Riley looked at the huge glass fronted building in front of him. It was far more modern than he had expected. Sam took his hand. ‘It’ll be fine Finn,’ she said, laying her other hand over her swollen belly. ‘We just have to tell her, we owe him that much.’

Riley nodded and led the way across the busy road and into the Watchers Headquarters.

‘Leutenant Colonel Riley Finn and Mrs Finn to see Miss Summers,’ Riley said to the doorman. The man nodded and rang up to the private apartment on the top floor.

Buffy and Dawn quickly came down stairs, the last person they had expected was Riley Finn.

Buffy slowed as she came to the bottom of the stairs. Riley hadn’t changed since she’d last seen him, but Sam certainly had. She looked about five months pregnant, and glowing.

‘Buffy,’ Riley looked nervous. But Sam gave her a wonderful beaming smile.

‘You look wonderful!’

‘Not too many compliments Colonel, your wife’s listening in.’ Buffy grinned and gave Riley a cheek to kiss. Dawn hugged Sam closely. Sam had kept in close touch over the years by email and the girls had developed a good friendship, albeit a long distance one.

‘We need to talk to you,’ Riley said quietly, ‘we have news.’

Buffy nodded and led the way into a small conference room at the back of the ground floor.

Buffy looked at Riley and Sam, they seemed so in tune with one another. She had loved Riley at one time but knew he wasn’t the one for her. Her lover was dead, and it hurt, but what ever they were here for was obviously important. Finn was fiddling with his wedding ring and Sam was looking very nervous.

‘Come on Finn, whatever it is you can tell me. Savolte demon doing the rounds? New big bad you need us to hunt for you? You’re worrying me.’

‘Sorry Buffy, it’s just… this is hard.’

‘Well it would be easier with drinks.’ Dawn said and picked up the phone and ordered peppermint tea for Sam and coffees for the rest of them.

‘Coffee?’ Riley asked quietly.

‘Over 21,’ Dawn replied with a smile.

Riley laughed. Dawn’s gentle manner had put them at ease. The drinks soon arrived and they all settled back to the talk.

‘Well come on big guy, what’s this all about?’ Buffy asked again.

‘Spike and LA,’ came the reply.

‘Spike!!’ Buffy started shaking so much that she had to put down her cup. ‘What about Spike?’

‘We thought you would like to know how he died.’ Riley started to explain.

‘I know how he died, closing the hell mouth in Sunnydale.’ Buffy was getting angry. How dare he come here like this and start upsetting her?
Sam looked worried. The last thing she could deal with was a brassed off slayer.

‘Buffy,’ she said quietly, ‘Buffy, he was working with Angel in LA and he died keeping me and my baby alive.’

Buffy was shaking her head, desperately trying to take in what she was being told. Spike alive? No, Spike dead…

‘Tell me.’ she whispered.

‘When Angel took down the circle of the black thorn he only had Spike and a couple of humans plus an ex hell god on his side. The government found out what was going on and sent us in to secure the area. We got there just as a dragon appeared. Wesley was already dead. Gunn was dying. The Goddess was fighting beside Angel and Spike, but they were being driven back. We fought with everything we had but by dawn we were still outnumbered and had to take cover in an old warehouse. Angel had been killed taking out the dragon. Spike led us into the dark, a lot of my men were ready to stake him, he’d been in game face. But you trusted him, Buffy: I could do no less. Hostile 17. Not so hostile that day. We ordered in the heavy artillery to sort the area out, but we were trapped. No way into the drains, no way out. We were surrounded,’ he explained.
Riley was breathing hard, as though he’d been running. With tears in his eyes he carried on.

‘The airstrikes were due within a couple of minutes. It was broad daylight and we had demons all round us. We thought we were all going to die.
Spike found water and was giving it out when he came up to Sam. She was exhausted. He congratulated her on the pregnancy. He could hear the heartbeat, you see. That’s when he decided we were getting out of there. He asked us to tell you that he would always love you and he went out and cleared a pathway to the sewers. He was like a berserker. Nothing stood in his way. The last thing he said was that he loved you, and asked us to take care of the baby. I have never seen anything so brave. I felt ashamed of the way I’d treated him in the past, and realised what you’d seen in him all that time.’

Spike was alive just three months ago. Buffy’s mind had fixated on that fact. He’d been alive and not come back to her. The tears fell freely from her eyes. Sam and Dawn were crying as well.

Riley reached into his pocket and brought out a ring box.

‘We collected his ashes and had this made for you.’ He slid the box across the table to Buffy.

She opened it to find the most beautiful blue diamond, set in a platinum band, just her size. She slipped it onto the ring finger of her left hand and kissed it.

‘I really did love him…’

‘I know Buffy, I always knew, even before you did.’

Dawn was openly crying, she tried to reach her sister but Sam stopped her.

‘Give her a minute Dawnie; she needs it.’ Dawn felt the baby kick and looked in awe at Sam.

‘It’s a boy: William Riley Finn.’

‘William?’

‘Yes, William; well, Hostile 17 seemed a stupid name.’ She smiled at Dawn. It was a watery smile but a smile none the less.

Buffy seemed lost and small. Dawn had never seen her sister look small.

‘William?’ She looked at Finn.

‘If he were alive and would go into a church we’d ask him to be Godfather. We wouldn’t have been here without him,’ Finn explained. He looked slightly embarrassed, as if being caught doing something socially unacceptable.

‘Look, we’ve got to go. If you need us just email, but I’ve got to go and brief the Prime Minister and then we’re flying back to Washington to wait for the baby.’

Riley and Sam hugged Buffy and Dawn and left the building. Buffy and Dawn were stunned. That Spike hadn’t contacted them really, really, hurt.

‘Giles. We need to talk to Giles.’ Said Buffy, and led the way to his office.


Buffy and Dawn sat on the leather sofa opened mouthed just staring at Giles.

‘You knew,’ Buffy accused him, ‘you knew and you didn’t say a thing?’

‘Yes, I knew: so what? He was only a vampire; you’re better off without him, Buffy far better off.’

Dawn looked at her sister, sitting there ice cold. Always a bad sign.

‘I see, so you left him in LA to die.’

‘He’s already dead, Buffy, I just let nature take its course. You do see don’t you, that I had to do it. He was influencing your thoughts. All this silliness about not eating, and crying for him. You’ll be better now, you’ll see. Now you know he’s gone, you can pull yourself together like a good child and put all this nonsense behind you.’
‘Yes Giles, I will be better: you see, my greatest enemy is now out of my life forever. I finally see the truth: you opened my eyes. Thank you for that. Come on, Dawn.’

Buffy picked up her bag and went out of the office, dragging her younger sister behind her.

‘Buffy?’

‘Don’t! We need to get to Willow. She’s in the training room with some of the slayers from Sunnydale. We’ll see her and then I’ll talk. If I try now, I’ll lose it with you and I really don’t want to do that.’

The two girls just hung onto one another in the middle of the corridor, Buffy crying silently on Dawn’s shoulder. Dawn’s heart was breaking for her sister. They both loved Spike; Dawn had never had the chance to say goodbye properly. Spike died the first time thinking Dawn hated him.

‘We need Willow,’ Buffy sniffed. Dawn nodded.

They made their way slowly down to the huge training area Willow had taken over to teach basic magic spells to the slayers. Kennedy, Rona and Viv were with her, a slayer masterclass. Although they would never make true witches, they were getting better at some of the more basic, life-saving stuff. Viv was busy trying to stop Rona reaching her stake and Kennedy was shouting encouragements to both girls. Willow was trying also, trying not to laugh at the comedy routine going on in front of her.

‘And don’t forget, ALL magic has its price, sometimes more than you’d be willing to pay if given the choice,’ she was reminding them.

Buffy and Dawn slipped in the door quietly. They had no wish to disturb the lesson, but they desperately needed Willow’s kindly advice. Willow had changed a lot since the huge spell in Sunnydale the year before. She knew the spell had cost them both Anya and Spike and the loss of her friends’ lovers had hit her hard. She suddenly realised just how responsible for everything she had been. From bringing Buffy back from the dead, allowing the First through to their dimension, to casting the spell that had allowed them to win. Willow had had a breakdown. But Kennedy had pulled her through. Xander had stayed long enough to make sure she was healing, and then had left, leaving Willow 150 yellow crayons and a load of drawing paper.
It had been enough to make Willow laugh for the first time in months and she had found her way back to the light.

Buffy felt a reluctance to speak: she didn’t know where to start. Dawn looked at her sister and called out to the witch.

‘Willow, could you cast a protection, sealing spell on this room please? Nothing and I mean Nothing, in or out.’

Willow thought the request was odd, but one look at Dawn’s face and she knew it was serious.

‘Sure Dawnie,’ she said, and chanting a few words waved her hand around the room. For a split second her hair turned white and her eyes glowed.

‘Well, that was harder than it should have been,’ she commented. ‘Now: what’s so wrong we need protecting here, in watchers central?’ asked the witch.

Riley came to see me,’ Buffy started.

‘Riley? How was he?’ It seemed a neutral question that wouldn’t upset Buffy.

‘Alive and still with Sam, she’s pregnant, William Riley Finn, that’s what they’re calling the baby.’

‘William, does he remember who else shared that name?’ laughed Willow.

‘Yep, he does. I mean he really does, it’s sort of the point, seems Spike saved their lives a couple of months back and…'

Buffy burst into tears again. The other slayers weren’t sure about this, they were used to bitchy Buffy, they were used to in-charge Buffy, but they’d all hoped they’d seen the last of crying, upset Buffy. She’d been around far too much in the year and a half since Sunnydale. Buffy had always had to be strong, for years she had been the only slayer. Even after Kendra and then Faith had been called she was THE slayer, the chosen one, the one whose name alone struck fear into the hearts (or other organs) of demons. She'd only broken down after the wounded had been cared for and families contacted. Then she'd collapsed into a depression that had taken weeks for her to come out from.

Dawn looked at her heart broken sister and she continued the story.

‘Spike was in LA working with Angel, and they went after the Black circle. But it didn't go the way they hoped: in fact the demons were winning when Riley and Co turned up. They got trapped in a warehouse and would have died if Spike hadn't broken them out. He died to save Riley and Sam and a load of special forces…


‘They are only alive because he cleared the way. Angel had started a war he couldn’t possibly win, and he lost everything.’

Willow gasped at the tale. The Circle was the council for all that was evil. How could Angel think to bring it down, it would take far too much power; it took the combined energies of two Gods just to confine them in Sodom and Gomorrah and the stories of that battle had come down to the present day.

‘Worst was, Giles knew he was alive and hadn’t said anything to her,’ Dawn continued. ‘Seemed to think that it was nothing important, he was nothing, less than nothing.’

They all sat quietly, thinking about what they had been told. Willow noticed the beautiful ring on Buffy's finger. ‘That's new,' she whispered to Dawn.

‘Riley said he made his ashes into a ring… Willow, could you see if you could sense Spike in the diamond?’ Dawn continued.

Willow held her hand over the gem. ‘Feels like it belonged to him at some point,’ she whispered.

Buffy smiled a weak thanks, she had something of Spike’s. She had her connection to her love.

‘Now, why the protection?’ The witch asked, breaking the silence with the quickness of her voice.

‘I don’t think Giles is well. He was so horrid to me, he seemed cold, distant, the things he said were so cruel…

‘So we need a truth spell. Something that will show us what’s really going on, and free us from any spells that are on us.’ Buffy explained. ‘And we need it fast, but we don’t want anyone outside this room to be affected, not yet. We don’t want anyone else to know what’s going on.’

The girls nodded, they could see the wisdom of keeping it quiet. And since Sunnydale, had learnt not to doubt Buffy. They had doubted her once and it had cost them the lives of potentials. Even Faith respected Buffy's experience and wisdom, not that she'd actually admit it of course, but she wouldn’t let anyone else ever disrespect the Elder Slayer.

‘No-one Willow, not Giles, not Andrew, not even Xander. Until we know why Giles was so harsh, no-one is to know what's going on.’ Buffy reiterated.

Willow nodded. ‘OK, understood.’

Willow started the spell. It should have been easy a simple ‘show all’ spell, and a release spell, but something was blocking her. She could feel a force pushing back against her mind, blocking her at every turn.

She gave an imploring glance at Kennedy: she felt as though she were going to die. Whatever secret was being protected the wards were powerful, some of the most powerful Willow had ever encountered.

Kennedy reached for her lover and grabbed her hand. Viv and Rona linked on from the other side. Buffy joined her hands and strength and Dawn completed the circle. So much power backing the witch swung the balance back in their favour and Willow could feel the walls break down. Their minds felt as though white hot spikes had been driven in as memories came flooding in.

Dawn remembered hundreds and thousands of years as energy, floating in the void, jumping from time to time and place to place. Using dimensions as toys, exploring the universe in the company of Gods. And the love of her sister and the love Spike had shown her the summer Buffy had been dead. So much love and so much patience with a grieving, difficult teenager. She remembered how she'd begged Giles to stay and help her, but he'd refused and had left her to her fate.

Willow remembered all the time Spike had spent trying to help her come to terms with the evil that she had done. Who better? Who could understand more than someone who had had to face the same mental demons? She remembered how she had been so frightened of her growing power and how little help she'd received to learn how to control it. Giles had let her sink or swim on her own and she nearly sank. She remembered that long summer and Spike trying to comfort her, and trying to take the pressure off her shoulders.

The three junior slayers looked at one another, remembering the hours and hours Spike had spent helping them train. He had stalked them, practised with them, doing all he could to ensure their survival. Teaching them as much as he could about demons, their weaknesses, their strengths, how to kill them, and when to run. He trained them and while they slept he filled the house with foods that comforted them. Their shame was that they hadn't even thought to feed him on slayer blood before the final battle. An advantage that might have saved him.

They remembered Spike saving their lives from a vamp attack, when they had sneaked out of the house and been surrounded by fifty or so hungry vampires thinking they’d found easy meals, when Spike had appeared out of nowhere in full master vamps face and taught the impertinent fledglings a lesson in manners. He had been magnificent.

Kennedy and Willow remembered the kindness he’d shown them when they’d first gotten together. He had spent his own money and hired a room at The Sunnydale Inn and given them a ‘night to remember’. Roses, champagne, the works.

Even when they’d all turned on Buffy he’d still not done anything to make them pay for their treachery. He’d been a good man and they had seemingly forgotten it all. Kennedy and Rona were particularly angry at that. Willow hated the idea that someone had messed with her mind. She thought back to Tara and how Glory had hurt her, and how much damage she, Willow, had done with her stupid spell.

Whoever did this would pay.

But worse hit was Buffy. She was sitting on the floor cross-legged, her arms wrapped around her body, sobbing her heart out.

‘Sweetie? Buffy?’ Willow tried to get through to her friend. It was as though Buffy couldn't even hear them.

‘Buffy you’re scaring me,’ Dawn said, but all Buffy could do was cry, her nails tearing into the flesh on her arms. She seemed totally distraught.

‘Rona help me!' Dawn yelled as she tried to stop Buffy from hurting herself. The blood was running freely down her arms.

Rona and Viv rushed across to their leader and tried to pull her hands away from her arms. They finally managed after a couple of minutes and had to hold onto them, to stop her hurting herself even more.

Even when Buffy had been at her most depressed she hadn't reacted like this. Whatever she had remembered was destroying her mind.

Willow looked into her friend’s pain filled eyes and whispered, 'sleep'.

Instantly Buffy collapsed on the ground fast asleep.

Dawn couldn’t believe the memories that were flooding her mind. Buffy had been so excited about something, but what she couldn’t remember, not straight away. She knew it was important, if only she could remember.
Willow looked around the room.

‘If you’re anything like me you’ll have a thousand new memories running around your mind. So we need time to get them all into order. Whatever was stopping my spell wasn’t able to face all of us. We need to use that. We need to husband our resources until we’ve got this mess sorted. So: any suggestions?’

‘We need to gather all our allies,’ Kennedy started. ‘Willow, love, can you spread the spell? We need Xander, Faith and Robin, but we need them with us. You had better warn them what the spell can do before it hits them as badly as us.’

‘I can, but I won’t. Buffy was quite specific. No one was to know what was going on. No one at all,’ Willow stated, brooking absolutely no arguments.

‘Then we need to get somewhere safe,’ Rona said. ‘Any suggestions?’

‘LA,’ Dawn's thought was spoken aloud. ‘Angel had a hotel in LA, the Hyperion. We could use that as a base, I know there are wards on it; Cordy set them up and she works for the powers. There is also a demon, Lorne, who is an empath. If we could find him, he might be able to help as well.’

Buffy woke up in her own bed. Dawn was asleep by her side and Willow and Kennedy were snuggled up together on her sofa. She felt great. She’d had the best sleep she’d had in ages.

She looked around her room trying to remember why everyone was sleeping in her room. It seemed very strange. Sleep over it had to be a sleep over, they’d all fallen asleep talking.

Buffy grabbed her robe and went in search of coffee. Her head felt like it needed coffee. She didn’t even notice the ring on her finger. She wandered through the apartment towards the kitchen; it seemed she was first up and would have to make the coffee. Something she had learned to do although cooking was still a mystery to her: she had mastered the art of putting water in the coffee machine and turning on the switch. And she’d only forgotten to put coffee in twice. Buffy smiled at the thought. A whole new skill that didn’t involve weapons.

Rona and Viv hadn’t slept at all. They had patrolled into the night: a local cemetery had been a little busy and they had come home hyper. They had been fighting each other on the Xbox and hadn’t noticed the sun come up, but they did notice the smell of coffee and followed the aroma towards the newly brewed pot in the kitchen.

‘Morning Buffy,’ Rona said. ‘How are you feeling this morning after all the revelations?’

‘Huh?’ Came the confused reply.

‘Spike, the ring, Riley Finn? Ring any bells?’

‘And again I say, Huh?’ Buffy looked confused.

Viv and Rona looked at each other and nodded slowly.

‘Buffy,’ asked Viv, ‘where are Dawn, Kennedy and Willow?’

‘My room, looks like we had a sleepover.’

‘Well why don’t we make coffee and tea for all and go and have a little talk?’ Viv suggested.

Buffy looked at their faces. Obviously something was up but she was damned if she could remember anything unusual from the day before.

Buffy grabbed a tray, filled it with drinks and headed back upstairs to her room. Willow and Kennedy were just waking up; Dawn was nowhere to be seen. Buffy looked around the room.

‘Where’s Dawn?’

‘Bathroom,’ Kennedy mumbled, grabbing a welcome mug. She passed the cup of tea to Willow and sat back down on the couch.

‘What’s this all about? An intervention?’ Willow asked. ‘What have I done this time?’ She added with a smile.

Viv smiled and Rona laughed. ‘Nothing yet, but we need you to do a little spell when Dawn gets back.’

‘O…K…’ she said slowly, ‘but I need to know why.’

‘I can’t tell you yet, but it’s important, and it will be harder than it should, but please believe me, it’s important.’

Rona looked so worried that Willow felt her heart go out to the young slayer. Life had been tough for the girl and she rarely asked for anything.
Willow nodded and waited quietly until Dawn reappeared.

‘Right,’ Willow began, ‘what do you need me to do?’

‘Seal the room with wards then cast a spell to bring back hidden memories. You did a truth spell yesterday and we got hundreds of memories back; Viv and I can still remember them, but you four seem to have forgotten everything that happened. So whatever was stopping us remembering yesterday has come back.’

Willow concentrated for a second. Her hair turned white and she started shaking.

‘That was way harder than it should have been,’ she commented.

The memories hit her and Willow was mad. The spell reset itself every time they fell asleep and they had found it time after time only to forget all the details again the next morning. Someone was going to pay for messing with them.

‘Right, here we go. I’m breaking this once and for all. Buffy, I need the scythe; Dawn, I need a couple of spots of blood. I’m sure in a room inhabited with slayers one of them will have a knife.’ Rona smirked, reached into her boot and pulled out a slim knife with a mean looking blade and handed it to Dawn.

Dawn looked carefully at it.

‘It’s clean, I haven’t stabbed anyone with it without cleaning it afterwards,’ Rona added.

Buffy laid the scythe on Willow’s lap. The witch could feel the power running through it. It was a battery of good, white power and for the second time in her life she was tapping into it. The spell to free all the power of the slayers hadn’t even dented the enormous power contained within the weapon.

Dawn dropped a couple of specks of blood onto the blade and it glowed green before fading. The power spread up into Willow and she concentrated on freeing them all from the spell that had stripped them of their memories again.

She traced the spell backwards at the same time. It led towards Giles - and someone else. Someone evil, twisted, unclean. Willow could feel the mark of Eyghon burning deep on Giles, its tendrils running up and surrounding his heart and digging deep into his memories as well.

She fractured the spell carefully, ensuring that it looked like it was still in place if anyone looked. It would take a very powerful witch to even suspect there was a problem. She also stopped it reasserting itself every time they slept. This spell was ended on them, but not the others. They would need the cover if they were to find out what was happening.

Willow fell forward, her hair darkening to its normal red. Kennedy passed her the rest of her tea and Willow gave her beloved a weak smile.

Buffy was stunned: so many memories. So much love from Spike.

She thought about the first memory that had hit her again.

‘I love you,’ she had told him.

‘No you don’t pet, but thanks for saying it,’ Spike replied. They had been sitting watching videos with Dawn when Buffy finally said the words he had been longing to hear and when she said them he’d got a sleeping Dawn on his shoulder and a dozen other potentials were scattered about him. He had no way of getting to her.

When he’d said those words her heart fell until she saw the look on his face.
‘Oh you idiot, I do love you,’ she said again and again, and leapt on him, tickling him into submission. She had woken Dawn with her leap and Dawn had joined in with the tickle fest.

Spike had suddenly looked straight in Buffy’s eyes and seen nothing there but love. True and uncomplicated love. Spike had melted completely.
He had picked Buffy up and carried her down to the basement and his cot. They had made love sweetly and gently all night, but every time she whispered ‘I love you,’ he’d said ‘No you don’t, pet’. It had taken until dawn for him to allow her to say it and him to return the love in words and actions.

Buffy felt the tears on her face again. It had become their ‘thing’: one of them would say ‘I love you’ and the other would grin and say ‘No you don’t, but thanks for saying it,’ and when Sunnydale had collapsed Spike had believed her, he knew that she loved him, he was just answering in the way they always had between them.

There was even worse to come from her memories. Buffy could remember the happiness she felt when, 6 weeks after Sunnydale…

The tears came again. Dawn and Willow just held her tightly, giving her their love and unconditional support.

‘Can you talk sweetie?’ Asked Willow softly.

Buffy nodded, her eyes filling with tears again.

‘My baby, my baby,’ she sobbed.

‘What baby?’ Dawn’s voice was soft and gentle.

‘I was pregnant: after Sunnydale, I was pregnant and Giles gave me something to drink and I lost the baby. He just gave me a drink. I know there was something in it. I know there was something in it. And within a day I lost the baby.’

Willow was stunned. They had not believed that Giles could turn on Buffy, but this, this was horrendous. Willow’s deep faith in Gaia was shaken, all life was sacred, and to take an innocent life was despicable.

Rona and Viv didn’t know what to do. Dawn was crying, and although Rona was another Faith, tough and hard faced, she held the girl in her arms and rocked her. Viv wrapped a blanket around Willow and Buffy. They were both shaking from shock and the exertion of the spell.

Willow started talking.

‘I could feel that demon, the one that Ripper went crazy on.’

‘Ripper?’ Questioned Kennedy.
‘Giles, when he was younger, wasn’t our staid and tweed-wearing Giles, he was a rebel, and studied dark magic.’

‘Well it’s come back to bite him in the arse,’ Dawn pointed out. ‘Just like Spike said it does.’

‘Well we’ll make sure this bites him.’ Willow said, her eyes flashing dark for a second.

‘Now this is the hard bit.’ Willow started. ‘This has been going on for over a year. Every time we go to sleep the spell resets. Anything we have learnt during the day, that would actually help us, vanishes with sleep. When we wake up it’s like our memories are wiped. I didn’t remember Angel asking for help with Fred, I didn’t remember Dana, the mad slayer from LA, telling us Spike was alive. Andrew even denied it at the time. I don’t remember Buffy even going to Rome and talking with The Immortal, but it seems she lived there for a while.

‘We need to sit down for the day and see what else was hidden from us, then maybe we can work out what’s going on.’ Willow said. It was a long speech for her.

‘We need somewhere safe,’ Kennedy reminded them.

‘I already suggested the Hyperion in LA,’ Dawn pointed out.

‘Hyperion?’ Asked Viv.

‘Yes. It belonged to Angel before the fall of LA, it was the hotel we used when we first left Sunnydale.’ Explained Buffy. ‘And it looks like we’ll be going, but we need an excuse.’

‘How about shopping?’ Asked Kennedy. ‘Dad said he’d treat us all to a vacation and Rodeo Drive is lovely,’ she added with a smile.

‘Good idea Kennedy, you and Willow organise the cover story, I’ll see what I can find out from Giles, quietly… Rona, you and Viv ask around, see if anyone remembers anything. And Dawn?’ Buffy asked.

‘Yep…’ Dawn replied.

‘You’re on research, you speak more languages than anyone except Willow, so she’ll come and help as soon as the trip is arranged.’

‘Yes general!’ Dawn saluted her sister before getting another drink.

‘Now: who else do we involve?’ Buffy mused.

‘Xander,’ Willow said. ‘He really needs to know that Anya was killed as a sacrifice.’

‘What??’ screamed the other girls. The stunned looks told Willow that it was news to all.

Willow looked at them. ‘Seems that’s a memory I have and you lot don’t yet. Andrew killed Anya as an initiation sacrifice to Egyhon; seems his hero worship of Giles goes a little deeper than we thought. He has been Giles’ apprentice for some time.’

‘Hence the loosing of the geekiness,’ Dawn said.

‘Yep, seems like the coolness that is Andrew is a direct result of him joining up with Giles.’

Buffy snorted a laugh back. Willow looked at her. ‘What was the laugh for?’

‘The thought that knowing Giles can lead to coolness.’

Giggles spread around the group, it was good to have a laugh. And they needed it.

Rona quietened first. ‘How do we know the spell is broken?’
Willow looked upset but Rona continued, ‘Viv and I have been up all night playing vid games, good job too or we’d all be back in denial land again,’ she smiled.

‘So?’

‘So I suggest Viv and I go to bed, and sleep.’

Willow smiled. ‘Separately,’ Rona added with a grin, ‘then when we wake up you ask us questions and we see if the whammy is gone. If it is we can carry on with the plans and if not we take it in turns to sleep and Willow whammys us on waking.’

‘Good plan,’ Kennedy nodded.

