We kinda keep them busy, so it’s better that way. They can concentrate on just us and not have to split their time and attention.” Buffy tried to tell the young woman who had quickly become a friend.

 

“Michelle, I will try to explain everything to you. I doubt that Mr. Giles has left much out though.” The man was her new Watcher. He was tall and slender with deep green eyes and shoulder length black hair. His accent was similar to Giles’ and Wesley’s, yet just enough different to notice it.

“I’ve been invited to stay with Mr. Giles, but we can talk at Buffy’s house as well.”

Colin turned to look at the blonde Slayer and the even more blonde vampire next to her.

“It’s indeed an honor to meet you, Buffy; and you, Spike. I must say, your exploits are as well known as those of Angel and of Faith, not to mention Mr. Giles and Mr. Wyndham-Pryce.”

 

“Nice to meet you too, Colin. I hear you’re gonna keep Michelle safe..” The question was very apparent in Buffy’s words to the new man.

 

“We are most assuredly going to try to do that. Angel, Wesley and Giles have a small errand to run in addition to picking up a vampire that might just fill the same role for Michelle as Spike and Angel do for you and Faith.”

 

Buffy turned quickly to look at the dark-haired Slayer and vampire.

Angel saw the question that Buffy had given up all right to ask. He assured her anyway.

“No, Buffy. Faith is with Lindsey. You remember that lawyer I told you about.. He’s a part of our team now. I’m with Cordelia.”

 

Buffy exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She knew she had no right to question anything at all about who Angel was with… yet…

She was glad it was Cordy instead of Faith.

“I’m happy for you and Cordy, Angel. Just be careful, please?”

 

“It’s ok, B. Soul-boy here has to be careful or I’ll kick his butt until you guys can come give him back his soul again.” Faith told her sister Slayer.

 

“Good. None of us ever wanna see that other side of him again.” Spike growled at his sire.

 

“Don’t worry about it, Spike. It’s ok. And Colin may have a way to help Willow get rid of that ‘clause’ in my soul.” Angel glanced at Buffy as he answered his childe.

 

“I’m glad, Angel. That would be good for you and Cordelia.” Buffy knew what Angel was implying. She had to let him know that she meant her choice of Spike as her mate.

 

“If we can interrupt all the personal chit-chat, I think we should get our guests settled now. We do have some business to take care of…” Giles wanted to stop the conversation before it got out of hand. Besides, he was looking forward to this particular trip.

 

“Right. Let’s get this settled.” Wesley finally chimed in. Buffy looked at the man she no longer knew. He was very different than the young inexperienced Watcher he had been in the beginning. There was an undercurrent of anger in his words and confidence in his step.

 

* Well, if the Council had tried to have me killed like they did Faith. Giles would probably sound even worse.* Buffy thought about Wesley’s tension and anger.

 

                                                *****************************************

 

The Sunnydale gang managed to settle everyone finally. The various conversations lasted until late into the night, or early into the morning, depending on how you looked at it…

Giles was going with Angel and Wesley on this errand; leaving Colin there to help Buffy, Spike and Faith work with Michelle.

 

“Giles, call me when you get there and let me know you’re ok. I need you to be careful.”

Buffy was as protective about her Watcher and friend as he was about her.

 

Giles pulled the small blonde into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be careful, Buffy. More than you normally are.”

His voice was light, letting her know he was teasing her about her reckless sacrifices in the past. But the older man knew that sooner or later, he’d lose his Slayer and his ‘daughter’ permanently.

 

“I’ll be here when you get back.”

Buffy stepped out of the hug and into the curve of Spike’s embrace.

The vampire held out a hand that Giles accepted. The clasp was quick, but both men knew they’d protect this small blonde they loved.

Giles was depending on Spike to protect the other two Slayers while he was gone.

Spike was very dependable these days.

 

                                                ********************************************

 

Hours later the plane finally landed. They had timed it so that when the men eventually got through customs, it would be after sunset so that Angel could travel safely.

Two hours later the rental car pulled up outside the large forbidding iron gate.

Giles pushed the speaker button.

“Mr. Rupert Giles and Mr. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce here to see Quentin Travers”

The gate slowly swung open.

 

Giles drove the car up to the large old building. Pulling to a stop at the verge of the lawn, they saw the front door swing open and Quentin stood waiting for them.

The men emerged from the car as Quentin looked at the third man in surprise.

 

“Well Giles, Wesley. I see you have extra company.” Quentin nodded his head slightly at the vampire’s presence. “Angel.”

 

“We need to talk. I’d suggest the red room now. And do call the guard off before they even get here.” Giles informed the head of the Watcher Council.

 

“Certainly. I think we can all be civil.” The Council head turned without waiting for an answer and led the three men into the hallway.

 

Down a second hallway that ran perpendicular to the main hall; Quentin opened the door, walking into a large room. The walls were covered in a dark wormwood wainscoting, leaving the rest of the ten-foot high walls covered in a deep burgundy fabric. The heavy furniture in the room was a well-worn leather in a deep creamy amber color. It was the color of old, well cared for leather.

 

Quentin settled into a chair of the same well-cared for leather at the side of the fireplace with its welcoming blaze against the perpetual English chill. At his arm, was a small antique marble-topped table holding a bottle of port and several small glasses.

He busied himself with pouring a glass for each of them, even Angel.

“So Giles… Why have you seen fit to bring a vampire into our midst? No offense, Angel.”

 

“Sorry, offense is taken.” The vampire replied, anger smoldering in his voice.

Angel was having a bit of inner struggle to keep his demon at bay when what he wanted was to rip the throat out of this man who had dared…

 

“We three are the ones concerned in this matter. So the three of us are here.” Giles’s anger was just as palpable as Angel’s.

 

“You had the audacity to send the ‘Raptors’ to kill Faith. How dare you? I’m her Watcher and I’ll handle things with her. You think you can just kill one Slayer to get another one? Not my Slayer you won’t.” Wesley was barely restraining the urge to beat the smirk off of the older man’s face.

 

“You’re her ‘watcher’? She’s your ‘slayer’?” Quentin sounded amused at Wesley’s outrage.

“You left the Council, refused to obey our orders. That’s why you were fired, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce. As for your ‘slayer’ I assume you refer to that rogue woman who is totally uncontrolled and a murderer?”

 

“She has a name. It’s Faith. And that is exactly what we all have in her. She turned herself in, paid her dues to society and has worked hard at her training. She is sincere in her repentance and has developed into a very good Slayer.”

Wesley tossed down the small glass of port.

“I am her choice of Watchers. She trusts me and furthermore, I trust her.”

 

“She’d already spent too much time with Ms. Summers, as well as the vampire influence she had chosen to surround herself with as you two still seem to be doing.” Quentin openly taunted the men before him.

 

“Buffy is alive and well, I’ll have you to know. As is Faith. It is due to that ‘vampire influence’ as you put it, that they are both alive.” Giles was losing the fight for his temper and ‘Ripper’ was taking his place. Angel saw the change cross the face of Buffy’s Watcher.

 

“Alive? Both of them? How is this possible?” Quentin was visibly shaken at this news.

 

“Your messenger not get back to you with my message?” Angel snarled

“Faith is alive because we saved her. Buffy is alive because the Powers That Be owed me a favor and I asked for her life to be returned. They did. And before you get any further ideas, my childe Spike is protecting her just as I’m protecting Faith. Michelle will be protected as well.”

 

“You have Michelle as well? Her Watcher is dead. Neither of you can handle two Slayers.”

 

“Oh, Michelle has her own Watcher. Colin Murray was more than happy to undertake the task.” Wesley informed the Council head.

 

“Colin!” Quentin sputtered in his anger.

 

“Yes, Colin.” Giles stated as he rose from his chair with Wesley and Angel.

The three men walked to the Council head and surrounded him.

“Let me explain just once how this is going to work from now on. I’d suggest you understand quickly.”

 

‘Ripper’ looked into Quentin’s face.

“Wesley will be reinstated with full back-pay as well. He will remain as Faith’s Watcher. Colin will remain as Michelle’s.”

‘Ripper’/Giles leaned slightly closer to the older man. “You will cease to interfere with our Slayers, their Watchers, their vampires or their backup support. If you do not….”

 

Angel gently laid a hand on the older Watcher’s shoulder and picked up the conversation where Giles had left off

“We’ll be back. If we have to come back, you won’t like anything that happens, I promise you that. We’ll start with you Quentin. Don’t touch our Slayers again.”

Angel let the growl that had been building, ooze out of his throat.

 

“I see that you have thought this out. You also have me at a disadvantage. You know full well we can’t find another Slayer. Now that you have revived Buffy again, and Faith… neither one of them will generate a new Slayer. And if the Powers have intervened.. You’ve pretty well tied our hands. Oh, I understand all too well.” The suppressed anger was almost palpatible behind the man’s words.

“Your demands will be met. Now get out of our building.”

Quentin was stiff with anger as he waited to be released from his chair as a ‘hostage’.

 

“Fine. The sooner we’re away from you, the better.”

Angel and Wesley stepped away from the chair.

Giles remained where he was for the moment.

“The girls are all protected while we are here. It is known where we are. If we do not return; Colin, Buffy and Willow will be on your doorstep next. Willow could hold off Glory on a temporary basis. I think a few Watchers will be a mere trifle for her now.”

 

Giles saw the fear flicker across Quentin’s face before it was quickly swallowed. The older Watcher understood very plainly what the witch’s strength must be to hold back a God, even for a few moments.

*Good. It’s time they show a bit of respect… Or fear. Either will do quite well. *

Giles thought as he stepped back from the chair finally. The three men turned and opened the door to the room, letting themselves out as they walked back to their rental car, leaving the Council head to his own thoughts.

 

“Well, that was fun. Shall we go find Nathan now?” Angel asked his companions.

 

“It was, wasn’t it?  Give me directions, Angel.” Giles told the vampire with grim satisfaction.

 

                                                ******************************************

 

As the three drove into the outskirts of the small French village, Angel motioned slightly to the east as he gave further instructions to Wesley, who was driving now.

The car pulled into the lee of a cottage surrounded by trees, slowing as Angel opened the door to get out.

“Get everything ready, he’s not far. This will only take a few minutes” The 247 year old vampire slipped into the shadows and was gone from sight.

 

Wesley and Giles hurriedly pulled the various items out of the case they had in the back floorboard. Lighting the charcoal for the incense and herbs, they waited as it flared slightly before settling into a deep red ember at the edge of the pellet. The glow slowly spread across the surface of the round black circle in the small open censer leaving a dusting of grey ash in its wake.

Carefully, the two Watchers opened the car door and set the censer on the hood. Wesley guarded Giles’ back, cross in hand, as the older Watcher set out the glass enclosed candles in the pattern Willow had assured them would work best.

Then they waited for Angel to return.

Each man  mentally reviewed exactly what he’d have to do when the vampire did return.

 

                                                **************************************

 

Angel slipped out of the shadow of the trees as he sensed the presence of his long absent childe.

Rounding the corner of the small outbuilding, Angel found Nathan as the younger vampire fed from the throat of a young villager woman.

“Nathan.. How nice to see you once more, my childe.”

Angel had allowed his demon face to come forth as he faced his childe.

 

The feeding vampire uttered a small sound of surprise as he whirled to face the voice he knew so well and hadn’t heard in decades.

“A-Angelus? What are you doing here? What do you want? I heard you had a soul now.”

Nathan snarled at his Sire as the woman dangled from his grasp..

The younger vampire had been in his late 20’s when he’d been Turned. It had happened the year before Angelus had discovered Druscilla. That made Nathan 143 now.

He was a well-built man of close to Angel’s own 6 feet 1 inch. He’d weigh about 175 pounds and was narrow of hip and broad of shoulder. Nathan still wore his deep golden hair down around his shoulders.

While not nearly as sculpted as Spike’s face, Nathan’s still held those vestiges of other blood in his slightly raised cheek bones and the odd amber eyes that had their own enticing tilt to them. It had been that unusual beauty of face that had caught the attention of Angelus so many years ago.

Angel remembered that Nathan’s father had been a French explorer who’d returned from the East with a tiny beautiful oriental woman on his arm. Two years later, she’d given birth to Nathan.

Angelus and Darla had killed them both.

 

“I came to find you, Nathan. Aren’t you glad to see your own Sire after all these years, boy?”

 

“You weren’t exactly overwhelmed with keeping me with you when that crowd of villagers came after us. I seem to remember you and Darla running out and leaving me to their ‘tender mercies’ while you fled on horseback…”

 

“You managed. So what’s the problem?”

 

Nathan lunged at his sire as he dropped the emptied woman to the ground.

“The PROBLEM is that you abandoned me! I barely escaped. “

The golden haired vampire wrapped his fists into Angel’s shirt as he pulled the older man off of his feet.

Angel let himself fall with his childe and caught him in the jaw with a swift uppercut as soon as they hit the ground. Nathan shook his head from disorientation as he struggled to maintain his grasp on the dark-haired vampire’s shirt.

Lashing out again and catching the younger childe in the temple, Angel managed to render his ‘youngster’ semi-conscious.

Finally struggling to his own feet, Angel wrapped his arm around Nathan as he pulled one of Nathan’s arms over his shoulder and started carrying the object of his search back to the waiting car as he mumbled under his breath…

“Never could take a punch to the head.. Don’t know how you managed to live this long with a damned glass jaw..”

 

                                                *************************************

 

“I think I see them coming. Let’s get started. You let Angel and Nathan into the circle while I start the herbs and the transference.” Giles got to his feet next to the car while holding the Orb securely in both hands.

It began to glow as he started the age-old invocation Willow had written out for him.

The two figures came closer to the parked car. Although the moon was full, the trees and building blocked most of it; so Wesley could barely make out the vampire’s familiar silhouette.

“Is that you, Angel?”

 

“Yeah. Got the handcuffs ready? He’s heavy.”

 

Wesley opened a doorway in the protective circle Giles had established; and as soon as Angel carried his burden inside, Wesley snapped the magickally-reinforced cuffs on the semi-conscious vampire.

 

“..Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte.  (I implore you, Lord, do not ignore this request.)

Nici mort, nici al fiintei... (Neither dead, nor of the living...)

Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el. (Let this Orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him.)

Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum! (So it shall be! So it shall be! Now!)

Acum! (Now!)”

 

Giles slumped as the last words almost ripped themselves from his mouth into the air around them.

 

Nathan’s half-closed eyes took on a sudden unearthly glow as his body stiffened in the grasp of Wesley and Angel.

Angel felt a shudder run through him as well at the Watcher’s final words. He shook his head to clear the slight disorientation.

 

“What.. Where am I? Angelus? What has happened to me?” Nathan sat on the ground looking up at the one face he recognized, as red-tinged tears rolled down his face.

 

“You’ve been given back your soul, Nathan. The next part won’t be easy, but I’ll be here to help you through it. We need you, boy. We have work for you. The kind that can earn you some peace and redemption…” Angel knew he’d be explaining it all again and much more as the hours wore on.

He shook his head again, still feeling.. off.

 

“Let’s get him into the car and head to the hotel. I’m afraid you’ll have to drive again, Wesley. I’m pretty well knackered after that. Now I know what Willow must have gone through..” Giles almost crawled into the car after gathering the candles, censer and the precious Orb back into the satchel.

Angel had gotten Nathan into the back seat as Wesley slid behind the wheel again, starting the car and easing back into the night dark road full of silvered pools of light.

 

                                    *******************************************

 

“I don’t care what you have to do to find them, just find them and get rid of every one of them!” Quentin Travers was almost yelling into the telephone in his hand.

He slammed the receiver down then turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the room.

 

                                    ******************************************

 

Colin had quickly set up a training schedule with Spike and all three of the Slayers at hand, but also with Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya.

He had taken the time for long involved conversations with Xander, Anya and Dawn as well; striving to know each person involved with the slayers, in order to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Buffy and Willow helped Colin set up the patrol schedules for all of them. Michelle was never allowed to go alone, as her training was still underway.

Spike insisted on going with Buffy for every patrol. He’d lost her once already and wasn’t about to take any chances with her life again.

Colin had Spike go with as many of the others on patrol as was possible to convince the vampire to do. The Watcher discovered that the vampire had a good eye for sizing up the various fighting skills and where the weaknesses lay in each.

After all, Spike did have two Slayer kills to his name, so Colin felt that instead of ostracizing the vampire for his past, that it would be better to take advantage of the skills available.

The slender blonde vampire duly made note of the flaws he saw and Colin worked to resolve those areas just as diligently

 

It was on patrol one night with Spike and Willow that the next unusual incident occurred.