Buffy seemed out of it again. ‘Buffy?’ Dawn said gently, ‘Buffy?’ She seemed as though she couldn’t hear anything.

‘Dawn, do you realise he was alive for a year after Sunnydale? He was so close we could have been together, and he’s gone…’

Dawn wrapped her arms around her big sister and rocked her. All that could be heard was Buffy whispering he was alive.

When Rona and Viv got up they headed straight to Willow with the message that they remembered everything from the day before. The Scoobies were set.


Dawn started researching, clipping in and out of the library when no one else was around. She had her cover story ready: she was learning Etruscan, as well as researching the feeding habits of Faryls. Dawn had deliberately chosen Faryls because whenever he was reminded that he had been a demon, Giles would leave the room immediately.

Willow and Kennedy were planning the ‘escape’. They called Mr. Richards, Kennedy’s father, and chatted to him for about fifteen minutes, then Kennedy asked how her Aunty Jackie was. It was a code from a book that her mother had loved. Jacqueline… trouble and I can’t talk.
Mr Richards had picked up on it straight away and asked the girls when they were going to visit. He started offering inducements, including a shopping trip. That was when Willow ‘remembered’ they hadn’t had a break in years and thought it was a brilliant idea to go visiting, but ‘really didn’t want to leave Buffy alone for long.’

‘Bring her with you, in fact why don’t I send a plane and you can invite a few of your friends to come with you KK?’

Kennedy smiled at Willow, her dad was one in a million, and he hadn’t let them down.

‘See you as soon as the plane gets here then Dad,’ Kennedy finished the call.

She and Willow then turned to the computers. They had left emails everywhere they could think of for Xander, but none had been replied to. Willow was getting cross. How dare her bestest, oldest friend in the whole wide world, not be contactable?

Willow knew that the depth of the pain he felt had nearly crippled Xander. Anya’s death had hit him very hard, and the fact that she needn’t have died was hanging on Willow’s heart like a dark shadow.

They simply had to get hold of him. Willow looked around the room she shared with Kennedy. She really needed a little help to think through what was needed. Her eyes were drawn to the pile of yellow crayons in the corner on the table by her favourite crystals. Yellow crayons that Xander had given her. Willow picked up a crayon and started to write on a spare bit of paper.

ET PHONE HOME

11 letters in yellow crayon. She concentrated on the paper, willing it to Xander, begging the powers to help. A wind seemed to catch the edge and the paper fluttered in the palm of her hand, then it vanished. No spell, just a heartfelt plea. And it had vanished.


Xander was sitting in a small café in Morocco. He had been wandering around North Africa for nearly a year. He reached in for his wallet to pay the bill. Xander looked at the dark, tooled leather. It was worn from use. He opened it and his heart gave a little jump. It always did. Inside there was a picture of Anya. Willow had got it off the internet. It was from the Magic Box website. She’d been so happy at the thought of more customers. Xander had grown up a lot in the last year. He just wished he could tell Anya how much he truly loved her, and if she wanted to be a vengeance demon, that was fine by him.

Xander gave himself a little talking to… telling himself not to keep obsessing about Anya, she was dead and gone, and he had to carry on with life.

Xander put the wallet back into his bag and slung it over his shoulder; as he did so his wallet fell out onto the ground. Xander picked it back up and, opening his bag fully, pushed his wallet with its precious photo deep into the brightly coloured bag. He felt something brush against his hands: a piece of paper. Xander pulled it out, wondering where he’d got it. In bright yellow crayon was the message to phone home.

This was serious. Willow would never use magic to trace him unless it was really important. The thoughtless little witch from Sunnydale had long since gone, to leave in her place, a powerful wiccan who used her power only when absolutely necessary.

Xander looked at the paper again. Home: no-where was really home any more. His parents were in some third class house in a fifth class city getting drunk, and the Scoobies didn’t really need him, or so he thought. But now he was needed and Xander was headed back to England.

He found a small internet café and picked up his mail. Over fifty emails from Willow. All saying the same thing. Contact us and get home.

Xander emailed Willow immediately to say he was on his way, only to receive yet another dump of mail. Willow asking him to fly to New York and meet her there. He was to go to any British Airways desk and ask for a first class ticket to New York. The money would be there, courtesy of Kennedy’s dad. A credit card number was attached. Willow had thought of everything.


The plane took off early. Mr Richards rarely heard from his daughter, especially after she’d been called to be a slayer. Before that she’d been a troubled teen, after that she’d been a troubled teen with super powers. But he loved her. He loved her dearly and when she asked a favour he came through. This time it was in the shape of a private jet and a credit card for shopping, officially in New York and then on to LA.


The girls had told everyone they were taking a week or maybe two off. After all there were a lot of slayers around, it was coming up to September and they had been busy all summer. Giles had bought the story. In fact he seemed really glad they were going away.

Andrew didn’t even seem interested in coming with them, and that was unusual. Andrew always wanted to go shopping.

Rona had caught him coming out of Giles’ bedroom very early one morning, but it was one of those things that, when mentioned to another slayer, was forgotten in the morning after a good night’s sleep.

The plane was well stocked with food and drink. The captain had been respectful, but quiet. The cabin staff went quietly about their business. It was an eight hour flight and Mr. Richards had insisted that the passengers got the best of everything.

Luggage had been loaded efficiently, hand luggage stowed and the passengers curled up in their seats and slept for the majority of the flight.

Xander was waiting when they arrived. He took one look at Dawn and Buffy: they looked haggard and drawn. Willow looked worse. Kennedy, Rona and Viv looked dangerous. It was the only word for it. You would think they were professional killers from the way they moved. Xander laughed to himself at that stupid thought. They were professional killers, some of the most professional in the world.

Willow looked up to see the tall, bronzed and fit man waiting for them. She rushed into his arms and held on tight. Kennedy walked up slowly: she was beaten to the hug by both Buffy and Dawn. You couldn’t actually see Xander for the women holding him.

‘If this is the result of me getting a tan, I think I’ll buy a sun-bed!’ joked Xander. ‘Feeling the love here,’ he added as he grinned at the slayers.

The Scoobies were together again and nothing and nobody would stand in their way.

The hotel was a mess. It was cold and dirty, cobwebs hung from the ceiling and the floor was covered in a thin layer of grime. It looked as though no-one had been in it for years.

Buffy and Willow looked around the lobby. It smelled. They weren’t sure of what but it was awful. Musty and foul. The dirty windows let in very little light, making the hotel even more gloomy if that were possible.

Buffy tried to ‘feel’ if there was anyone or anything around. It seemed as though the gang were alone in the huge building.

Xander came through the door that Buffy had broken to get into the Hyperion. The light from the hole where the glass had been did little to improve the light levels.

Willow stared around the place. ‘May I just say ‘ugh’ and add a eeww?’

‘I’ll see your eeww and raise you a yuck,’ Dawn said.

Rona looked around as she came in the broken door. ‘Been in worse,’ she said.

‘Worse?!’ Xander spluttered.

‘Yep, at least there are no junkies and I can’t hear rats,’ she grinned. ‘Not what you’re used to, is it, Princess?’ She added to Kennedy, who was reluctant to even put her bag on the grimy floor.

‘We could always clean the place…’ Viv suggested.

‘Anything a mouse can do I can do better. I have more fingers.’ Willow said with a grin. She concentrated hard on the dirt. It seemed to glow quietly, then a breeze started collecting the dust and grime into piles. The cobwebs leapt off the ceiling, spiders running for the doorway, and joined the dirt. The windows began to shine, light entering the building for the first time in at least two years.

Dawn and Buffy were distracted by the sight of sheets, pillowcases, duvets and curtains floating down the stairs and heading towards the back of the hotel and the service area.

‘Looks like something Disney would do,’ whispered Dawn.

Buffy just nodded, opened mouthed. Xander cheered the sheets on like a drunken bullfighter with a cloak and followed the laundry through a doorway and into a huge room where washing machines opened their doors ready for their loads.

‘Why couldn’t we use that sort of magic when we had a party?’ Asked a still shell-shocked Buffy at the sight of a building cleaning itself.

‘Cause I’m only supposed to use magic for important things, and keeping my lady happy is important,’ Willow smiled at Kennedy.

‘Well thanks for that Willow, it really has saved us days of work.’ Dawn smiled at the red headed witch. With the power coursing through her, Willow looked like the incarnation of some pagan goddess, but this spell hadn’t even changed her hair colour. She was getting more and more powerful by the day. Dawn was grateful they had Kennedy to help keep her balanced.

‘Next we need wards, and strong ones, around this place.’ Willow pointed out. ‘I can do some of them, but we’ll need help to get the most powerful ones. I’ll have to research what we can do. What we really need is access to the Council archives, but they are under Giles’ control. He was already locking down some areas before we left.’

The silence was disturbed by the ringing of a cell phone. Kennedy answered it.

‘Petal it’s me,’

‘Dad,’ mouthed Kennedy to Willow and walked away from the group. Xander looked around the now clean hotel.

‘We need food, who’s up for Chinese? Or pizza?’ he asked

‘Pizza for me,’ Dawn piped up.

‘And me!’ Viv said.

‘Me too,’ Rona said, handing over her cell to Xander.

‘Pizza it is then,’ Xander said, ringing through to a take-away whose flyer said they delivered.

When Kennedy returned to the group she looked serious.

‘Someone has been tracking my credit card. Dad put a tracer on it, protecting it, and someone else is tracking it. He’s sending a courier with cash. I’m to meet him tomorrow, we’ve to stop using credit at all.’

‘Who’s following us? Any ideas?’ Dawn asked.

‘I think its Andrew. Giles hates computers, so he’d have used magic.’ Replied Kennedy.

‘I hate this, I hate the idea of having to run, I hate that people who are supposed to be on our side are fighting against us. What’s next? Going into a demon bar and finding out that they all love slayers and want to be our friends? I am sick and tired of playing these stupid childish games. They want a pissed off slayer, they’ve got one.’ Buffy ranted on and on. She went over to a wall and started hitting it. Chunks of plaster showered down over her. Willow’s spell was still in effect so as it hit the floor the plaster started to clean itself up. Buffy watched as the dust piled itself neatly and waited for collection. She started laughing. The first time since Sunnydale, she roared with laughter.

‘I can’t even wreck a house properly any more!’ she laughed, until tears rolled down her cheeks.

‘Whatever it is that’s so funny, I love it. It’s better than you wrecking the joint.’ Xander watched as Buffy rolled around the floor holding her stomach.

The fear and anger of the last couple of weeks, on top of the grief she felt for Spike overwhelmed her, but instead of crying she was laughing. Laughing at dust cleaning itself up.

A broom tried to sweep her into the pile; Willow waved a hand at it and the broom sank gracefully to the floor, leaving Buffy hysterical. The tears seemed to be cathartic. When she’d finished laughing, or crying, Buffy felt at peace, calm and at one with her surroundings. She took a good look at the hotel. In one corner, where the reception had been there was a glowing light. It seemed to hover for a moment and solidified into …

‘Cordy?!’ Yelped Xander.

‘Yes its me, jush have you ever seen such stupid clothes?’ She said, pointing to the white robe she was wearing. ‘And look at these shoes. I get made into a higher being and do I get Manolo Blahniks, no I get stupid sandals!’ Cordy kept ranting until Xander rushed over to her and hugged her, hard.

‘Good to see you Cordy, we heard you were dead.’

‘I am,’ she said in her ‘flat’ voice. ‘You can put me down Xander. I’m working here.’

‘Hi Cordy.’ Willow said quietly. Dawn and Buffy also seemed pleased to see her, smiling their welcome.

‘Kennedy, Rona and Viv.’ Cordy nodded at the other slayers.

‘You know us?’ Rona asked, ‘cause I don’t think we’ve ever met.’

‘Yep I know you, know all about you too. That’s why I’m here.’

‘Why are you here, Cordy?’ Willow asked. ‘What with the being dead and all…’

‘Here to fill you in. Giles is trouble, I think you’ve guessed that already. He is really messing with things he shouldn’t and he should have known better.
You aren’t dealing with Giles, you’re dealing with Ripper. You are going to hate your first task Buffy.’ Cordy added.

‘Why, what is it?’

‘Go back two years to the Watchers Council, when you were dealing with Glory and Travers was in America: you have to go in, give the code word and talk to a witch called Morgana. You can tell her everything. You will find a watcher there as well, and this is the hard bit, you need to trust him. His name is Septamus Pratt, he’s old and far too interested in research but you need him.’

‘And how do I travel through time? Catch a bus?’

‘No! Willow recites the spell, Dawn opens the gate, you step through. You need to take some of Dawn’s blood with you when you go so that Morgana can open the gate the other end to let you back.’

‘I died last time I went through one of those!’

‘Well yeah, but that’s because you fell like 200 feet, this time you’ll walk through a door.’

‘Why can’t I use the same gateway to get back?’

Cordy rolled her eyes. She felt like she was talking to a child.

‘Well, duh, if you go through a gateway NOT bleeding, it closes it.’

Willow looked worried. She hated it when everything relied on her magic, yes she was powerful but the responsibility hurt.

‘It’s ok Willow, you can do it sweetie,’ Kennedy held her girlfriend tightly.

Willow nodded: she would try.

The spell was deceptively simple. It was even in English. Willow sat on the floor saying the words and pointed at an old door they had set up in the room. Dawn pricked her finger, just like the princess she giggled, and dropped three drops of blood on the sill. The door glowed for a second.
Buffy looked through. It was all sparkling light.

‘You sure this thing’s safe?’

‘Yep,’ Cordy said, filing her nails and examining them, ‘and would you hurry up please, I’ve got to be back for the baby sitter.’

The next thing Buffy knew was she was standing outside an old building. The cars and taxis and buses told her she was in London. There was a doorman in full livery watching her carefully. Buffy gave herself a shake
‘I guess we’re not in Kansas Toto,’ she said and went up to the man.

‘I’m here to see Septamus Pratt.’ she explained quietly.

‘Do you have an appointment?’ He wasn’t going to let some scruffy girl into the building. It was more than his job was worth.

‘No,’ replied Buffy, trying to keep hold of her temper, ‘but could you tell someone a little higher up the food chain that Buffy Summers is here and “We await the arrival of the shining ones?” she quoted.

Doorman looked her over again. He’d seen strange things in his time working for The Club, and there was something about the girl, something that screamed danger. He used his walkie-talkie to get through to reception. Someone on a higher pay grade could see to this problem.

Before he’d even finished one of the club management was outside holding the door open for the strange girl.

‘Please come in Ms Summers. I must say this is an unexpected surprise, we understood you were still in Sunnydale dealing with a God.’

‘I am.’ Buffy said quietly as she followed the man into the building.

Xander watched as Buffy went through the portal, it felt really weird to him to see Buffy enter the swirling lights, brought back b-a-d memories.

He looked over at his bestest friend in the world. Willow looked very small leaning against Kennedy. Kennedy seems to be good for her, he thought to himself, but whatever had happened had taken some of the sparkle from her normally bubbly personality.

‘Ok Willow,’ he started, ‘why am I here? Not that I don’t appreciate the first class airfare, but it was a big emergency and I find no-one bleeding or dying. Or at least under attack…’

‘Actually Xander, that’s where you’re wrong. We’ve all been under attack,’ Kennedy answered for the overly quiet Willow.

‘What d’yer mean?’ Xander looked totally confused. ‘Under attack?’

‘Yep.’ Willow sounded the p at the end of the word. Looked at him hard. ‘And you’re not going to believe it either. We’ve had a spell put on us so we forget anything and everything about Giles being evil and Spike helping us.’

Xander started laughing. ‘Willow you’ve got it really backwards: sure your roots aren’t going dark again? Evil undead is long gone, and I know that Buffy and Dawn miss him, but he’s gone, really dead, and Giles is on our side.’

‘Seems not. I’ve done a spell,’ she held up her hand to stop his immediate reaction, ‘before you start on me, I’ve not messed up, I did it right and I’ve been careful.’ Willow was wearing her resolved face so Xander knew better than to argue.

‘Right, OK then witch friend of mine, explain it to the one eyed man again.’

‘Giles has turned evil and Spike was on our side.’

‘Yes? And you want to do a spell on me to show me the error of my ways?’ Xander asked carefully. Upsetting Willow was never a good idea.

‘No..’

‘You want to do a spell on me?’

‘Yes…’

‘To show what?’

‘The truth and only the truth: it strips away lies and shows us what’s really there. I’ve done wards on this place,’ she gestured around the hotel, ‘so it will seem that there is no-one here; I’ve sort of left a glamour, it would take an awful lot of magic for anyone to see anything going on here.’

‘And what do you want from me?’ Xander asked.

‘Sit in the circle and let me free you from the spell.’

Xander nodded: just once, he didn’t like magic but it was obviously important. He would humour Willow for a while; as if Spike could be anything other than the evil undead. Junior, of course.

Willow pulled herself together. The power started to build. Xander looked so vulnerable sitting there, she could see the depth and strength of his courage, his missing eye did nothing to diminish the handsome man her friend had grown into.

She pointed straight at him, making sure that none of the spell leaked from the circle. No use in hiding their sanctuary only to reveal it by accident. She knew when it had worked, when the spell was gone from his soul by the look of horror on his face. Tears made their way down his face and sobs wracked his body. Rona and Viv helped him up and sat him in a chair, Dawn passing him a coffee. Xander clung onto Dawn’s waist like a drowning man. Kennedy went to help Willow up.

‘Whatever he’s remembered it’s obviously a bad ‘un,’ she whispered to Willow.

Willow nodded and tried to stand. Her legs seem to buckle from under her.
Kennedy swept Willow up into her arms, made her way to one of the sofas and lay her precious burden down. ‘No more spells for you Willow tree until you’ve rested. You are working on determination and coffee, you can’t even pull power from outside of the hotel because of the glamour, can you?’

Kennedy tried to look cross at the red-headed witch but it was impossible when Willow looked so vulnerable.

Willow shook her head, almost too tired to move. Kennedy looked pensive when she turned from the woman lying down. Her attention was drawn to sheets flying back up the stairs. ‘You can cut that out as well!’ She told Willow. ‘We’re all big girls here and can make our own beds.’ Viv took the hint and hurried over to collect the sheets that had dropped onto the stairs. They started folding up the linen. With Rona helping the pair of them went off towards the bedrooms to start making beds and organising rooms.

‘Don’t forget that Buffy needs a room of her own folks,’ called Dawn.

Xander looked up at Dawn. She was holding him around the shoulders as he sat beneath her. ‘It hurts Dawn: it hurts so much.’

‘I know, we all know. We’ve all remembered things that have lain hidden for years; seems Spike was alive all this time as well. He was working with Angel to bring down Wolfram and Hart. Giles hid that from Buffy. Every time there was a chance they could meet, he would spike their chances. He left us all hating Spike: even after he saved the world, we didn’t really forgive him.’

Xander nodded, still holding tight to Dawn.

‘It’s worse, Xander, it looks like Anya should have made it but Andrew killed her. It wasn’t a tourak kan at all but Andrew that killed Anya.’

Xander’s tears started again. ‘I think I need some time on my own,’ he mumbled.

‘No trouble; let’s get you to your room.’ Dawn picked up his bag and helped the distraught Xander upstairs. It seemed strange seeing Dawn take on the carer’s roll but it suited her.

‘You alright Babe?’ Kennedy was worried. She hadn’t seen Willow ever look so pale. Willow lay with her eyes shut against the light, her arm over her forehead. She nodded slowly.

‘It was harder than it should be. Xander had a spell hidden deep in him; he’s going to remember an awful lot in the next couple of hours.’

They sat quietly until Dawn returned. She picked up more bags and headed back for the stairs.

Dawn turned her head and looked at Kennedy. ‘If you can fix that door we came through, I suggest that we all hit the sack for a couple of hours, get some rest and regroup later to talk about what’s happened.’

‘When did you get so wise?’ Willow said with a tired smile.

‘Hey: thousands of years old here, remember?’ Dawn answered with a grin.
Kennedy got up and found a picture that fitted the hole. Removing the glass the young slayer fitted it into the gap. ‘I thought this was Xander’s job,’ she complained good naturedly. The glass fixed, she returned to Willow, picked her up and carried her love to bed. ‘Thank goodness for slayer strength!’

The hotel quietened down quickly and everyone slept. Slept through until the morning. Glad for the peace.

Buffy went through a huge oak door that led into a huge room that reminded her of Giles’ study. It was filled with leather chairs and occasional tables. There were lights over the chairs allowing the occupants to read, while still leaving the room in semi darkness. The fireplace was huge and marble. It looked so big that the house must have been built around it.

The Watcher led Buffy over to a small group of sofas and chairs grouped around a small coffee table.

‘Please make yourself comfortable Ms Summers, while I ring for refreshments.’

Buffy sat and watched as the tweed covered man picked up an old fashioned telephone and requested ‘Tea for two and a pot of coffee in the main library please.’

The man bustled over to where Buffy was sitting and sat in the chair opposite.

‘Now young lady, perhaps you could explain to me what I can do to help you?’

‘Firstly, could you tell me who you are and how come I’m being treated so nicely?’ Asked a very confused Buffy.

‘I’m so sorry my dear. My name is Septamus Pratt, and I’m head of the Overseers Council, in charge of the Council of Watchers, and the Council of Seers and Witches…’

‘So you’re like the Big Big boss of everything, including Quentin Travers?’

‘Quentin is a fine young man, a little rash and certainly full of self importance, but he is only head of the Watchers branch, and technically you’re his boss,’ Septamus explained gently.

‘What?!!’ Exclaimed Buffy. ‘I’m his boss? I think someone should tell him that, he’s been nothing but a pain in my butt since I got called.’

Septamus looked puzzled. ‘He is supposed to help you, provide anything, everything you need…’

‘Everything I need?’ repeated Buffy.

‘Yes, of course, anything you need.’ He repeated.

Then he looked at Buffy’s face, a mixture of confusion and anger, and remembered this was a slayer in front of him. The one with the sacred duty to protect the world, and hoped that anger wouldn’t be turned against him.
Buffy noticed the glimmer of fear on the old man’s face and deliberately tried to calm herself down.

‘I certainly didn’t need the Cruciamentum he put me through. I didn’t need him hiding information we so desperately needed about Glory, but I could have done with help when my Mom died and I was brought back from heaven. Instead I was left to deal with a hellmouth on my own and raise a teenager. If it hadn’t been for Spike…’ Buffy’s voice caught on the name, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. ‘If it hadn’t been for Spike we wouldn’t have survived any of it.’

Septamus wasn’t stupid. He knew who Spike was and he caught that Buffy had spoke of Glory in the past tense.

‘What year is it Buffy?’ He asked gently.

Without thinking she answered, ‘2006.’

Septamus looked at the woman in front of him. ‘You aren’t our Buffy, are you?’

‘No, I’m not. I’m from about 4 years in your future and was sent back to talk to you and a witch called Morgana. A messenger from the higher powers sent me, and gave me the code word. She said I was to ask for you especially.’

Septamus looked hard again at Buffy. He hadn’t risen to where he was in the council by being stupid. Everything she told him had the ring of truth. Ring, he noticed the ring, sitting blazing its light on her left hand.

‘Does your fiancé know you’re here? Know what you are?’ He asked.

‘He knew I was the slayer, but he died, died saving us all in an apocalypse. It was over two years ago and I miss him so much,’ she whispered.

Truth again.

They were interrupted by the arrival of tea. A huge trolley wheeled in with cakes, English biscuits, scones, tea and sandwiches. There was also a silver coffee pot steaming gently, sending the aroma around the room.

‘Could you ask Morgana to join us?’ He said to the waiter who gave a little bow and left, shutting the door behind himself.

‘Will you be mother?’ Septamus asked Buffy.

Buffy looked at him in horror and burst into tears. Septamus didn’t know what he’d done.

‘What did I say?? Miss Summers?’ He handed her a huge square of white linen from his pocket. ‘Now my dear Miss Summers, what on earth did I say to make you cry?’

‘You asked, oh I’m sorry,’ Buffy made the effort to try and pull herself together. ‘You asked me to be mother.’ Buffy sobbed.

‘Yes, it means will you pour the tea,’ he explained gently.

‘I’m sorry,’ Buffy snivelled again, ‘but we found out that someone had poisoned me two years ago and I lost my baby.’

‘Oh my dear child. I had no idea.’ Septamus was disturbed by the door opening to reveal an incredibly smart looking woman. Chanel suit and coiffured hair: she looked like she’d stepped from the pages of Vogue, 1950’s Vogue, but Vogue.

‘You wanted to see me, Septamus?’ Her voice sounded melodic. The woman took in the whole picture with one look. Septamus looked overwhelmed, whoever the girl was she was crying hard, and poor Septamus looked lost. Morgana felt sorry for him: he never did deal with female emotional pain very well.

‘Buffy, this is Morgana, the other person you wanted to see.’

Buffy looked up with red rimmed eyes. ‘Hi: sorry, I’m not usually such a watering pot.’

‘It’s alright my dear. Your soul looks like it’s taken a bit of a battering recently.’

‘Just a bit,’ agreed Buffy.

‘Now you came a long way to see us, so, tell us what we can do to help.’
Morgana looked like the sort of woman you could give your heart and soul to and it would be safe. Cleaned and polished, but safe.

‘You’re not what I expected for a witch,’ Buffy tried to smile.

‘And what were you expecting my dear?’ Morgana smiled at her.

‘Well, flowing robes and long hair in a messy style.’

‘Ah, the old fashioned, lives in a cottage and dances at midnight kind,’
Morgana laughed.

‘Yep, sort of, my friend Willow is sort of like that. I don’t think she notices what she’s wearing, but she’s powerful, she did the spell to bring me here, and oh,’ Buffy reached into her bag, ‘she told me to give you this, it’s the spell to get me home. I was told you could do it. You need this as well.’ Buffy handed over the vial with a teaspoon of Dawn’s blood in it.

‘Thank you. Now you tell us what has happened to make you take on such a journey.’

‘Everything. My watcher Giles has turned evil, he has put a spell on all of us, a huge spell, we forget everything evil that he does every time we go to sleep. He has turned some of the slayers against us, we don’t know who is friend or who is foe. We know he killed Anya, will kill Anya at the closing of the hell mouth and Spike, my other half, my soul mate, he kept us apart and tried to kill him. If he’d succeeded we would have lost the fight at the hell mouth.’

‘How did you do with Glory?’

‘We won, Giles wanted us to kill Dawn so she couldn’t be used as the key, but instead I died and Spike looked after Dawnie all summer, then Willow bought me back, she thought I was in hell…’

‘But Giles would have known you go to heaven: all slayers do, that’s where they come from, they are angels on earth, they simply return home when their time is over.’ Septamus spluttered.

‘It wouldn’t surprise me, nothing would any more,’ Buffy said morosely.

‘Things must have been hard.’ Morgana sat closer to Buffy and held her arms open. Buffy curled into those arms, grateful for the comfort and continued.

‘When I got back it was so hard, I had no money, there were bills from my mom’s illness, and the house. I had been ripped from heaven and everyone expected me to be cheerful about being back, and I had a teenager going off the rails. I was terrified that they were going to take Dawn away from me, she was all I had left. Willow and Tara had been living in my house but hadn’t paid any bills. Then the only job I could get was at the Doublemeat palace…

‘I was expected to go out slaying and the only time I felt alive was when I was with Spike. No one approved of our friendship, they just were nasty to him all the time. He tried so hard, and I was so horrid to him. I beat up on him, and was cruel, so how you can call me an angel I don’t know. I came back so wrong, and I was exhausted.’

‘I can call you one and I will. You came back in turmoil: I’m not surprised that you took it out on someone. Even if it was William the Bloody.’ Septamus said with a smile.

‘You know who Spike is?’ Buffy looked up at the elderly watcher.

‘I’ve known about him for a long time, Buffy. And, although I don’t approve of a slayer getting involved with a demon, I can understand you wanting a man who is your equal. Most women would, and I’m told by my granddaughter he is quite the, uh, hottie: have I used the word correctly?’

Buffy looked a little wide-eyed at the older man. The last thing she’d expected was him to use the word ‘hottie’ about Spike.

‘In fact I think you might have met my Lydia, she’s with Quentin’s team in Sunnydale as we speak.’ He continued.

Buffy thought back to the female watcher who had blushed every time Spike had looked at her.

‘Yes I have, and by the way,’ she stared hard at Morgana, ‘how come I’m letting you in on every secret there is?’

‘Ah yes, well, people tend to tell the truth when I’m around. It’s supposed to be part of my charm. And we thought it might make things a little easier for you. However I promise there was no spell, and after what you’ve told me about Giles I’m glad I didn’t put one on you. I think you have been exposed to more than enough magic.’ The exquisite woman answered.

‘Now we have to go over everything and the easiest way would be for us to come to you. Where and more importantly when are you?’ Septamus asked.

Buffy spent the rest of the evening filling in both Septamus and Morgana about everything that had happened. They were most distressed to hear about the death of so many girls and watchers, but knew they couldn’t interfere with history. That way leads to all sorts of problems and paradoxes. What they could and did do was organise for all the council books to be copied and sent to a safe storage area in America.

It was late evening when Morgana read aloud from the spell that Willow had given Buffy and sprinkled the blood on a cupboard door. Buffy stepped through to see Willow and the others waiting for her back in the Hyperion.

‘Is everything all right?’ asked Willow. ‘You were gone twenty five hours.’

‘twenty Five hours? I was only there for about three hours,’ Buffy said as she sat down ready to fill them in on everything that had been discussed.

That’s time travel for you, I expect that they didn’t want you to crash into yourself coming back.

'First thing we need to do is free Faith and Wood from the memory spell, I know you can do it from a distance Willow, then we wait. We have visitors arriving in a couple of hours and they’re bringing books.

'Oh wonderful, a research party' whinged Xander.

Slayer Headquarters was quiet and still as Giles made his way to Andrew’s room. He knew the little toad hadn’t found anything of use yet and he was going to make him pay for that tonight. He had already told the girls Andrew would be going away for a couple of weeks. That should give the little wimp enough time to heal.

Ripper Giles felt the strength and excitement build through him as he approached the door. He was grateful yet again that they had sound proofed these rooms. No-one would hear the screams. His cock was already hard at the thought of the things he was going to do to the boy. He knew he wasn’t gay, unlike Andrew. This was all about power. And he, Ripper, had it and Andrew didn’t. A fact he would be reminded of again and again tonight. Ripper rubbed at his straining member again before he pushed open the heavy door. Making sure he locked it behind himself, he started calling for Andrew.

The smell that hit Ripper said that Andrew was already terrified; he’d pissed himself. All it did was bring a smile to Giles’ lips, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and he slowly drew his leather belt from his trousers.

‘Now Andrew, you’ve been a very bad boy haven’t you?’ he said, hitting the belt gently in his hands. The leather cracked and made Andrew feel sick. It was going to be very bad.

‘We haven’t found Buffy yet Andrew, and I don’t think you’re looking hard enough.’

The leather came down hard across Andrew’s thighs leaving red welts across the white flesh. Andrew tried not to scream. He knew from old that if he screamed too soon Giles would get even crosser. At this point he remembered everything. He bit his lip so hard blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Giles hit him a couple more times before undoing his zipper slowly. Giles’ cock sprang forward, already firm.

‘You’ve been a very bad boy and you owe me.’

Giles pushed Andrew down onto the bed, his hips high, and lined up behind him. He slid a knife out of its sheath and ran it down Andrew’s spine, leaving a red mark all the way down, where the blade had bitten into the flesh. He brought the knife around to line up with Andrew’s cock and made a small cut in his balls. When Andrew jerked back away from the knife Giles slammed hard into the boy’s unprepared ass.
‘I always like it tight and screaming,’ Giles whispered as he pumped in and out, blood lubricating them both. The tattoo on Giles’ arm glowed with a deep red as Andrew began screaming. The more Andrew screamed the richer the red appeared on the tattoo.

‘Tomorrow Andrew, tomorrow, you’re going to find me my slayer and you’re going to get her back: do you understand?’

Andrew was screaming so much at the brutality of the assault he couldn’t answer quickly enough. Giles pushed the knife into his flank by half an inch. The blood dripped onto the sheet below them. ‘Answer me, little boy.’

‘Yes sir, I’ll do better.’

‘Good.’ Giles said coldly as he continued to pump in and out, he reached his climax, filling Andrew with his cum. Andrew then shifted quickly round to lick the blood, cum and shit off of Giles softeneing cock. Giles Didn’t like to be dirty. When he finished Giles hit Him hard across the face, leaving the boy crying on the bed, covered in his own filth.

‘The best bit Andrew is that tomorrow you’ll really believe that you were attacked by a demon, and you’ll still think I’m a nice guy.’

Andrew didn’t look up as Giles zipped up his fly and made his way to the door. Andrew knew better than that. He always remembered everything every time the abuse started, but he knew that tomorrow he would forget again. He never looked, Giles didn’t like it, he waited until the door shut then turned his face into the pillow and sobbed.


Cathy was getting a drink of water. That was the excuse: she knew that she shouldn’t be up on the watchers’ floor but her senses told her there was something really wrong. She had never told anyone that she was part demon. Her great grand mother was a Faye, a sort of fairy, and sometimes she knew things that others didn’t.

Tonight every sense was tingling that something was really wrong. She saw Giles leave Andrew’s room. She knew Andrew was away, or at least he was supposed to be, and she crept forward as Giles went the other way down the corridor to the back stairs. Giles was satisfied, but now made his way back to his lover waiting in their bed. A lover nobody could remember seeing.

Cathy looked into the room. Andrew was covered in blood, whip marks all over his back, sides and stomach, a wound bleeding from his side and he was covered in a stinking mix of cum, shit and blood. It was only too horrendously obvious what had happened to him. Cathy didn’t know what to do, where to start. She went in and lifted the unconscious Andrew onto the bed and went into the en-suite to get a cloth to wipe off some of the mess. Andrew groaned as she tried to help, and started coming round.

‘No, no please no more,’ he begged: it was obvious that he didn’t know who was in the room with him. Andrew started thrashing around, trying to escape from the hands that held him down. Tears fell freely from his eyes.
Cathy had to use all her strength to ensure that Andrew didn’t hurt himself.

From the whip marks covered his body, front and back, it was clear that a belt had been used. Cathy knew she couldn’t do much to help at that moment, so pulling on her heritage, she whispered ‘sleep,’ and after making sure that Andrew was as clean as she could get him, she went to find the other slayers.

There were only ten slayers left at HQ. Most were scattered all over the world, working with watchers or at the school in Cleveland. Robin and Faith had trained hundreds of slayers, before sending them out in groups to live all over the world, strong and self assured. Now they were needed. Cathy hurriedly gathered them together in her bedroom. Most didn’t believe what she was saying, that someone inside slayer H.Q. had abused Andrew so badly. The young girls weren’t sure where to turn. They needed help.

Cathy made a decision. She phoned Faith, Faith who had always told the girls to rely on their instincts and trust Buffy, Faith who had hammered it into them that the only times she’d made bad mistakes were when she went against Buffy. Trust Buffy. Well Buffy wasn’t there, she was on vacation, so they would trust Faith.

It was late at night in Chicago. Faith and Robin were taking some alone time. His hands were everywhere and slayer strength or no Faith could not escape the magic the man was doing. When the phone started ringing she nearly threw it across the room: it was the first time in weeks they’d had ‘grown-up’ time. She felt like a den mother, and she’d never signed up for motherhood, let alone to thirty slayers.

Cathy was nearly hysterical: by the time she had gotten through to Faith, the older slayer could understand only one word in four between snivels and sobs.

‘Report!’ Faith snapped down the phone.

Cathy took a deep breath and tried again. ‘It’s Andrew, someone’s raped and beaten him badly.’

‘And you’re calling me here because?’

‘Because it happened in Slayer HQ and Giles had told us Andrew was away.’

That was when the memories started coming back, memories of Spike and some weird things that had happened around Giles. Faith took an executive decision.

‘Get your asses, with Andrew, on a plane and get here, now. I’ll book the tickets from this end. There’s a flight out of Stanstead in five hours: you had better all be on it. This is Slayer business; no-one who has not been chosen is to be told what’s going on. I know you can do glamours, so hide Andrew’s wounds when you are travelling. It will be hard on him but it is necessary.’

‘Yes Faith,’ came the reply. Cathy put the phone down and immediately picked it up again.

‘Taxis for 11 people in two hours from Somerfield Street to go through to Stanstead Airport.’

She looked at Mary, Mary who always looked so innocent.

‘Mary, break into Giles’ office and fetch all our passports, the rest of you pack your bags. Take everything you can’t live without: we’re abandoning this place and heading for Cleveland. Before we do anything else you all need to know I can do a little magic, so I will be hiding all our activities and covering our tracks.’

‘Well that’s a surprise, but a good one,’ Mary commented.

She slipped out of the door and headed for Giles’ office. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d broken in and the safe was an easy one. Mary took less than ten minutes to collect the eleven passports needed; she also opened the secret safe at the back of the vault and emptied it of all the dollars and pounds it contained. Ten thousand dollars and about the same in English pounds. That should help, she thought as she slipped the money into the bag with the passports. Old habits die hard. Some old habits at least. Mary saw a black case, about the size of a cool box hidden at the back of the safe. It was locked and she didn’t have time to investigate, however whatever it contained was obviously important, so she picked it up as well and took it with her as she left the room, carefully locking the doors behind her so it looked undisturbed. Job done.

The taxis arrived quickly, and the girls loaded the baggage into the luggage compartment. Cathy and Mary helped Andrew to walk down the stairs. No one had seen any sign of Giles. The girls loaded into the two cars and were away. Cathy checked the glamour one last time. It still appeared they were all in bed and asleep. That would last ‘til noon, when they would be on a plane half way across the Atlantic.

They all looked dreadful. They were exhausted. It had been three days since Buffy had returned from the past and Willow was only just strong enough to emerge from her room. Kennedy had been waiting on her hand and foot all that time, barely leaving her side to go to the bathroom. The other girls had brought food up to them: Willow could just manage soup and a sandwich before falling back to sleep. The effort of holding the glamour in place was weakening her considerably. They needed more help.

Xander had vanished for a couple of hours on the second day. He had gone to the bus station, at Kennedy’s request. The slayer wouldn’t, couldn’t leave Willow for long, and she needed a job doing. Xander was the one trusted to do it.

He’d been met by a nondescript man who had handed him a key for a locker in the railway terminal. The locker contained two suitcases, both full of cash. Daddy had come through. Xander returned back to the hotel with the best part of two hundred thousand dollars in unmarked, old, untraceable bills.

He dropped the bags off in the foyer for Kennedy to collect later, made his way back to his room and shut the door against the world again.


Xander couldn’t talk to the girls. He was doing everything on automatic. He remembered Giles attacking one of the slayers. Raping her. God he couldn’t even remember the poor girl’s name, but Giles had raped her then killed her. His arm had a tattoo that glowed red with the girl’s pain and fear. The memories included a second man holding him back as the poor girl screamed her last. The next morning he had really believed that she had been killed by a vampire. And all that time it had been Giles betraying them from the inside. Giles and a shadowy figure that he could never quite see.

Then there was Anya, sweet, honest forthright Anya, killed by Andrew and not the Turok Han, killed for some nefarious purpose. At that moment Xander would have done anything, given anything to have her back in his arms.

His heart also broke for poor Buffy, having to hide the love she felt for Spike. Xander didn’t know if he could ever forgive himself for the pain he put her through.

And the blood, the blood that Giles took from the slayers. Xander could remember the vials of blood Giles kept in his office, taken from all of the slayers. With that available to a warlock like Giles, it gave him power over all of the slayers should, no when, he chose to use it. It was a time bomb waiting to explode beneath them.


It was Dawn who finally dragged him out of his room. She’d had enough of him ‘sulking like a girl’ and threatened to pull his hair out by the roots if he didn’t come downstairs immediately. Xander was brave enough to face vampires, demons and even witches but an angry Summers’ female was more than any man, alive or dead, should have to deal with. He opened the door and let her into his darkened room.

‘You stink,’ was Dawn’s first comment as she roughly opened the curtains to let in the light. She pointed in the direction of the shower. Xander was a little slow on the uptake. So she dragged him into the bathroom and shoved him in the direction of the cubicle.

‘Eeew! Don’t you ever clean up after yourself?’ She moaned as she switched the shower on and shoved him under it, clothes and all.

‘It’s cold!’ Xander squealed as the water hit him.

‘Well warm it up.’ Dawn said with exaggerated patience. ‘You turn that knob there,’ she pointed as though she were talking to a six year old.

‘And my clothes are wet…’

‘Then take them off,’ she demanded.

‘No way, not with you in here.’

‘Fine, I’ll wait outside, but if you’re more than five minutes I’m coming in to get you.’ Dawn stomped out of the room and waited in the hall. It was exactly four and a half minutes later that a bedraggled Xander appeared at the door, his hair still wet.

Dawn looked him up and down and pointed towards the stairs.

‘We all have things that hurt at the moment Xander, it’s cutting us all to pieces and we all have to face them, but it’s better we do it together.’ She looked at Xander. ‘We have to stick together,’ she repeated softly, compassionately.

Xander nodded and followed the younger Summers down to join the rest of the gang.

‘There’s coffee in the kitchen,’ Buffy pointed in the direction of a pair of swing doors. ‘Don’t worry, I didn’t make it,’ she smiled, ‘Viv and Rona have taken over in there and are even making breakfast as we speak.’

‘Breakfast would be of the good.’ Xander tried to raise a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They were still haunted.

The seven of them looked very lonely around the huge table in the kitchen: they were the original Scoobies plus a few extras. Buffy looked around at the only people who meant anything to her anymore.

‘Right,’ she said, ‘we have to be honest now, really honest. Everything that you remember, no matter how shameful, must be out in the open.’

She looked around the table again. It was hard to look everyone in the face.

‘I’ll start. I loved Spike with all my heart and he loved me. When we left Sunnydale I was pregnant with his child; Giles gave me something to get rid of the baby. Xander, if you’re going to freak or start saying horrid things, you can leave now. I might not have defended him before but I will now. He was my life and he will always be my soul.’

Xander opened his mouth a couple of times.

‘I remember him trying to make friends with me: he saved me from a couple of nasty idiots from college who wanted to beat me up, and bought me beers when I was under age. But my big secret is, I saw him Giles i mean, rape and kill one of the slayers, and then there’s Anya, we were back together and I really loved her, there has been no-one else. I didn’t hate the fact that she was a vengeance demon, in fact it sort of made me hot. I think I saw Ethan Rayne during the last days before the hellmouth collapsed and I think I saw him in London as well.’

‘So did I!’ echoed around the table.

‘Well now we know where some of the bad vibes were coming from. Ethan Rayne was always trouble.’

The rest of their conversation was cut short by a small disturbance outside the service door behind them. There was a loud banging on the door.
Buffy signalled for the others to wait, and picking up a knife, headed to see who or what was making all that noise. She was a little surprised to see Septamus Pratt and Morgana pulled up outside in a truck.

Buffy quickly opened the door to let them into the building. Septamus carefully locked the truck before stepping inside the hotel to face a… gaggle? Murder? Group? …of slayers. None of whom were that fond of Watchers and what they represented.

Xander looked at the strangers, judging whether or not they were a danger. No-one should have been able to trace them to the Hyperion. And he didn’t like the way they seemed to take in all the details of the room with one sweep of their eyes.

Kennedy looked at the woman’s clothes: she knew her haut couture and standing in front of her was at least $50,000 worth of vintage Chanel. The bag was a Dior original as well. The shoes, hand made Italian, $1000 dollars a pair. In fact she was dressed the way Grandma usually was.

Kennedy looked up into the eyes, piercing grey orbs that seemed to strike at the very heart of her. Kennedy could feel the power, she stepped just in front of Willow, protecting the weakened witch with her body.

Morgana watched the young girl’s practical, all action approach with a slight smile. It was a long time since she’d seen such a protective lover. Then she looked at the red haired woman the slayer was protecting. The witch was exhausted. She was using her great gifts to protect all those here and somewhere else: Morgana could feel the tendrils of the spell reaching far away. Willow didn’t realise it yet but she hadn’t broken the spell on her friends: she’d replaced it with a more powerful, ‘remember’ spell. And because of the action of the first spell she had to keep replacing it, hence the exhaustion.

Morgana knew that she was supposed to hang back and let Septamus and Buffy work things out, but the poor young witch’s aura was fading: she was trying to do too much. Morgana opened her mind to the world: she could feel the life-force surrounding her, the delight of working near slayers and there were three of them within the hotel, plus a true hero. Ahh, happy times.

Morgana pulled on the slayer energy gently. She didn’t want to drain them, just empower herself for a couple of minutes. Buffy, Kennedy Rona and Viv all felt like a ghost had walked on their grave for a second or two at the most. Morgana looked at Willow then she shot out a hand towards the witch, covering her with a pure white light. When it faded Willow looked a lot better: younger, stronger and for the first time, awake.

‘What did you do?’ accused Kennedy.

‘I just recharged her batteries, poor love was exhausted with trying to keep you all safe. She was continually replenishing the memory spell so that you wouldn’t be struck with amnesia again.’

‘But she told us she’d broken that spell!’ Kennedy was worried.

‘Well she hadn’t,’ came the reply.

‘I didn’t want to worry you all,’ Willow said quietly. ‘I just knew that I had to keep going…’

‘Well, looks like my big gun has done the job again,’ smiled Buffy.

She turned to Septamus. ‘Time for introductions. This is Septamus and Morgana. Septamus is, or was at least, head of the Council and Quentin’s boss. Morgana is the witch that Cordy told me to talk to.

‘These are the Scoobies: Xander, Willow, Rona, Viv, my sister Dawn, and finally the over-protective one is Kennedy.’ Buffy named each of the crew.

Everyone did the polite hello thing and looked uncomfortable again.

‘We don’t have much faith in people from the Council,’ Xander said quietly, ‘they’ve always let us down.’

‘I know, Mr Harris, but we aren’t here to go over old ground, at least not yet. I have brought all the files and records I could find. Thanks to Buffy’s warning we knew about the future attack on the Watcher’s Headquarters before it happened and had it populated by the likes of Quentin. He died, and quite rightly, but we did warn a few others. Morgana made copies of us and left them there to blow up; we spent the year between your visit and the destruction of Sunnydale copying the whole archive, transferring funds, and getting ready.’ Septamus explained.

‘Archive?’ That woke Willow up properly. She was feeling a lot better since the energy boost. ‘I like archives.’

‘Yes that’s what’s in the truck,’ Morgana informed her, ‘a full and total copy of every tome, book, grimoire, tract, prophecy, volume and scroll the Council had access to. A small team of us has been working flat out to ensure that they were all copied and the copies placed in the Council library. We have all the originals here. We also did an inventory of all magical items held by the Council; they were sent to one of our country houses for assessment, and are now sealed in the house awaiting your instructions.’

‘My instructions?’ Buffy blurted out.

‘Well, yes. When a slayer finally passes the Cruciamentum, she automatically becomes head of the Inner Circle of the Council of Watchers.’ Septamus seemed pleased with himself.

‘And how many have passed in the last, oh, say, hundred years?’

‘Um one: you.’

Buffy looked at Septamus in amazement. He didn’t seem perturbed that she was the only survivor of that barbaric practise.

‘It was just supposed to weed out the weaker, less able slayers,’ he tried to excuse the practise.

‘Have you ever even met a real vampire?’ Xander asked.

‘Well I’ve seen pictures…’ Septamus started to splutter.

‘If I’m in charge that evil thing stops now, no other slayer ever faces it again, do you hear me?’ Buffy was shaking with anger.

‘Well I suppose it is a little old fashioned. It was invented in Rome about 2000 years ago.’

Morgana looked at Buffy again. ‘Thank you my dear. I have spent fifty years trying to explain to them that it was an obscene practise but they just carried on with tradition. Still would have but you used the code words and HE has to listen now. But back to business. Where do you want these books?’

Six hours later they were loading the last of the boxes into the elevator to take them up to the suite they had put aside to be used as the new library.
Xander had taken the beds out of the two adjoining bedrooms and had fixed up every bookcase he could find. There was room enough for a circular table and chairs.

‘At least there’s more room in here than in the Magic Box,’ smiled Dawn.

‘And closer to where we eat.’ Buffy added.

Septamus and Xander were just glad that four of the people shifting packing boxes had slayer strength. They were both exhausted. There had been so many boxes and filing cabinets in the truck. Last in were two small suitcases, one each for Septamus and Morgana. Willow wondered how Morgana could cope with such a small bag.

She followed Morgana up to the bedroom that had been put aside for her: there was just the two of them. Morgana shut the door behind them quite deliberately and turned the key in the lock. She then put her finger to her lips in the universal sign for silence. Willow was full of curiosity. Morgana opened the closet and the opened her bag. The clothes came dancing out. They were the size of dolls clothes, but as they floated and danced onto the rails they grew to full size.

‘And that is how I travel lightly.’ She grinned at Willow.


Chinese was ordered and the exhausted gang went downstairs to talk.

‘We know Giles is behind our problems; we just don’t know why,’ Buffy started.

‘That I can answer for you,’ Septamus said. ‘Seems Ripper Giles got involved with a demon by the name of Eyghon when he was a young man. He and another watcher by the name of Ethan Rayne.’

‘Yes, we know, we met Ripper and Ethan during an incident with some magically drugged candy when Mom was alive.’

‘Well Ripper told Eyghon that he would, and I quote, ‘ give anything to be head of the watchers like my Grandfather.’

‘Anything?’ Willow stuttered.

‘Yes, anything, including his soul. The demon hid in Giles’ soul all these years, causing mischief where he could, getting stronger and stronger. When the First appeared, it allowed Ripper to start to lose the rest of his soul. Egyhon was taking over him completely… hence the killing of Anya, who had regained some of her vengeance powers, and would soon be able to tell he wasn’t human any more. As would William the Bloody, of course; in fact any one who stood in his way was eliminated.’


‘So the set up with Robin was done not to rid us of a dangerous vampire, but to keep that vampire from seeing what Giles was becoming?’ Buffy gasped.


‘Yes, you are totally correct. I think taking the potentials to the dessert speeded up his assimilation into Egyhon.’

‘So we don’t just have to beat Giles but have to beat the Egg On demon as well,’ Buffy said. ‘Hey beat the egg, I like that. One bit of cooking I want to destroy’

Xander just groaned and Septamus looked confused. ‘Eyghon my dear,’ he tried to explain, leaving the Scoobies laughing even louder.

Buffy’s always got the names mixed up willow tried to explain through tears of laughter. Although the joke wasn’t much it was good to find something to laugh about.

Giles was fuming. He’d looked everywhere for the slayers, and they were gone. So was that little ant, Andrew. The other staff members were hiding from the usually supposedly gentle watcher. Whatever had happened had made Mr. Giles furious. His visitor was searching the whole building thoroughly. Ethan Rayne was casting spells left, right and centre, trying to find any and all traces of the slayers. They seemed to have vanished into thin air. The state Andrew was in should have stopped them moving anywhere for days. Andrew should have needed urgent medical care, and he certainly shouldn’t have been able to be carted off somewhere even if it was by super-strong amazons.

Giles felt his hatred for the slayers rising again. He hated their strength, he hated their duty, he hated their dedication to the cause. Watchers should be in charge, Watchers should rule and those silly little girls should just do as they are told. His only argument with Travers was that Travers headed the council and he didn’t. Well he did now.

Giles thought back to his years with Willow. He’d tried so hard to let the witch find her own path, knowing how hard it was to stay on the correct path with little help. Let her experiment with the power, it always corrupts, and he was doing well until the coven stepped in and aided her. The coven were excellent, a true source of white magic. Giles smiled again. A source of white magic; although the witch was incredibly strong she would never gain her full strength because she would never tap into the power that was neutral magic. She had been taught white magic; such a clever plot. There was only one witch in the world stronger than Willow could have been, and he made sure they never met. Morgana, the last true neutral witch alive. She had died along with most of the council in the explosions, and to think Buffy still thought that had been the work of the First.

Xander and his petty jealousy were the next thoughts in his head. It had been so easy to stir the jealousy into a fire that burnt into the boy’s heart. Xander who could see everything so clearly, except where it came to Buffy. He loved Buffy and a simple spell left him feeling he would have a chance as soon as the opposition were out of the way. Giles smiled again. There was no warmth in the smile. Oh yes. He had tried his best, but the wish he made all those years ago still ruled his life. He would give anything to rule the Council and he had. He’d given his soul, and now he was in a position to give the Slayers’ souls. He had managed to collect blood from each and every slayer found. Blood that could be used against them when the time came. All safe in his hidden vault, tucked away in a black bag, away from everyone’s sight, even Ethan’s.

Dawn was his only problem until today, but she’d been made from Buffy’s blood so any spell on Buffy should work on the key as well. He would use Ethan for as long as he needed: then he would rule them all. Giles felt his headache getting worse again. The drugs would help. Giles looked in the drawer by his bed. There was that small leather case. He caressed its dark leather and opened it up. There lay the syringe, preloaded with its elixir. He slipped the syringe into his vein and pushed the plunger. Just a little morphine always helped.