The evening had been quiet so far. Spike and Buffy were walking hand in hand while Willow drifted along beside them.

The trio had canvassed all of the cemeteries except one and as they entered it, walking past the brush along the side of a derelict crypt, a large scaly gray demon rushed them, huge battle-ax in hand.

Willow immediately prepared to cast the protective spell around Buffy and Spike as usual, when the energy hit an invisible wall.

The air around Buffy was shimmering like the night Spike had seen once before. The Slayer raised one hand to the demon and the ax flew out of his grasp to imbed itself into the crumbling side of the crypt.

Spike halted in mid-step, mouth open as he gaped at the tiny blonde slayer. The shimmer in the air seemed to have brightened as if the very air around her had begun to burn. As the glow increased, Spike felt the familiar twinges of being too close to direct sunlight.

He wrapped his duster around himself as he shrugged it up over his head and turned toward Willow.

Buffy continued to glow brighter and the demon began to twist and writhe where he stood as if he was unable to move.

Spike ducked behind Willow, huddled under his coat as much as possible.

 

The demon started to smoke in spots, as Buffy grew brighter still.

Finally Willow pulled out the sides of the long skirt she wore and wrapped them closer around Spike to help shield him from the ever increasing brightness.

 

The smoldering demon finally burst into flame, as he stood rooted to the spot, unable to move at all.

Willow raised her hand and threw up a wall of blackness between Spike and Buffy to keep the vampire from doing the same thing.

 

As the demon crisped into a puddle of very smelly slag on the ground, the glow around Buffy started to fade until there was just the faint shimmer in the air again.

The Slayer turned to face Willow and Spike, who had finally been able to come out from behind the redheaded witch’s skirt and his own coat.

Both of them gasped at the sight in front of them.

Buffy’s eyes had turned a solid yellow color and still faintly glowed with an inner light.

 

“Spike, Will.. Are you two ok?” Buffy asked her lover and her best friend.

 

“Ah, Buffy.. What happened there? You were glowing like a nova and almost fried Spike as well as that demon and do you have any idea what your eyes look like?”

The words tumbled over each other as Willow tried to get them out of her mouth.

 

“Are they yellow again? They feel like they do when that happens.. What do you mean I almost fried Spike? Wasn’t that glow from something you threw at that demon?”

Buffy walked slowly toward the two huddled close together.

“What’s wrong with you two?” She stopped and put both hands on her hips.

 

“Buffy, luv… Your eyes aren’t just yellow. They look like small suns and the light was from you. It felt like sunlight too. Thought I was bloody well gonna go up in flame any bleedin’ second.” Spike told her, concerned about what was happening to his lover and mate.

 

“Me? I was glowing? Oh hell!”

 

“Buffy.. You know how you told me about my eyes getting all black when my powers kinda kick into overdrive? Well, your eyes do the same, only glowy yellow and the light seemed to come from all of you. You fried that demon. I just stood here and protected Spike from the light.”

 

“I guess we should go talk to Colin about this.. Maybe he has some ideas about what’s going on.” Buffy looked worried as she covered the last few steps to Willow and Spike.

“I’m sorry, Will.” The small blonde slayer told her best friend as she reached out to take Spike’s hand. “Spike, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you. We have to find out more about what is happening so I don’t accidentally hurt you.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea, luv. Don’t like the idea of you getting’ upset and me just goin’ POOF!” Spike looked closer at her eyes.

“Well, your eyes are almost back to normal.”

The three warriors headed back to Giles’ house where Colin was staying.

 

“That was pretty wicked looking, Buffy. What did it feel like?” Willow’s curiosity was getting the best of her now that Spike was alright and her own fright had subsided.

 

                                                *********************************************

 

Nathan had been sobbing off and on for most of the day. His conscience was hitting him hard for everything he’d done over the years. Angel knew his actions were still considered mild compared to his own in the past. Some of it not all that long past.

 

“Angelus, why did you do this to me? I thought you cared at least a little about me.. This hurts so bad.. I’ve been a horrible THING for so long. One that you created.. Why? Why did you do this to me?” Nathan slumped forward holding his head in his hands again as he openly sobbed.

 

“Nathan.. I can’t apologize enough for Turning you. I.. I had no soul then. I was just an evil vampire, more evil than you have ever been. I’m sorry this hurts you, but it’s for a good cause and can help you find some measure of peace and work toward the redemption that I denied you.” Angel felt his own soul twist inside at the sight of his childe in agony; knowing that he was the one who had caused this to happen to Nathan. Caused it 143 years ago, just as he had helped set this part of it in motion when he mentioned Nathan’s name and existence then closed the lock on the action as he carried the younger man to Giles to restore Nathan’s soul.

Angel rested his hand on Nathan’s shoulder for a moment before leaving him alone in the room. There was no real cause for worry. The three of them had removed everything from the room that the recovering vampire could have used to harm himself, then too, the connecting door was open so Wesley could see everything that was happening with the golden haired vampire.

 

Giles sat on the steps of the small cottage they had rented the previous night, just an hour or so before dawn. They were all exhausted and had desperately needed sleep.

None of them had wakened much before sundown and only then due to the calls of nature.

First things first, they took their turn in the small bathroom of the cottage, then Wesley and Angel had gone to secure food for all four of them.

Nathan had been reluctant to feed from the container of blood from the local butcher shop, and then grimaced at the taste of the cattle blood that had been available for them.

Angel had almost wished that the two vampires could receive some kind of nourishment from regular food, as the thick sandwiches Wesley had gotten at the same shop had looked like they’d taste better than the blood had..

*But beggars can’t be choosers in this situation. * Angel mused to himself as he had encouraged Nathan to ‘eat’.

The ensouled vampire walked out the front door where he knew Giles sat on the front-steps in the gathering dusk of the evening

 

“Is he handling this any better, Angel?” The older watcher questioned as the dark haired vampire sat down beside him on the step

 

“Not noticeably yet. He will. I’ll get him calmed down before we reach the airport.”

 

“We should be there before dawn. Our plane leaves at 8am. That will put us back in Los Angeles after dark.” Giles had glanced at the vampire as Angel sat down, but now looked back out into the soft evening darkness as his thoughts pulled at him.

“Do you miss her?”

 

There was no need for questions, as both men knew who Giles meant. There would only be one ‘her’ for either of them.

“Yeah. Sometimes I can go for hours or a few days without thinking about her, and then something happens and her loss hits me hard.” Angel looked down at the ground, hiding the tears that threatened to spill over the dams of his eyelids.

 

“I was in shock for days it seemed after she jumped. I know she’s a Slayer and that I’ll lose her one day. I just don’t know how I’ll manage without her.” Giles took a deep breath before he continued.

“She’s reckless and impulsive and still does things her way.. Although Dawn and Spike have calmed her down a lot in that respect…” Giles inhaled a deep breath before asking the next question that had been echoing through his mind. “Do you still love her? What with Cordelia and all…”

Giles knew it was none of his business, that he was trespassing on private ground, yet.. something in him just needed to know if his Slayer still meant anything to this vampire who had helped shape her into the Slayer and woman she was now.

 

Angel’s answer was so soft Giles almost missed it at first. “Yes… Yes, I still love her. Just like it was the first time I saw her sitting in the sunlight, when Whistler pointed her out to me. Just like the first time I kissed her. She had no idea what I was.. I knew I shouldn’t…  I knew I should stay away from her, but I couldn’t.” Angel took an unneeded breath as he stared back into time seeing her before him and continued. “Even with Cordelia, I have to fight Buffy’s memory away. The thought of how smooth her skin was to the touch, how innocently she gave her heart..” The vampire broke off and remembered who he was talking to..  “I remember a lot of things you don’t really want to know about.”

Angel turned to find Giles watching his face.

“Why do you ask, Rupert?”

 

“I wondered.. I know somewhat how devastated she was .. with Acathla and all… then after Graduation. I understand that it was the best for both of you. I could see when the two of you were together how hard it was not to give in and lose your soul again just to be able to.. Well, you understand what I mean.” Giles looked away from the vampire’s all too knowing deep brown eyes again.

“I see it with Spike too. He’s drawn to her like the proverbial ‘moth to the flame’. I believe that his promise to Buffy to care for Dawn was all that kept him from following her. For so very long we treated him rather badly and refused to believe his feelings for her. I don’t even begin to understand why of all people, she would have two vampires fall in love with her.. One without even a soul.”

 

“You love her, Giles. Is it really so hard to understand why Spike and I would love her?”

 

“When you put it that way.. No, Angel. I guess it’s not. Especially as I love her like the daughter I never had…” Giles voice trailed off as he thought to himself, unknowingly muttering the words in his mind out loud without realizing he had done so.

“ Had I been 15 years younger, I’d be right there in the same boat with you and Spike...”

 

“Then you DO know how we feel, Rupert. You know she’s always thought of you as the father that hers has never been. She loves you too, you know.”

 

Giles looked at the vampire in surprise, then realized he must have spoken aloud.

“Yes, quite.”

Seeking desperately for some action to cover the acute embarrassment he had just caused himself with his inadvertent words, Giles stood up from the steps.

“Shall we see if Wesley and Nathan are ready to leave?”

 

“Good idea. We keep this up, we may both be in trouble.” Angel muttered back to the Watcher.

 

                                                ********************************************

 

Angel and Giles finally resorted to sedating Nathan with drugged blood. Wesley posed as the man’s personal physician with a story about getting him to a hospital in the States.

The four men managed to get on board the airplane without exposing either vampire to the sun. As they settled back into their seats, at least three of them breathed a sigh of relief to be heading back home to their Slayers and loved ones.

 

                                                *********************************************

 

‘My, my my

I’m once bitten twice shy, Babe

My, my my

I’m once bitten twice shy, Baby

So shy..’

 

Colin was working with Xander and Michelle that evening as Buffy, Spike, Willow and Faith went on patrol.

They had heard of an X’ron demon in the neighborhood, and although Colin had assured them that the X’ron were normally harmless and even timid unless frightened; Spike and Willow both had insisted on extra coverage that evening, so the four of them were patrolling together.

There had been no sight of any demons or vampires for that matter, all evening.

As they settled into the swings on the deserted playground for a few minutes, the four made sure to keep a watch on all sides.

 

“Willow, Spike…” Buffy said in a breath of sound. “There are several men all around us. Can you protect yourself, Spike and Faith, Will?”

 

“What about you, Buffy?”

 

“I’ll be fine, Will. Warn Faith.”

 

Willow had just managed to carefully whisper the information to Faith as the bushes stirred on all sides and five men burst out of the brush into the clear space around them.

Faith recognized the men and a cold sweat oozed from her pores at the memory burned into her mind of the last time she had encountered others like them.

“B! They’re ‘Raptors!” The brunette slayer backed up to touch shoulders with Willow and Spike. Buffy stood to one side seemingly unconcerned.

The redheaded witch had cast the shield of protection around three of them, but as before, it refused to encircle Buffy.

 

“Stop where you are and you won’t be hurt.” The blonde Slayer warned the approaching men.

 

“I think you’re the one gonna be ‘urtin’, love. But ye won’t be alone, if that ‘elps ye any.”

The man closest to her mouthed off.

Buffy raised one hand and the man stopped suddenly with a profoundly puzzled expression on what could be seen of his face below the mask.

The lead ‘Raptor’ raised his weapon and tried to fire at the three standing apart from Buffy, but the wooden stake from the gun hit air and ricocheted back into the man’s leg. He fell to the ground with a cry, then Buffy raised her hand again and he vanished.

The four other men crept forward a bit more cautiously now, having seen what happened to their partner.

 

Willow and Spike tried to keep an eye on the assassins as well as on Buffy. Faith just stared open mouthed at the blonde Slayer.

“Buffy! Behind you, Luv!” Spike saw that one of the men had crept around to come up behind the blonde Slayer.

Before Buffy could react, Willow had raised her hand and whispered a Word. The man flew backwards over the fence.

 

“Willow, come join hands with me.” Buffy asked, sounding distant and detached.

The redheaded witch took the two steps that brought her close enough to take Buffy’s hand as each of them faced opposite the other.

When the two friends clasped hands, they slowly rose from the ground as tendrils of lightning crackled around them and the wind stirred from nowhere to gently whip their clothing and hair around them. Spike and Faith gave up all pretense now and just watched the blonde and redhead floating about 6 feet off of the ground.

Willow’s eyes turned as black as the depths of the universe, while Buffy’s were the glowing yellow of the sun hanging like a jewel on the ear of that same universe.

With no words spoken between them, Buffy and Willow extended their free hands toward the men threatening them from both sides.

The visible ripples of force from Buffy’s hand knocked the ‘Raptors’ to the ground, while lightning from Willow’s fingertips hit each one causing their bodies to arch off of the ground as the electricity crawled up and through their bodies like a living entity.

Within minutes of the initial attack, there were five dead men around them, and one missing.

 

“Slayer, Red.. We need to go back to tha’ Watcher.. Now!” Spike grabbed Buffy’s arm as soon as her feet touched the ground again. Faith stood behind him, eyes wide, shock spread across her face.

Buffy turned those golden eyes on her lover at the same time Willow looked at the vampire with her eyes of black fire.

 

“Give us a minute, Spike. I think we kinda need to get a little settled.” Buffy told the white-blonde man beside her, as she took a few deep breaths and her eyes faded slowly back to their normal hazel color.

Willow followed her friend’s example and hers too changed gradually back to normal as well.

Taking a final deep breath, Buffy looked at the other three. “Ok, I think I’m ready now. You guys all ok?”

 

“Buffy.. Luv, you scared me to death, except I’m already dead. We have to find out what’s happening here. Then Red did her thing as well…” Spike wasn’t sure what to think about what was happening to Buffy. He was glad she could protect herself, but what if this was something horrible changing her?

 

Faith looked at the two women. “My god, B! Wha – What was that! And Willow! Damn! I think I’d just about rather have the demons and vamps or the ‘Raptors’…!”

 

“Those were the guys that tried to kill you?”

 

“Tried hell! They did kill me, B. Not those exactly; cause Lindsey, Wes and Angel killed those.. What are they doing here?”

 

“That’s what I want to know. I know just the man who can tell me too.” Buffy knew who had sent the assassins and planned to have a little chat with him on the phone first.

Spike saw the flickers of yellow in her eyes as her anger rose.

The blonde vampire grabbed her by both shoulders, swinging her around to face him.

“Slayer, you can’t just go off ‘alf cocked like this! Keep a grip on your temper, luv. You get mad and we may all fry.” He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

“I love you, Buffy. You can control this before you ‘urt somebody.”

 

“Thanks, Spike. I needed that reminder.. About both things.” She smiled at him with those beautiful hazel eyes and it was all the sunshine he ever needed.

 

                                                ******************************************

 

In Los Angelus, the plane from England was disembarking it’s passengers as the four on patrol burst through the door at the back of the magick shop where Colin and Michelle worked out while Tara and Dawn watched.

 

“Colin.. man, you’re not gonna believe what just happened.” Faith tried to tell the Watcher.

 

“Faith!” Buffy admonished the brunette Slayer, glancing at Dawn.

 

“B, Dawn knows what’s happenin’. Maybe she knows more than you’d like for her to, but this is no time to try to protect her from reality.”

 

Spike laid a hand on the arm of his lover. “Buffy, Faith is right. Nibblet needs to know what is going on just as much as the rest of us do..”

 

The blonde Slayer looked from one face to another, seeing the same answer in each one. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling it as a sign, Buffy nodded her head giving in to the inevitable.

 

“Good, now that you have all settled that, will one of you at a time please tell me what has happened?” The black-haired Watcher had walked over to the small huddle of friends as Buffy made her decision.

 

“We were looking for that X’ron demon and were finding pretty much nothing at all. No demon, no vamps, nada. We took a couple of minutes to sit at the park to regroup when five of those men Faith called ‘Raptors’ came out of the underbrush and attacked us. I kinda did that ‘thing’ again and Willow joined me to help; so all the ‘Raptors’ are pretty much dead now.” Buffy gave a quick explanation to the newest Watcher in their midst.

 

“Colin, that ‘THING’ as B put it, will scare the..” Faith caught the frown that crossed Colin’s face to forestall the words he knew she was about to utter. Dawn knowing what was happening was one thing, but the language used was an issue with the Scottish man.

“Ah, yeah.. Well that ‘Thing’ was pretty scary! B’s eyes got really yellow and lit up like streetlights. She raised her hand and one of the men just vanished! Then Will there took B’s hand and her eyes did that black glowin’ thing and they both decided to float around in the air while they stirred up a breeze and threw lightning and all at the guys.”

 

After several tellings from each of the participants and questions for everybody, Colin finally pieced together the gist of what had occurred. He clasped his hands together steepling his index fingers under his lips as they had seen him do often when he was thinking about something, and made his way to a chair.

Finally the older man looked up at Willow and Buffy in particular.

“It seems that we must discuss this with Giles when they return. That should be sometime tonight, although we can let them sleep a bit first.”

“The second cause for some concern is that the Council appears to have seen fit to send a new set of ‘Raptors’ after the lot of you. We had hoped that the conversation that Giles, Wesley and Angel had planned with them would put a stop to this particular problem. It appears it has not.”

 

“I’d say yeah.. NOT!” Faith chimed in again, earning herself a slight glare as reprimand from the Watcher.

 

“So we must be ever diligent against the assassins as well as the demons until this problem can be resolved. Therefore, I want no one patrolling alone, regardless of who you are or what powers you appear to have at this point.” Colin had raised his finger to stop the protests he knew would try to drown out his words.

“Now, let us all try and get some rest for the evening and we’ll tackle these problems tomorrow with more minds to assist us.”

 

They had learned by now that when the black-haired watcher shut the conversation down, that he would not discuss it until the time specified unless it was an emergency. They also knew that even though he had urged them to try to get some rest, he would be nose deep in the research books looking for answers.

There was a mild undercurrent of grumbling as everyone headed for home.

 

“Faith, I’d appreciate it if you’d not mind staying at Mr. Giles’ home tonight with myself and Michelle. Dawn can wait with us while Buffy and Spike walk Willow and Tara home, then collect her on their way back home.. If that meets with everyone’s approval?”

 

There were nods of agreement all around and a feeling of relief.

Buffy and Spike shared a look of understanding as they realized that Colin was taking this latest attack very seriously.

As the two strongest, Buffy and Spike would protect Willow and Tara on their way home. Faith would add extra protection for Michelle and Colin while they were at Giles’ house.

Colin was taking the threat quite seriously indeed.

 

                                                ********************************************

 

Buffy and Spike were roused from sleep the next morning by the telephone’s shrill insistence as it clamored for attention. Buffy reached for the receiver as her mind struggled to shrug off its drowsiness.

“ ‘ulloh?”

 

“Ah, Buffy. Your usual sparkling morning greeting….” Giles voice chuckled through the phone.

 

Hearing his voice, Buffy sat straight up in bed suddenly wide-awake. “Giles! You’re back! God, I missed you!”

Listening to Buffy’s side of the conversation, Spike turned over dragging the cover over his head in a futile effort to continue sleeping. He knew Buffy would be pulling him out of the soft warm bed next to her, moments after hanging up the phone.

“How soon do you want us over, Giles?”

 

“I think within the next hour will suffice. I’ll manage to get a cup of tea down by then and be moderately human again.”

 

“Well as long as you didn’t turn into some kind of demon while you were gone..” Buffy teased her Watcher, reminding him of the incident when Ethan Rayne had done that very thing.

 

“No, not this time. However, I think we’ll have enough to discuss with what is happening to you. Are you alright, Buffy?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I am. It doesn’t feel as weird from in here as everyone keeps telling me it looks from out there. Let us catch a shower and we’ll be over, Giles.”

Then in a much softer tone she told him, “I’m glad you’re home.”
Buffy cut the connection and leaned over to hang the phone up before her Watcher had a chance to reply to her last words.

As she straightened back up, Buffy felt a cool arm snake it’s way around her waist.

“Do I need to be jealous of your Watcher, Luv?” The blonde vampire by her side looked up at her with the question very plain in the depths of his blue eyes.

 

Buffy wriggled back down under the covers to slide her arms around Spike, kissing him thoroughly before giving him a verbal answer.

“No.. silly vampire. I love you. Well, I love Giles too, but in a much different way. He’s always been there for me in so many ways that my father never was.. This trip out of the country just kinda emphasised how much I count on his presence.”

 

“He loves you too, you know.”

 

“Yeah. It was hard for me to tell him at first.. But after Mom died.. I needed to tell him and Dawn that I loved them. I was so afraid I couldn’t care about anyone anymore.”

 

“I remember, Luv… That Glory chippy had you all rattled then.”

He pulled her close trying to not remember the time she had been lost to all of them. It had felt like forever.

“Let’s go get that shower.. Your Watcher is waiting. And I want to know what’s happening with you.. besides gettin’ to see what Peaches drug home this time.”

 

Buffy had to laugh at the long-suffering tone in Spike’s voice, but pulled free of the sheets and headed for the bathroom as she side-stepped his lunge for her.

“C’mon lazy vamp..” The slender blonde almost danced toward the shower as she left Spike sprawled across the bed sputtering.

 

                                                ****************************************

 

Angel struggled out of the depths of sleep to find Nathan already awake.

The golden haired vampire had borrowed some of Angel’s clothes, as they had not had a chance to do any shopping for him since Angel had found him in the French village. This left Nathan with the color choices of black .. or black.

He’d decided on black for the day.

Nathan stood at the window just far enough away to keep the sun from touching him, as he looked out over the neighboring streets behind Giles’ house. He realized that it had been decades since he had been up during daylight hours, or had taken the opportunity to simply look at the world around him as something other than a multi-choice ‘grocery store’.

Hearing his sire stirring behind him, the younger vampire turned around, questions filling him.

“How are you feeling this morning, Nathan?” Angel asked his previously forgotten childe quietly.

 

“Better.. Guilty as hell, but better. You said you had a reason for doing this to me…”
The question was implied in the younger vampire’s words.

 

“Yes. Let me try and explain some of what has been happening over the last few years..”

Angel spent the better part of the next hour explaining to Nathan about Buffy, their relationship, Spike, Faith and now the new Slayer, Michelle.

“So she needs someone to protect her in the same way that Spike works with Buffy and I work with Faith. We need you to do that, Nathan.”

 

“Don’t you think I might even get to meet this girl before you just dump the responsibility for her on me? What about fighting? I know the rough and tumble stuff like anyone, but the fancy stuff that you always did.. Well I never learned any of that.” Nathan’s reluctance echoed beneath his words.

 

“She doesn’t know much of it either. I think that between the other Slayers, the Watchers and Spike, we can all teach you as well as her. Are you willing to at least give it a try? You can find some peace with yourself by helping as well as working for some atonement for your soul.” Angel knew that Michelle would need Nathan’s help, if he could just convince his childe to help her.

 

“I still think I need to meet her first.” Nathan crossed his arms and set his jaw, reluctance and resistance evident in ever line of his body.

 

Angel sighed as he got to his feet. “Let me get a quick shower and get dressed and we can go downstairs and meet her. Besides, there will be breakfast in the refrigerator.”

*And Buffy might be here by now..*

 

Angel quickly showered and dressed, then led Nathan down to the kitchen. Giles had picked up some blood for both of them from Willie’s when they got in last night. The extra had made its way to the refrigerator as normal. Angel poured and heated up two mugs, handing one to Nathan before they made their way to the living room.

Giles was sitting relaxed in his favorite chair as he talked to Wesley and Colin. The older Watcher looked up as Angel and his childe entered the room and made their way toward the sofa.

“Morning, Angel. Nathan. I believe that everyone knows everyone else with the exception of Colin and Nathan..” Giles made the introductions as they men expanded their conversation to include the two vampires.

 

Angel heard the two women first as they started down the stairs. He recognized Faith’s chatter anywhere. Michelle followed close behind her.

The two Slayers walked into the living room and Faith almost leapt across the room when she saw Angel and flung herself into his arms for a hug.

“Hey Soul-Boy.. Ya bring us back a present for Michelle? Did ya miss me? Have you heard from Lin? Tell me everything that happened.. Was the Old Man pissed? He sent more of them after us, ya know..”

 

Angel chuckled as he peeled Faith off of him.

“Give me a chance.. One question at a time, gal. Yes, yes, not yet, later, definitely and I want to hear about that myself..”

 

Faith finally released her hold on Angel so that Michelle could shyly welcome the older vampire back as well.

Angel reached a hand out to grasp the arm of his ‘other’ child, drawing him closer to the group so he could be introduced to the Slayer he’d be working with, however what the dark-haired vampire saw was that Nathan had already discovered Michelle himself and was gazing raptly at her.

“Nathan.. Nathan!” Angel nudged him with an elbow.

 

“Ah, Yes?”

 

“Nathan, this is Michelle Allen. She's the Slayer we want you to work with, if the two of you can get along with each other..” Angel let his words trail off as he saw the golden haired vampire tune him out again as Nathan turned his gaze back to Michelle.

Feeling an elbow in his own ribs, Angel glanced at Faith to see her jerk her head slightly in the direction of the younger Slayer.

 

Michelle’s eyes were scouring the new vampire from head to foot and back again, her eyes wide in amazement.

Faith stood on tiptoe to whisper closer to Angel’s ear. “I hope you told them both about that happiness clause.. I assume Giles used the same spell on him that the gypsies used on you. Cause if ya don’t tell them, from the way they’re looking at each other, we may have a problem..”

 

Giles had stepped closer to Angel and Faith during their quiet conversation.

“Angel, what is it with you and your kin and Slayers?”

 

“Don’t know, Giles.. Must be one of those genetic things.” Angel chuckled. “I'll warn him if you’ll warn her, Faith..” Angel turned to look at the older Watcher behind him, suddenly very seriously. “It might be a good idea to find a way to fix that clause real quick, Giles.” Angel looked back at the vampire and Slayer, both oblivious to anyone else in the room. “I remember that look, and what feelings go with it.”

Angel thought back again to the day he’d first seen Buffy sitting on the steps in the sunlight and how hard the sight of her had hit him.

 

Almost as if on cue from Angel’s thoughts, the door opened and Buffy and Spike hurried inside. Spike was covered in his usual ‘smoking blanket’ as he sought the security of the house, away from the dangerous sunlight.

The blonde vampire shook the blanket off, and tossed it in the corner behind the door.

Buffy looked around the room but already knew Angel was there. She’d felt him the instant she had opened the door. The blonde Slayer had been seeking Giles but instead saw the new vampire and the young Slayer drowning in each other’s eyes.

Buffy remembered when the same connection had occurred between her and Angel.

He glanced at her now as she looked in his direction while she stood next to Spike.

The look that passed between Buffy and Angel spoke volumes, yet took only a second. They both looked away, knowing the feelings would always be there for each of them even though their lives had taken different turns.

As one, Angel and Buffy moved toward vampire and Slayer to warn both of them of the dangerous course they were considering.

 

                                                ******************************************

 

Buffy and Faith had ushered Michelle quickly upstairs to the room the young Slayer had been using while at the house.

“Michelle, there are some things you need to know about vampires that your normal training isn’t going to cover. Angel has his soul because of an ancient gypsy curse, however it has a.. a.. ‘happiness clause’ in it, for lack of a better description.”

Buffy tried to explain the problem to Michelle.

 

“Ok, so why are you telling me this about Angel? Is there a problem?”

 

“Chelle, the problem isn’t with Angel, but he’s the way everyone found out about the curse to give a vamp a soul and also discovered that there was a big problem with the curse. B’s the one that found out the hard way. I’m guessin’ the Watchers used the same curse to give Nathan a soul.” Faith wanted to be sure that the younger girl understood what could happen.

 

“Ok.. So what does all of this have to do with Nathan?” Michelle crossed her arms feeling rather defensive.

 

“Michelle… on my seventeenth birthday.. Well, Angel and I had been dating for a while then and we’d done a lot of kissing and I kinda pushed the issue.. But we had no idea there could be a problem….” Buffy was hesitant to get into the details of what had happened or even remember what had been the most wonderful and horrible night of her life.

 

 “What B is trying to tell you is that she and Angel got horizontal and pelvic. He had that ‘moment of perfect happiness’ and lost his soul. He became Angelus again and terrorized everyone, even killing one of their friends. If Nathan loves you and you two get down and dirty, he’ll have that ‘perfect happiness’ and lose his soul as well.” Faith wanted to just lay it all out so there could be no misunderstanding of what they were trying to tell the younger Slayer.

 

Michelle looked at Faith and then at Buffy with understanding and horror dawning on her face. “But.. but…He, and you.. and Spike…”

 

Sighing, Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed. She knew this was going to be a much harder discussion than she had wanted.

“The gypsies wanted Angel to feel guilty forever for having killed one of their clan, so when they gave him back his soul they added a loophole so that if he ever forgot his guilt and felt even a moment of true happiness, he’d lose his soul. Angelus is more than just not a nice person… he’s the worst vampire ever, except for maybe the Master, but you can find out about him later.” Buffy shivered slightly, she had never completely gotten over that incident.

“Angelus terrorized us and killed Giles’ girlfriend. He was going to send the world to Hell, but just as I was about to close the portal he’d opened, Willow restored his soul and I had to send Angel to Hell instead.” Buffy looked up and into Michelle’s eyes.

“It almost killed me.”

Faith took a few steps and laid her arm across Buffy’s shoulders. Although the brunette knew the story, she could hear the emotion in the blonde’s voice and knew now how she’d feel if she’d had to do that to Lindsey for some reason.

“Chelle, we could see the connection happenin’ with you and Nathan. Until the Watchers find a way to fix that clause problem, no matter what you feel, you can’t be with him that way. He’ll lose his soul.” Faith continued as she saw the black-haired Slayer open her mouth to ask the next question.

“Spike doesn’t have a soul. He got nabbed by some government boys and has a chip in his head that keeps him from hurting humans. And he loves B.”

 

“But if you and Angel had this great love, why is he in LA and you’re with Spike? I see the looks you two give each other…” Michelle didn’t completely understand and was feeling a bit belligerent at the turn of conversation. She didn’t want to attack Buffy, but was very attracted to the new vampire and this seemed to be a double standard.

 

“Angel and I… Well, he left to go to LA to try and find redemption for his past. We’ll always love each other, but we accepted a long time ago that we can’t be together. He was always in danger of losing his soul again when we were around each other. Spike.. is Spike.” Buffy laughed. “He’s the most aggravating, irritating vampire I’ve ever known. But he does kinda grow on you. He was always there for me, even when I didn’t want him there, no matter how often I threatened to kill him. He protected me, and Dawn and my friends.. He truly lives me and I finally realized the reason I couldn’t kill him was because I love him. It’s different than what I had or have with Angel. It’s not all angsty and miserable and full of denial.” Buffy smiled to herself as she thought of how much Spike had come to mean to her. “So I guess this is a ‘be careful’ if you fall for a vampire.”

 

“B.. I wonder if there is also something about them that makes us fall for them? I know I had a thing for Angel for a while, but there was that whole you and he thing.. And then eventually I met Lindsey…” Faith’s voice faded out as her own mind drifted into thoughts of the young lawyer she had fallen for.

 

“I hadn’t thought about that, Faith. But here we are, and all three of us seem to be attracted to or have been attracted to the very thing we’re suppose to kill. Maybe the guys can do some research on that for us later. But I think right now we ought to get back out there and solve some of this.” Buffy turned to look back at Michelle. “Do you understand now why it would be so dangerous to give into feelings for this new vamp? Nathan? Is that his name?”

 

“Yeah.. I think I understand the problem. I also think our Watchers need to find a solution for it, cause yeah.. He’s gorgeous! Looking into his eyes was like.. I don’t know.. Drowning in a wonderful place.” Michelle stopped shyly, not sure she wanted to voice the feelings surging through her very blood for the ‘just met’ vampire. She remembered what vampires had done to Abby and felt confused.

 

Buffy and Faith both reach out to reassure the youngest Slayer.

“It’s scary. But it will all work out.” Buffy knew she’d better get Giles to work on this problem quickly.

 

                                                ***************************************

 

While the three Slayers had talked about the clause in the soul curse and the problems inherent in a vampire-Slayer relationship; out in the living room the three Watchers and vampires discussed the same things with Nathan.

“So if I have even a moment of perfect happiness, I could lose this soul?” The golden haired vampire asked.

 

“Yes. You’d go back to your killing ways and we’d have to kill you.” Wesley assured the newcomer.

 

“I’d even help them. Tha’ new Slayer is young, but she’s a good kid. Won’t let you ‘urt ‘er or any of the rest of them.” Spike growled at Nathan.

Further conversation on the subject was interrupted at that point as Willow and the rest of the Scooby gang showed up.