Faith thought the girls had looked awful when they arrived in Cleveland. She hurried them into Slayer HQ. Cathy’s magic had held their memories intact, they had even taken turns in sleeping, writing down everything they had learned. She’d even managed to heal Andrew a little, but the flight had not been easy on him. Every bump and jolt had hurt. He’d bled again and they’d had to hide it. Again they were grateful for Cathy’s magic and Mary’s light fingers. She’d managed to get what they needed from a first aid box left unattended for a few minutes. Cathy eventually put a sleep spell on the poor man. He was exhausted and so were the girls, and they needed to stay awake. If you’d asked any of them when they’d landed what the film was they couldn’t have told you. They were exhausted. They looked like zombies arriving, grateful to see both Faith and Robin.


Faith’s first job had been to make them all comfortable on their arrival. A doctor well used to helping slayers had been waiting at the airport and whisked the man away to a private hospital they regularly used, thanks to Kennedy’s dad and Giles paying for a decent insurance scheme. Giles had used it to keep up the appearances of caring for the girls.


Faith rang far too early in the morning for Buffy’s liking. Things had never been peaceful between the two senior slayers but they had learnt to be civil and had become reluctant friends. Mutually respecting each other’s strength, and learning to understand the way the other one worked. But that didn’t mean Buffy had to like an early morning call.

Faith was hours ahead due to the time zones; she laughed at the groggy-sounding Buffy answering the call.

‘Hi B, how’s it hanging?’

‘Wha? Who is this, and what time is it?’

‘It’s ten AM here, so it’s not that early,’ Faith answered with a laugh.

Faith had quickly filled her in on all the developments, including Andrew.
Buffy didn’t want to be nice about Andrew on the phone: he’d killed Anya and Buffy was in no mood for forgiveness. Faith had found herself arguing for their hostage soon after their arrival. God that seemed so many years ago: guestage, that had been the word they’d all used, poor Andrew. He’d only wanted to belong. Giles had managed to persuade the lad that Anya had been about to turn demon on them all, he’d honestly thought he’d been doing the right thing. Andrew had sobbed most of the night when he realised what he’d done. He was sleeping now, thanks to Cathy and her gentle magic.

Mary was a girl after Faith’s own heart. She’d managed to relieve Giles of a nice pile of cash and a case full of vials of blood. Each vial labelled with a name, mostly slayers, but Xander and Willow were there as well as Robin.

Faith was not happy to say the least. The case, with Mary, was on its way to LA, to be delivered to Buffy. Faith had kept the rest of the slayers with her. If they were needed Dawn would open up a doorway and fetch them.

Faith knew Buffy would come round. She was logical, and thought things through, eventually at least. Faith could understand the anger though. It had taken her hours to calm down enough to stay in the same room as Andrew without ripping him a new one: the state the man was in helped. No-one likes to see the result of rape, and the thought that Giles could do that had made Faith lose her supper. Robin had been cool, calm and collected. He’d organised everything while Faith had ranted and raved, and destroyed the training room.

Buffy and Faith talked for hours, sorting through what had to be done. Faith wanted desperately to be in on the action but knew she had to keep up appearances: a phone call to watcher central, with her sweet-talking Giles and complaining that Buffy had a holiday when she didn’t lay enough false trails for the girls to be safe. They could use their famous antipathy of each other as a cover for them working together.

The plan was laid. Faith would play good slayer to Buffy’s rebel. The table was to be turned on Giles!

Buffy and Xander were ploughing through the hundreds of watchers’ diaries and records that Septamus had brought with him. The dear old man had tried to help; actually that hadn’t been fair, he was helping as much as he could. He’d brought access codes to all the council’s accounts, and had brought all the files and books he could manage and he was trying to look through them but he was unused to rushing research. For Septamus, research was something to be savoured, to be relished, not hurried and rushed. He was likely to get research indigestion at this rate.


Xander threw another diary down in disgust. Another Slayer killed: this one was getting too close to the truth about the council. ‘Did none of them live beyond 23?’ He asked, exasperatedly.

‘Only Buffy.’ Came the quiet reply. ‘They were killed before they hit their full power. No-one could stop them if they got all their gifts,’ Morgana replied, coming into the room slowly, with Willow. She’d been helping the younger witch again.

They needed that case of blood samples; as soon as they had it they could break the spell on every slayer there was. Then they could go after Giles once and for all.

‘All their gifts?’ Asked Buffy ‘what can I expect?’

‘Oh the usual: heightened sense of smell, hearing, sight. Speed, strength, etc… and the ability to see into other dimensions. With Dawn around there is no-where you couldn’t reach,’ answered Septamus, surprised that she hadn’t known. ‘It’s in the slayer handbook.’

‘Never saw that,’ replied Buffy.

‘You should have been given a copy when you started…’

‘Never was: suppose it would have given me all sorts of help.’

‘All this money; we need Anya, she’d sort through it in a day.’ Xander’s voice cracked at the thought of his beloved Anya. He missed her so much, even now. He was trying to stay strong. The information that Faith had given them didn’t help, yet, but he supposed it would. That Andrew had been tricked into his crime, poor dumb Andrew, it wasn’t the first time he’d killed someone, and each time he’d been tricked into it. His mind was so weak. Faith’s description of his injuries had softened even Xander’s heart.

Dawn put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I don’t know if Septamus would be able to cope with all the sex talk though,’ she whispered.

Xander looked across at the bumbling old man and laughed.

‘I don’t think so either. I hope she’s happy where ever she is.’

‘So do I,’ Dawn answered.

‘This is ridiculous, we have everything we need to put things right and I can’t see what to do.’ Buffy was exasperated.

‘We could make a list…’

Septamus interrupted Dawn. ‘Why didn’t you use the ring of Amara when William wore the charm to kill off all the Turok khan?’

‘Wha?’

‘The ring of Amara, the legendary jewel given to redeemed demons to allow them to walk in the light,’ he explained patiently. ‘Giles’ diary says you had it in Sunnydale and I was wondering why you didn’t use it?’

‘Because we had sent it to Angel and he destroyed it, so it couldn’t be used by evil.’

‘It can’t be used by evil, it can only be worn by the redeemable. Any other vampire wearing it will die within an hour or so.’

‘So Spike would have lived?’

‘Oh yes, anyway we couldn’t understand why you didn’t wear the gem. You’re part Angel and wouldn’t have been affected at all: the instructions were sent to Giles…’

‘Another crime he has to answer for.’

Septamus looked at Buffy, obviously there was more upset. ‘Weren’t you told?’

‘No I wasn’t,’ Buffy fumed.

Dawn had been making the list:

Fetch the gem of Amara;

Rescue Spike;

Rescue Anya;

Kill Giles.

It all seemed very easy. But when she read it out loud, Willow started shaking.

‘I’m not doing that!’ she shouted so loudly Kennedy came running in. They had a deep connection and could feel each other’s pain.

‘What?’ Dawn was puzzled. What had she said that would upset Willow so much?

‘I’m not pulling anyone out of heaven, not again.’

Dawn hadn’t thought of that, it never occurred to her that Anya or Spike could be in heaven.

‘We won’t sweetie, we won’t,’ Kennedy whispered. They were interrupted by a bright light and the sound of Cordy making vomiting noises from behind her hand.

‘Hi plebeians, you are graced by my presence again.’ She grinned. ‘And still no decent shoes.’

‘Cordy’, Xander smiled, ‘its good to see you’

‘Good to see you all as well: now I’ve been sent to hurry you all along.
Giles has had things his own way for far too long, and you lots have to move it. If he manages to bring Eyghon through completely it will open up the doorway for thousands of demons to come. Eyghon isn’t just any demon. He’s a demon lord and you need some really powerful mojo to beat him. Dawn’s list is accurate, those really are the jobs you’ve got to do, but first you need all the players in place. So you need to call Riley and Sam, now, and you are going to have to warn them what’s coming; they will need protection, especially with the baby. They need to be prepared, because if you fail, if we all fail, then this whole dimension will be overrun by demons.’

‘Can’t happen.’ Xander said, reaching for another donut, ‘in fact won’t happen,’ he added, shoving the donut into his face, grinning like a lunatic.

‘What are you on about? It’s what I’ve come to warn you about!’ Cordy pouted: she was getting cross with the poor man. Xander seemed to be particularly thick today. ‘Of course it will happen, it’s happening. There is a demon taking over the head of the council, the last of the guardians died before Sunnydale and the heroes are spread out all over the place.’

Xander flapped his donut holding hand nonchalantly towards the glowing apparition. ‘We only do apocalypses in Spring,’ he explained, ‘it’s the end of summer, don’t do apocalypses in summer.’ He grinned up at the beautiful angel in front of him. ‘You should know that: you were involved in enough of them.’

Cordy rolled her eyes and Buffy started laughing. They were facing the end of the world and Xander still goofed around and made them laugh. Even Willow was smiling again.

‘Yeah, right, well unfortunately this demon doesn’t have a calendar, so maybe the fact that he can’t read and we’re not on a Hell Mouth changed the season for the Apocalypse.’ Cordy said, and poked her tongue out at Xander, whose nose was covered in chocolate frosting from the donut.

Cordy walked across to where he was sitting, her skirts swishing as she moved, she reached out with her hand and gently wiped his face with a tissue. Xander would always have a place in her heart.

‘Can someone call Viv, Rona, Kennedy and Septamus?’ She asked, looking over her shoulder at Buffy. ‘I think they should hear all this.’
Buffy nodded and headed for the door, shouting through the hotel for the missing members of the gang.

‘Now,’ Cordy continued, ‘most important Willow, you were right to check where the souls are now. You have really grown up. We are all very proud of you up here.’

Willow blushed with pleasure. She was still the insecure little girl who grew up in the shadow of her powerful friends, and such praise really meant something to her.

‘This time you won’t be working on your own: you’ll have help.’ She indicated Morgana, who was sitting quietly listening to everything that was being said. ‘And you won’t be pulling anyone out of heaven, you need a completely different spell for what’s going to have to happen.


‘Anya,’ Cordy explained, ‘is working for us, but technically she’s in purgatory and has said she would be happy to come back. She misses you Xander, very much, but would have to come back as a demon. The vengeance in her heart against Giles is just so strong. Could you cope with that?’

Xander started to reply but Cordy held up a perfectly manicured hand. The pale pink nail polish shimmered in the sunlight.

‘No, don’t answer me now. You really have to think about this Xander: Anya is willing, in fact happy to come back, but she can’t be hurt again. She would still be a vengeance demon, that is who and what she is. Can you deal with that? Really understand her needs, strengths and weaknesses and love her anyway? You couldn’t last time, you let your fears dictate your behaviour and it ruined everything for you both. Will you let that happen again? Will you be able to stay this time?’

‘After what Bleach-boy did for us, I’ve learned not to be so prejudiced,’
Xander answered, ‘and after what Giles has done, I think it’s humans that I’ll have the problem with.’ He answered as honestly as he could. ‘I miss Anya so much, we had so much unfinished between us. I want her back and I think, if I’m honest, I need her back as well. No one matched me like Anya, she really was my soulmate and I was a total fool.’

Buffy looked at Cordy. ‘Where’s Spike?’ she asked quietly, almost frightened to hear the answer. ‘Is he with you, in heaven?’ her voice was shaking so much. She needed to know he was alright.

Cordy smiled softly. ‘He doesn’t consider it heaven. He hates it there. He’s the only vampire, in fact he’s the only demon, ever to have got in. He can’t hustle anyone at pool, he can’t get drunk, he isn’t supposed to fight. In fact his only joy is that he’s seen his mum and sisters again, and he spends most of his time with Joyce and Anne. He says that he’s glad that he has hot chocolate there or there would be nothing worth staying for.’

‘My Mom?’ Dawn whispered.

‘She sends her love to you both. She is well and happy, God I sound like a really bad medium.’ Cordy moaned. Buffy and Dawn laughed as Cordy put her hands together and pretended to meditate.

Willow sat quietly: she was a little intimidated by the ex Cheerleader. Cordy turned her attention totally to the Witches in the corner.

‘Right,’ she started again, ‘due to Giles’ and Angel’s meddling The Powers have to actually take a hand and try and put things right. Normally a quick shove in the right direction is all that is needed, but this time, what with the huge fight with WolfRam and Hart, and not helping Willow so the First was let loose and everything else, they have to act directly, and they are not happy about it.’

‘Morgana, you are to teach Willow everything and I do mean everything. She is your new apprentice: consider it an order. Willow, Morgana is a direct descendant of Merlin, and she knows more about magic than anyone else in history near enough. All her family have been powerful, because she is not a white witch, but she’s not a black witch either,’ Cordy added, holding up a hand to still the riot that had threatened with that statement. ‘She’s a true neutral. Able to pull power from everywhere, charged with maintaining the balance in this dimension. It’s what they true daughters of Gaia have always been. The Mother has kept their line strong and secret. The original guardians were servants of the line, so that tells you how powerful, and well-connected Morgana is. It was her family that made that Scythe you carry around, Buffy.

‘Willow, you will learn everything you can. We know how powerful you are: only someone with your power could have released all the slayer line from its imprisonment, but you will have to work harder, in fact harder than you ever have before. You are strong, you are a fabulous person, and it’s time to let go of your fears. That’s what Kennedy is here for. Her love will be your balance. You will be, no, you are the mind, she is the physical, the body, but she is your wisdom as well. She understands what it is to be selfish: that’s how she was raised. She’s overcome it and she will help you to do the same. No more doing things to make people behave the way you want them to. You have to let free will rule others, only using your remarkable gifts to help keep the balance in the world. This one and others.’

‘And me?’ Asked Dawn.

‘You are what you’ve always been, the key, the gateway to all dimensions, heaven and hell. You can open them and you can close them: when Willow is trained she will help you.’

‘And me?’ Xander repeated Dawn’s question.

‘You are a dilemma, you have proved yourself the hero time and time again, but you are pure human. If you want to help, you have a choice. You can help as much as you can for as long as you live and die a natural death, or you can join them, join them as a sort of Powers hit team, we’ll help you sort out Giles whatever you decide. He has broken just too many rules, but if you choose, you become our hit squad. So Xander, you get to choose: mortal and have a lifespan, or join with us, become one of the forever living, and keep fighting the bad guys.’

‘I always knew I’d end up one of the undead,’ Xander mumbled quietly to himself with a smile. ‘I don’t have any other family, my family are all here in this room, so I vote for staying. But will I stay looking young? Don’t think I’d be much help in a fight when I have a walker.’

‘Yep, you’ll stay as young as you are now, and best of all when Willow is up to full power she will be able to heal any wound, no matter how old. Your eye is fixable, or at least will be.’

Xander put a hand up to the patch. ‘No more pirate jokes?’

‘No more pirate jokes,’ Cordy responded.

‘I’m the learning girl then, full time and with Speed!’ Willow babbled happily. She would be able to help Xander.

Rona and Viv entered the room quietly, followed by Septamus, his nose still in a book.

‘What’s up? You shouted, leader?’ Viv asked.

‘Yep,’ Buffy said, ‘seems Cordy here wants us to form a hit squad.’

‘Hit squad?’ Rona asked ‘what sort of hit squad?’

‘Seems bad…’ Viv added.

‘Septamus Pratt, it’s been far too long,’ Cordy said to the elderly man, offering her cheek for him to kiss and totally ignoring Rona’s question.

‘Cordelia my dear, you look wonderful, positively glowing.’

Cordy laughed gently.

‘Well the majority of the gang’s here, time to get down to business.’ Cordy became serious again. ‘I wasn’t ignoring you Rona, I was working out how to answer you. You as slayers all have a choice, well, all except Buffy.’

‘What sort of choice do I get, or don’t I get one as well?’ Dawn started to pout.

‘If you join in with what’s being planned the slayers become immortal. They will travel: heaven, hell, parallel dimensions, all will be available to you, but you will work to keep the fabric of the universe stable. It should sort itself out though: you’ll just sort of nudge it when necessary. Thing is you will all need a permanent partner: every angel needs a devil to balance her. Kennedy balances the black witch in Willow, Anya balances the hero in Xander…’

‘Why don’t I have that choice?’ Buffy asked, ‘who’s made the decision for me this time?’

‘Xander did,’ Cordy replied.

‘What! No I didn’t!’ Xander spluttered.

‘Well in a way you did, you brought her back when the Master killed her: the CPR ring any bells? She became an immortal then, it was what allowed Willow’s spell to work when she was in her grave, although Willow didn’t finish it because of the demon bikers from hell.’

‘Another black mark against Giles: we gave him a prophecy that the Slayer would die if she faced the Master alone, we gave her a member of the Master’s clan to fight for her, all Angel and Giles had to do was walk in and use a crossbow on bat face, Buffy could have had an early night, but no, they leave her to go off on her own…’ Cordy ranted.

‘And my balance?’

‘You, my dear beloved friend, need a real devil to balance you, one of the worst that has ever walked on earth, one who will love heart and soul: your balance is Spike.’

Buffy was speechless. She had been born for that man, she knew it now.

‘And why don’t I get to choose?’ Dawn asked again.

‘Well you can choose whether or not to use your gifts, but Dawnie you are immortal. The monks made you from Buffy, so immortal blood there, and the key just changes forms: green energy, a statue, a girl, for you it makes no difference. Now you all need time to think: Septamus, we would like you to run the library for those who decide to stay. You’ll be in charge of research, you will have all you need.’

Septamus smiled and nodded and went back to his book. He knew all that already and had been ready. He had his own sources: Morgana.

‘Buffy, a word?’ Cordy added and swept out of the room with Buffy in tow.

‘Buffy you have to choose. Do you think you’ll be able to do what is necessary with Giles? He’s not the man you remember.’

‘Even if he was, I would still kill him. I sent Angel to hell remember?’

‘I know. He’s back there now, Angel, paying his dues for killing when he had a soul. Spike makes it to heaven: despite having no soul he changed for you, and Angel gets chance after chance and his ego sends him to hell.’

‘You loved him…’ Buffy realised why Cordy was so sad.

‘We both did; give him a few hundred years and he may learn. After all he’s supposed to be my balance, and at least I manipulate him when I have to.’ Cordy added with a small smile. ‘Now I’ve got to go: babysitting again tonight, and I daren’t be late.’

‘Who are you babysitting for, cause I find it really hard to imagine you caring for a child.’

‘A lovely little baby boy, and I was bribed, new shoes and dress if I get it right. And they’ve asked Coco Chanel to design it for me; Dior has said he would do me a whole new wardrobe if I get this whole job right. The things I’ll do for fashion,’ she added with a smile. Cordy vanished into the glow that surrounded her, leaving Buffy alone in the main foyer.

Rona and Viv sat on Rona’s bed thinking, talking about what had been offered.

‘I don’t think I want this, the immortality,’ Viv said quietly. ‘It’s not for me at all.’

‘I don’t think it will be for many of us, we’re not dark or light enough. I think that there will be few who say yes to it and even fewer who will be accepted. I think it’s the chosen few only. The rest of us will stay human, thank goodness. It’s not what I want either. I love this life, but when I’m thirty? Forty, seventy? Do I still want to be facing demons every time I walk out the door? Don’t know how Buffy’s done it for so long, I mean it was great at the start but it’s getting old now. I want college, boyfriends; you know, a life.’

‘Yeh, I know what you mean.’ Viv nodded her agreement.

Xander lay on his own bed. He’d made the call through to Riley Finn, who wasn’t happy at the news that there was another big bad on the way. He and Sam had hoped that they could at least have the baby in peace. They would be arriving in just a few hours. Sam was coming as well: she had another two months to go but it would be safer for her to be surrounded by people who knew what was coming and how to defend themselves, than sitting in some high security prison where a mage could just pop in and kill her.
Cathy and Mary would be in LA by morning. It was all coming together. They would need a medic though, a good one; Cordy had promised that one would arrive. Xander was disturbed by the sound of shouting in the main foyer, and put his head out of the doorway. No, just voices: he could hear Willow, Dawn and Buffy. The best thing was that Buffy was laughing, real, proper laughing. It sounded great, it sounded strange, weird, definitely unusual, but great.

Willow was preparing for the spells that were needed. Stage one was to regain the Ring of Amara and the argument that had disturbed Xander was simple…Buffy wanted to be the one to go through the gates, but she couldn’t. If she walked through, the gate would close behind her and they would need another spell at the other end to re-open it. It was far simpler for one of the others to drop through, do what was needed and come back, then Willow could close the gate from this side.

Morgana wandered up to Willow. ‘There is another way,’ she pointed out. ‘They share blood and it is a simple spell: we could teach Buffy how to open her own doorway. She just needs a few drops of Dawn’s enchanted red stuff and she can step to wherever she wants.’

The next three days were spent wasted try to teach Buffy to cast the simple spell.

Buffy was getting angrier and angrier at the pronunciation of the Latin, she just could not do it, it was impossible. Her tongue wouldn’t shape the words, her mind couldn’t concentrate, this was definitely not her skill.
Buffy picked up a sofa and threw it across the room as she got more and more frustrated at something that should have been so easy. The sofa flew across the room and smashed against the far wall as though thrown by a hurricane.

Riley and Sam had arrived to see the final act of destruction with pieces of wood flying all around the foyer of the Hotel. What ever had annoyed the Slayer, it was a biggy.

‘Stupid Latin, stupid portals, stupid magic!’ They could hear Buffy cursing from the front door. Sam and Riley gave each other a ‘look’: they knew better than to distract Buffy when she was venting and in Sam’s condition they didn’t want the possibility of an accidental mistake.

‘Colonel Finn?’ One of the soldiers said to get his attention. Riley Finn was more interested in watching Buffy lose her temper than listening to his very junior officer. She was far stronger than he ever realised. Even when he’d been on the drugs from the Initiative he’d never have been able to pick up the furniture and throw it around like that.

‘Colonel, I can stun her if you want, she looks loco, but it’s only a little girl. Is she some kind of demon? Should I shoot her?’

‘No, just leave her alone Johnson, she’s just mad at the moment.’ Finn said quietly, not wanting to draw attention to their arrival just yet.

‘Crazy more like it,’ he replied.

‘Johnson.’ Finn was getting a little annoyed. ‘That little girl, as you called her, has kept this world safe for nearly ten years. She was the one that took down the atrocity of the Initiative: she took out Adam on her own. That is Buffy Summers.’

Dawn had been watching Buffy’s temper tantrum with a grin on her face; at last, something she could be better at than big sister!! She held a small knife to her finger, one drop of blood fell on the floor and she whispered the words she’d heard Buffy try again and again to say. The portal opened immediately, the swirling colours hypnotising the irate slayer.

‘Seems all those language lessons paid off!’ she laughed in delight at her success.

Buffy looked offended at the portal. If it had been alive the look on her face alone would have turned it to stone.

‘So you can open them, how does that help?’

‘Simple, we go together. I step through first, and open the next portal home as you’re coming through closing the things behind you.’

‘No, no way, you are not putting yourself in danger like that.’ Buffy started shouting, still unaware they had an audience. Willow stood to one side quietly, not wanting to interfere between sister and sister.

‘Buffy, I’m older now than you were when you were called. Anyway, Sister, it’s not your choice, I go. SAM!!!!’ she yelled, noticing the newcomers entering the front doors. There were quite a nice bunch of soldiers with her old friends: Dawn really liked the look of some of the scenery now. They were all young and fit, in every sense of the word.

Sam opened her arms wide and hugged the girl. Willow and Buffy hugged onto Riley Finn tightly.

‘Breathing becoming a problem here Slayer,’ he managed to gasp.
‘Sorry Riley, forgot, glad you’ve come though, things are getting hot here.’

‘Yep, we know. Orders were that I have to report to you and help in any way we can.’

‘You’re taking orders from me?’ She giggled, ‘that’d be a first.’

‘Yeh well I’ve learnt my lesson, but I think you may have to teach it to some of the newbies.’ He nodded his head in the direction of the twenty or so men who had entered behind him.

‘One at a time or all together?’ Buffy asked cheekily. She then yelled at the top of her voice, ‘Xander, Kennedy, Viv, Rona: company!!!’

Riley winced. He had no doubt that Buffy could take on all his men in one go, he just didn’t want their egos that badly bruised.

‘Sam, wonderful to see you. We have set up a room for you and Riley, but didn’t make any up for your crew; we didn’t realise you were bringing re-enforcements,’ Dawn said, still hanging on to her email friend.

‘It’s alright little lady, we'll look after you.’ said Johnson, the soldier that had first spoken.

Sam and Riley looked at one another and started laughing. ‘I think we've got our first volunteer to give the 'little lady' a work out, then we’ll let big sister take over,’ whispered Sam to her husband. Riley thought back to the days in Sunnydale when Buffy whipped the Initiative on her own and a grin spread across his face. This was going to be good, and was he ever that stupid? So cocky as to judge someone by how they looked? He must have been at one time, an arrogant jerk who knew all the answers. He was glad Sam had gotten that out of him.

The three slayers, hearing Buffy’s shout, came thundering down the stairs, weapons drawn, they were sure who had arrived but they weren’t going to get caught by surprise.
Xander followed, carrying a semi automatic. It wouldn’t kill all demons but would hurt ‘em enough to let the girls take over.

‘At ease men,’ shouted Riley before any trouble started ‘Good to see you all,’ he said towards the warriors on the stairs.

The gang relaxed and as they did so, so did the soldiers in the doorway.

‘We need to get unloaded Buffy, so much for black-ops-sneaky if we set up shop outside.’

Buffy nodded. ‘Drive your vans round to the rear, there is an entrance to an underground car park, and we can unload straight into the lifts. We’ll make up what, twelve rooms for everyone?’

‘The men can do that themselves,’ Sam said, ‘you’re not here to wait on them, but if you can show our Doc where he can set up shop and where we can dump our weapons I’d be grateful.’

‘Personnel weapons to be kept on you at all times, but we have a weapon store in what was the bar.’ Viv said, leading the way into the back room which had been piled high with any resources the Scoobies had found.
Ten minutes later two large vans were being unloaded of weaponry and a third of what looked like a miniature hospital. There was even a delivery kit in case Sam went into early labour.

Two of the men were struggling to lift down what appeared to be a rocket launcher from the back of the truck, it was no where near as portable as the one Buffy had used to get rid of the judge. They jumped down and lifted the box onto the floor. Johnson came across to help and they were edging it towards the elevator when Buffy and Rona turned up. Buffy picked up the box in one hand and walked towards the opening doors ready to go upstairs. Johnson was speechless. When Buffy had gone, he whispered to his friends that ‘he didn’t want to annoy the little lady, but next time he said something stupid, would they knock him out before she killed him.’ The laughter was all round when Xander and Riley joined them. They wouldn’t share the joke.