The three Slayers came back into the living room and more introductions went around as Nathan was introduced to everyone.

 

“He’s quite attractive, isn’t he? Very unusual looks..” Anya told Tara very sotto voce from the side of the room. Xander just looked at the ceiling and rolled his eyes.

 

“I think we should all get down to business now that everyone has arrived.” Giles stated, catching the attention of those in the room.

“Colin, since you know more about this phenomenon that has been occurring, perhaps you can tell us about that first.”

 

It took several hours to cover the events that had taken place on both sides of the ocean over the last couple of weeks, but everyone was up to date by the time they finished.

 

“So we’ve pretty much got four issues to handle right now.” Buffy tried to sum up what they had covered over the afternoon. “We need to deal with the ‘Raptors’ and figure out a way to make the Council stop sending them; Michelle and Nathan need to be trained; We need to understand more about this ‘power’ I’m showing, and you guys need to find a way to stop the happiness clause in the whole soul curse… That about it?”

 

“I’d say that covers the bases on it.” Angel was quick to reply.

 

Sudden tension sprang into the room as Spike glared at his sire. The thought of the one problem holding Angel and Buffy apart for so long finally being solved, brought out all of the blonde vampire’s insecurities. The addition of a new and unknown childe of Angel’s hadn’t help matters either.

Buffy and Angel heard Spike growling very quietly as he stood next to Buffy.

Angel stepped closer to the pair so only the three of them could hear his words.

“I think we need to talk for few minutes. Which room can we use, Buffy?”

 

The slender blonde Slayer looked at Spike and nodded. “I think so too. Come with me.”
She took Spike’s hand and led him to one of the rooms upstairs while Angel followed.

 

Giles saw them leave and rose to his feet only to find his arm in Willow’s grasp. The redheaded witch shook her head at the older man.

With a very puzzled expression, Giles sat back down as Willow leaned toward him, “I think we need to leave them alone for a few minutes. Spike is a bit upset with the possibility of Angel ‘s curse being fixed finally. Then Nathan is a big surprise too. They need to work this out.”

 

“How do you know this, Willow? Has Buffy said something about it already? Although as we just got back last evening, I don’t see how..”

It was Willow’s turn to look puzzled. “No. No, Buffy hasn’t said anything. I just.. knew somehow what had happened. This is so wiggy, Giles. We’ve got to find out what all of this is!”

Giles wasn’t sure if he should be worried or frightened at the implications.

 

                                                ********************************************

‘Inside my skin there is this space,

It twists and turns, it bleeds and aches.

Inside my heart there's an empty room,

It's waiting for lightning, it's waiting for you.

And I am wanting,

And I am needing you here

Inside the absence of fear.

There is this hunger,

This restlessness inside of me.

And it knows that you're no stranger,

You're my gravity.’

 

Buffy closed the door behind them as they entered the spare bedroom.

“Ok, Spike.. Talk.”

 

“Don’t know what you mean, Slayer.” The blonde vampire stood with arms crossed, slightly away from the other two in the room.

Buffy stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him as she looked up into his face.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. What’s with the growls? Why are you being so weird and jealous? First it was Giles this morning and now Angel?”

 

Angel started at her words, looking at Spike. “Giles?!”

 

“Leave it, Angel.” Buffy told him almost curtly. Angel let it drop without another word. He’d not heard that tone from Buffy before, but considering what she had happening to her recently, he wasn’t sure he wanted to push the issue.

 

The blonde vampire hung his head. His words were barely audible.

“You still love him and if the bloody poof gets that whole curse thing fixed.. Where will that leave me?”

 

Buffy grabbed his face in both hands forcing him to look up and meet her eyes. “It will leave you right where you are now.. With me! Yes, you know how I feel about Angel, but you also know that the reasons I gave before for not choosing him are still valid. It has nothing to do with the clause on his soul.” Buffy’s voice dropped to a husky whisper.

“You know I love you, William. That’s not going to change.”

 

Angel hesitated for a moment but them came to stand next to the blonde pair.

“Spike, I love her but the same reasons I left are still true now. Besides, I have a certain brunette waiting in LA for me.”

The older vampire laid his hand on his childe’s shoulder. “There is something else besides just that..”

 

The tight, hurt whisper struggled its way out of Spike’s throat. “You never told me about Nathan. There was another one of us and you never told me. Dru and I didn’t have to be all alone when you left us.. But you never told us.”

 

“Spike.. I’m sorry. I was a selfish, evil bastard then. You know what I was like. I’m sorry. Then when I was cursed with my soul, I was ashamed. I was ashamed of what I had done to all of you, so I hid. I tried to forget.”

 

“Are there any more?” Pain still filled the younger vampire’s voice.

Buffy had no way to solve this and could only hold her lover closer, trying to reassure him with her touch.

 

“No. There are no others.” Angel took a deep un-needed breath. He needed to reassure his youngest. “Of all of them Spike, I’ve always been the most proud of you. You stood up to ‘me’; you never let ‘me’ break you. I’m sorry for what I did to you, but even now, I don’t believe you think it’s all bad. Because you’re still here, you have Buffy.”

The brunette vampire told his childe those last words with a heavy heart knowing what he’d never have for himself again.

 

Spike looked into the hazel eyes of the woman that was his world. He saw her love for him shining there. The love that was the reflection of himself she gave him.

The blonde looked higher to his sire’s eyes and saw the pain there that had echoed in the older vampire’s voice. Understanding filled Spike in that instant.
”I’m sorry. Not that I have her with me, but that it hurts you so much to not be with her. Been there, done that. I understand how it feels.” He turned to kiss Buffy gently for a moment.

“Thank you, Luv. Sorry I got so bleedin’ upset. I’m gonna go have a cig. Meet you back in the other room?”

 

“Yeah. Thank you, Spike.” Buffy understood he was giving her a moment alone with Angel, that he trusted her.

 

“ ‘S’ok, Buffy.” Kissing her on the forehead, Spike walked quickly out the door before what he was doing caught up to him and he changed his mind.

 

As the door closed behind Spike, Buffy turned to Angel and found herself caught up in his arms. She wrapped her own arms around his neck, holding him close for a moment before pushing slightly away.

When she did, Angel captured her lips with his own. The kiss was hard, demanding and overflowed with emotions.

Buffy returned the kiss for a few seconds before breaking it. “Angel, we can’t do this. You know we can’t. I can’t… He trusts me. He loves me, and I do love him.”

 

Angel turned her loose, backing away, running both hands through his hair in frustration.

“I know. I know!” Angel wanted to hit something.

 

Buffy took both of his large hands in hers and pulled him over to the edge of the bed, sitting down. Angel sat next to her, his deep brown eyes filled with tears he dared not let fall.

“Angel… You know I love you, but it’s different now. I’ll always love you, but we went our own ways. So much has happened to both of us.. We both have someone else in our lives; we have things we have to do… You know I’ll always be there for you just like I know you’ll always be there for me. But we can’t do this.”

 

“I know. I know. I can do this most of the time, but sometimes… sometimes it eats me inside.” His voice broke with the sound of tears as he struggled to tell her how he felt without breaking down completely. Seeing the new Slayer with Nathan after the talk Angel had had with Giles in France brought back so many memories..

“I’ll always love you, Buffy. I’ll always need you in my life in some way. I know you’ll be there if I ask you.. You know all you have to do is ask as well and I’ll be here for you.

Just one kiss, Buffy. Please? Just one kiss like we used to be and I’ll never ask ever again.” His voice pleaded with her.

 

Buffy looked into the dark brown eyes that had seen so much, had shared so much with her and couldn’t tell him no.

“Just one, Angel. Then never again. We can’t… I can’t… I can’t handle this again.”

Tears rolled un-noticed down her cheeks as the years fell away from them.

In what seemed to be almost agonizing slow motion, they wrapped themselves around each other, getting as close as possible, almost inside of each other’s skin. Buffy raised her tear-streaked face to the vampire next to her.

Their lips met softly at first, then harder as they poured into each other the emotions that threatened to spill out of their skin, to sweep both of them away on a never forgotten tide.

Their mouths drank at each other, struggling for the last precious drops.

As the emotions peaked, Buffy felt the soft glow begin inside of her and spread through her body. It suffused every inch of her as she took the energy of it and poured it into Angel, filled him with that golden energy with a soft moan into his mouth.

He felt the warmth run from her body into his, filling him like an empty cup, satisfying something he’d never known he was missing until now.

The soft warm glow filled both of them until those outside the room saw the light creep under the closed door.

 

The energy slowly seeped away as the glow faded. With the final glimmer of light, Buffy and Angel broke the kiss and pulled back from each other.

“Are you alright?” The Slayer asked him.

 

“Ye- yeah. Buffy, I have a heartbeat!”

 

“I know. But you’re also still a vampire. Your soul has returned for good now.”

 

“H-how? How can this be? What happened? I-I don’t understand..” Angel looked at his hands, felt his face, the steady beating in his chest and finally looked at Buffy to see the last traces of yellow fade from her eyes.

 

“I don’t know, Angel. I- I needed this to happen for you, so.. it did. I did. This is the gift I can give you for giving me back my life, for loving me..”

She stood up abruptly. “I need to find Spike. You and I will be alright now, Angel.”

Buffy turned and walked out of the room.

As Angel searched inside of himself like poking a sore tooth, he knew she was right. He still loved her, but it wasn’t the overwhelming sorrow it had been for so long. There was a gladness, a joy to the feeling along with a heartbeat and the need to breathe.

He took that first consciously needed breath for the first time in over two centuries and with a lightness in his heart, he walked out of the room.

 

                                                ******************************************

‘Night

falls

I'm alone

Skin

yeah, chilled me to the bone

You, turned and you ran,

oh yeah

Oh, slipped right from my hand

 

Cold on ice

its a dead man's touch.

Whisper on a scream,

doesn't change a thing

Don't bring you back

Blue on black

oh yeah

Blue on Black’

 

Giles, Willow and Spike were all waiting for her when Buffy walked back into the living room.

“Are you alright? We saw the glow under the door.. You didn’t fry Angel, did you?” The redheaded witch asked her friend.

 

“No. No.. I didn’t ‘fry’ him. I- I did something..” Buffy looked into her Watcher’s eyes, the unspoken plea evident in her very glance. “I ‘fixed’ him, Giles. I don’t know how. I just needed it to be done and so.. I did it. I don’t know how. I need to understand this!”

The blonde Slayer hung her head in her hands and sobbed silently. She didn’t understand what was happening to her and it was getting stronger. She was terrified she’d hurt someone she loved.

As Willow and Giles stood close to Buffy, Spike moved between them and took Buffy into his arms, holding her close. Resting his head on the top of her silky hair, Spike saw Angel hesitate in the doorway of the room.

The blonde vampire looked at his sire, noticing something very different about him.

“Are you.. breathing? I hear your heart beatin’….What the bloody hell happened in there?”

 

“I’m not sure. Buffy- Buffy started to glow and I felt strange. I need to breath now and I have a heartbeat, but she said I’m still a vampire..” Angel answered Spike, rather hesitantly, unsure what had actually happened to him.

 

“Angel, if this is true.. Try to alter your features.” Giles had stepped to the older vampire’s side, concerned about what might have transpired.

 

Angel looked at the Watcher and allowed his features to change. The familiar demonic ‘game-face’ dropped over his human features, then morphed away again.

 

“Alright. That still works. What about your strength? Perhaps you and Spike might..”

Giles needed to be sure the vampiric qualities they were depending on to protect Faith were still there.

 

Spike gently released Buffy and stepped away from her as he looked at Giles. “You want us to see if he’s still as strong as he was before. Yeah, I’ll take the bleedin’ sod on and see…”

He could smell Buffy’s scent on Angel and while he had been holding her, Spike could smell his sire’s scent very strong on the woman they both loved. Chip or no chip, the demon inside of Spike reacted to another man, another vampire being that close to his mate. Spike was more than happy to help check Angel’s strength as it would let him have the opportunity to resolve at least a part of his demonic urges by hitting Angel for touching Buffy.

Spike did trust her and knew she loved him, but he also knew that she loved Angel and was certain that they had at least kissed even if there was nothing more.

 

“Please do not destroy my house or each other as you do this.” Giles cautioned both vampires. He could tell from the reactions of the two vampires and from Buffy that something more had happened even if he didn’t know what it was just yet. There was more tension between the two males than normal and Giles was making a guess that it had to do with Buffy.

 

Spike and Angel started to clear a space in the middle of the living room. Faith had been watching the quiet exchange and knew something was up. She tugged on Michelle’s arm, who did the same to Nathan. All three of them assisted the other two vampires with clearing the furniture back against the walls.

 

Once the space was available. Angel and Spike faced off, each of them growling slightly at the other as they switched into ‘game-face’. As one, the two vampires threw themselves at each other, bodies crashing together almost mid-air.

They rolled to the floor, snarling and biting at each other. Angel threw a punch that caught Spike in the jaw causing him to shake his head slightly to clear the ringing in his ears.

The blonde vampire retaliated with a solid blow to Angel’s back over the kidney.

The fight was on in earnest then.

Both vampires knew the reason for the fight. Angel no longer had the overwhelming sorrow of the last several years associated with his love for the slender blonde Slayer, but the driving male demonic force within him had no intention of giving her up without a fight, especially not after that last kiss they had shared minutes ago.

The older, heavier vampire maneuvered his childe until Angel could hold Spike down with his greater weight, fingers digging cruelly into the blonde vampire’s throat.

Angel ‘s voice rasped in Spike’s ear. “I had her first, she’ll always be mine!”

 

Between the weight on his chest and the fingers trying to crush his throat, Spike managed to make himself heard to his sire. “You gave her up. She chose me. She’s mine. You’ll never have her again.”

 

Angel had always been the better fighter, as well as out weighting Spike. When both vampires could lift small cars, the difference mattered. But the younger vampire knew that if his sire won this battle, he could claim Buffy whenever he chose to do so. It wouldn’t matter what the blonde Slayer chose. Angel had almost drained her once before. The bond had been made.

So Spike knew he had to win this battle with his sire, for all of their sakes.

 

The younger vampire had learned quite a bit over the last few years fighting against and with Buffy. He pulled on every ounce of that knowledge as well as the love he felt for the tiny, powerful woman; throwing himself into a desperate maneuver.

Bringing his knees up sharply under Angel, Spike got them between their bodies and pushed as hard as he could while reaching deeply for the nerve in the back of Angel’s wrist. He felt the older vampire’s grasp weaken as the nerve-pinch forced the muscles to relax, and hit Angel’s arm with a side-blow breaking the grip around his throat.

Never turning the wrist loose as Angel’s body was pushed up by the force of Spike’s knees and legs, the blonde vampire twisted and rolled as he managed to force the dark-haired vampire facedown to the floor.

He caught his sire’s feet with his own, pulling them up at the knee and using his own knees to pin Angel’s elbows to the floor, hands behind his back. Spike leaned over to barely sink his fangs into the older vampire’s neck.

Had they not had such an audience, he’d have sunk his fangs deeply into his sire’s throat and possibly forced him into the ultimate act of submission normally used between sire and childe.

Instead, he whispered harshly, “She’s mine. You know where this could have gone. I want nothing more than your acceptance of my claim on her.”


”You have it. But if you ever hurt her, I’ll kill you after I rip you apart.”

 

“Done.” Spike allowed his face to change back to his human visage and he released his sire. He knew he could be punished for what he had just done and demanded because he’d not made his sire submit to anything except matters regarding Buffy; however, that had been what was important to him.

Besides, he didn’t think Angel would chance anything else with the observers present.

Getting to his feet, Spike looked at Giles’ shocked face. That cocky smirk slowly crossed the features of the blonde vampire. “Yeah. He’s still got his strength. He’s still a vampire, even if he does have a bloody soul and a heartbeat.”

 

As Angel got up from the floor, Faith strolled over to him. “So… You boys get that settled finally? You ok?” The brunette Slayer kept her voice to a bare breath of sound so that only Angel could hear her.

He replied in kind. “Yeah. It was stupid of me.”

Giving a low-throated chuckle, the Slayer told her vampire friend that she understood what had happened. “ ‘S’ok. Nathan and Michelle reminded you of you and B. That testosterone is bad enough in regular men.. Demon variety’s gotta be worse. Figured it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Angel touched his fingertips to his neck, feeling the wetness trailing down his collarbone. They came away stained with his own blood. “Yeah, ‘stupid vampires ‘r us’ I guess.”

He shook his head slightly at his own idiocy.

 

Spike walked the few steps back to Angel. “We ok now or we gonna have to do this again later for real?”