Oz was sitting quietly on the stage. He regretted leaving Willow in such a manner: he’d just been so upset when he smelt Tara all over her, he'd always hoped that they could get back together but in his heart he knew they never could, not now. She was lost for all time. He had to be philosophical about it, after all that was him.

He hardly noticed the bright whirling mass of light appearing in the middle of the room.

'Hi Oz.' Willow had been volunteered to be the one to go talk to Oz; she knew it would be hard, he would not know about years of the Scoobies history. For him, Buffy was still at college, and she was with Tara.

‘Willow?’

‘Hi, yep, it’s me.’

‘You’ve changed: you look really different and I only saw two days ago. What’s happened?’

‘It’s been a lot longer for me,' Willow wasn't sure where to start.

‘You smell different as well. Willow what’s happening? My nose tells me you’re Willow, but older.’

‘Yep, about 5 or 6 years we think. And eww with the smelling thing.’

Oz nodded, he didn’t freak or anything, his laid-back attitude was one of the things Willow had always loved about him.

‘Drink?’ He asked, pointing to the bar.

‘Soda please.’ She answered, grateful for the normalcy of the conversation.

Oz put his guitar down and made his way over to the bar. He hopped up and fetched a couple of cans. Opening one he sat at the table and put it down in front of Willow, opening and taking a long drink out of the other.

‘So spill. This must be important for you to time hop.’ He looked at his first true love, she seemed amazing now, mature and smelling better than ever. He could feel the wolf coming to the surface, and it wasn’t thinking about violence. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Bad mistake: he could smell and taste her in the air.

Willow picked up the can, managing to spill some of the drink in her lap, she was clumsy and wanted to babble, sure signs that this was hard.

‘Are we together? In the future I mean? Come to tell me to wait patiently?’ Oz joked, hoping to get her to relax.

‘No, no togethering; I’m with someone.’

‘Tara?’

‘No.’ the sadness in Willow’s voice couldn’t be hidden. ‘She was killed; I waited for years then met someone else, very different from Tara, but she loves me and I love her. I think you’d like her: she’s funny and loyal and good to me…’

‘I’m glad.’

‘You’d be welcome to come and see us, when you get to our time, but we’re about to face another apocalypse and we need your help.’

‘Why couldn’t you just ask me then? You know, use the phone and call? In your time?’

‘Cause you don’t have the Ring of Amara then, in our time; we need it back.’

Oz looked at his old love. The wounds were fresh and painful for him, but he knew Willow better than most and this woman wasn’t his Willow. She was Willow though, and she was being truthful. His wolf side didn’t sense anything wrong: she was nervous, but he could smell she was human, just older, more mature. Not a demon or a vampire, just Willow, sweet loveable Willow.

‘OK, I haven’t taken it to Angel yet, but he’ll know if I give him a fake, and from the way you’re talking you don’t want the time lines meddled with.’

‘We thought of that. We made one, it will last for about 4 hours from first being worn, but that’s it, it was the best we could do. We know Angel is going to destroy the ring, so we made the fake.’ She handed over a perfect copy of the ring to Oz. ‘Please understand Oz, this is really important.’

Oz nodded and went to his guitar case. He opened the pocket that held spare strings and fetched out the original gem and handed it over to Willow. Willow grasped it tightly in her hand: the first task was done. She smiled at Oz. ‘You know I do miss you,’ and headed back to the bright light of the portal. She turned before entering the shimmering playing light.

‘If you’re in LA in about 8 years, we’re at the Hyperion, but don’t come ‘til you hear about the second big gang fight OK?’

‘OK,’ Oz said with a gentle sad smile, ‘I’ll see you around.’

‘Oh, you will.’ Willow stepped into the light and it shut off behind her. Oz stared at it for a few minutes and shrugged. Second big fight? He was leaving the city as soon as he could. New York seemed a good idea.

He picked up his guitar and started playing again. Life was sure strange at times, he thought to himself and lost himself in his music once more.

Willow stepped through into the small room they’d set aside for the portals to be opened into. It was more a storage closet than a room and they hoped it would prevent mishaps like someone going through accidentally. They knew that now they had started using magic they had little time. Giles would be able to track them, but the list of jobs was important.

Mary and Cathy had arrived two days earlier, they were supposed to have flown all the way to LA but Cathy had received a really bad feeling at the airport just as they were getting on the plane. She’d run from the building, before they’d even checked in, dragging Mary behind her. They had had just enough time to get clear in a taxi before a ‘gas explosion’ had taken out the plane they were supposed to have been on. Thirty people dead and Cathy could feel the oily stench of dark magic. They’d hopped a taxi, and driven to a private airfield and persuaded some lad to take them half way to LA, it had cost them $5000, but they’d made it. A greyhound the rest of the way had seen them turn up dirty, tired and hungry, but alive.

They were welcomed by the sight of a run-down, if not derelict building, but this was where they’d been told to come. They pushed against the door and it tingled as they entered into a well lit and clean foyer. Looking around, Mary saw Willow who was waiting curled up on a chair reading a book.

‘Hi, anyone home?’ shouted Cathy, only for the two of them to be grabbed from behind as they were noticed by the red haired witch. Cathy and Mary reacted immediately. Their attackers regretted their actions almost immediately. Cathy and Mary may have been tired and hungry but they were still slayers. They grabbed the arms around their necks and executed perfect judo throws, perfect with added slayer. The soldiers who had supposed to be on guard duty had immediate and comprehensive flying lessons, over Willow’s head and into the opposite wall where they landed with an umph as the air exploded from them. Sam had come into the room at the first sign of disturbance and had seen the flying guards as they sailed majestically across the air.

‘OK, who was so stupid as to piss off a slayer?’ She asked as she nursed the peppermint tea Willow was insisting she drank. Between that and some of the other concoctions she’d been made to ingest, Sam was suffering none of the normal side effects of her pregnancy, but her bulge didn’t look right in combat fatigues.

‘These two, er, females got past the guards on duty and when we went to question them they attacked us,’ one of the soldiers, Brian, said. He got up from the floor and headed towards Mary and Cathy, loosening his gun as he came forward, a determined look on his face.

‘Want to try again?’ Mary was in no mood for lies. ‘We walked in and were grabbed: no words, just hands and we dealt with it. Didn’t see anyone other than Willow,’ she pointed at the witch who was staring at the pair of them, not having said a word.

‘You two report to the colonel and may I remind you again, not to hit any slayer, they make look like weak females but they can kick your asses, and you’d look really stupid without any teeth; dismissed.’ She turned away from the two men hurrying towards the office and smiled.

‘We’ve been expecting you two: Mary and Cathy? Yes? Buffy wants to see you asap, and she said you have something for Willow.’

Cathy nodded and lifted up the case. Willow came over and took it off of her ‘Thank you,’ she said ‘I’ll get started immediately.’

Willow went down towards the basement where Morgana was waiting. They had a circle ready and it was the work of only a couple of minutes to complete the ritual now they had the blood of all those affected.

Morgana opened her mind to allow Willow in: they only needed one witch to do the spell but she was supposed to teach Willow all she knew.
Willow allowed herself, her ego, to be free and followed the trail in the older witch’s mind, hitchhiking where Morgana’s thoughts took her. Morgana had placed the case of phials of blood in the centre of their circle: she wove her hands over it, ‘feeling’ for each of the lives the blood represented. She could feel Willow and Xander, Buffy and Dawn and hundreds of others, each tied to the horrendous glamour Rupert Giles had wrought.

It was a matter of seconds and a touch of white magic to break the spell. The screams from the slayers echoed in their minds. Faith would be fielding a lot of calls in the next few hours and Giles had run out of allies. None of the slayers felt like they would back up a warlock who had raped and murdered with impunity amongst them.

There was one phial that felt as if it hadn’t been affected. Andrew’s. The spell woven on it was a heady mix of black and white magic. Morgana tasted the spell, ensuring Willow could feel her every move and, using dark magic herself, started to unweave the diabolical curse. It broke under their ministrations, but Willow and Morgana were exhausted: they collapsed quietly onto the floor. Willow’s last thought was that she was glad they hadn’t locked the door.

Septamus heard a sigh and a soft thump from his place in the storeroom. He had been going through all the files that those nice young soldiers had brought with them. Something told him he should look into the noise: as far as he knew he was he only person down in the cellar. He timidly peeked around the door, and was quite astonished to see both Willow and Morgana asleep on the floor. They didn’t look comfortable but he couldn’t reach them: the circle prevented him entering the area. He started to panic and went in search of help. He found Dawn talking quietly to the medic, Martin Longsworth. Dawn had found every excuse she could think of to help the young man, she’d help him set up the medical bay and was presently going through the files on demon medicine with him.

‘Excuse me,’ Septamus stuttered.

Dawn looked up, her cheeks slightly red from a blush. ‘Can we help?’

‘I do hope so, it’s Willow and Morgana, they appear to have collapsed. I couldn’t enter the circle; they’re in the large storeroom,’ he shouted to the disappearing backs. Martin had grabbed his bag as he ran.

Dawn was first into the room. The circle prevented her from going to her friend and she started screaming loudly for her sister.

Buffy came down the stairs three at a time, terrified of what she would find, Closely followed by Xander and Riley. She looked in amazement as her little sister was chanting and bringing down the walls of the circle of protection. As soon as she had, Martin was on his knees checking both Morgana and Willow.

‘They’re alive, it looks like exhaustion, but I need to check them out, we’ll get a stretcher and take them through to the infirmary.’

‘No need,’ Xander said coming into the room. He picked Willow up in his arms and Buffy picked Morgana the same way.

‘We’ll follow you,’ she added and they made their way out of the room.
‘How did you bring down the circle?’ Septamus wondered at Dawn. Dawn showed her finger, a single drop of blood.

‘It opens every door.’ she smiled.

Joyce was a nice lady. Spike had always know that, she’d treated him decently; even with the axe incident in their history she'd always treated him with respect, accepted him for what he really was. And now Spike was under the impression she was even nicer.

She’d managed to get him a bottle of JD and an envelope, said he had to look at the envelope later, which was good ‘cause all he could think about was the JD.

He was one happy vampire, sitting in his room getting drunk. It was the first time since he’d been here he’d had a proper drink, and he intended to get drunk. He’d hidden away from all the sweetness and light that surrounded him, he just couldn’t take it anymore. His demon couldn’t take it any more, not even a good fight here, and sex was only supposed to be between soul mates and with permission. He was one lonely, bored vampire, well until today and his bottle of Jack.

He opened the letter she'd given him: it had photos of both Dawn and Buffy, all of them from Sunnydale. The two of them laughing in the sun, playing at the beach, practising fight moves. It did his heart good to see them. He hadn't dared look into the crystals that could show what was happening on Earth. He couldn't face what he might see. He wanted them to be happy but even the thought of Buffy with another man was far too much for his heart to bear, it was true purgatory for him.
He hoped Dawn was happy, his niblet should be happy, but not with any tosser or wanker. They could keep their hands off until she was at least thirty five, or even better forty; fifty sounded like a good age to start dating. Spike smiled at the thought of his girls, his beloved girls, and that brought him back to Joyce and Anne.

Now that was a situation that was getting dangerous. They were getting on far too well. It was all baby stories, late night giggles and sudden silences when he went into a room. Very strange; then there were all the times they kept going over to the cheerleader’s house to see someone, someone who made them coo and glow; whoever it was, he was well out of it.

A lone man couldn't face those three. He would prefer to face a dozen fungus demons than those three giggling and chatting about him.

The empty bottle of JD slid from his hand and onto the thick carpet with a thunk. His mind floated in a happy drunken haze so much so that he didn't notice the light float into his room and cover him. All Spike knew was that he was well asleep, and dreaming: he could smell Buffy all around him, smell her hair, her perfume, damn, even her arousal. It was too much for his befuddled brain and he forced himself awake. He had to: it was all too real.

‘You could have it all back you know,’ a voice said from the doorway.

‘Ugh? Wha?’

‘You could have it all: Buffy, the life you dream of, everything.’

‘Yeah right, tell me the other one.’

‘No I’m not joking, you could have it all.’

‘What’s the catch?’

‘You couldn’t come back here. You would have to stay with her, whatever happened, your lives would be tied together for eternity.’

‘Sounds like a good exchange,’ Spike answered.
‘Very well then.’ The mysterious visitor went over to the semi-conscious man and put his hand on Spike's head. Spike struggled, shrugging off the hands that held him.

‘What the bleeding hell are you doing?’

‘Seeing if you meant it. If we are going to let you go back we have to be sure that you will be faithful to our cause.’

‘He will be,’ came another voice from the door. There stood Joyce, in full radiance. ‘He's ready.’

‘Good: it should be soon, the Great Witch and her Apprentice are preparing the spells as we speak. We need to warn them to preserve the new memories; they have the blood?’

‘They do,’ Joyce answered. ‘They will be ready. Are you ready, Spike?’

‘Ready for what?’

‘To go back, back to the life you knew.’

Spike started to get frightened. Master Vampire, in heaven, and he was scared to go back to Earth. He couldn't live there without Buffy again, and she was sure to have moved on since he’d been gone.

‘It will be well my son, all manner of things will be well,’ were the last words he heard.

Willow was reading everything she could find about all the spells she had to do. She wasn't scared of the spells, or of doing them. The only thing that really scared her was making the wrong choice. With the great power came great responsibility, and that was what scared her. She had finally grown up.

‘Yes you have,’ Cordy said from inside the bright light, ‘you all have. You have all found balance in your lives, or you will very soon,’ she said with a smile. ‘Now will you please get on with your tasks, ‘cause I really need that new wardrobe.’

Willow smiled. All Cordy ever wanted was clothes, or so it seemed, but Willow knew better: it was all show.

‘Now we need to talk.’ Cordy became all business. ‘You are going to have to move quickly. But when you do, you need to preserve everyone's memories of what has truly happened since the Great Battle. You need to ensure that the friendships that have formed stay formed. You will need the blood that Mary stole, or is it re-stole, as Giles took it without permission? That should give you the link you need, but don't forget Sam and Riley. They simply MUST remember.’

‘Ok,’ Willow answered slowly, ‘but what spell?’

‘This one,’ Cordy handed Willow a scroll. ‘It’s from our library up there, so whatever you do don't lose it. You were supposed to have a copy here but it was destroyed in the great fire in the library at Alexandria.

‘Give my best to Xander and tell him to hang on, happiness is on her way, and tell him not to fuck it up this time.’

‘I will, and thanks.’ Willow was already looking at the scroll in her hands with anticipation.

‘You're welcome,’ Cordy smiled to herself. Once a geek always a geek, but she had to go back, she was due for a fitting for a new robe, one that actually fitted, she thought happily to herself.

Willow started to look through the scroll properly, barely noticing that Cordy had left the room. She wrote herself a note to ask Martin in the morning to get blood from Riley and Sam, she had everyone else’s.

There were the spells they needed: one to make the travel through portals easier, a portal that wouldn’t close the minute Buffy stepped through: that was good. Meant she could go with them. One to free the ‘held spirits’, well they’d used that one already to rid everyone from Giles’ influence; one to preserve memories after a change, and one to strip slayers of their powers. That would be useful if they had a rogue slayer, or several. Rumour had it that some of the girls still supported Giles.

They were ready. The spells were deceptively easy, and she was making the right choice.

The day after tomorrow. That would be the day.

Dawn was busy with Martin in the ballroom, they had converted it into a makeshift hospital. There were beds and medical supplies everywhere. Dawn had found every excuse to spend time with Martin that she could think of, and it was obvious to Riley that Martin didn’t object, but now it was time for her to do her own job. Willow and Morgana had worked hard all day securing the building: nothing and no-one could get in without Dawn opening a portal. The Hyperion would stand a nuclear blast with the amount of wards and protections around it.

They had had to deal with reports coming in all day of battles all over LA. The TV talked of gangs on PCB and martial law being declared but they knew it was demons: demons let loose by Angel’s stupidity and Giles’ meddling. Demons trying to find them, to stop them. They would need more slayers.

Riley wanted to send out patrols, as did Buffy, but they knew it was impossible. They had to keep safe and within all the protection spells Willow had set up.

Buffy wanted to run and hide, she always did at this point, but how could she? Perhaps this is why she was such a bitch at times; never mind PMS, she had PFS: pre-fight-syndrome.

Riley and Sam helped as much as they could. They kept absolute discipline at all times, none of their men were allowed to put a foot out of place. There had been some trouble with the men finding it hard to take orders from, or even respect the girls. But Rona, Mary, Viv, Kennedy and Buffy had offered to train with them. Sam personally thought that it was the sight of all four girls jumping twenty foot straight up and waiting for them on the second floor. It had actually scared those with any sense. Those without sense took a little longer and a warm up with the slayers before going to see Martin with bruises and abrasions. Xander had sat down with coffee and donuts to watch: Sam and Riley had joined him. Once the men had left the field of combat the girls had stopped holding back and practised properly. That had been enough to make Riley wince and even Xander closed his eyes when some of the blows landed.

‘Hurts less if I don’t actually see it,’ he explained to Sam when she raised an eyebrow at him.

‘Way to go: Girl Power!’ she laughed and then winced herself. At seven months and three weeks, she really didn’t need false labour pains, they felt just too real.

Willow noticed the brief look of discomfort that Sam tried to hide. She’d been busy reading a book, Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, quite used to Slayers playing, but she put it down and went to find Morgana, and the two witches started looking into spells to help a premature baby, they had to be ready for any contingency. There were old spells in the scroll Cordy had given them that were very easy to perform, well within Dawn’s capability, that would strengthen ‘an infant’s breathing when rent away from the mother too soon.’ Perfect for what they needed; it seemed Willow wasn’t the only one who wanted to be prepared for any emergency.

The slayers headed into the kitchen for a post play cool-down. They were hot and sweaty and needed drinks and…

‘Ooh, ice cream!’ Buffy had found a huge tub of double choc chip. They attacked it with gusto, all diving in with spoons, fighting each other for the best bits. They were giggling and laughing, their wounds healing faster than any of the soldiers thought possible when there was a hammering on the rear door: someone was trying to get in. Someone who shouldn’t know they were there at all. The soldiers reached for the guns ever present on their hips and one ran for Riley. Buffy and Rona got up from the steel table at the same time, Buffy reaching for a carving knife, Rona pulling a stake out of the waist band of her jeans.

They went to see who it was. Because of Willow’s spell, they could see out and no-one could see in. They peered through the glass to see a demon with floppy skin, holding a small demon infant.

‘Clem,’ Buffy whispered, then yelled ‘Clem!’ at the top of her voice, but because of Willow’s spell the demon couldn’t hear her. He was sheltering the infant in his arms looking anxiously around him, with a terrified look on his face, his body shaking. Another demon came up behind him, one Buffy had never seen before but obviously the same species.

‘Get Dawn and Willow.’ Buffy snapped at Viv who leapt from her chair shouting through the building for Dawn and Willow, who came running full pelt into the kitchen just a couple of seconds later.

Buffy just pointed at the door, it had been less than a minute since she’d first heard the knocking, but now it was heavy pounding.

‘Clem!’ Dawn echoed her sister’s shout and reached for the knife in Buffy’s hand. Willow stopped her.

‘We’re going to have to do this carefully,’ Willow said. ‘I will seal the hotel behind you, you open the portal to let Clem and his companions in and then I’ll reseal that portal before opening up the hotel to you all.’

‘You can’t let him in!’ Riley had arrived to see what the fuss was about. He was horrified that the Slayer was about to let an evil demon into the hotel. He would stop it. He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Clem. Rona smiled, the sort of smile a snake has a second before it bites you and took the weapon easily out of his hand.

‘That’s Clem,’ she explained. ‘Buffy’s in charge remember,’ she pointed out as she crushed the gun in her hands. Riley had forgotten how strong slayers could be.

‘It’s Clem,’ said both Dawn and Willow at the same time, as if that explained everything.

‘No need to seal the portal Willow, I’ll go through bleeding. That will seal it automatically so all you have to do is let us back in.’ Buffy pointed out.

Willow chanted a couple of words in Latin and Dawn and Buffy were standing in a shimmering bubble of energy. Dawn dropped a couple of spots of blood onto the floor using the knife she’d taken from her sister. She handed it back to Buffy and Buffy made a small cut on her finger. Dawn put her head through the portal and pulled Clem into the bubble. His friend followed, as did another couple of strange-looking demons. When they were safe inside Buffy just stuck her hand through and the drip of blood on the other side closed the energy down. Willow simply waved her hand and the bubble vanished. Clem and his group were inside the barrier.

Buffy and Dawn hugged the floppy skinned demon, careful of the young one in his arms. The soldiers were very wary. Willow looked at the other demon; holding out a hand, she sent her senses forward.

‘I’m Willow.’

‘Baya,’ came the soft reply. There was no ill feeling from her, though she was obviously very scared.

‘What happened? Why did you come here? We didn’t think anyone could find us.’ Willow led the demon to a stool and let her sit down. The little one started crying and Baya reached for her baby and opened a pot of very smelly food.

‘We lived in LA,’ she explained as she spoon fed the little one. ‘When the demons started attacking our neighbourhood, Clem tried to help people get out, especially those who were not pure, but the Wolf Ram and Hart took exception to him and were coming for us. A human, she said her name was Cordy, told us to come here and we would be safe. I must say I thought it was a trap, we couldn’t see anyone around and the hotel looked deserted.’

‘That’s what its supposed to look like, we’re all here ready for the big push, against both Wolf Ram and Hart and the human helping him.’

‘Giles,’ Baya nodded. Buffy snapped her head round. ‘You know Giles?’

‘Know of him, one of the worst humans ever to live. Sold his soul to control the Council and the demon councils, wanted all the power for himself. I’d keep away from him if I were you, it would take a slayer to take him out.’ she added emphatically.

‘Good job we’ve got a few of those then isn’t it.’ Grinned Dawn. Baya looked scared but Clem with his arm around Buffy’s waist headed over.

‘Baya, this is Buffy, the slayer I told you about and her sister Dawnie. Girls, this is my wife Baya and my baby, Chara.’

‘Oh Clem, congratulations!’ Buffy gave him a kiss on the cheek and Dawn was busy cooing over the little one. ‘Isn’t he a darling?’

The soldiers were dismissed by Riley; he thought the fewer opportunities for bloodshed the better, and if Buffy said they were friends his men would come off worse. A very pregnant Sam had made her way into the kitchen and had heard everything. She was cautious of the newcomers, but any friend of Buffy’s…

Baya looked at the human female, she was very fat, or was that where they carried their young?

‘How old is Chara? And is he, she, it, a boy or a girl?’ Dawnie was asking.

‘Chara is only two months old, and ‘it’ is considered polite, we won’t know if Chara is male or female until it reaches about five years.’ Clem answered.

‘Mine’s a boy, male,’ Sam said, patting her rounded stomach.

‘It’s such hard work isn’t it? I hated the last few weeks, I couldn’t feel my spine at all.’ Baya said, finally finding something that she had in common with the humans around her. She hadn’t had much to do with humans and had been scared to come, but Clem had assured her that they would be safer with his friend Buffy.

Buffy smiled at her, trying to put the poor woman at ease. Willow felt for her as well: it must be so hard to trust all these strangers with her child’s safety.

Clem, Buffy and Riley sat up for much of the night talking. Clem had a lot of information about the outside: things were getting desperate. The President had declared a state of emergency and had shut LA down. It was left to demon gangs and them.

The next morning was crunch time. The troops were ready all over the world. Faith had gathered together the first wave in Cleveland, others were ready as far apart as Moscow and Australia, ready for what ever was needed. Faith had kept up the pretence of hating Buffy, she had used Buffy’s apparent treachery to the Council and Giles to contact every slayer they knew about. The slayers had a secret code that they hadn’t ever let Giles in on and they never knew why, but now it served them well. They were all ready for the great battle about to commence. Giles and his friends were going down.

Sam had organised the rooms on the fourth floor into dorms, ready for the influx about to happen and she was waiting quietly with Riley watching Buffy take command. Buffy herself was standing in front of the troops gathered in the foyer.

‘I know that most of you think that the only good demons are dead demons, but understand that Clem, his wife and child are my friends. They have risked their lives to help humans and half humans to get out of LA; they are on our side and if you don’t like it, fine. I can understand that and next time the representative from the Higher Powers That Be comes in you can take up your complaints with her, but I suggest you do it politely. Cordy has always had a temper and her boss can destroy cities and worlds alike with a word. That’s all we are going to say on the subject. They are here and under my protection.’

There was a general muttering of agreement. They had all seen the slayers work out and they weren’t going to upset them any more.

Dawn came down and stood by her sister: the troops watched with interest. They were used to shamans working but this was a whole new level. Riley knew that they were getting close to D-Day; he’d had rumblings from some of his men about working with little girls. He and Buffy had organised a little demonstration for later. When Faith arrived she and Buffy would play a game of tag, little girls against the big boys. Riley had warned Martin that there might be casualties.

Dawn waited patiently for the signal from Willow and nicked her little finger with a lancet supplied by Martin. A single drop of blood produced a huge swirling mass of energy and colours: the portal was open. Through it stepped Faith and Robin, followed by a dozen other girls, all in their late teens and early twenties. Last of all came Andrew.

Xander started growling and swearing at the sight of the man who had killed Anya but Faith stepped in front of him.

‘Wait until you hear the whole story there Xan-man, then if you still feel the way you do I’ll help you kill him.’ Xander took one look at Faith’s face and backed down - for now.

Xander was holding the toilet bowl losing more of his lunch. He didn’t think it was possible to throw up this much but every time he thought about the story Faith had told them about what Andrew had been through Xander started to be sick again.

He was supposed to be downstairs helping Buffy get the slayers ready, armed and dangerous for today’s mission, but he didn’t dare walk more than a pace or two from the bathroom, because every time he did he had to run back before he redecorated the floor.

Andrew had been taken directly to the infirmary: his injuries both mental and physical, were horrific. His body would never recover, he’d had to have surgery to form a colostomy because of the damage to his rectum; his lungs would be scarred forever from the broken ribs and knife wounds, and his spine was so badly damaged that by the time he was forty he wouldn’t be able to walk at all. He was covered in bruises and cuts, some shallow and some deep, but the worst was his mind. It was completely broken, he could barely function on anything other than the most basic level. Andrew was scared of every noise and every sudden movement; the lively guestage they had looked after in Sunnydale was gone. He still liked watching DVD’s and they had kept him supplied with those, but his mind was gone. He sat in his bed with a small portable DVD player, watched what ever someone else put on and ate what ever was put in front of him. The medics even had to take him to the bathroom regularly.

Before he broke down completely, before all the memories of what he’d done and what had been done to him had hit and burnt out his mind he had managed to explain to Faith that Giles had told him that Anya had become a demon again, and the demon was going to bring them all down. He’d trusted Giles, but then they all had.


Downstairs, Faith was being closely watched by at least ten of Riley’s troop. They were fascinated both as men and soldiers with the dark haired slayer in the tight clothing. Faith knew where their eyes were, they’d started on her butt but now were fixed on the collection of knives, stakes and the two guns she had on the table in front of her. She was stripping down to the bare essentials, ready for the game of chase that Buffy had organised for the education of the soldiers and a little bit of a warm up for themselves.

Riley had wisely kept out of the way. He was sitting next to Willow nursing a coffee and splitting his attention between his men, Faith and the witch. She was busy reading the scrolls that seemed to be written in about twenty different languages. The letters jumped and danced all over the page in front of his eyes, but Willow seemed to be making sense of it all. She occasionally leaned forward and took a sip of her tea, then leant back and made notes in a notebook. It looked like a shopping list but some of the ingredients seemed very strange. He took a quick look, most seemed simple enough: fresh rosemary, holy water and a baby’s caul, what on earth was caul? And did it hurt the baby to get it?

His attention was drawn to Buffy coming down the stairs. She was dressed in a skin-tight pair of leather pants and a halter neck top. It was obvious that and the knee high boots were all she’d got on. Riley looked at the girl he’d loved, lost and then won again as a friend and felt very uncomfortable, his jeans getting very tight. Buffy looked him right in the eye and grinned. It was the grin that meant someone was in trouble and about to get their asses kicked. This should be good.

Faith stood up and slipped off the sweatshirt she’d been wearing. Between the two of them they could have stopped traffic anywhere. The only difference between their costumes was the colour of their tops.

‘Right, here’s the deal.’ Faith started ‘You choose ten of your best men, volunteers only, and if you catch us and keep us we’re yours for the night.’ She took a deep breath in and filled the top even more. ‘And if you can’t catch us in say, 45 minutes, you stop arguing with Buffy and any of the other slayers and accept we are better, faster and stronger than any of you, and you are not in charge. Deal?’

The men looked at Buffy and back at Faith. Riley felt sorry for the men, they were about to get whipped, led into the trouble by their second, less sensible brains. They honestly thought that they could beat not one but two slayers. Johnson was keeping well out the way. He’d seen what Buffy could do and although Faith and Buffy made a beautiful sight but they were a world of pain to anyone stupid enough to challenge them.

But, of course, amongst the men they could easily find ten volunteers to play. The men stood at the bottom of the stairs, effectively blocking them, watching Buffy and Faith, who just waited quietly for Willow to count down from five.

Five… four of the men completely blocked the stairs.

Four… the others broke into two groups of three and aimed themselves.

Three… they took an early pace towards the two slayers.

Two… the other slayers took places in any viewing area they could find.

One… the snatch squads leapt towards their intended targets who were suddenly no longer there. They had jumped straight up in the air and were on the balcony that ran around the second floor.

Riley leant over to Willow. ‘She really held back when we sparred, didn’t she?’

Willow stuttered and tried not to answer. She didn’t want to hurt Riley, he’d been sweet to her and to Kennedy and it was obvious that he respected and admired Buffy.

‘It’s OK: I understand why she did it, and I don’t think I could have taken the bruise to my ego then. But I need to know now: how much did she hold back?’

‘When she worked out with you, it was at about half power.’

‘Ooch.’

Willow smiled gently and went back to her reading. Riley was getting to be quite sweet.

Riley watched with amusement for the next forty-five minutes as his men were run ragged. They slayers were obviously playing with his troops, they would let one of them get within touching distance and then just as the men thought they were going to win, they would put on a spurt of speed and be out of reach again. When a ‘time’ was heard throughout the building, the slayers looked as though they’d had a slight warm up but his men were exhausted.

Buffy and Faith looked at the exhausted men.

‘Now keep the bargain or we might just forget that we’re all supposed to play nice. Point made?’

‘Point made,’ an exhausted man managed to stammer out.

The other girls came down and joined Buffy and Faith. One handed a copy of the scythe to Faith; all the others had their own copies of the great Slayer weapon already in their hands. Dawn and Willow started to create the portal.

‘Ready?’ Dawn asked.

‘Ready!’ came the replies. They knew this next battle would not be the big one that was coming but this was important: they had a mission.

Buffy looked around. ‘What’s happening?’ She was confused.

‘Nothing to concern you B, this is my bit,’ replied Faith, strapping on a gun to her hip and loading her stakes back into their various sheaths.

Willow handed over a small bag to Faith. ‘You are designated squad one.’

‘I know, and Rona is squad two.’ Faith took the bag and stuck it safely into her cleavage. ‘Believe me it’s safe there,’ she joked.

‘Mary, throw this on Anya the minute you see her.’ Willow handed another bag to the young slayer.

‘Martin will be ready as you come through,’ Dawn added. ‘Johnson is on stretcher duty: his team weren’t stupid enough to play tag with a couple of slayers, and the others will be rested up.’

Johnson handed over two walkie-talkies to Rona and Faith. ‘These work through the portal,’ he said, ‘and we’ll be waiting for your call.’

‘What’s happening?’ Demanded Buffy again.

‘The second you call I’ll open portals centred on you personally and bring you back. Then Dawnie will close all three at the same time, it’s quicker than individually.’ Willow instructed.

‘Gate’s opening!’ Dawn called out as the two slayer teams took their places ready to leap through.

Willow chanted some other spell. ‘Just protecting the portal: don’t want any Toruk Han getting through.’

‘Toruk Han? What’s happening?’ Buffy didn’t like the fact that no-one was answering her and she was getting really frustrated.

‘We’re going off to get your honey!’ Faith shouted as she jumped, whooping through the portal, followed by the slayers.


Sunnydale high was, unfortunately, just how Faith remembered it. She and her team ran towards the Hell mouth; they had to wait about three seconds as they watched from their hiding place as past Buffy raced out to catch the bus. ‘Perfect timing, good on Willow.’ Faith muttered as she and her team headed down the stairs to see Spike on fire. Faith used every ounce of power she had to reach the vampire and pulled the package from its hiding place, throwing the chain of the necklace over his head. The internal fire stopped immediately as the Gem of Amara did its work. Spike collapsed into Faith’s arms, she lowered him gently to the floor and called through on the radio to open up the retrieval portal.

At exactly the same time Rona was heading down the hallway to where Anya was being stabbed by Andrew. Andrew looked as though he were stoned: Giles’ influence was widespread. As Andrew ran away Rona threw the powder at Anya; the floor was already beginning to heave as Sunnydale High along with Sunnydale itself started its death throes.

Anya collapsed from the wound, her blood spilling out all over the floor. It had been hard enough to deal with the first time, just hearing about it, but actually seeing what happened made it doubly difficult.

As Anya collapsed Viv swept her up into her arms, cradling the ex-demon like a child.

‘Team two, we have the package!’ Rona shouted into the radio, the slayers holding off any Uber Vamps that came their way. They were grateful to see the swirling lights appear in front of them.

The slayers with their precious burdens clutched safely to them appeared back at The Hyperion. Johnson and his men relieved them of their charges and put them straight onto the waiting gurneys. They then literally ran through to the infirmary where Martin was waiting. All Buffy could see was the shock of bleach-blond hair that said Spike was alive. Everything else could be fixed: he wasn’t dust.

Martin was pacing up and down, waiting. He was used to battlefield wounds, he’d gone through medical school and five years of practise for this, and had set up for everything he could think of. Two beds had been pre-prepared for Anya and Spike. It seemed strange, knowing what injuries his patients would – correction, knowing exactly what injuries - and what treatment his patients would need.

One bed was set up with twenty units of blood above it on the drip stands. The giving sets were set without needles and hung in such a way that they would drip fresh human blood straight into the vampire’s mouth. Riley had given him the exact mixes of pain relief that worked on a vampire: something good had come from the Initiative’s immoral experiments after all. And that stood ready preloaded in massive doses, in syringes on the table. It seemed really strange setting up care for a HST, but those were the orders, and anyway Dawn seemed very keen on him caring for Spike as well and Martin was beginning to want to do anything to put a smile on her face. He was easily getting distracted by the light in her eyes, and when she’d heard they were getting Spike back, he actually felt a little jealous.

Martin thought back to the way Dawn had ‘eewed’ and ‘ughed’ him at even the thought of Spike in that way. ‘He’s like my big very protective brother,’ she’d explained, then sat down with him and talked about ‘that summer’, 147 days of hell until her sister had been raised from the dead. The way Spike had cared for her, made her do her homework…

‘…and when a 150 year old Master Vampire asks if your homework is finished the only safe answer is yes!’ she laughed, ‘but he tutored me as well. History was, is, so much easier when your tutor has lived through it; he spoke French, Italian, Greek, Latin as well as some demon languages.
He fed me, cooked for me, took me out and bought me stuff, made sure I was safe and knew I was loved. When I cried he just held me, or told me stories, he slept night after night on my bedroom floor so I wouldn’t feel alone. He did everything he could to make me feel safe and loved, and I miss him so much; so does Buffy. He is the other half of Buffy’s soul. I wish you’d known her before he died. She laughed and had a light about her that made her glow.’


Martin thought how nice it would be if he could allow Dawn to feel the same thing, safe and loved and alive, and he was clever enough to know that if he judged Spike as a vampire first it would do him no favours with Dawn.

He was as ready as he could be. Martin sat quietly waiting, drinking his coffee. In fact, he thought Dawn’s talk had made him rethink some of his ideas on HST’s. Maybe they weren’t all bad: Clem wasn’t and the little baby was cute, not that Baya would let him or anyone else too close. He could understand that. He sipped at his coffee again. Part of him was actually looking forward to meeting William the Bloody.

He could hear shouts from the main Foyer: he put down his coffee on his desk and stood waiting for his patients. First through the doors was a gurney carrying a woman with a horrendous wound to her stomach. She didn’t appear to be breathing, but he’d been warned about that. Morgana had said they would put a spell on her, literally holding her in suspension until he could fix the wounds.

Before he could even look at Anya the other gurney came in carrying the still smoking body of William the Bloody. Dawn was running in front clearing the way and Buffy was trying to get close, grabbing for Spike, getting into everyone’s way. Faith had followed them and simply lifted Buffy up and moved her. Martin didn’t think that Buffy had even noticed, she was so desperate to get close to Spike.

‘Let the man do his job, B,’ Faith said as she held onto her sister slayer. Buffy took a swing for Faith, hitting her trying to make her let go, but the tears in her eyes blurred Buffy’s vision.

‘You still hit like a girl - and calm down.’ Faith’s eyes showed compassion for the older slayer. She knew how much Buffy had missed Spike; damn, they all missed the bleached menace.

They watched as Martin and Johnson carefully lifted Spike onto the prepared bed, while the others lifted Anya onto her bed. Faith kept her arms around Buffy, half to prevent her from interfering and half to support her; Faith could feel Buffy’s legs giving way.

‘He’s not dust, he’s not dead, B,’ she whispered in Buffy’s ear.

Martin lined up the tube from the blood bag so it dripped straight into Spike’s mouth. He then cut off the black jeans. Faith felt sick when she saw the burns: the skin was blackened, almost charcoal; it was lucky they had pain killers. Martin covered the poor man’s burned legs with a sheet, but when he went to cut off the leather jacket he felt his arm being crushed in the strong grip of a slayer. He looked up, expecting to see Buffy or even Faith, but it was Rona who had him in the death grip.

‘The coat stays in one piece: we’ll get it off. Buffy: give me a hand.’ she said as she turned to the distraught slayer, trying to give her something to do.

Rona, Buffy and Faith carefully rolled Spike over, making sure that they didn’t dislodge the tube in his mouth. Buffy’s eyes filled up at the horrific injuries on Spike’s body: the legs weren’t the worst. He had deep burns through his chest, his arms were red and black. Appropriate, seeing as they were his favourite colours. Buffy’s hands were shaking so much she couldn’t hold him.

‘It’s OK B, we’ll do it.’ Faith held Spike in one hand and slipped the coat over his shoulder and off down his arms; then they rolled him the other way and took it off completely, leaving Martin to cut off the black Tee. Spike looked dead laying on the bed with the sheet drawn up to his chest. The chest not rising or falling with breath. He lay as still as a corpse.
‘He’s not dust, he’s not dust, he’s not dust,’ Buffy kept repeating and repeating.

Buffy was in tears, little noticing who was holding her up. Spike had felt so cold and was covered in awful, awful burns. The Gem of Amara, still safe around his neck, kept him undead. Buffy started crying, the tears falling onto her cheeks without her even noticing.

Martin and Dawn carefully realigned the dripping blood straight into Spike’s mouth and altered the flow to ensure he wouldn't choke.

Riley took the distraught slayer from Faith and helped her from the room. He had to swing her up into his arms: she could hardly walk. She felt light, unhealthily light. He looked at her face: she was still crying. He followed Sam, carrying Buffy upstairs and putting her to bed. Morgana followed quietly and once Buffy was settled in her room whispered, 'sleep.'

Riley and Sam left her alone with the witch, they were needed downstairs.
Buffy had been living on her nerves for years and the sight of Spike had sent her soul into meltdown. Cordy watched from the doorway. Morgana turned to the glowing figure.

‘Will you watch over her please? I'm going to be needed downstairs.’

Cordy nodded, it was the least she could do at the moment. The pain that Buffy had felt at Spike's absence had been felt in heaven itself. Cordy looked at Buffy, still crying in her sleep; she looked so pale and vulnerable, and a lot younger than her 25 years. Cordy brushed her hair from her face. The great warrior would soon have all her rewards. Cordy sat quietly by the side of her bed, waiting for Buffy to recover from the shock of seeing Spike again.

It was a hugely different scene in the medical room. There were people everywhere, each undertaking their own individual tasks. Anya was being readied for surgery. She had been prepared, her wound cleaned and shrouded from sight.

Dawn had remembered poor Xander and had fetched him from his room:
he had been roused from his place in the bathroom by Dawn hammering on the door; then she had just barged in without waiting for him to say it was OK. He was embarrassed: he could have been doing anything in there. Xander grabbed for the copies of Penthouse and hid them under the rug before Dawn could notice them.

‘What is it Dawnie, can’t you let me die in peace?’

‘Well I could,’ she sounded like her 16 year old self again, ‘but I thought you might like to know that Anya’s downstairs in medical.’

Xander looked at her as though she were stupid.

‘What did you say? That’s not a funny joke, Dawn.’ He was getting angry with the girl.

‘Anya is downstairs; well, so is Spike. Faith went and fetched them from Sunnydale,’ she explained.

Xander took off through the door as quickly as he could. His beloved Anya was in the same world as him again.

Xander stood watching as Anya was lifted onto the operating table that had been set up in the centre of the room. Instruments seemed to be everywhere. The wound was deep and would need careful repair, but Willow and Morgana would be assisting. Anything beyond Martin's ability would be done by magic.

The other soldiers were attending to what the slayers considered minor scrapes and bumps; there were cuts and bumps and bruises, but nothing that wouldn't heal. They were laughing and joking with one another. Their mission had been a success.

Sam had organised food for everyone, with Baya and Clem's help. They had contacts in the demon world that Giles just couldn't trace and neither could Wolf Ram and Hart. Chinese, Mexican, and Italian meals had come in via the cellars, with Dawn opening the gate for the couple of seconds needed. Baya had set out a buffet in the kitchen where they could all help themselves.

Anya had been on the table for three hours before Martin stood up straight and started breathing more easily. Morgana and Willow had sealed the bowel where it had been sliced, repaired the liver and the spleen, and had used very pure magic to seal all the leaking arteries and veins. All Anya would need now were fluids, blood, and care.

Xander hadn't realised that his breathing had also been staggered until Martin stood up.

'It’s all done,' Martin said with relief and Xander felt the tears on his cheek.
Faith helped move Anya into the bed they had prepared for her and set a chair by the side. She knew exactly where her friend would be sitting until Anya awoke.

Martin went to check on Spike before he rested himself. The vampire had already received ten units of blood.

‘No change yet,’ whispered Dawn from her place at Spike's side. ‘He hasn't moved at all, he's not even gone into game face, and he does that to help with pain.'

‘Slayer blood would help.’ Viv had come over. She'd eaten, thanks to the catering crew, and had rested, and came to help in the infirmary.

‘Slayer blood?’

‘Yep, it’s like fully leaded for vamps, always heals ‘em quicker.’

‘We could all donate half a pint or so, that should be enough to get things started with the healing.’

‘Thank you,’ mouthed Dawn.

‘Hey, he's my friend as well.’ Viv replied.

Morgana and Willow started to form another circle. No rest for them, they had to ensure that none of the Hyperion crew, or in fact any of the slayers, lost none of their memories of what had happened in the past year. They had altered time and the timeline had to be put right. Memories were returned, overlaying the ones they had acquired by living that year.

They had already prepared the holding spell to protect all those within the Hyperion from losing the memories of what the last few years had been like before Faith had taken the leap; now they sat quietly within a circle and the case of blood supplied by Mary in front of them that was their contact with the slayers. The spell was relatively simple: Willow and Morgana completed it easily. But they were thorough: they had to be. Before the last syllable of the spell was spoken though, Willow threw out the vial containing Andrew's blood. He didn't need to remember his torture; they could fill him in on the details later. Maybe that would help heal his mind, if it didn’t they could always do the spell later.

They were ready, the words spoken and the deed done.

The hardest part was to come. They had to follow Spike’s year with Wolf Ram and Hart and correct anything that had happened there. That would need thought and time.

‘Actually no, it needs Spike.’ Cordy appeared in front of them in her full glory. ‘You don’t want to even know what happens without him; you need to send him back into the amulet then send the amulet to Angel at Wolf Ram and Hart, and he needs to go now.’

‘But Buffy?’ Willow cried.

‘It will be less than a day for her, she won’t know anyway. I’ve sent her deeper into sleep, she won’t know a thing. You send him back while he’s still unconscious, the amulet kicks him out as a ghost, and you go collect him on the day that Angel takes on the fiends from hell. Then the rest of you will really live the year you lived, with no need for false memories.
‘You need to keep his coat, though. Trust me on that and would you please hurry up? I need my new wardrobe, and don’t forget to leave the Gem of Amara here.’ she vanished in a flash of golden light, leaving only a ghost of a voice, begging them to hurry up and do what they were supposed to.

Willow and Morgana seemed to get the knowledge from out of nowhere as they spoke the words that would send Spike back to WRH and Angel. They had to believe they were doing the right thing. The words were quickly spoken and they could then leave their protective circle and re-join everyone else. Job done - for now.

Dawn turned round in the medical unit and watched in horror as Spike vanished in front of her eyes. Her cries brought Martin running in from the room where he was resting. Dawn turned into his embrace crying her heart out. Her friend was gone: she started to get hysterical, crying and yelling incoherently. Martin just wrapped his arms around the poor girl and hung on tightly. It was all he could do. He felt like his heart was breaking along with hers. Spike had seemed… well, dead, but accepting the blood a few minutes ago, and now he was gone.

Willow and Morgana hadn’t thought about the effect on Dawn, they too were summoned by her cries, along with the slayers and Clem. Septamus heard the noise but as no-one was calling him, he went back to trying to decipher the latest tome from Cordy.

The slayers looked in horror at the bed, empty except that the Gem that had kept Spike alive was sitting on the crumpled sheet. Dawn was screaming into Martin’s face. ‘Where is he, what have you done?’

‘Nothing, I swear! I have just finished with Anya and he vanished, it wasn’t me!’

‘It was us,’ Willow said quietly, coming into the room properly. ‘Cordy told us to send him back. We have to fetch him again.’

‘Why?’ Dawn couldn’t be consoled. ‘Didn’t you want Buffy to be happy? You pull her out of heaven, keep Spike away from her, lie about him being back, then when we are finally all together you send him away… do you hate us that much Willow?’

She wanted her surrogate brother home, safe, she hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to him and he was gone again. She felt like her heart was breaking in two.

Willow felt the tears well up. ‘It wasn’t like that. He needed to go back and live his year with Angel or everything would be lost.’

‘What do you mean?’ Rona asked. She was willing to at least allow the witches to explain before she killed them both. They were all still on edge about whose side everyone was on, and this seemed a betrayal of Buffy and the Slayers.

Cordy appeared again. She had been hoping that her presence wouldn’t be needed but everyone going into accusation mode meant she couldn’t stay and choose her new clothes, oh no, she had to go make nice with the humans, ugh. The boss had even threatened to take away her Manola Blaniks if she didn’t sort out the mess. And that just wasn’t fair.

‘It’s like this: no Spike with Angel for a year, we get like total meltdown, demons everywhere, Angel goes Angelus on us all, Clem and Baya don’t meet, so no baby, Riley and Sam get killed in the final battle. LA, in fact most of Southern California, gets taken over by demons, The US of A ends up having to pay 100 virgins a year to each of the demon Lords, Churches are banned, and those humans who can run back to Europe, leaving nothing here but a wasteland and a few warriors trying to keep it together. Slayers are outlawed and vampires have a walk-in pass to any house they like. Not only that, but if you don’t do it there is no one to rescue Anya and Spike, cause Riley isn’t alive to tell Buffy what was needed. In fact the only reason you’re all protected here and don’t know this would be happening is because of Willow’s spell. At the moment anyone outside The Hyperion would be living in hell. So you see I had to have him sent back.
Now you need to burn his Duster so that you have ash to swap for him during the next rescue, and Dawn you need to open a portal just as he gets Sam into the tunnel.
‘Willow, you have to make it appear like he’s going up in flames and leave the dust. Jump to it people: Buffy will be awake soon and I have no intention of being around her if Spike isn’t here, and I have a new pair of shoes to collect.’

‘Same old cheerleader,’ Xander muttered quietly from his place by Anya.

‘Damn right, I don’t intend to change,’ she answered with a smile and a wink before vanishing back into her light.

The Scoobies looked at one another, it all seemed so simple when Cordy explained it.

‘Is it just me,’ Xander started to say, ‘but was anyone else scared by the thought of Cordelia making sense?’

Willow put up her hand. ‘Me too,’ she said.
The old friends smiled at one another, but Dawn wasn’t allowing them any time.

‘Fireball here, Willow,’ she instructed, holding out Spike’s duster.

‘He’s never going to forgive me this one,’ Willow stated, ‘its going to be dead fish and broken bottles all over again.’ But she sent the bolt of tamed lightening anyway. Martin collected up the ashes carefully and put them into a dish. He was amazed at how quickly Dawn had gone from hysteria to cold and calm. Then he understood: she was still in shock but she could do something to help, and the adrenalin insisted that she did all she could.

‘We need a Slayer.’ Rona and Vi stepped forward. The years since Sunnydale had matured them both, they were confident young women now. Not scared fifteen year olds.

‘We’ll go: that way you get two.’

Dawn nodded. She cut her hand shallowly, making sure the portal was big enough but not so big it would go between worlds, and spoke the words.
The swirl of lights signalled all was ready and Dawn handed over the ashes from the duster.

Rona thought they’d stepped into hell: it was raining hard and the sun was high over the city. There were demons everywhere and Spike was clearing a path through them. He looked like a human torch. The humans were following as quickly as they could. Spike was already on fire when Sam vanished down the drain; he turned to prevent the escapees being followed and Rona could hear the drone of planes overhead. She virtually flew at Spike and dragged him through the shimmering light, Vi covering them both with the blanket they’d brought with them. Vi was hit badly by a demon across the face, blood running down the cheek and the blow sending her right through the portal. Dawn closed it quickly as the Slayer landed in a heap at her feet leaving the blast from the first bomb back in LA. Blood splattered out everywhere covering those who had stayed in the vicinity with a fine mist.


Vi got lifted onto a gurney and was hurried after Rona, still carrying Spike, back to the bed he’d left less than an hour before. The blood was ready and waiting for him: it was dripping into his mouth before Vi was even in the room. The only clue that they’d been working at setting the timeline right was the missing duster and Vi’s wound.

They had done it. The timeline was secure.

Sam was clearing up the kitchen when the pains hit. She leant on the work surface and grimanced. It was too early.

Baya noticed her sharp intake of breath and turned to see Sam go far paler than a human should be. She didn’t know what to do, she’d never been near a sick human before, she knew she couldn’t catch anything but it was scary and she didn’t want to be blamed for Sam’s apparent illness. They were safe here and she needed to keep her baby safe.

Baya thought the safest action would be to get Riley, he would know what to do for his mate, but when the solider arrived he went pale as well. Perhaps it was highly contagious; whatever it was making the humans go white and weak. Riley looked worse than Sam: she seemed to be getting some of her strength back.

Sam managed to finally get some words out. ‘Baby coming, Baya: I need to get to Martin.’ It suddenly made sense to the poor female demon: Sam was nesting. She called for Clem to help Riley and she helped Sam to walk the hundred or so paces to where the medics were. Johnson thought it typical of the weird week they’d all been having as a pair of demons helped a very pregnant human get to Martin in the infirmary. Riley’s inability to even think was typical first time father behaviour.

Riley paced up and down outside the curtains as Morgana examined his wife; it seemed she was a fully qualified midwife back in Britain and had brought a lot of her kit with her. She knew she’d need it.

‘Yes my dear, you are in active labour.’

‘But it’s too early, the baby…’

‘The baby will be fine, it seems he has an adventurous spirit and wants to join in all the excitement,’ Morgana said with a smile.

Martin had been prepared as well and had set up a small room, it looked more like a storage cupboard, as a delivery suite just in case. Sam was in safe hands. Though her shouts could have raised the dead, unfortunately Spike was still unconscious.

Buffy woke up feeling like she’d slept for hours, in fact from the position of the shadows in her room she had. She also realised that she stank: she needed a quick shower before heading down to see Spike. She wanted to run straight to him, but she wanted to look her best as well. She showered amazingly quickly and pulled on some low jeans and a skimpy top. Might as well remind him of what he was missing.

Buffy took the stairs two at a time, the wetness from her hair making her top damp and clingy. Riley was outside the medical area pacing up and down. Despite her anxiousness to get to Spike there was something about the way her ex looked that made her slow down and look at him.

‘Is everything OK?’ She asked quietly.

‘Sam’s in labour, and it’s too soon.’ The way he said the words broke her heart. Buffy held out her arms and let him hug her: he needed the comfort and he was a friend.

‘It’ll be OK.’ She said ‘Now aren’t you supposed to be in there holding her hand and getting yelled at?’ She smiled.

Riley nodded and turned back to the Dining Room. ‘Thanks Buffy.’

‘My pleasure.’

Buffy took a deep breath and made her way into medical.