 

Angel slapped Spike on the shoulder. “Naw. We’re ok. You were right and I knew it. My demon wasn’t convinced though. Thanks. At least neither of us made total fools of ourselves.”

 

“Yeah, well. You might help me convince the Slayer of that bleedin’ fact before she cooks both of us, mate.”

 

With a laugh, Angel and Spike walked away from Faith and toward Buffy.

 

                                                ***************************************

 

Buffy looked at Angel and Spike, her eyes flashing yellow glints with her anger.

“What the hell was that?! And if you tell me it was some macho vampire dominance thing, both of you are in trouble!”

 

“Buffy, it was dominance, but not like you think. It’s ok. If we were gonna see if my vampire strength and stuff was still there.. we needed to check the sire dominance part of it too.. just in case it was needed. You know.. there’s Nathan and Dru, if I can find her, and Spike.. Yeah, I know he’s chipped and all…” Angel tried to ‘explain’ to the tiny blonde Slayer.

 

“And what have you got to say about this, Fang-boy?!” She looked directly into the eyes of her lover, daring him to lie to her like she knew Angel had just done.

 

“It’s the truth, Pet.” Spike looked as innocent as it was possible for him to manage. If vampires could sweat, he would have been soaking wet by now as the Slayer looked him over, those frightening yellow highlights still flickering in her eyes.

 

Buffy finally took a deep breath and exhaled it in a sigh. “Ok. I’ll let it go with you two for now. Put the room back together and if I E.V.E.R. find out you’re lying to me about this…” She left the threat hanging as she stalked out of the house.

Angel threw a pleading look at Faith who follower the blonde Slayer outside.

 

“I doubt she’s going to accept that bloody pile of rubbish any more than I am. However, you seem to have solved the problem and didn’t destroy my house, so I won’t nark on you.” Giles told them quietly.

 

“Thanks, mate. ‘preciate that.” Spike saw the steel in the Watcher’s expression and became serious. “It was necessary, Rupert. That’s no lie. ‘Peaches’ here told the truth as far as it went, but it was necessary.”

 

“Giles, remember the conversation we had in France?” Angel asked the older man quietly.

 

“Quite, although I’d rather we forgot parts of it.”

 

“That, along with the last few months and then the look between Nathan and Michelle.. Well, some things got stirred up that had to be settled before they turned ugly.” Angel was counting on the Watcher being intuitive enough to understand what he was trying to say.

 

“Oh. I see. Well, you’re quite right, that should be settled and done quickly. Is it now? I think the Orb is still packed..”

 

Angel managed a slight ironic chuckle. “Yeah, we just settled it while you watched.. And I don’t think you’ll ever need the Orb again as far as I’m concerned.” Angel glanced quickly at Spike. “I stepped out of line and kissed Buffy. She started glowing and I felt something run through me. I’d been feeling strange ever since you did the curse on Nathan while I was there too. Buffy said she’d ‘fixed’ me. That’s when the heartbeat and breathing started.”

 

“Perhaps that’s a clue to how to resolve this clause in the curse, although I don’t think Buffy kissing him would be an acceptable idea to anyone.” Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “We have got to find out about this ability she has developed and quickly before she hurts someone accidentally.”

 

                                                ***********************************

‘You've got to admit it's over

I've got to admit it's over now

The game is over

The deal is over

The dream is over, underground

The chase is over

The scream is over

Playtime's over, underground

The joke is over

The dream is over

The song is over, underground’

 

Outside in the courtyard, Faith hurried after her blonde counterpart.

“Hey, B! Wait up!”

 

Buffy stopped but didn’t turn around. She was sure Angel had sent the brunette after her and right now she just wanted to be alone.

“Faith, can I just have some time to myself, please?”

 

“Sorry, B. You know they don’t want any of us alone right now. Those dudes can show up at any time and out here in the sun, we got no vamp backup.” Faith wasn’t sure how to get to the subject Angel wanted her to handle, so she decided to take a frontal attack and just dive in…

“You know they had to settle that between them.”

 

Buffy whirled on Faith, face tight as she struggled to keep her ‘powers’ under control.

“What exactly were they settling?!”

 

“You.”

 

Buffy looked at the brunette in amazement. Faith might be a bit younger and was harder in many ways, but she had a grasp of some issues that Buffy had never quite managed.

“Me?”

 

“Yeah.. Sit down here, B.” Faith sat on the coping for one of the flowerbeds. After a few seconds, Buffy finally eased down next to her.

“Look, I know that Soul-dude has loved you like forever. It wasn’t easy for him to leave. I know it wasn’t easy on you either.” Faith hurried to continue to forestall Buffy’s comment as the blonde had started to say something. “I know these last few months have been really hard on him, then the way he looked when he saw that connection happen between the other two..  Well, B.. The dude can only handle so much. And Spike.. He’s gotta be feeling rough what with a new ‘relative’ showing up and the chance to fix the curse and all. It wasn’t so much the guys that had the biggest problem, but that demon inside of them.” Faith’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I know.. I have my own demons to deal with. They’re damned hard to shut up.”

 

“Oh. I hadn’t looked at it like that, I guess. I kinda forget sometimes.. I haven’t seen Angel as a vampire for a long time, and I finally got past seeing Spike as a monster too.. I guess I forget about the demon side of them. Although having met both of them before, you’d think I’d remember better.” Buffy was silent at the memory of when each of them had tried so hard to kill her. “I should apologize for yelling at them..”

 

“No, just leave it, B. Just let them know you understand. We need to get other things handled.. I got a man at home that I’m missin’ really bad, ya know?”

 

Buffy had to laugh at the chagrin in Faith’s words. “Yeah. I can understand that one too. Thanks. Let’s go solve the rest of this.”

 

The two Slayers, one blonde, one brunette walked back to the house arm in arm finally.

 

                                                *****************************************

 

Dru and Darla had found the deserted apartment building several weeks before and had made it home since then. It had the view that Darla craved, and an old neglected garden on the roof that Druscilla adored.

They were up on the roof, having already fed that evening. The rooftop was also quite handy for spotting a stray ‘meal’ out too late.

 

“Look, the shadows dance with the moonlight. And how pretty the flower heads are, all black and hard. They prick the fingers.”

 

“Right, Dru.. So how long do you think it will be before Angel starts looking for us again this time?”

 

“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll have some more tasty lawyers for us.. They’re bothering him again, you know.”

 

“Lindsey?” Darla asked almost breathlessly, except she didn’t need to breath at all.

 

“Not that one. He has his own Slayer now, just like my Spike.. Except he’ll never be my Spike again. Our Angel is also gone forever. The nasty Slayer glued his soul to him so Angelus will never come back out to play pretty games with us..”

For Druscilla, there was only one Slayer that would ever be the ‘nasty’ Slayer. Dru thought it was very nasty indeed to take someone’s lover, even when you didn’t want them any more.

 

“Ladies..” Both of the female vampires turned suddenly at the unexpected voice behind them. They hadn’t heard anyone approach them, but Darla knew she’d have whoever it was as a second helping for this…

The dark haired slender man had a lilting accent that reminded her of Angel before she had Turned him.

* Maybe he can replace Angel. Not that anyone ever could be my Angelus, but this one’s at least attractive enough even if he does look a bit small..* Darla smiled at the stranger.

 

“I have a proposition for ye ladies, if ye’d be interested.” Seeing that he had their attention, he continued. Getting eaten wasn’t something he had to worry about at all.

“It seems that there is a bloke over in your native country that is dabblin’ where he shouldn’t be. The Powers That Be are arrangin’ things the way they want them and this bloke is tryin’ to un-arrange them. So.. If ye two would consider goin’ and taking care of this little problem, the Powers will see to it that Angel doesn’t pursue you any longer.”

 

“So why would we want to go back across the ocean and do this for the Powers?” Darla purred at the man.

 

“Because if ye don’t, Angel’ll be findin’ ye in a couple of weeks and ye’ll both be fertilizing tha’ nice flowers.”

 

“Suppose we just snack on you now and move on?” Darla changed to a snarl in an instant.

 

“We can’t eat him. He’s not here!” Druscilla broke in, moaning because of what she sensed from the stranger.

 

“Shut up, Dru! Of course he’s here. At least for a few more minutes..” Darla laughed as she reached for the man, only to have her hand go through him.

“Wh..!”

 

“See, he’s not here!” Dru moaned again as she dropped to the rooftop and curled in on herself, clinging to her favorite doll for this week.

 

“Oh, I can touch ye, but ye’ll not be able to do the same to me. So what do ye say, ladies? I have money for you to make the trip. I’ll let you know where to find the man you can have to eat, but you can’t turn him.”

 

“And Angel will never come after us again?” Darla asked insistently.

 

“That’s right. It’s a promise.”

 

“Alright, we’ll take your offer. What do we do?” Darla made the agreement as the man explained the details. Dru stayed curled up rocking herself and her doll.

 

Sometime later, Angel’s sire pulled her insane ‘grand-daughter’ off of the roof, dragging Dru back inside while Darla planned.

 

The dark-haired man watched them leave. * Too bad they don’t know what they will accomplish. Tha’ new Council head will get them first thing.*

He shrugged to himself as he began to fade away on the breeze like mist.

*Oh, well. At least they solve several problems this way.*

 

                                                **************************************

 

At that moment in England, in a very large and old building that loomed over its surroundings, the very man in question reached for the phone as it shrilled in the quiet.

“Yes?”

 

“What do you mean they were all killed?! Did they get any of the ‘targets’?”

The man clinched his fists in suppressed rage as the disembodied voice floated across the phone lines.

 

“Then send out another team! I didn’t care if they’re not ready! Send them! Tell them I want them dead! Vampires, Watchers, Slayers and all of their friends!”

He slammed the phone down, cracking the base in his rage.

The man stalked across the room, a bundle of barely contained fury, as he reached for the almost empty bottle of port. He poured the remainder of it into a glass and tossed down the first half of it in one swallow.

Forcing himself to sit in front of the glowing fireplace, he sipped the remaining wine in an attempt to relax.

 

                                                ***********************************

 

Inside the absence of fear.

There is this hunger,

This restlessness inside of me.

And it knows that you're no stranger,

You're my gravity.

My hands will adore you through all darkness aim,

They will lay you out in moonlight,

And reinvent your name.

For I am wanting,

And I am needing you here,

Inside the absence of fear.

 

All of the furniture had been put back in place by the time Faith and Buffy re-entered the living room.

Angel was looking a bit sheepish and trying to avoid Buffy, while Spike came over to wrap a slender, muscular arm around her waist.

She looked up at the white blonde vampire and simply told him, “I understand.”

He looked at her with surprise written plainly on his face. Kissing her gently he murmured, “Thanks, luv.” against her lips.

 

“I’d like to interject a few ideas here if I may?” Colin addressed them. The new Watcher had been quiet through all the afternoon’s events thus far.

“I think with the change that Buffy has made in Angel today, we only need to find the solution to anchoring Nathan’s soul now. From what Mr. Giles told us, Angel felt oddly after the spell was done to restore Nathan’s soul and Angel was there as well. So I propose to work on the premise of using the same Orb to assist in the anchoring.”

The black haired Watcher looked for opinions on the faces of those in the room.

Satisfied with what he saw, he continued with his thoughts. “That being the case, I feel that it would be safe for Angel, Faith and Wesley to return to Los Angeles. In addition, should the ‘Raptors’ make another attempt, they would have to split their forces if the Slayers are in separate places. Actually, we are being much too helpful to them currently.”

 

Wesley saw where the thought was going and finished it up. “Ah, yes. We have all the Slayers, their Watchers as well as their vampire support and other support people all in one place. I agree, this is much too convenient.”

 

“Ok. Agreed. So when did everyone think a good time to go back to LA would be?” Angel asked his crew, welcoming opinions from the others as well.

 

“I’d kinda like to go soon, if it’s ok, Angel. I’m kinda missin’ Lindsey. Hate to have him forget me.” Faith chimed in.

 

Buffy had to laugh. “Angel.. Unless Giles or Willow or Colin need you guys to stay, I guess it would be ok for you to go when the sun is down. I’ll have to say I’ll kinda miss having you guys here. I’ve enjoyed patrolling with Faith and getting to know this new and improved Wesley a lot better. My biggest question would be the training for Nathan and Michelle.. You guys know and do different things than we do here.” Buffy turned to look at Giles with her last statement.

 

“Rightly so, Buffy. Perhaps they can stay and work with us here for a bit and then travel to LA and work there with Faith, Wesley and Angel afterwards, before being assigned to a different city.” Giles suggested.

The idea was met with approval all the way around, so the next few hours were spend much more socially.

When sunset finally arrived, the LA gang was packed and ready to leave.

“B.. I’m glad we had a chance to do a new set of memories. It was fun working with ya again.” Faith hugged her sister-Slayer.

 

“Me too, Faith. I’ll miss you when you go back. Be careful and keep in touch with us, with me.. Ok?”

 

“Yeah, B. And if I get my fellow where I’d like him.. Maybe you’ll come stand with me?” The brunette teased Buffy.

 

“I’d be honored. Let me know.” Buffy hugged Faith again before turning to Wesley.

“Wes, I want to apologize for the past mis-understandings we had.. I’ve enjoyed working with you.”

 

“They weren’t mis-understandings, Buffy. You were right. I was a pompous jerk. We’ve both changed. You’ve become a beautiful woman and the best Slayer that has ever existed. It has been my honor to have worked with you.” Wesley remembered his behavior from several years ago and was thoroughly embarrassed whenever he thought of it.

“As Faith or Spike would say.. ’S’ok, Wes.” Buffy chuckled at the much-changed brunette Watcher. “Give Cordelia my love.”  She stood on tiptoe and surprised Wesley by kissing his cheek.

Wesley stood watching the tiny powerful blonde as she made her way finally to Angel.

 

The two stood with hands clasped together, not knowing what to say, when Buffy finally just stepped closer to Angel and he automatically enfolded her in his arms. She laid her head against his chest, listening to his new heartbeat.

“I remember when I heard this sound once before, Angel. It still sounds as beautiful now as it did then.” She pulled back to look up into his face. “I’ll miss you, you know. I always do.”

 

“I know. Leaving you has always been the hardest thing in the world to do, but it doesn’t hurt this time like it always did before. Feelings haven’t changed, just accepted better now.” He looked down into her face with his deep chocolate brown eyes.

“Be careful, Buffy. And if you need me for anything..”

 

“I know. I will, Angel. You be careful too. Take care of everybody for me.” She reached up to pull his head toward her and kissed his cheek gently. “Love you.”

 

Turning to kiss her cheek in return, Angel could finally tell her without pain, “Love you too.”

 

                                                ****************************************

 

‘I'll take you up above ground     

over filth, over fire             

newly emerged from damp rich earth

every inch a new sensation        

stretches me out of my head

out of my head into his          

to taste and smell myself’

 

Although they had been thoroughly warned, Nathan and Michelle were never far from each other if they could avoid it.

When they finally got an opportunity, they had found a quiet corner and sat talking. Michelle told the golden haired vampire about her life since she was Called, the loss of her first Watcher..

Nathan told her some of his past, but left out great portions. He wasn’t proud of what he had done, what he had been..

“Nathan, you did what was normal for you then. I can’t agree with it, but I can forgive you as long as it never happens again.” The black haired Slayer looked into his strangely tilted amber eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes that color. They’re beautiful..”

 

“I’ve never thought about it, Chelle. They’re just a part of me. What’s beautiful is you.”

Nathan took her small powerful hand in his own larger one.

 

Michelle carefully reached to thread the fingers of her other hand through Nathan’s hair, where it hung loose around his face, gently curving over his shoulder.

His skin felt as though he had been touched by fire where her fingertips grazed his face.

Nathan released Michelle’s hand and slid both hands to cup her face. She covered his cool hands with her own warm ones, as he slowly drew her toward him.

The young Slayer continued to gaze into his eyes as her breath quickened in her throat and her heart pounded in her chest.

Lifting her face slightly to Nathan’s, she urged him to do the very thing she’d wanted since first seeing him.

The golden haired vampire needed no urging as he gently covered her lips with his own, her tongue darting out to travel over the edge of his lower lip. He gave her access to his mouth as she requested, her tongue poised for battle with his own.

 

When Nathan finally broke the kiss so Michelle could breathe, they were both shaking, gasping for breath.

Michelle searched his face, looking…. She didn’t know what she was searching for.. Maybe an answer to why she was so stirred by one who should be her enemy, but never would be.