Anya was sleeping quietly, Xander holding her hand tightly as he sat by her side. He looked uncomfortable leaning half asleep on the bed. There was a table at his elbow with the remnants of a meal on it.

‘How is she?’ Buffy was scared by all the drips and drains in her friend, she looked pale and sickly, her hair all over the place and the thick pad of a dressing around her stomach.

‘Better: she woke for a minute or so about two hours ago and asked for water. Martin says she’s going to be OK. Willow keeps coming in every couple of hours and doing some magic to aid healing on her, says it will help.’

‘I’m glad, but you should rest as well.’

‘I’m not leaving her,’ Xander said in a harsh whisper.

‘Didn’t think you would.’ Buffy answered, but she pulled a spare bed over and put it by the side of Anya’s. ‘There, you don’t even have to let go her hand.’

Xander smiled his thanks and settled down beside his love. He fell asleep between one breath and the next, not even looking at Buffy.

She’d put it off long enough: no more denial, girl. She went behind he curtain that hid Spike from the sun: although he was wearing the Gem of Amara, they didn’t want the vampire panicking when he woke up and felt sunlight on his skin.

Woke up, that was a joke, he just lay there as if dead, the blood dripping straight into his mouth from the container hanging above him. He hadn’t moved in hours, but he wasn’t dust. Martin was just adding some sort of injection into the blood when Buffy arrived.

‘He should be round soon, we’re lowering the doses of pain relief as he heals. His legs are the worst, though: he lost the skin and flesh off of one in the explosion, and…’

‘What explosion?’

‘When he went back the second time: look, I’ll do what’s needed here and you let Willow fill you in. It was Cordy’s idea before you yell at anyone.’

A scream from Sam cut the air. ‘And I think I’m needed elsewhere.’ Martin hurried away from the confused looking slayer. Second time? Explosion…

Willow had already appeared carrying coffee goodness for Buffy. She sat her down on the chair next to Spike and over coffee and donuts she filled Buffy in on what had happened in the 28 hours since she’d been sent to sleep.

Buffy wasn’t happy about that: twenty-eight hours, being sent to sleep and the choices that had been made while she was out the way, but she tried to understand. It had been done for the best, and perhaps a full day of looking at a corpse wouldn’t have done her any good at all.

They sat there in silence looking at Spike. He looked worse than he ever had, his legs were a mess and his face red and raw from the burns.

‘The Slayer blood is helping.’ Willow said trying to help the situation.

‘What?’ Buffy came round from where she was just looking at the man who held her heart in his hands, trying to listen to what Willow was telling her.

‘The slayer blood, all the girls here donated a pint or so, to help him heal quicker.’

Buffy felt the tears well up. ‘I should have been first to give him some.’

Spike heard a noise: through all the confusion and pain, he could hear Buffy crying. Never did like that noise. He could smell fresh slayer blood as well, in fact he could taste it. He ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, catching the next drip as it fell.

His mind worked overtime. He could hear Buffy crying and tasted blood; where was he, some hospital somewhere where they were experimenting on him again? He went into game face, growling as he did. She might not be his but Buffy would always have his and his demon’s loyalty. He pictured some poor Slayer with her throat cut hanging above him and bleeding onto him, but he couldn’t smell that much blood. He opened his eyes carefully to see Buffy hugging onto Willow and still crying.

‘Buffy,’ he tried to say but all that came out was a croak. But Buffy heard him, or at least her heart felt him speak.

‘Spike…’ she ran over using slayer speed and held onto him tight, causing him to wince.

‘Buffy, what happened?’

‘You were in an explosion, don’t you remember?’

‘No, nothing. Last thing I remember is Peaches facing down a dragon, then I woke up here.’

Buffy stroked his beloved face. It was covered in burns still but he was alive. Spike grabbed her hand when it touched his cheek, looking at the ring on her finger.

‘Nice sparkly love, where did you get it?’

Buffy, lost in his blue eyes, answered quickly without thinking. ‘Riley gave it to me.’

She watched as those eyes turned stormy and he pushed her away from him. She fell on the floor.

‘Riley,’ he spat. ‘And you smell of him as well, pet. Didn’t take you long to get over the Immortal, did it?’

‘What?’ Buffy realised he’d been talking; she’d just been watching his precious face.

‘You and Riley. Look, I need to rest. Just piss off will you?’

He turned his back on Buffy, not noticing the blood dripping down onto his cheek.
Buffy couldn’t understand. ‘What about me and Riley?’ But Spike wouldn’t answer her. Buffy was furious, the man wouldn’t talk at all.

‘Talk to me, Spike, please!’ she begged, but he feigned sleep and turned his back each time she walked around the bed.

‘Bitch,’ she heard him whisper.

Buffy looked at the vampire. Lying wounded in the bed, blood dripping down his face, down his bumps and onto the pillow He didn’t want her: that much was obvious.

Willow reached across and readjusted it so it dripped into his mouth, then led the quietly sobbing Buffy out the room.

‘He didn’t want me Willow, that’s why he didn’t contact me that last year, it was nothing to do with Giles, he just didn’t want me. He even mentioned the Immortal: I only saw him once, in Rome for a business meeting, and now he thinks I’m with Riley!’

She was pushed aside by a running Dawn. ‘He’s awake?’ She yelled as she ran to her friend.

Buffy looked back to see Dawn sitting on the chair by his side, holding his hand and talking quietly. The tears began to fall again when she saw him reach up and stroke Dawn’s face. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again. Willow led her away, away from the yells from Sam and away from the sight of Spike’s turned back. Dawn he would talk to, but he didn’t want her.

For three days he’d been in his room. Not talking to anybody. The girls had been in every few hours with blood, fresh warm slayer blood and he was healing fast, but he still couldn’t walk. The burns had been down to the bone on his legs, in fact on his left leg the bone itself had burnt away in places and it hurt like a bitch. The doc had given him some sort of painkiller. He didn’t trust docs but this one smelt like Dawnie, so he did as he was told, for the first day at least, and swallowed his pills. He’d been carried upstairs by a couple of soldier boys and given a room away from all the action, mainly because his swearing was keeping Anya awake at night.

Spike was not brooding, he was … thinking… about things. It could not be classed as brooding, he wasn’t Angel. In no way did he resemble Angel. He was thinking, that’s all. That ring on her finger, a diamond that big must have cost a fortune. Spike knew that Captain Cardboard must really love Buffy to put a rock that size on her, a flawless blue diamond. It had shaken him to the core to see it there and to hear that white-bread had been the one to finally tame the slayer, to put a ring on her finger, make her his. He thought his heart would break. He knew he should have contacted her during that year with Angel, but he thought it had been for the best. Now he was here, in LA at The Hyperion, waiting for his legs to heal. He wished he could remember something after that damn dragon, but it was still a blank.

The other Slayers had been sweet, they brought him up Slayers blood three times a day, and Dawnie popped in a couple of times a day. She smelled of some wanker, the doc he thought, but he could chase him off if needed. What he’d been told was difficult, though. He was with The Great Poof and then bam it’s a whole four, five years later, near enough, and she’s engaged to that overgrown boy-scout. He wouldn’t let anyone talk about Buffy: as soon as her name was mentioned, his game face appeared. They soon learned to be quiet.

His legs ached, his shoulders ached. The burns were healing but they still hurt like buggery. As soon as he could walk properly he was leaving this hell hole, with its linen sheets and blood on tap. He had the Gem so he could just walk outside whenever he wanted, when he could walk of course.
He looked in disgust at the wheelchair the whelp had brought in for him. He hated even the thought of using it, but at least Dru wasn’t humping her bloody sire next door this time.

His … thoughts… were disturbed by a soft knocking on his door. One of the slayers he presumed, with another cup of blood. William the Bloody being fed a steady diet of Slayer Blood, with the slayers volunteering. Well that would stop as soon as he could walk properly. Legs were nearly healed now he thought to himself again, and he’d been checked over by the doc who said his face was back to normal already.

‘Come in Pet,’ he called. Only it wasn’t one of the slayerettes. It was some bird he hadn’t seen before; she didn’t set off his tingles like a slayer.

‘Hi, Spike,’ she said as she made her way into the room. ‘I’m Sam: don’t suppose you remember me, do you?’ She sounded hopeful.

‘No love, sorry.’

The bundle in her arms whimpered. ‘Whose is the nipper?’ He nodded towards the child.

‘Mine,’ came the quiet answer.

‘Shouldn’t bring him in here pet. Vampire: I eat little ‘uns for a snack.’

‘I don’t think William had anything to fear from his Godfather, do you?’ she smiled.

‘GODFATHER!!! What the bleeding ‘ell you playing at?’

‘Shush: you’ll wake him, and he’s only just been fed. Anyway, you wake him, you can put him back to sleep. William Pratt, meet William Riley Finn, your Godson.’ Sam smiled at Spike.

‘Riley Finn? Captain Cardboard’s kid? I don’t understand.’

‘No, you just shouted at Buffy before she could explain. She’s not engaged to Riley; I’m his wife, you idiot.’

She softened the words by placing her precious son in the vampire’s arms.
Spike was pinned to the seat as if by magic. This very human woman was trusting him with her child. He could smell that they were mother and child, but her heart wasn’t racing, she showed no signs of fear. She trusted him.

‘The ring, he gave her that ring,’ was all his mouth would say.

‘Yes he did, now don’t shout or you’ll wake William.’

‘William? After me?’

‘Yes: William after you. I refused to have my son called Hostile 17, so we agreed on William.’

‘The ring?’

‘Well, the ring. 1.25 Carat of blue diamond, the best that can be made, flawless. Set in a platinum band and it hasn’t come off Buffy’s hand in the year since it went on. You won’t remember this yet but you saved my life: mine, Riley’s, this little one’s,’ she added, pulling the blanket clear of the baby’s face, ‘and about 35 special forces. We were trapped. Angel had tried to take out the circle of the black thorn. We’d gone in to try and clear up the mess. He’d managed to get everyone that was with him killed, except you, and we were all trapped together.’

‘And?’

‘And you kept us safe, when we ran out of ammo you made stakes, when we needed water you found it, and when you came near to me you knew I was pregnant before I did.’

‘But the ring?’

‘I’m getting there. When you realised I was pregnant you made an escape plan. In the middle of the day you cleared the demons out the way, getting us down into the sewers and away before the Air Force bombed the place. Asked me to tell Buffy you loved her and told me to keep the baby safe. Said saving a child’s life made it all worth while, you said. We collected your ashes and had them made into a ring for Buffy. It’s you she’s wearing; it was the only thing we could give her. Only it wasn’t you we collected. The gang downstairs went in and fetched you before you were dead and left your coat for us to find.’

‘She’s not with Riley? But she smelt of him, when she was downstairs, I could smell him all over her.’ Spike wasn’t letting the idea go.

‘I’m not surprised, I was having this little one and Riley Finn wimped out of the delivery room. She was giving him a hug, that’s all.’

The baby whimpered in his arms and Spike looked down into his Godson’s eyes.

‘Going to do something nice for you kid, Godfathers are supposed to do good things for their charges. Well they did in my day at least… when this is over I’ll set up a trust fund or something, it’s not like I can have any of my own.’ He whispered to the child.

Sam smiled at the scene. One quarter of the Scourge of Europe playing peek-a-boo with a new born human.

‘Clem’s here, with his wife and child,’ she said, ‘if you want someone to talk to.’

‘I’d love to see him, pet, but I think I’d better make nice with a certain slayer first. Give us a hand.’

He passed the baby back to his mother and looked at the wheelchair. He hated those things but if he called Buffy to him he knew his nose would be in danger. This way at least he made the effort to go to her.

He heaved himself into the chair, noticing that his legs were moving by themselves. Not completely useless, he thought, and wheeled himself to the door. Sam opened it and followed him out.

‘This should be good,’ she thought.

Spike rolled himself to the top of the stairs, pulled himself up on to his legs and looked over the balcony, trying to see where Buffy was. He knew he’d been a pillock, hadn’t let her explain things; just shouted at her and sent her away. He looked at the mass of humanity everywhere, heard hearts beating, some fast, some slow; he could smell the fear and panic rising up like a mist from the crowd below.

Captain Cardboard was there, along with a group of boy scouts, one of whom was standing far too close to his niblet. He growled quietly, raising a smile on Sam’s face as she followed at a short distance. He was still guarding Dawn.

Dawn hugged Martin again, she was scared… she’d been scared since the SOS had come in barely five minutes before. She needed the comfort of Martin holding her as she opened a portal to Cleveland and its hell mouth.

She reached for the knife he was holding for her and nodded at Willow. Buffy and Rona were fully armed, and they were ready to make the jump, with Willow and half a dozen of the soldiers who were to accompany them through the portal. Word had reached them of an attack on the Cleveland house by a group of vampires and demons. The girls had been poisoned with something that had stripped their powers, leaving them helpless to protect themselves: and Buffy was on the rescue mission. They had readied themselves within a few minutes and were ready to jump.

Faith had returned a few days earlier, missing Robin, and was caught up in the horror that had descended. Cordy had warned them not to ‘time’ it earlier as well as it seemed it put timequakes up and down history and reality needed to recover from their earlier exploits. So Buffy and Rescue One had to move and move fast.

Every Slayer house had a panic room, a room that could be sealed against all comers and only accessible by strong magic. That was where the survivors were sheltering, normal human girls and a man. The youngest was thirteen; the eldest, Faith, wouldn’t tell.

Dawn was worried sick. In the last few days Buffy had been distant and cold, as though she were cutting herself off from everyone, it reminded the original Scoobies of the time after she’d come back from heaven. When Dawn asked her about it she’d just given a small sad smile and whispered, ‘He doesn’t want me: I’ve nothing left but slaying,’ and carried on picking up stakes.

Spike watched in horror at the lights. They brought back so many bad memories of Glory and the Tower. Rona headed through first, then the soldiers, closely followed by Willow and finally Buffy with the portal closing up behind her as she jumped. He felt sick as for the second time the woman he loved leapt through the swirling lights of a portal and into the unknown.

‘Hey, deadboy junior, how you doing?’ Xander said gently: there was no bitterness in the nickname. ‘You want to go downstairs?’

‘I wanted to talk to Buffy,’ Spike answered.

‘Well she’s off saving the world again; Anya’s in medical if you want to talk to the newly not dead,’ Xander suggested but Spike couldn’t face the demonbird just yet.

He watched as the portal re-opened and Willow led Faith and the others through, half carrying the older slayer and the soldiers helping with armfuls of tired, scared girls. Rona and Buffy weren’t visible in the crowd that had arrived. Some were bleeding, he could smell the sweet ambrosia of fresh blood, but he couldn’t see Buffy anywhere. Faith looked dreadful, she had a cut lip and black eye, and it was obvious that her arm was broken. Human arms don’t bend like that naturally: he knew that much.

Robin Wood was slung over Johnson’s shoulder like a kit bag. He was unconscious and blood was dripping from a head wound, leaving a pathway from the portal. But no Buffy.

Spike wanted to get downstairs. Dawn was in tears looking at the portal. Its shining lights were showing no signs of changing as someone or something came through. There was no change. The doc made his way over to Dawn and held her in his arms. Spike started growling without realising it. His Niblet in someone’s arms; it was enough to make anyone growl. Spike tried his legs again, pushing himself up out of the chair. They held his weight long enough to allow him to get to the stairs, they hurt like buggery but at least he could walk, just. Using the banister he pulled himself down the stairs and struggled over to where Dawn was standing with her eyes fixed on the shining lights in front of her.

Dawn saw him moving slowly towards her and freed herself from Martin’s arms and ran towards her dearest friend. Martin watched her for a couple of seconds then headed back to the infirmary: there were plenty of wounded for him to see to.

‘She’s missing, Spike: she hasn’t come back.’

‘Shushh, pet, its OK. It’ll be OK.’

He called across to the now unencumbered Johnson. ‘What happened?’

‘Why should I tell you?’ The man hadn’t meant to be rude, but he’d just seen hell and here was some stranger, in fact a vampire, asking him questions.

‘Because I told you to Soldier. If you really want to piss off any of the slayers, just you upset their pet Vampire; you’ll be praying he kills you after that lot finish with you.’ Riley pointed to the slayers lined up along the wall watching the interplay.

‘Sorry,’ Johnson mumbled. ‘There was one of the girls, Caitlin I think, missing from the safe room: only a kid about 14, same age as my daughter. Buffy wasn’t leaving her there, so she headed out to get her. Rona followed and ordered us all to take the portal. She promised to be home as soon as possible, but Sir’, he turned to Finn, ‘you should have seen it. The demons were not just killing the girls, they were raping and mutilating them. There were anatomical differences that meant that the girl was split in half as they were entered. There was blood everywhere. We got them out sir, but I think Martin is going to have a hard time putting them back together.’

‘That’s my job,’ Willow said in a determined voice as she and Morgana hurried off to help Martin.

‘And the Principal?’ Spike asked, motioning towards the sickbay with his head.

‘He was holding this group of vampires at bay while Buffy went into the house. One of them landed a good hit on him and knocked him out cold. I picked him up and ran as we’d been ordered.’

Cathy and Mary looked at one another. They and Kennedy were the only ones fit enough to make the rescue attempt. They headed towards the weapons, Xander helping to load them up with stakes and holy water. They picked up the copies of the scythe and headed for the shining lights.

They jumped before anyone could stop them. Two more slayers into the fray.

Cathy looked around the darkened Panic room. There was one in each Slayer House, and this one was no different in design. Bunks along either wall, table down the middle, bathroom at one end and kitchen beside it. Sealable door, and supplies, magical and tinned foods, in a cupboard. Weapons along each wall above each bunk. The basics needed for the slayers in any situation. The main difference was that this room had blood in it, everywhere. The bulkhead lights had been smashed and the broken glass crunched underfoot. The door had been torn off its hinges. There was blue and purple goo down one side of it and the arm from some demon or other flopped and wriggled on a spike driven through it. She could hear shouting and screams from through the doorway. They didn’t sound either human or female. In fact they sounded decidedly male and non-human. Cathy and Mary surveyed the scene again, not wanting to miss something obvious and advanced slowly. There was nothing around them to give them away. In fact the only thing they could see through the door were mounds of Vampire dust and bits of demon. They made their way to the stairs carefully, slowly, not wanting to bring any attention to themselves.

Then there was Caitlin, wrapped in a blood stained blanket with a shield of white light around her and Cordy standing over her looking pissed.

‘Where’s Buffy?’ Cathy asked. Cordy just pointed further up the stairs, from where the inhuman screams were coming from.

Mary picked up the bundle that was Caitlin and she didn’t make a sound, just lay like dead. The sheet was dripping with blood and goo, not all of it human. Mary readjusted Caitlin and started back to the portal.

‘I’ll carry her back through to The Hyperion and come back,’ she whispered to Cordy.

‘There’s no need to come back,’ Cordy said in her normal tone, ‘Buffy only needs one of you to fetch her.’

‘But the demons?’

‘Dead, or at least the last will be by the time you get there.’ Came the short reply and Cordy vanished in a bright white light, blinding the two slayers for a moment.

Mary turned and carried the badly wounded Caitlin through the portal, into the waiting arms of Martin. He hurried them through to the medical unit.

Spike could smell the blood coming from her. He could also hear her heart beating, slowly, too slowly. Poor girl was in a bad way. He hoped that Martin could do something, perhaps they would have enough blood to replace what the girl had lost. Luckily, because they’d all been feeding him, they had plenty of slayer blood on tap.

Cathy watched as Mary vanished and then followed the sounds of the screams. They were more female than male and sounded more human than inhuman. She put on extra spurt of speed, desperate to rescue Buffy from whatever was attacking her. The scene she found chilled her to the core. There were no demons, no vampires left alive. Every single one had been ripped to pieces. Buffy stood in the middle of the mass of gore and guts, stabbing herself with a knife over and over again. Screaming, not with pain but with anguish and anger. She didn’t look like just Buffy either: there was a shadow of something on her, the first Slayer interposed over Buffy’s features. They, she, was crying and screaming, not noticing anything around her.

Cathy called out to Buffy but she didn’t seem to hear. The first slayer was in total control. When Cathy looked closely she could see little fangs peeping through Buffy’s lips. She watched as the slayer part seemed to step back and fade, leaving just Buffy who promptly fainted.

Cathy caught her before Buffy collapsed completely and heaved her up over her shoulder in a fireman’s lift, carrying the unconscious slayer towards the portal and home.

Coming through the portal with a bleeding Buffy failed to seal the doorway. It took an unbleeding Summers to close them so Dawn waved a hand in the direction of the lights and they went out leaving an empty space behind. His niblet was getting to be powerful little spellcaster.

All eyes, however, were on Buffy. She was still unconscious, hanging like a sack over Cathy’s shoulder.

‘She was taken over by the first Slayer, fangs and all,’ the girl said, ‘she’d killed everything in sight and was screaming, and there were fangs,’ she repeated. ‘I have never been so scared, not even in the pit that was Sunnydale. She was terrifying: I told you there were fangs?’

‘There were bits of demon everywhere,’ she added as Johnson and Xander put Buffy carefully onto a gurney and wheeled her towards the medical room. Spike was using what strength he had to follow on, hobbling from one piece of furniture to the next. He couldn’t believe that his Buffy was hurt, she wasn’t supposed to be hurt. He could smell the blood and something else, it reminded him of…

‘Get Clem!’ he shouted at Xander and hurried into the room where he saw Martin lifting a still unconscious Buffy onto a bed. He growled as the man started undressing HIS slayer to examine her for wounds, never mind that he was keeping her decently covered or Willow was doing most of the undressing; no man should be touching her like that.

Willow noticed the growling and smiled to herself. ‘Seems our Spike is getting territorial.’

Martin glanced across at the vampire. ‘I have to undress her, I have to see where she's hurt, but I'll be careful.’

‘You had better be,’ Spike growled out loud and allowed Dawn to give him a seat where he could see what was happening but was well out of the way.

Clem arrived slightly out of breath and ran straight into Spike.

‘What you want, Xander said you needed me?’

‘That smell, do you know what it is? Cause I think…’

Clem hurried over to the little group before Spike could even finish; he recognised the blue goo and the distinctive smell of a Seraga demon, the bringer of essence. No wonder Buffy had been going all original slayer on them. The blood would allow the original slayer to make her appearance.

Clem looked at poor Spike. ‘It’s good to see you Spike,’ he said, ‘and you were right, it is Seraga blood on her. She needs it cleaned off quickly and thoroughly, then she should wake up her old self again.’

Spike was still cursing his near useless legs as Cathy picked her up and headed for the showers. They could hear the water running as the girl cleaned Buffy off, Willow holding the towel to dry her when they were finished.

Buffy looked so tiny asleep on the bed. She looked delicate and fragile and not the amazing warrior she was. Spike pulled up his chair and sat holding her hand.

‘Come on pet, I'm sorry I was a prat, but come back to me baby, please.’ His finger found the ring on her finger and started fidgeting with it. Spike never could sit still for long.

Buffy started to come round; hearing his voice, she thought it a dream and started crying. She didn't know if she could continue in a world where Spike didn't want her...

Two days, two fucking days and Buffy still hadn’t woken up. She was lying there like a corpse, barely breathing and hardly covered with the sheet. Spike looked at her blond hair spread out like a halo. If it wasn’t for the rise and fall of her breasts and the slow thud thud thud of her heart he would have thought her dead, she looked so pale. Martin had put an IV into her, giving her fluids and had given Spike strict instructions to move her from side to side every hour. Spike did all he could, he hadn’t moved from her side except when Willow and Morgana threw him out so they could wash her and change the sheet. They wouldn’t let Dawn touch her at all, in case any of the demon goo was left on her. Essence of Dawn was a green light and an immortal key after all. Essence of Willow was a witch and essence of Spike was either a Victorian gentleman or a demon who adored Buffy as his mate, no trouble there.

‘Come on pet, please come on back, you can hit me, aim for the nose, you always liked hitting my nose didn’t you pet.’ He tried again to get her to respond: the tears were rolling down his face, he was falling to pieces.
But nothing from Buffy. No sound, no movement. Nothing.

Faith and Robin both came in to see her, Robin watching in amazement at the care and attention the vampire was giving the slayer. The gentle way he stroked her hair, and the devotion in his face when he looked at her. He couldn’t believe that something so evil could love so deeply.

Cordy watched both men. She hadn’t let them see her yet, she just wanted to observe them both, the dynamic between them. She knew it was her job getting all this mess sorted, she’d caused part of it by showing Angel what would happen, but really was all this hard work worth a pair of shoes? She looked at the sandals ‘they’ had given her and wondered what she’d done to deserve such punishment. At least she’d been allowed a pedicure at last.

‘Uh-hum,’ she coughed. Both men turned to face her. Surprised at how bright she was in the darkened room.

‘Hi,’ she waved at them, ‘right you two, I am really getting pissed off now. This bit is simple. I will bring her round. You,’ she pointed at Spike, ‘make up with her, properly and thoroughly. No more fights; and you,’ she pointed at Robin, ‘be OK with it, or you’re going to feel really stupid in about three days. You need to make friends with the being that will have your back during the big fight. OK: enough, people. I have clothes and shoes calling my name but I’m not allowed them until you get this situation sorted, and shoes are important, people, far more important to me than your soap opera lives. Must run, I have babysitting, as always.’ She gave a cheeky wave and pointed at Buffy.

‘You wake up and behave as well. I really am getting sick of running down here every five minutes because you can’t sort yourself or your love life out!’

‘Way to go girl,’ Faith said as she came further into the room, having heard Cordy’s rant. Cordy smiled and vanished in a bright light.

Buffy felt herself coming back to her body, fitting back into it like it was a familiar glove. Her heart felt heavy and she felt sick. Why couldn’t they leave her be, in heaven, in limbo, where ever it was; why did she keep getting dragged back to this hell? She was going to kill whoever pulled her back this time. She could feel every ache and pain in every limb. And they hurt: her arms hurt, her legs hurt, her back certainly hurt. She felt as though she’d been sleeping in one position for days.

Spike was the first one to notice the slight movement. He rushed across to her and grabbed her hand, covering it in small tender kisses.

‘Buffy love you’re back, I’m here, I’m sorry I was a prat; come on pet, talk to me…’ sometimes it was obvious he didn’t need to breathe.

‘I would if you’d shut up for a couple of minutes,’ she groused.

Buffy found herself pulled up into his arms and smothered with kisses. Sam, who had come to deliver Spike’s blood to him, stood with Robin just watching the lovers reunite before quietly leaving, pulling the door closed behind themselves.

They stopped Dawn from going in. ‘She’s awake,’ Sam explained quietly, ‘and they are making up for lost time. Spike’s um, talking to her now; leave ‘em alone for a bit, Dawnie.’