 

The expression on Nathan’s face said more eloquently than any words that he had finally discovered the most previous thing in the world.

“Michelle…”

 

She quickly reached out to place her fingertips against his lips, halting the words he might say. “Shhh, not now. Later. We have to find that anchor for your soul, Nathan.

Soon… Then…  then tell me.”

 

“I will. Count on it, ma Cherie. Let us find your Watcher and urge him to find an answer for us quickly. I would not risk a hair on your beautiful head.”

 

The Slayer and vampire returned to the rest of the room to halt the temptation threatening to sweep them away.

 

                                                *******************************************

 

As Michelle and Nathan mingled, hand in hand; the blonde vampire turned away to find his own mate.

Buffy had stepped into the small kitchen to get a cup of tea. She heard the familiar step behind her.

“Want something to drink, Spike.”

 

He pressed his body against her back as her wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck with cool lips.

“Not right now, luv. But someone needs to find an answer for Chelle and Nathan. It’d be a good idea if it were bloody quick too.”

Buffy turned in his arms so she could see his face.

“What happened?”

 

“Other than the two of them trying to find each other’s tonsils.. not much so far.”

 

“Oh, hell! Ok. Let’s get the big guns to work on it.”

 

Buffy and Spike cornered Colin, Giles and Willow and warned them that the ‘anchor’ should be the next priority.

“I’ll speak with her.” Colin stated firmly as he moved to find the pair. Giles and Buffy grabbed him at the same time.

 

“I’d wager your time better spent helping us find an answer as quickly as possible.” Giles sighed with resignation. “I know that warning them will most likely not work and may make it worse.”

The older Watcher glanced at Buffy, who had the grace to blush.

“Colin.. Been there.. Warning her won’t help. She knows already.”

 

“They did break it off on their own. I think they’re safe for now, but an answer is what’ch’a need. Not a bleedin’ lecture right now.”

 

“Your point is well taken, Spike. If you and Buffy can arrange to keep a discrete eye on them in the meanwhile..?” Giles questioned Spike.

 

“Right. We’ll baby-sit’em for a bit.” Spike assured them before he and Buffy headed the same direction as Michelle and Nathan.

 

                                    ********************************************

 

‘I've been watching you and all you do,

For quite some time

Knowing all the ins and outs of you,

I should have known what was on your mind

All the world is spinning round and round

Inside my head tonight

I will fall into the darkness

And I fear I will never see the light’

 

Buffy woke with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. Her eyes darted around the darkened room, looking for any sign of danger.

Finding none, she drew a deep breath just as Spike spoke quietly from beside her.

“What’s wrong, luv?”

 

“I’m not sure. I had a weird dream. Faith was telling me to remember our previous dream and then Adam was there, looking at us. I felt danger close by but not from Adam.”

 

“This one of your ‘slayer dreams’?”

 

“I think so. It feels like it.”

 

“Think you can get back to sleep or do you need to talk about it?”

 

“I don’t think I’m gonna sleep much more now, Spike. Maybe we should go patrol. It might help me to beat something up. There may be some real danger other than my dream.”

” ‘K, luv. Shower first?”

 

Buffy agreed.

 

Shortly before sunrise, Buffy and Spike returned home. They had discussed her dream as they patrolled.

Between the two of them, they had some ideas to work from now, and a lot of questions to answer.

Buffy was impatient as she waited on a decent hour to arrive before calling Giles and Willow to ask them to meet them.

 

Spike made breakfast for Buffy and Dawn as Buffy finally called her Watcher and her best friend.

The vampire had discovered that he enjoyed cooking for the two women in his life. They had discovered that the vampire was a very good cook.

Buff finally hung up the phone.

“Ok. Giles is on the way over with Colin. They are gonna stop and pick up Willow on the way. Then Michelle and Nathan are gonna walk Dawn over to Willow and Tara’s.”

 

“Trying to get me out of the way, Buffy?” Dawn teased her sister.

 

“Actually, Dawnie… Yeah!” Buffy grinned at the teenager.

 

Dawn stuck out her tongue then giggled. “It’s cool. Tara is helping me learn how to make a protective energy shield around myself. Maybe Michelle could learn how too. At least if Tara and I are with them, she and Nathan won’t be suckin’ face.”

 

“Dawn!”

 

“Slayer, ’s’not like Dawn can’t see what’s in front of her face, luv. ‘sides.. Nibblet’s right. Other people around will make them be more careful.”

 

Buffy had to agree with her sister and Spike, even though she didn’t want Dawn to have to ‘chaperone’ the young Slayer.

 

                                                ****************************************

 

‘If I could tell the world just one thing

it would be that we're all o.k.

And not to worry

cause worry is wasteful

And unless in times like these

I won't be made useless

I wont be idled with despair

I will gather myself around my faith

for light does the darkness most fear

My hands are small, I know,

but they're not yours they are my own

but they're not yours they are my own

and I am never broken’

 

Giles arrived shortly afterwards, with Colin and Willow. Nathan and Michelle were also with them, and left with Dawn to go back to Willow and Tara’s.

 

Finally there were just the five of them in the room; Watchers, Witch, Slayer and vampire.

“So.. What was this dream about, Buffy?” Giles asked his Slayer.

 

“It was pretty wiggy, Giles.” Buffy told all of them the series of scenes from the dream.

 

“It kinda reminds me of the dreams we all had after we did the ritual to help Buffy defeat Adam, for some reason.” Willow was puzzled but her instincts told her that she was on the right track.

 

“Alright. Let’s see what each of us remembers of those dreams and see if there is any information there we may have overlooked.” Giles prompted. He explained briefly as an aside to Colin about the situation they had needed to work on as well as the solution they had arrived at to solve the problem.

 

“Well, the dream started with Faith telling me to remember our previous dream we’d shared…” Buffy told them as she remembered the ‘dream’ Faith had meant..

 

++ Faith laughed,  "Beats me." 

Buffy gave a little laugh in return and looked down. 

Faith walked toward her.  "Getting towards that time."

Buffy looked around her at all the boxes and the weapons laid out on the table.  "How are you going to fit all this stuff?"

"Not gonna.  It's yours." The brunette Slayer told her.

"I can't use all of this!" Buffy replied in the dream.

"Just take what you need.”  Faith reached her hand up to touch Buffy's cheek.  "You're ready?"++

 

“So what did she mean to ‘take what you needed’?”

 

“I’m not sure.. We seemed to have some kind of connection then. But she gave me the clues I needed to defeat the Mayor..” Buffy finished.

“I think she meant I should take from her memories whatever I might need to use to fight the Mayor.”

 

“Alright, I can see that. What did she mean by ‘were you ready’?” Willow asked her friend.

 

“I don’t know. I think somebody in those weird dreams after we did the ritual to defeat Adam asked me that too.” Buffy felt a bit grumpy with the rememberance of the disturbing dreams.

 

“You’ve mentioned the ritual you did to defeat this ‘Adam’ person on several occasions.. Now you say you had odd dreams afterwards?” Colin inquired of Buffy. He had somewhere he thought he might need to go with the questions. There was an idea teasing around the edges of his mind, yet he had nothing concrete to base even a theory on yet.

 

“Yes, we did a ritual to join our energy..” Giles started.

 

“And that of the first Slayer!” Willow chimed in excitedly.

 

“Then we all had weird dreams afterwards.” Buffy grumped again.

Spike couldn’t really add anything to this conversation, just listen and be next to Buffy for moral support.

 

Colin felt the excitement rising in him like it did when he prepared for a ritual or specific spell work. He knew there was an answer or the clue to an answer here, but wasn’t sure where to find it or how. “So you all did a ritual.. then had odd dreams. What exactly was the ritual and who was involved?”

 

“It was me and Giles and Xander. Giles was the mind, Xander was the heart and I was spirit.” Willow explained the ritual they had done to Colin.


Willow intoned. ”The power of the Slayer and all who wield it. Last to Ancient First. We invoke thee. Grant us thy domain of primal strength.

Accept us and the powers we possess.

Link us mind and heart with spirit joined. Let the hand encompass us.  Do thy will...

Spiritus . . . spirit.

And Manus . . . the hand.

We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel. The hand, daughter of Sineya, first of the Ones.

We implore thee. Admit us. Bring us to the vessel. Take us . . now!”

 

In the room on the other side of the wall, as she faced Adam, Buffy felt the energy and picked up the invocation. “We can. We are forever.” The altered Buffy then changed to Sumarian, a language she didn’t know, but Giles did.

“Sha me-en-den.  Gesh-toog me-en-den.  Zee me-en-den.

Oo-khush-ta me-ool-lee-a ba-ab-tum-mu-de-en.

Im-a-sheng-ab.”

 

As one with the Slayer, in unison Willow, Giles and Xander intoned. “You could never hope to grasp the source—“

 

Again with Adam, the altered Slayer, with eyes of orangey-yellow finished the statement. “--of our power.” ++

 

“You do realize there is a difference in what you did and what you seem to think you did?” Colin asked all of them after hearing the detailed description of the ritual from all aspects. “You keep saying that Buffy joined with the first Slayer. Yet you state that what you actually said was ‘the power of the Slayer and all who wield it. Last to Ancient First’. This is very different. Yes, you did join Buffy with the first Slayer, BUT….” The black-haired Scottish Wiccan Watcher paused to let them absorb what he had just told them.. What he had realized they had actually done. “You joined her with EVERY Slayer to ever exist including Faith, who was the last Slayer at that time, from what I understand.”

 

Willow, Giles, Buffy and even Spike all looked at amazement at each other and then at Colin.

 

Colin continued in his evaluation of what had occurred. “Not only that, but you joined yourselves to her as well. Giles, you joined your mind to Buffy’s. Mr. Harris joined his heart..”

 

“Oh my god! Xander has always been a demon magnet for the opposite sex!” Willow moaned as she tried not to glance repeatedly at Spike.

 

“If I may continue now?” Colin sounded amused. “And Willow, who is a very powerful witch, joined her spirit to that of Buffy. This means Buffy has almost as much access to Willow’s powers as Willow does. It also explains how the two of them work so well together. They have become two sides of the same coin.”

“I suspect that Buffy has gotten some increased ability from you joining minds with her, Giles. You in turn, should be able to pull information and mental ability from her as well.”

 

Giles remembered some of the more ‘outstanding remarks’ Buffy had made over the time she had been his Slayer and groaned as he muttered under his breath. “Oh my lord! What next!” The Watcher remembered his inane remark about ‘snot-monsters from outer-space’…

As a separate memory flashed through Giles’ mind, he paled and gasped. Buffy and Willow were at his side in a moment.

“Giles, what is it, what’s wrong?”

 

“We may.. we may be responsible for.. for Glory.”

 

++ Giles stepped up to the stage to sing. “The spell we cast with Buffy must have released some primal evil that's come back seeking.. “ He removed his glasses before he continued the song. “I'm not sure what. Willow, look through the chronicles for some reference to a warrior beast.”++

 

“Glory showed up shortly afterwards. The knights called her ‘The Beast’.” Giles finished, faint with his sudden realization. “Perhaps what we did allowed her to finally slip the bonds of her human prison.”

 

Buffy’s voice shook as she remembered something else from her dreams. “Tara.. That’s what she said to me. ‘Be back before dawn.’ I thought she mean dawn like as in sunrise. Maybe she meant Dawn, like as in my sister, the Key!”

 

++ Buffy was upset. “It's so late.”

Tara looked at her, puzzled. ”Oh ... that clock's completely wrong. Here.” Tara handed her two tarot cards. One was Manus or the Hands. It had a picture of two hands crossed, one open, and the other balled into a fist.

Buffy didn’t understand and just looked at the cards. “I'm never gonna use those.”

Tara became very cryptic. “You think you know ... what's to come ... what you are. You haven't even begun.”

Buffy frowned at the witch. “I think I need to go find the others.”

As she walked out the door she heard Tara’s voice behind her.

“Be back before Dawn.”++

 

“Buffy.. Tara was in my dream as well that night we had all that weirdness and the First Slayer was after us.” Willow was visibly upset, and very very worried.

 

“Tara is your mate, is she not, Willow?” Colin asked the redhead. “She would have a physical connection with you already from your relationship. What did she say in your dream of her?”

 

Willow thought for a moment and then told them her portion of the dreams where Tara was involved that odd night.

 

++ Tara was lying on her stomach, resting her chin on her crossed arms, her shoulders are bare. ”I think it's strange. I mean, I think I should worry that we haven't found her name.”

“Who, Miss Kitty?” Willow asked her partner, somewhat confused.

The kitten was slowly playing with a bright ball of yarn.

“You'd think she'd let us know her name by now.” Tara replied.

“She will. She's not all grown yet.” Willow smiled down at Tara.

 

“You're not worried?”

 

“I never worry here. I'm safe here.”

 

“You don't know everything about me.”

 

“Have you told me your real name?”

 

“Oh, you know that.” Tara smiled at the redhead.

Willow smiled at her reply and dipped a brush into a jar of paint.

“They will find out, you know.” Tara told her with an odd look on her face. “About you.”

“Don't have time to think about that. You know I have all

this homework to finish.” Willow frowned as she painted on the back of her lover who was lying naked on the bed, face down.

Willow found herself on the backset of a stage, she thought she was at school. Buffy looked at her and smiled. “Your costume is perfect.” The Slayer’s voice dropped to a whisper. ”Nobody's gonna know the truth. You know, about you.”

Willow walked away and into a beam of bright light to find Tara standing in the light. “Things aren't going very well.”

 

“No! This drama class is just ... I think they're really not doing things in the proper way, and now I'm in a play and my whole family's out there, and ... why is there a cowboy in ‘Death of a Salesman’  anyway?” Willow was quite agitated.

Tara frowned at the redhead. “You don't understand yet, do you?”

Willow frowned and looked around, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Is there something following me?”

Tara nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Well, what, uh, what should I do? The, the play's gonna start soon, and I don't even know my lines.”

 

“The play's already started. That's not the point. Everyone's starting to wonder about you. The real you. If they find out, they'll punish you, I ... I can't help you with that.”

 

Willow looked anxious. “Well, what should I ... what's after me? Is it something I-I was supposed to do? W-was I supposed to-“

Tara interrupted as she glanced around. “Shh.”

Willow looks around as she hears a strange buzzing noise. “What was that?”

Tara had no reply, and just looked worried.++

 

“I see. Has anyone else had Tara involved in the dreams of that night? I feel they were not dreams but were actually prophetic instructions. If there is more, I need to see the whole picture to finish sorting these out.” Colin told them, very worried at the information he was hearing.

 

“Yeah. I had Tara and the First Slayer in mine.” Buffy frowned. “Adam was there as well, but Adam as a man.”

 

“Tell us what you dreamed, Buffy.” Giles prompted.

 

Spike was very worried. He sat holding Buffy’s hand as she told them more of the dreams.

 

++ The human Adam was speaking to Riley about Buffy who stood there looking at the two of them. “She's uncomfortable with certain concepts. It's understandable. Aggression is a natural human tendency.” Adam looked directly at Buffy. “Though you and me come by it another way.”

“We're not demons.” Buffy told him quickly.

Adam looked slightly amused at her assumption. “Is that a fact?”

 

Riley had a gun laying in front of him as he spoke to Buffy. “Buffy, we've got important work here. A lot of filing, giving things names.”

 

Buffy turned to Adam. “What was yours?”

“Before Adam?” He shook his head as the lighting in the room turned blue. “Not a man among us can remember.”

 

Buffy sat on the floor of the room, bathed in the blue light as a beam of sunlight appeared from nowhere and shone on her, much like a spotlight. The Slayer rose to her feet and walked away.

As she walked, the floor started to change, becoming hot, dry rippled sand. She heard the sound of a woman humming in the distance.

Buffy looked around to find she is in the desert.

“I'm never gonna find them here.”

 

She looked up to see Tara walking down a hill of sand. The witch has her hair up, as Buffy has never seen her before. She’s wearing a long pink skirt and matching mid-drift top. Buffy can hear her voice clearly yet cannot see Tara’s lips move.

 

“Of course not. That's the reason you came.”

Tara just disappeared then reappeared a couple of times; each time much closer to Buffy until they are only a few yards apart, facing each other. Buffy can see the desert stretch out on all sides of then.

 

“You're not in my dream.” The blonde Slayer told the dark blonde witch.

 

“I was borrowed.” Tara was standing in front of some very large rocks wearing a golden necklace Buffy has never seen on her before.

“Someone has to speak for her.”

 

“Let her speak for herself. That's what's done in polite circles.”

A dark haired, dark skinned ‘person’ moves behind Buffy, finally coming to stand in front of Buffy. She has long dreadlocks, sharp nails. She has whitish/grey coloring applied to her face, much like the mud Buffy had smeared on her own face and that had then disappeared before walking to the desert. The woman is stooped in a crouching walk. She moves slowly and carefully like a stalking animal, but she is wearing rags more like a photo of a cave woman.

Buffy looks at her, questioning.. “Why do you follow me?”

The woman shakes her head as Tara replies. “I don't.”

 

“Where are my friends?” Buffy asks, looking for answers.

The woman backs away from the blonde, still crouching low as Tara replies for her again. “You're asking the wrong questions.”

 

Having enough of this multidirectional conversation, Buffy insists to Tara, “Make her speak.”

 

The strange dark woman shakes her head again as Tara replies for her. “I have no speech. No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound.” The odd woman stands straight and looks at Buffy as Tara continues for her. “I am destruction. Absolute ... alone.

 

Buffy frowns as she states what she is now sure of, “The Slayer.”

 

As the dark woman looks still at the blonde, Tara answers. “The first.”

 

Buffy finds she somehow has a bunch of tarot cards in her hand. The top one shows Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander in the living room of Buffy’s home as they watch TV.

“I am not alone.”

 

Tara stands in the background, with the first Slayer between she and Buffy. “The Slayer does not walk in this world.”

 

Buffy disagrees with that statement. “I walk. I talk. I shop, I sneeze. I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back.”

The first Slayer lifts her head in anger at the blonde Slayer’s words.

“There’re trees in the desert since you moved out, and I don't sleep on a bed of bones. Now give me back my friends.”

 

Finally the first Slayer speaks in a voice hoarse from lack of use.

“No ... friends! Just the kill. We ... are ... alone!”

The strange bald man with the cheese appears and steps between them, shaking the cheese at them.

Exasperated, Buffy announces she has other plans and wants off this ride. “That's it. I'm waking up.”

At her words, the First Slayer attacks her. They roll along the ground, punching and kicking at each other until Buffy finally makes her way back to her feet and stands facing the first Slayer.

“It's over. We don't do this any more.”

The first Slayer shakes her head in disagreement and they roll along the ground again.

“Enough!” Buffy’s voice echoes across the sand.

She opens her eyes to find herself back in her own living room with her friends sleeping around her where they had started. As she starts to rise from the floor, unsure how she got there, she hears a growl.

 

The dark skinned first Slayer lands on top of Buffy and begins to stab repeatedly at the floor with her stake. Buffy rolls her eyes at this tactic and addresses the odd woman.

“Are you quite finished? It's over, okay? I'm going to ignore you, and you're going to go away. You're really gonna have to get over the whole ... primal power thing. You're *not* the source of me.

Buffy gets up and walks to the sofa, sitting back in her spot, pulling her blanket over her as the first Slayer stars at her, puzzlement and amazement in her eyes.

 

Finally Buffy hears Tara’s voice ripple in the air. “You think you know ... what's to come ... what you are. You haven't even begun.”

Buffy sees herself framed in the doorway of her darkened bedroom. She turns and backs away before turning and walking out of sight.++

 

“Wow! Oh, Wow!. Willow exclaimed as Buffy finished telling about her dream that night.

 

“It didn’t feel too ‘wow’ at the time, Will.” Buffy grumbled. Spike caressed her arm as he tried to sooth her from the agitated state he could tell she was in from remembering the dream.

 

“Well, that certainly explains a great deal to me in regards to what has happened. I can understand how none of you saw it. You were much too close to the situation.” Colin was actually amazed that none of them picked up on any of what they had been told, but then, he mused, they probably WERE too close. Besides, it’s never easy to see such things in yourself.

“This is what I see immediately from your dreams.”

The Wiccan Watcher settled in to ‘lecture-mode’.

“Your dreams were certainly prophetic and a warning as to what was about to occur. I’m afraid you’re right, Giles, in that you may actually have created a situation that allowed this entity Glory to be released from her human prison.

Alright, from the beginning. Buffy, you and Faith shared a bond previous to the ‘Adam ritual’. Perhaps because you were both Slayers. Slayers have the ability to have prophetic dreams, and both of you being so close to death and in close proximity to each other physically, you were able to enter each other’s mind/dreams, so to speak. This established a second connection in addition to that of being Slayers.
Then, a third bond was created with the ‘Adam Ritual’, which brought all the Slayer’s essences into you. Have you had any other significant connections?”

 

Buffy spoke slowly, fear of where this line of thought might be going making her hesitate.

“When Faith woke from her coma… She had a device that let her switch bodies with me. We were in each other’s bodies for a day or two.”

 

“Ahhh, there you have a fourth connection between you and Faith. Then there may actually be a fifth because she has died once and been revived. She must be careful as she may experience a second such death as you have done.

Now, Giles, Xander and Willow joined with you in the ‘Adam ritual’. Giles was ‘mind’, as you have said. Xander was heart and I believe Willow has covered that part as well.”

 

“No wonder I spent so much time being confused about how I felt…” Buffy muttered to herself. Spike was the only one close enough to her to hear her words

 

Colin had continued his line of thought as Buffy had lapsed into her own thoughts for a moment. “…so as I mentioned, as Spirit, you have a very tight connection to Buffy and she can draw on your abilities as she did while fighting Adam.

Tara seems to have been an Oracular individual in each of your dreams after the joining. It may well be that her abilities lie in that direction rather than the same area as Willow’s…”

 

**BUFFY!!!**

 

Buffy jumped from her seat as she looked rapidly around the room. Giles, Willow and Spike also rose to their feet, searching for something.

Colin was alarmed. “ What? What is happening? All of you seem to have felt something..”

 

“Not felt, heard! I heard Dawn scream my name. We have to go! Now! “ Buffy ran for the weapons chest and then the door. Following an inner tug, Buffy and Spike ran toward Dawn.

Behind them, Giles, Willow and Colin struggled to keep up. Willow reached out with her mind and pulled the two men along with her as she ran after Buffy.

“Why.. did… all of you… stand too?” Colin gasped out as he ran.

 

“We heard Dawn too.” Willow threw back over her shoulder.

Giles could only nod in agreement as they ran behind Willow.

 

As the Watchers, Witch, Slayer and vampire, spilled into the area surrounding Willow and Tara’s house, they saw the ‘Raptors’.

The glow around Buffy started almost immediately as her eyes went the now familiar yellow shade. She glanced for Willow to find the redhead’s eyes were glowing a solid onyx black.

Without a word, the two friends reached to join hands. As their skin touched, the energy rippled out around them like water after a rock has been thrown in it.

Neither Giles nor Colin had actually seen the changes happen with the two women. As Spike huddled behind the Watchers, the three of them watched amazed as the first ‘Raptor’ was thrown through the air into the top of a tree where he hung for a moment before tumbling to the ground to lay stunned.

The second one who had been struggling with Michelle found himself face down on the ground and too heavy to rise.

Two more had Nathan. One was attempting to hold the vampire while the other tried to stake him. Both of them simply vanished without a trace.

The final ‘Raptor’ was trying to get to Dawn and Tara.

The dark blonde witch was trying to hold him off with magick as she had seen Willow do so often. Dawn had added what energy she could as the ‘key’, but the assassin was gradually beating his way through the barrier.

A nearby garden hose snaked around all of the remaining men, pulling them together and neatly tying them up into a tidy package.

Only then did Buffy and Willow gradually descend back to the ground and the glow emanating from Buffy trickled off until she looked normal again with the exception of her eyes. As with Willow, their eyes were always the last things to change.

 

“Nathan.. Could you pick those men up and bring them over here so that we might question them when they regain consciousness?” Colin asked the vampire who had rushed to Michelle’s side the instant he was released.

 

Buffy turned to look at the Watcher with those glowing yellow eyes, then turned back to the bound men. As she raised her hand, Willow joined her. The two women once again worked in tandem, as they floated the bound men to rest at the feet of Giles, Colin and Spike.

 

Buffy and Willow sought out Dawn, Spike and Tara while Giles and Colin questioned the remaining ‘Raptors’. Willow had managed to wake the ‘Raptors’ as they were being floated across the ground and they were more than happy to co-operate.

Assured once more that her loved ones were safe, Buffy stalked over to the ‘Raptors’.

 

“I have some questions for these men, please Giles.” Buffy reached down and picked one of the men up by his shirt.

“You will tell me who sent you, and what your instructions were or I’ll hang you in the air so high you won’t be able to breathe and forget to bring you back down!”

 

An odorous wet stain appeared on the man’s slacks as he dangled in the air at the end of the blonde Slayer’s arm. Buffy wrinkled her nose as she saw the stain.

“Like ewwww!”

Releasing the  assassin, he remained hanging in mid-air while Buffy took a couple of steps away from the smell.

Crossing her arms, and tapping one foot on the ground, she looked at the man. “Well… I’m waiting!”

 

“W-we was sent by.. the head of the Watchers Council. W-we was supposed to kill all of you. He said ‘Watcher, Slayer, vampire and all of their friends’.”

 

“Are there more of you in Los Angelus?”

 

“Nay. We dinnae know the other lassie had left town.”

 

“Are there more of you in England?”

 

“Nay. We was the last of the class being trained. They pulled us out o’ trainin’ to send us here. Please donae kill me. I’ve a wee puir lassie of me own at home…” The man begged.

 

“Maybe you should have thought about that before you agreed to come here and try to kill us. We have friends and loved ones as well, or didn’t you think of that!” Buffy was starting to get angry and the glow surrounding her was coming back. Spike hurried to her and reached out to take her hand, his flesh scorching as he did.

“Oww! Buffy.. Turn the bleedin’ thing off before you cook me and Nathan!” Leaning closer to her ear as the light faded away. “Luv, you have’ta’ keep your temper under control. You do have people here you love and if you’re not careful, you’ll cook the lot of us.”

 

Buffy looked into the beautiful blue eyes of the man she loved. “I’m sorry, Spike. You’ll just have to help me keep my temper under control.. Ok?”

 

The blonde vampire leaned slightly to brush his lips across hers as he whispered what only she could hear. “Fair enough. You be my soul, I’ll be your temper, luv.”

Spike walked back over to stand next to Giles and Colin who were both amazed at what they saw happening.

 

“Nae wonder they wanted ye gone! Lettin’ a vampire touch ye, much less be kissin’ ye!”

The ‘Raptor’ was outraged by what he had just witnessed.

 

“Did you notice you aren’t touching the ground? I kinda thought you’d forgotten that little detail. I’m sure that between the redhead and I, we could arrange for you to never touch the ground again.”

 

The man looked down to see the ground still a good foot below him and nothing visible holding him in the air. He began to tremble where he hung.

 

“Buffy, do stop playing with the un-nice man so the police can take him away now.” Giles admonished her in that dry voice he used to hide his amusement.

The blonde Slayer turned to flash a smile at her Watcher and saw the waiting officer. She recognized him as someone she had gone to high school with..

“Oops. Sorry.”

She flicked a finger and the ‘Raptor tumbled to the ground in a heap and an exclamation as the air was knocked out of his lungs.

Giles just looked at her. If he didn’t know better…

“I think we should finish our previous conversation now.”

 

                                                *******************************************************

 

‘Wish I knew what you were looking for

Might have known what you would find

And it's something quite peculiar

Something shimmering and white

Leads you here despite your destination

Under the Milky Way tonight’

 

Back at the Summer’s house, Tara, Dawn, Michelle and Nathan went upstairs to watch television in Dawn’s room while the previous conversation resumed downstairs.

 

“Willow, how did your powers increase to this level? Or perhaps I should say when did they do that?” Colin needed some more information after seeing Willow and Buffy in action finally. “The dreams we had discussed earlier seemed to indicate that there was something about you that had not been discovered as of yet. Perhaps it was the extent of your ability that was and now has, developed.”

 

“I was working on a teleportation spell before Glory .. before she hurt Tara.”

What had been done to Tara still hurt Willow too, especially as they had had an argument immediately beforehand, and Willow didn’t like remembering it at all.

 

“I need to know, Willow, how did the Hell-God hurt Tara?”

 

“She.. she put her fingers inside of Tara’s head and pulled the energy out and left Tara.. not.. all there.” The words were almost pulled from Willow’s throat.

 

“I’m sorry to insist. I can see that it upsets you.” Colin tried to reassure the redheaded witch.

“Where was your power level at then? Is this what caused the jump to where you are now?”

 

“I was furious at what she had done to Tara. I went to the Magick Shop and found a book I knew was there. It had a spell in it I thought would hold Glory still or at least hurt her a bit. I went to where she was and was still furious. I was levitating, and had lightening sparking all around me. I could hold her for a few moments and hurt her with the lightning, but she broke free and Buffy had to save me.”

 

“Willow had never been that powerful before. I thought it was the anger that helped her. That was the first time her eyes had ever turned black when she did magick.” Buffy added what she had seen that evening. It had really frightened her for Willow.

 

“Alright. Tara is not like that now. Did the effect resolve on it’s own, or did you have to cure her in some way?” Colin needed to get to the bottom of this and kept feeling there was a piece missing.

 

“I can help you here. Saw it all. Bleedin’ scary it was too. Red there walked up to that Glory bint and stuck the fingers of one hand into Glory’s head and then stuck the other fingers into Tara’s head. All three of’em lit up like a Christmas tree, then they were all thrown away from each other. That Glory bitch started babbling that Red had done something to ‘er. Said she ‘ad a ‘ole in her ‘ead.” Spike added what he had seen that night before the real Buffy made her appearance.

 

“Glory said Willow had made a hole in her head?” Giles repeated and looked at Willow who blushed almost the color of her hair.

“I wasn’t sure if it would even work. It was like the first time I had done anything like that.”

 

Giles turned to Colin. A speculative expression on his face. “Do you think it’s possible that she..”

 

“I think she probably did. An uncontrolled pull like that. It has to be the answer.”

 

“Ah.. Watcher-dudes.. we’re all still here and we don’t speak Watcher shorthand. Wanna tell us what you think Will did?” Buffy  prompted both men. She’d noticed how much Colin was like Giles in many way and knew if left alone, they’d both go off into their own language that none of them would ever figure out. It might be hours before they returned to earth.

 

“Sorry, Buffy. We think that Willow pulling energy from Glory’s head was very uncontrolled.” Giles glanced at Willow to see the hurt expression on the redhead’s face.

“Ah, sorry, Willow. I know it was your first attempt. It’s not like you get to perfect that type of thing.”

Willow’s expression brightened so Giles continued. “It’s very likely that the hole in her head that Glory mentioned was more than just what she had taken from Tara. It’s a very real possibility that Willow got some of the energy from the Hell-god.”

 

“This would explain how her powers increased so dramatically and suddenly. Then with her connection to Buffy, as we mentioned, Buffy can draw on Willow’s powers as well as those of all the Slayers.. So this is very likely to be the source of those powers.” Colin finished filling in the gaps of the explanation.

 

“Ok. Say that happened.. So why didn’t Buffy tap into those Slayer powers before now?” Willow asked the men.

 

“I think that it was the death experience that activated her ability to touch those energies as well as the ones you have received. It is well know that people who die and return, although not as drastically as in this case; often have a great many changes.”
Colin tried to verbalize what he was sure had happened.

 

A puzzled expression crossed Buffy’s face. She worried the thought for a few moments before looking at Giles. “But that would mean that now…”

 

The phone shrilled insistently, shattering the conversation and the concentration.

Buffy rose with a frown on her face as she walked over to the screeching instrument and picked it up. “Hello?”

 

“Yeah, Wes. I’ll get him for you.”

 

                                                *********************************************************

 

‘Lava turns to light and turns to waste

Swallow me and tell me how I taste

People stare and some pretend to speak

It takes more than one taboo to build a perfect freak’

 

 

Quentin was returning from the secret training base of the ‘Raptors’. He was furious to learn of the defeat of the last set of men he had sent after those so called ‘watchers’ with those infuriating rogue women of ‘slayers’ and the damned vampires they insisted on doing who knows what with..

As he walked, paying more attention to his  anger than care for where he was, the head of the Watcher Council suddenly realized he heard footfalls in the dark behind him. He gently pushed the button on the cane he always carried after dark. The handle loosened as it should. He knew a sharp rap of the cane tip on the pavement would release the hardened wooden rapier hidden inside the hollow cylinder of the cane.

 

“Well, well. Look who we have here. Miss Edith told us you would be down this street tonight. She said the fairies talked to her and told her. I thought she had told her mummy a story.” Druscilla stood behind Quentin as he turned to face her.

The insane vampiress was dressed in a flowing deep crimson, almost black, velvet dress. It was a special occasion and Dru had wanted a new dress. The woman she had gotten it from had been very sweet indeed.

 

“Well, Druscilla the Insane. I thought you were in California.” Quentin felt sure he could stab her when she finally rushed him. Then too, he’d had a report that she was weakened.

 

“Oh, I was.. It was so pretty until my Angel set us on fire. We didn’t like that at all.”

She gave the Watcher a sly smile.

 

“I can imagine that you’d not. So why are you back in England. Perhaps you might do a favor for me if I can grant you immunity to being hunted?” A sudden thought had crossed Quentin’s mind. Maybe the insane vampiress couldn’t take out Buffy, but perhaps that new brat and that slut Faith…

 

“There was a pretty trip offered. It seemed like fun, especially since my Angelus will never play with me again.” Dru leaned toward the Watcher, her voice quietly conspiritory. “That nasty Slayer glued his soul to him and Angelus is gone forever now. My Angel will never visit me again.”

 

* So Buffy found a way to fix that loophole in the curse. She’s probably with Angel right now.* “So if I made you an offer, could you find your boyfriend, W- Spike and do a favor for me to get rid of the ‘nasty’ slayer?”

 

“She’s got my Spike. His ‘ead is all full of her and she’s all full of ‘im. The nasty solider boys put wires in his ‘ead, you know. He can’t even feed unless you kill it for him first.”

Dru seemed very indignant at what had happened to Spike. Then the sly smile crept across her face again. “He told ‘er  ‘e loved ‘er, ‘e did. She told ‘im no. But she lied!. She made my Angel go away and then took my Spike. He can’t feed you know.” Dru repeated herself, childlike.

 

*This should be so easy. If she can’t help me, then I’ll at least kill her now.*

Quentin raised the cane to rap the tip of it and expose the wooden blade inside…

 

“Dru, are you gonna eat him or just talk him to death?” Darla appeared out of the shadows that had been in front of Quentin, but were now behind him when he had turned to face Druscilla.

 

“I was waiting for you, ‘Grandmamma’.” Dru grabbed the Watcher’s arm with preternatural speed.

 

“Good. I could use a snack about now.” Darla grabbed the older man’s shoulders after she slapped the cane from his hand. Seeing the wooden tip exposed, she looked back at him.

“Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Is that any way to greet tourist or returning natives? You were trying to be a very bad boy, Quentin. I’ll have to let Dru punish you for that.” The blonde vampiress looked into Dru’s yellow eyes. “Would that please you?”

 

“Oh, yes! My Spike can’t feed, but I still can.”

Druscilla leaned for the man’s neck as Darla allowed her face to change and leaned into the other side of his throat.

The scream he tried to make at the last minute faded to a gurgle in his throat.

 

                                                **************************************************************

‘Look into your heart you will find there's nothing left to hide.

Take me as I am, take my life.

I will give it up, I would sacrifice.

Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for.

I can't help it, there's nothing I want more.

You know it's true, everything I do, I do it for you.’

 

“Of course. Someone has to take over there, and we certainly don’t need someone else like him again.”

 

“Very well. Let them know. I’ll have to have a few days to straighten some things out here and then I’ll be there. Can they manage that long?”

 

“I should think so too, but remember who we’re dealing with..”

 

“Yes, I’ll ring you before I go and once I get there.”

 

Giles hung up the phone on the one-sided conversation. Buffy went to her Watcher and laid her hand on his arm, looking up into his face.

“Giles?”

 

He took her hand and led her to the sofa. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation for any of them, least of all Buffy.

“Spike, could you usher everyone upstairs please? I need a few minutes of privacy with Buffy.”

The blonde vampire nodded, suspecting what was about to happen. He knew Buffy would be as devastated as Giles had been when she .. when she was lost to them for that time.

* Well, I’ll still be here for her afterwards. I’ll always be here for her. *

 

Sitting down, Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them. He finished and then put them back on before finding his voice.

“Buffy…. Quentin Travers was killed last night. It seems that two vampires got him. It’s believed that it was Darla and Druscilla…”

 

“Darla and Dru? But they were in LA. And they killed Quentin? I know you’re not upset about that, Giles.  Not after he sent the ‘Raptors’ and killed Faith; and trying to kill all of us twice.. so what’s wrong?”

 

“Buffy.. I’ve been asked to take over the Watchers Council as the head. I think I need to do that so we don’t have someone else like Quentin running things.”

 

“I think that’s a great idea, Giles.”

What Giles was actually trying to tell her finally started to sink in… “But.. But, Giles… that would mean… You can’t.. What will I do? You’ve always been here, you’re my Watcher!” Tears started down Buffy’s face as she understood that he would be leaving her.

Giles gathered his sobbing Slayer closer to him as she cried into his chest. He had to fight his own tears.

 

“Buffy… I don’t want to leave you. But the abilities you have now.. and you have Willow to help you as well as Spike. Wesley is close by and I’ll see that Colin is assigned close as well, with Michelle.” Giles couldn’t tell if he was getting through her sobs or not.

“Buffy.. Look at me, love.”

 

Buffy looked up quickly. He’d never said that to her before!

“Buffy, Angel and I did quite a bit of talking when we were in France finding Nathan and bringing him back. Angel helped me see why he and Spike both care so much about you. I – I - I’ve always been so proud of you. You’re everything a Watcher could ask for in a Slayer.

You’re everything a father could ask for in a daughter. I know I’ve tried to tell you before, but I need to… Buffy, you’ve been like a daughter to me. Then there was Dawn and I had two daughters. But you’ve always been my favorite. You told me before we went to the desert that you loved me…”

Giles took a deep breath. She was just watching him, not saying a word, the tears sliding down her face. *God! How am I going to get through this?*

“Buffy.. I love you too. I have for a long time. You’ve been that daughter I’ve never had.

But I’ll have to be truthful… if I had been 15 years younger.. I’d have been in the same boat with Angel and Spike.”

 

The tiny blonde reached up with one small hand to caress the older man’s cheek.

“Giles.. You’ve been more of a father to me than my father has ever been. You were always there for me and for Dawn. I’d never have gotten through everything with Mom if it hadn’t been for you. You were patient with me about Angel and now about Spike. You care about every one of us.” Buffy felt the beginning of stubble on his cheek under her fingertips.

“I’ve loved you for a long time as well, Giles.” She looked at him with tear-blurred hazel eyes. The tears left stains down her cheeks as each new one made another line of dampness.

“If you’d been 15 years younger, they’d never  have had a chance against you, Rupert.”

She saw his eyes darken as he understood the meaning of her words. The tears he had been holding back spilled over, leaving their own tracks down his face.

Buffy raised her face toward his as he lowered his face toward her.

For the first and last time, her lips brushed across his before she pulled him close, burying her face into the warmth of his shoulder as she sobbed.

 

They sat like that as Willow looked around the corner of the room and down into the living room. Spike sat in the doorway. He’d watched everything that had happened.

“Spike, what’s going on?” Willow whispered worriedly to the vampire.

 

“Giles is leaving for England to take over the Watchers Council. That pompous ass was killed by Darla and Dru.”

 

“Giles is leaving? Oh, Goddess! How is Buffy doing?” Willow had tears brimming in her own eyes.

 

“She’s upset. But I’ll be here.” The vampire’s voice was quiet. “ They love each other like father and daughter, but if he’d been younger or she’d been older..  they’d still love each other, just not like father and daughter…”

 

Willow heard the tears in the vampire’s voice. “I know, Spike. I’ve always known. You didn’t see it?”

He answered without looking at her. “Course I did. Why’d you think I was jealous the morning he and the poof got back from England? Soddin’ poof never saw it though. He never knew her the way I do… But I’ll be here for her. I’ll always be here.”

 

“You really love her, don’t you? I mean… I know you say so, but you love her more than you’ve ever said.” Willow understood Spike for the first time.

 

“I love her so much I’d give my own un-life for her. I’d give anything for her….”

 

Willow wrapped her arms around the slender vampire as she knelt behind him. He watched Buffy as she gently sobbed in Giles’ arms.

Spike’s words echoed through Willow’s head.

“…I’d give anything for her…”

 

                                                ******************************************************

‘Give me a word

Give me a sign

Show me where to look

Tell me what will I find

Lay me on the ground

Fly me in the sky

Show me where to look

Tell me what will I find

Oh, Heaven let your light shine down’

 

 Over the next week, Giles spend a great deal of time clearing up loose ends of his life in Sunnydale. He packed the few things he felt he had to have other than clothes and personal belongings. He made sure he had photographs of everyone to take with him.

Colin and Nathan were going to use the house until they went to Los Angeles and then were finally assigned somewhere. The house would then belong to Willow.

Giles knew the Council had duplicates of most of the books he had there, so he left them for Buffy and the Scoobys to use.

Spike had taken the time to talk with Giles and explained what he had seen and how he felt about Buffy. Giles believed him.

Giles found himself explaining things to the vampire that he’d never even dared think about before.

Before the week was over, the Watcher was closer to Spike than he had ever been to Angel even after all these years.

 

Colin was going to work with Buffy and Willow on their magick, while everyone worked with Michelle and Nathan on their training.

 

Giles had helped Colin and Willow use the Orb and Buffy’s powers to permanently attach Nathan’s soul as Buffy had done with Angel’s, but without the kiss.

Michelle took care of that.

Within the hour after the vampire’s soul was firmly attached, he and Michelle slipped away.

Giles, Buffy and Spike all stopped Colin from going after them. When the two returned shortly before sunrise, they were much happier and it was more than obvious how they had spend their time.

Giles had spent several hours explaining things to Colin about vampire/Slayer relationships. Spike and Buffy had done the same with Nathan and Michelle.

The biggest difference was that Nathan wasn’t a Master vampire like Angel and Spike. But Spike had given the amber-eyed vampire guidance on how to better himself. It seems it made a difference in the vampire’s strength, according to Spike.

*Well, learn something new every day..* Giles thought to himself.

 

The day had finally arrived and all too quickly. Everyone went to the airport with Giles. The entire LA crew had come up as well and Giles had gotten to meet Faith’s young lawyer. He decided he liked the chap.

 

There were tears and hugs all around. Giles had been thoroughly kissed by Faith, Willow, Tara, Cordelia, Anya and even Dawn before they’d finished with him.

 

Buffy was the last one to see him off.

“You’ll come back as often as you can, won’t you?” The tiny blonde asked her soon-to-be-gone-Watcher.

 

“Of course. And you’ll come to England.” Giles assured her.

 

“Don’t send me another Watcher, Giles. I won’t accept anyone but you. They’d never manage it anyway. You’re a hard act to follow..”

 

“I’d never send you another Watcher, Buffy. Unless you asked me to of course, and I’d be fearfully jealous, I’m afraid.”

 

“Not to worry, Giles. He’d never stand a chance with me.” Buffy grinned even though her cheeks were wet with ignored tears. “My heart has been taken by two vampires and my only Watcher.”

 

“Buffy..” Giles started, unsure of what he would say, knowing what he wanted to say.

 

“Giles.. don’t. Just.. Oh Hell! I changed my mind. Kiss me goodbye, Rupert.”

 

“No. I won’t kiss you goodbye.” He told her. He saw the distress as Buffy’s face fell.

“I’ll kiss you ‘till-I-see-you-again’, instead.” He smiled at her through his own tears.

 

“That’ll work.”

 

Then she was in Giles’ arms.

Giles realized that he had only thought he’d been thoroughly kissed by the other women.

Finally breaking the kiss, Giles looked over Buffy’s shoulder and into Spike’s eyes. The vampire came over to where the Watcher and Slayer stood together.

Placing Buffy’s hand in Spike’s, Giles just looked at the white blonde vampire.

“Take care of my Slayer and your mate, Spike.”

 

“I will, Rupert. Until the end of time, even if that’s tonight.” Spike remembered the only other time he’d made that promise had been to Buffy about Dawn. Giles knew what those words meant to Spike.

 

Buffy looked at the two men… “Now what was that about!”

 

Giles grinned at the slender blonde woman. “Just some arcane Watcher/Vampire stuff.”

“I’ll call you”

 

Buffy and Spike started to walk away from the gate as Giles waited to board the plane. Spike stopped and turned around and called to the Watcher. “Giles.. Check things out. She was glowin’.”

 

Giles looked at Buffy, who only smiled. “What?”

 

Buffy snickered. “You’ll find out later.”

 

The plane boarded soon afterwards.

 

                                                *******************************************************

 

‘My my my I'm once bitten twice shy baby

My my my I'm once bitten twice shy

My my my I'm once bitten twice shy baby’

 

Giles first order of business as the new head of the Watcher’s Council was to hunt down and stake Darla and Druscilla.

He really wanted to give them a medal.

 

                                                            *********

Colin, Michelle and Nathan stayed in Sunnydale for several months before they went to LA to work with the crew there.

They were assigned to Seattle finally. Seems there was a bad vamp problem there. They didn’t have a Hellmouth like Sunnydale, but had a good focus of ley lines or energy lines. Those drew the vamps almost as well as a Hellmouth.

 

                                                            ********

 

Giles was working in the library cataloging the books. Although the normal librarians had assured him that as the Council Head he didn’t have to do this. He’d informed them they had the place in a mess.

Besides, he found it relaxing and it reminded him of home. Home now would always be Sunnydale.

As he was cataloging and discovering new occult books he was anxious to read, Giles heard it.

(“Giles!”)

(“Giles, answer me!”)

 

Looking around the room puzzled, the Watcher questioned his sanity. “Buffy?!”

 

(“Yes, don’t yell! You don’t have to say a word.. just think at me.. You don’t want all those fusty old Watchers to think their new head dude is wiggy do you?”)

 

Giles heard the giggle. (“Oh lord. Is this what you did to me?”)

 

(“Yeah. If I can’t see you, I wanted to at least be able to talk to you without us having horrible phone bills.”)

 

(“Buffy.. I won’t heard EVERYTHING you’re thinking, will I?”)

 

(“Of course not! Jeeze, Giles. I have a private life too! Just when we deliberately ‘think’ at each other..”)

 

(“Good… Buffy?”)

 

(“Yeah?”)

 

(“Thank you.”)

 

(“ Welcome.. I miss you too. Catch you later. Spike says hey!”)

 

(“Give everyone my love. Keep some for yourself. Tell Spike hello. G’night, Buffy.”)

 

(“Night, Giles.”)

 

He left the library with a smile on his face.

 

                                                ************************************************

Buffy turned over toward Spike as she snuggled into his arms.

“Have I told you recently that I love you, vampire?”

 

“In the last hour.. no, I don’t think you have, luv.” Spike chuckled into her neck as he nibbled gently with blunt teeth, sending shivers all up and down her spine.

 

“Ummmm. That’s so nice. Give you a couple of hours to stop that.” Buffy inhaled sharply as he bit just a little harder, with teeth still blunt. He knew the spot that would affect her the most.

“How can I tell you how much I love you when you do than and I can’t think much less talk?” She gasped the words haltingly as he moved his attentions slowly up her neck to the corner of her jaw.

 

“Just show me, Buffy. I know you love me. You know I love you. Just show me.” Spike almost growled the words into her ear, as his arousal threatened to get the better of him.

The slight blonde in his arms never said a word as she moved suddenly, rolling him over under her and captured his lips with hers, kissing him as though she’d crawl inside him through his mouth.

All thoughts of Giles vanished from her head. Tomorrow would be soon enough to tell Spike about the conversation and the Watcher’s greeting. Right now, she had the vampire she loved right where she wanted him….

Well, almost where she wanted him.

 

                                                *******************************************

 

Faith grabbed the vampire that was approaching Lindsey from behind and kicked him squarely in the chin, snapping his head back before she dusted him with a well placed stake.

 

“That was great, Faith!” Lindsey told her, glad she was safe for another night as well as his hide being saved.

 

“Good work.” Angel told her. He’d noticed her slaying had gotten better over the months, and especially since she had spent that time working with Buffy and then with Colin and Michelle when they had stayed in LA for more training.

 

“Thanks, Love.” Faith told Lindsey.

“Nice work yourself, Soul-dude.” Faith complimented Angel as she turned back toward them, seeing no more vamps in the darkness of the night.

 

Angel looked at Faith as she turned toward them…. Just in time to see her eyes change from a glowing yellow back to their normal brown.

 

 

                        Gillian Silverlight 7/28/01