Dawn squealed, it was just what she wanted, her two favourite people getting together.

Martin heard the joyful squeaks and knew it meant that his favourite patient was awake. He looked back at Caitlin: she wouldn’t wake up at all. Even with all the help Willow and he could give her, even with her amazing slayer healing, she had lost her fight for life. Martin pulled the sheet up over the young girl’s face and tried to relax his shoulders. The tension had been building for days.

Dawn looked across at Martin. She realised that he was very down after his patient’s death. Martin reminded her very much of Spike at his gentlest. They had a lot in common, a strong sense of duty and a big heart. She knew that love at first sight was only supposed to happen in fairy tales but what she felt for Martin was strong and deep. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen things. She might be only 18 but her life had been very rich in experiences and anyway she was as old as time itself in some ways.

She wrapped her arms around Martin and hugged his back. He didn’t need a squealing girlfriend. He needed a friend, and that she could be.

‘Come on, come and get a beer, you look like you need one.’

Martin rested his head back on her shoulder. This lady was amazing, she seemed to sense exactly what he needed. No pressure, she was just there. As soon as he could he was going to get her a really nice ring and take her out on a date. It wasn’t as though they could just slip out for a romantic evening, especially as it seemed half of hell was after her.

And he’d have to play the gentleman. Riley had already had ‘the talk’ with him and had warned him that not only Buffy but the vampire would most probably be speaking to him at some point as well. He had better get used to the ‘hurt her and you’re dead’ speech. He was going to hear it a lot in the next few days.

Spike was hovering, again. And it was beginning to piss Buffy off again. She couldn’t move without him trying to help. She wasn’t even allowed to go to the bathroom without him offering an arm or trying to carry her and it was beginning to really annoy her off. OK, so she was still weak from whatever that demon was, but she could walk as far as the end of her room.

Every time she tried to talk to him about what happened he would ‘shush’ her, and ‘it’s alright luv’ her and she was beginning to believe he needed to have his nose broken, again.

Spike was doing his best. She’d jumped through a portal and come back unconscious, it reminded him far too much of 147 days she’d been dead. He couldn’t help it. He was frightened, and he didn’t want her to get upset, so he fussed over her, if he could breathe for her he’d do that as well. Gone were the snarky comments and the quick banter but it didn’t feel right, the demon in him was growling. He wanted to just take his mate and make her his now; the poet just wanted to care.

Dawn noticed the rising tension in the air, everybody did, and they were all waiting for the explosion.

Buffy tried talking to Spike again, really talking to him: they hadn’t talked about anything important. Every time she started he hushed her and plumped her pillows or got her a drink, or something to eat, or put the DVD on or switched it off until she yelled at him to leave the room.

Spike was trying, he was desperate not to lose Buffy again, scared that what she wanted to tell him was goodbye: if he kept her quiet it wouldn’t happen.

But Buffy had to tell him about the spells. Willow had tried to free him from the memory spell, but of course, the blood running through his veins wasn’t his, it belonged to whoever had donated it. So the spell hadn’t worked and Spike was still under the impression that Buffy didn’t truly love him, he just remembered burning in the hell mouth and then the time with Angel.

Buffy had kicked Spike out her room again. It was the only way she could get any peace. What she wanted was for him to ignore her and throw her on the bed, what she got was, ‘of course pet,’ and him wandering off!!

‘God that Vamp is so frustrating!’ she screamed at the closed door.

Xander looked at Spike, standing outside Buffy’s door tears in his eyes; the vampire looked broken, terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing. Xander knew the feeling. He had been a little too protective when Anya had got back, and it had taken Anya flashing a demon face at him and threatening to cut off his sex for him to realise that he’d annoyed her.

Maybe he needed to talk to Spike before Buffy lost it completely. It was funny but it took him losing an eye and nearly losing Anya for him to clearly see just how much Spike and Buffy loved each other. If he’d been less blind before it would have saved a lot of heartache.

Xander grabbed a couple of beers from the small stock they had in the kitchen and headed for the second floor. Spike was still sitting outside Buffy’s door where he’d been thrown out; again, he hadn’t moved from his spot. He was the picture of misery sitting outside the door, leaning against the wall, his head bent and resting on his crossed arms. He looked pale, well paler, than normal. Xander wondered if the vamp had been eating at all.

‘Here.’ Xander passed over the open bottle. Spike looked at the bottle as though it were a spitting cobra.

‘Wha’ d’you want, whelp? And what’s that for?’

‘This is called beer and its traditionally drunk by men, especially when they are having female trouble.’

‘She doesn’t want me.’

‘Bullshit, she’s wanted you for years.’

‘What, she keeps throwing me out of the room and struggling without me there to help, and she keeps wanting to have ‘The Talk’ and we all know what that means…’ he took a swig of the beer.

Xander pulled up a bit of floor and sat by the Vampire.

‘I think you’ll find that the talk is more along the line of ‘I love you and there’s been a horrendous spell on us all’ type talk, not the one where she says ‘it’s not you it’s me’ type. I have found out from Anya that ‘we need to talk’ can actually refer to things like socks needing changing or toilet seats being put down, it’s just not the end of things. Women talk, we ignore at our peril.’ Xander looked across at the vampire. He watched as what he said sank into Spike’s brain.

‘What spell?’

‘And here it comes, the light dawneth.’ Xander said taking a huge gulp of beer.

Spike looked at him sideways ‘You been reading, whelp?’

‘Yep, books with no pictures and everything,’ Xander grinned. ‘It’s all about Giles,’ he continued. ‘Seems he put a spell on all of us, really powerful one. Now get in there and make up with Buffy so we can get on with the job we’ve got to do, otherwise Cordy will be back shouting again, and if my ex turns up one more time to talk to me I think Anya will be doing something serious to my body. And I don’t mean in a good way.’

Spike looked at the beer and swigged down the last before getting to his feet quickly and pushing open the door.

Buffy was asleep again, her hair looked golden in the sun. His heart leapt at the sight of her. She is beautiful, he thought to himself.

‘Goldilocks,’ he said quietly. Buffy woke up and looked into those amazing Blue eyes. There were tears in both their eyes.

‘You needed to tell me something?’ He added quietly. Steeling himself for her telling him it was over, but all he heard was a muffled sob.

‘Are you actually going to let me talk this time?’ She asked.
He nodded and looked at Buffy and there were tears in her eyes.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly, ‘the baby…’

‘What baby pet?’

‘Yours, ours,’ she answered quietly; if it hadn’t been for his vamp hearing he might have missed it.

‘I don’t have a baby, not even a childe.’ He answered softly, he didn’t want to scare his precious Buffy anymore.

‘When we left Sunnydale, after you’d died, I found out I was pregnant. I was so happy, Spike. I thought the powers were being kind, giving me a tiny bit of you to keep but Giles gave me something to drink and I lost the baby.’

The tears started again. Spike could feel them in his eyes too. He’d been a complete pillock. This was what Buffy had been trying to tell him and he’d kept shutting her up; how stupid could he be?

‘Tell me pet, how did it happen, and why would Giles hurt the baby and you?’

‘There’s been a huge spell on us all: Giles has gone completely mad, he’s been dealing with Egghon a demon Lord and it’s poisoned him, letting out his inner Ripper; how I got pregnant I really don’t know, I mean there was only you, honest, I never cheated, there was no one else,’ she started babbling.

Spike quietened her with a gentle kiss. ‘I believe you pet, you aren’t the kind that cheats and even if I didn’t, I would have smelt anyone else on you.’

‘Eww… have I told you how gross the smelling thing is?’

‘Yes, now on with your story, and why can’t I remember any of this?’

‘Cause of the spell, we’ve all had the remove done, but Willow said she couldn’t do it on your blood. It would have to be on you, ‘cause the blood’s not yours or something, and that means you sitting in the circle and she knows how you feel, felt about magic.’

‘There’s always a cost,’ he reminded her.

‘Well it would help if we had your memories as well to add to the pile.’

Spike looked into her eyes and saw the sadness there. ‘I’ll do it,’ he said, ‘but after you tell me the tale.’

Spike sat on the edge of the bed and Buffy snuggled into his arms. Safe, she started to tell him about discovering the spell and Andrew being totally controlled.

‘But I saw Andrew in Rome, he said you were with the Immortal.’ He wasn’t going to let her see how the information about a baby had upset him. It was time to be strong and let her unload. He’d have his meltdown later.

‘I was, killing him, he’s not so Immortal when his head is separated from his body, but I had to kill his heart first and that was hidden in a monastery. But he’s gone now.’

‘No pet, I meant with with, not killing with.’

‘What!! As if I’d go out with a scuzz ball like that, as if I’d cheat on your memory Spike, I never…’

Spike silenced her rant with a kiss, it seemed the easiest way.

‘When I get my true memories back we’ll compare notes, OK?’

‘OK. Where was I?’

‘The baby,’ he answered quietly, frightened of upsetting her again.

‘The baby,’ she said sadly. ‘I found out I was pregnant, it was amazing. I was scared, and excited and exhilarated and grateful all at once. I wanted to share the news with everyone I could think of. Dawnie was so hyped at the thought of being an Auntie, even Xander thought it was a miracle, life from all that death, you know. He and Willow did this crazy baby dance and everything. And then I went to tell Giles. He seemed happy for me, gave me some tea. It tasted a bit strange but he drinks Duke grey sometimes.’

‘Earl Grey, pet.’

‘Yes, that’s it. So I thought it was another of his mixes, you know. But within an hour I lost the baby, and he gloated. Called it a thing and he was glad it was dead.’

The tears stopped her story again. She was sobbing into his shoulder.

‘Hey, you’re making my shirt all wet, come on pet.’ But his voice was breaking as well. His baby dead, and his precious Buffy so badly hurt.

‘Then next morning I couldn’t remember any of it. The spell sort of resets our memories to what he wants after sleeping. You go to bed and wake up in forgetful land.’

She started crying again. Spike, William, could do nothing other than join in. They had lost their child. The couple just lay there crying for nearly an hour, just holding one another and crying, crying over their lost child and lost chances.

‘I suppose I had better go downstairs and get the witch to zap my head, or what ever she does.’

‘I’ll come with,’ Buffy said.

‘Only if you let me help,’ Spike smiled, but it wasn’t the fussy help he’d been giving her. It was the loving help of a man with his heart. He stood and allowed Buffy to get dressed. He knew there was far more they had to discuss but he had to get his memories back first; then he would deal with Rupert Giles, and soul or no soul the man was going down. He could feel both halves of himself in total agreement. The demon wanted to just rip Ripper into pieces, small bloody painful pieces. The poet had a far greater and more detailed imagination. He’d been to The Tower of London and seen the display. William might be soft and gentle but this man had attacked his family and killed his child. His death would be slow and painful. William Pratt, William the Bloody, one quarter of the scourge of Europe was in total agreement with himself. Over a hundred years of mayhem, and the death of Rupert Giles would be its pinnacle.

But Spike smiled when a fully dressed Buffy came out of the bathroom. She was still a little weak and gratefully took his arm for the walk downstairs. Spike was just glad she couldn’t read minds and that he wasn’t chipped any more.

Buffy made her way slowly down the stairs, resting on Spike’s arm. Her legs weren’t quite her own yet. She gripped his arm tightly as she looked at her friends gathered together on the chairs, quietly chatting. They were her friends but Spike was her heart. She took a deep breath and started to speak.

‘I need you all to be OK with this, guys.’ Buffy looked worried. ‘But if it’s a choice between you or Spike, I’ll miss you but I’m not giving him up again.’

Xander looked really upset at Buffy’s pronouncement. ‘Do you really have to, Buffy?’ he asked, almost petulantly.

‘Yes Xander, I do. I love you but he’s my heart and soul: I can’t be without him.’ Buffy looked at her lover with such devotion that Xander nearly gave the game away.

‘Damn,’ he said but without much venom in his tone, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Buffy looked like she was going to cry. She couldn’t believe that after everything they’d gone through, he’d turn his back on Spike and her now, of all times. After everything they’d found about how they’d been manipulated. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Buffy was crying, looking at Xander with an expression that made his heart break. Spike felt his demon coming to the fore: he was furious at Xander for rejecting them again, and Buffy knew it. And then Spike watched in amazement as Willow hit Xander across the back of the head.

‘Stop it Xander, you’re upsetting her.’

‘Well she’s upset me, another thirty two minutes and I'd have won! If she’d only come downstairs at her normal time, if you two had made up properly with the hugging and kissing and the whatever I would have won the pot, now Willow gets the money and I have to do the washing up. How could you Buffy, for once couldn’t you have done the smoochie bit with the undead before the spells and getting him thinking bit?’

Buffy realised she’d been set up and started to laugh, a real laugh from deep within her. Her legs felt wobbly and Spike supported her a little more, helping her across to the seat by her oldest friends. When she sat down she hit Xander gently on the arm: she didn’t want to bruise him. Xander grabbed his arm and whimpered: well maybe he deserved it.

'You, you… man, you! I’ll kill you for that: you had me worried!'

Xander just looked at her, rubbed his arm and grinned. 'Makes a change, you’re normally the one scaring the shit out of us,' he laughed.

Xander looked at Spike. ‘I didn’t mean to make her cry, fangface,’ he said apologetically.

‘I know you didn’t whelp, if you had I would have ripped your head off for you.’

‘She is still here.’ Buffy pointed out, but couldn’t keep an angry or sad face for long as they continued to clown around. Xander had always managed to cheer them all up.


The witches smiled at one another and carried on sorting out the herbs and charms they would need for the spell. It seemed odd to see Spike standing in sunshine thought Willow, it seemed not only to be shining on him but from him: he was effulgent.

When they finally all settled down to free Spike from the spell Buffy was anxious. She trusted Willow and Cathy was one of their own. Morgana was stronger than any witch Willow had ever seen, but this was Spike, and she was desperate for him to be ok.

Various members of the extended crew watched as the three witches formed a crystal circle around the vampire. A vampire who was sitting in sunshine, due to the effects of the Gem of Amara. Then the witches took their places, making a triangle outside the circle, with Spike being in the very centre of their power. Willow felt around her, she couldn’t seem to influence the vampire at all, then her eye caught Morgana and Cathy.

‘The Gem’s stopping me from casting on Spike.’

‘Well it’s good for something, not just making me look like a bad version of Liberace then,’ joked the vampire. Everyone knew how much he hated magic, his jokes covering his discomfort.

‘Yes, well, you’re going to have to take it off to let us clear the spell.’

Spike slipped the gem over his head and placed it on the floor. As soon as it was out of his hand he started smoking from the sunlight.

Spike yelped and grabbed for the gem. He sucked at the burn on his hand as he slipped the gem back over his neck.

‘We forgot one bit, Red,’ he said, still sucking on the burn. Buffy tried to reach him but bounced off the shield Willow had formed earlier. She looked frightened for her lover. Xander held onto her, giving her someone to lean on.

‘Oops,’ Willow said with a small grin.

‘Oops?’ exclaimed Buffy ‘Oops? How can you Oops, Willow, he’s hurt!’

Spike smirked, his lady was getting all protective.

‘Makes me feel all manly, you protecting me like that,’ he said, lifting one eyebrow at her and distracting Buffy from getting angry at her friend. The witch hadn’t meant to hurt him.

The tongue behind the teeth was definitely overkill though, Buffy felt and his grin told her that he could smell her arousal even through the shield the witches had put up. Damn Vamp senses.

Morgana waved a hand at the offending window and it was covered by a thick dark curtain. Willow admired the ease with which the older witch used magic. It seemed a part of her very soul and being. A couple of the watching slayers felt the drop in temperature as power was pulled from the room to aid the magic users.

Spike looked at the necklace in his hand and pulled it off his neck again. He placed it on the floor in front of him and sat back down. The witches looked at one another, and with a nod started chanting something in Latin. The soldiers looked at one another, nervous as the temperature in the room fell and the shadows seemed to come alive. They were trained to deal with hostiles, and they had seen magic users before but this was powerful and deadly.

The slayers seemed unfazed after their first response to the magic use; they watched and chatted quietly amongst themselves. Even Dawn seemed almost complacent about the magic round her. She watched as the light centred itself on Spike and the shadows on the outside of the circle. Buffy held out her scarred hand against the solidity of the circle. She whimpered as Spike screamed as the pain ripped through him, forcing his back into an arch, his game face coming to the fore to aid him control the agony his mind was in. This was worse than anything the Initiative had thrown at him.
.
A beam of bright light hit him directly between the shoulders and he collapsed. Willow brought down the circle immediately, allowing Buffy to scoot over and gently place his head on her lap. She stroked his brow ridges and kissed his fang filled mouth, not noticing the fangs had nicked her mouth. Spike awoke with the smell of Buffy surrounding him, the taste of her blood in his mouth and the feel of her under him. He growled quietly.
'Oh thank Goodness you’re ok!' she cried and continued kissing him, hard tears falling down her face and onto his. Spike looked up at her, she truly was the light of his life. In full game face he stared nipping and kissing Buffy’s neck and face, his hand trailing down her neck and breast.

Riley coughed loudly to alert the vampire to their audience; Spike and Buffy blushed beautifully and took a step away from each other. Spike then yelled and held his head. It was throbbing like he’d been hit by that bloody chip again, then all the memories hit him at once. The warehouse where Sam Riley and the others had sheltered. The watcher helping Robin set him up to be killed, the hundreds, no, thousands of memories that hit him. Some horrid: Dru and Angel torturing him; but some more precious than life itself. Buffy telling him how much she loved him, his demon happily submitting to her, their life together full of laughter and joy. The way Joyce had accepted him into her house, sharing hot chocolate and gossip. The way she’d trusted him to help in the gallery. And all the pain of Buffy hurting him because she’d been made to, the way she’d tried to escape the master magician every time she’d managed to remember what was going on. He remembered Rome and how their reunion had really gone. He felt so angry, violated. How must Buffy feel? He remembered Giles goading him into losing his temper and break his word to Buffy.

‘Do you remember anything?’ Willow asked quietly.

‘Oh yes,’ Spike said with venom in his voice, ‘I remember the bloody lot.’ His eyes glowed yellow and he looked round the room in full demon face. ‘I remember everything.’ His arm went round Buffy's waist and pulled her in close to him, sheltering her under his arm. ‘I remember the whole bloody lot.’

The biggest shock, if shock it could be now, was that Giles had sold out Buffy to Maggie Walsh, given her the final information that had been needed to kill her. It had only been dumb blind luck that had allowed Buffy to escape again. Giles had also paid Spike to cause trouble between the Scoobies, to torment Xander, to belittle the fragile Willow, but something had always protected Dawn. Spike knew it was because he wanted her for himself, but it was Spike’s own nature that led him to first try and kill Buffy, then to love her despite all the interference Giles threw their way: the way that Giles had tried to teach Buffy that demons couldn’t love. He had tortured Spike when he'd been held hostage as well, a single drop of holy water in the pigs blood Spike was eating had burnt the inside of Spike’s mouth. All thanks to Eyghon. Spike had seen the tattoo and had known what it meant. That had been the main reason Giles had set up the episode with Robin: to kill Spike before he said anything to the Scoobies about the tattoo. He hadn't been sure that his spells would affect the vampire. They didn’t always work the same way on demons.

Giles had to go, but before they could do anything about him they had to get rid of the demon controlling, no, living with him. That had been one of the things that Spike had been made to forget, how to rid Giles of the outside influence. But William the Bloody knew, his knowledge gained from living with one of the foremost seers in a thousand years. Druscilla’s dreams and ramblings had always had meaning, and she had taught her childe well. Ethan and Giles both needed to be cleaned, their tattoos burned off their skin before they could do anything else, and to do that they needed both white magic and demonic help. Then they would pay for all their crimes.

Buffy and Spike sat quietly. Dawn had made them both hot chocolates, complete with little marshmallows. Robin had joined them; he still felt a little uncomfortable around the vampire but was fighting the feeling. He hated that Giles had manipulated him into attacking the warrior, but after all the man, vampire, had killed his mother. But they were supposed to be on the same side.

‘Did she die quick?’ He asked quietly, trying to keep the malice out of his voice.

Spike looked over his mug at the man. He still wanted to rip him limb from limb for risking his girls before the fight with the First.

‘Who?’ although he knew the answer, he wanted time to think up how to answer the man truthfully without completely pissing him off.

‘My mother, did she die quickly?’

Spike took a deep breath, this wasn’t the conversation he wanted to be having. Buffy looked at them both.

‘Yes she did,’ the vampire answered, ‘neck snapped between one breath and the next.’

‘Why didn’t you drink from her? I was told you didn’t bite her.’ Robin was breathing deeply, trying to maintain his temper. He wanted answers and that meant he had to talk to the only being who had them. Septamus and Morgana moved closer: they knew they might be needed in the next few minutes and wanted to be well placed to step into the conversation.

Another question Spike didn’t want. He knew how much Robin hated vampires and rightly so, and knew the answer was going to really annoy him when he got it.

‘Answer him,’ Septamus said.

Spike looked at the watcher and the older witch. ‘You know?’

Morgana nodded. ‘Yes we know, but he needs to hear it from you.’

Spike took a sip of the hot chocolate: its flavour brought him back to the peace of Joyce’s kitchen. Then took a deep, unneeded breath.

‘I couldn’t,’ he said quietly, ‘she was claimed and it was a mating claim from a master vampire. It was the only thing that stopped me.’

Robin wanted to scream and shout, to deny that any vampire, let alone a master, had anything to do with his mother’s life, only her death. To deny everything he was being told. But somewhere in his heart he knew it was true.

‘Mating claim?’

Spike nodded. ‘And it was strong,’ he continued. ‘Must have been renewed regularly ‘cause it stopped me biting her.’

Buffy looked up at him. ‘Are you telling me that if I’d let you claim me no other vamp could have used me as a chew toy?’

‘No love, but claims are serious things. You feel everything the other person does, and you have to be with them or you go loco. Any claim stops us sinking our fangs in, but a mating claim is the strongest of all.’

Robin looked at Spike. ‘Do you know who it was?’

‘No, no idea at all, but I’m surprised I survived. I laid low for a couple of years afterwards. Knew whoever it was would be after me for vengeance.’

Robin looked shaken. ‘Is it true?’ he asked Morgana

‘Yes child, it’s true, in fact it’s more than true. Only a Master vampire, or someone with a master vampire’s blood in his lineage can ever get a slayer pregnant. The vampire that claimed your mother, he was your father.’ She answered

Septamus began to look uncomfortable, he squirmed and jiggled from foot to foot. He didn’t like the way the conversation was going. Sex was not his best subject. Morgana took pity on the man ‘Go on, off you go to your books,’ she smiled. ‘I don’t think I need your protection and I’m sure that if they need any more formal questions answered, Robin or Spike will find you later.’

She made shooing motions with her hands, and sent the obviously uncomfortable and blushing watcher away.

Robin was furious. ‘So what you’re saying is that some Master Vampire raped and claimed my mother, leaving her to look after me and fight her battles alone.’

‘It doesn’t work with rape.’

‘What?’ Robin snapped.
‘The claim, it doesn’t work with rape.’ Spike seemed uncomfortable about talking about something so personal: it wasn’t hard to see the Victorian Gentleman behind the punk rock façade. ‘The female has to instigate it and the male accept, she has to do all the work; so won’t work with rape or even if the lady thinks its her duty, it has to be really freely offered and accepted.’

‘Is that why you never mated?’ Buffy asked gently.

Spike nodded and stared into his mug. ‘Dru never offered it to me. I’m glad about that now, but then, yes I would have accepted.’

Robin looked back at Morgana for conformation. The intensity of Spike’s stare was almost too much to bear.

‘There’s more, isn’t there?’ He asked.

‘Yes child, there’s more. Your father loved you more than you could imagine, but he had lost his mate and knew that even if he’d lived through that pain, you would have been used as a weapon against him. So he transferred all his wealth to your mother’s watcher, and dusted himself. He lay on your mother’s grave and waited for the sun. He wanted to be as close to her as he could.’

Robin sat back in his chair and tried to take it all in, the strength needed to sit in one place and wait for dawn, just to keep your child safe. That really was devotion.

Morgana gave him a few minutes before adding, ‘Then you were taken across country and a new life was built for you. One with money and privilege, everything your parents could dream of for you but never give you.’

‘Can I ask, how did my mother, and Buffy, well how did they get pregnant? No disrespect Spike, but I thought vampires shot blanks.’

‘They normally do, but if there is true love and respect, it alters the body’s chemistry. That’s the first step. Second is that the vampire must be in full demon mode, not just face but whole body, and must be submissive, allowing the female to make all the running, without demanding anything in return. Everything must be for her pleasure and at her instigation. He has to be totally submissive.’

Buffy and Spike looked at one another, remembering back to the last night before the great battle. Buffy had come to him with nothing but love in her heart, and he hadn’t wanted a thing from her she wasn’t willing to give. It was a wonder that she wasn’t carrying triplets after that. At least they now knew how to recreate the miracle.

Morgana looked at Robin. ‘Right: family history. Your father was an English Lord turned in about 1820, he was rich, clever, powerful and skilled in many areas. He was the only other vampire I knew that ever went after slayers. He was fascinated by them.’ She looked pointedly at Spike and Buffy, who were starting to kiss on the sofa.

‘He took out two of them. I think that’s why he started following your mother around: wanted to make her his third. He tried for her on a couple of occasions, but obviously didn’t succeed. I think they finally met at Caritas in New York. You can’t fight there and they got to know one another. They sang, they talked, they laughed, but one night Nikki got drunk. Robert offered to escort her home, promising to be the perfect gentleman. The rest as they say is history: you came along a year later and when you were four everything changed. Robert was beside himself. He’d been leading a council wet team away from Nikki and you when she was caught by them. She escaped but had been hurt, and injured she faced Spike and lost. Now that we are all emotionally exhausted and struggling to believe everything we’ve heard, I suggest we take a break and go and get something to eat.’

Morgana led the way to the kitchens, and as she passed the slayer she brushed her shoulder with her hand. Buffy immediately felt the heat and strength, power and health flood through her body, healing her completely.

With everyone’s memories returned it was time for planning. Buffy, Riley, Faith, Robin and Spike were trying to work out a solution to how they were going to bring down Giles. Willow sat quietly, holding Kennedy’s hand and listening to the brainstorming going on around her.

Robin favoured a nicely laid trap, Riley wanted more intel and Spike and Faith were of the opinion that they could just go in all guns blazing and hope for the best. After all it had worked before. Dawn and Morgana sat and listened for a short while as the conversation moved back and forth like a ball at tennis. After the revelations of the day before Robin looked emotionally drained, but the weight he carried on his shoulders seemed to have been lifted.

Morgana watched as Dawn slipped away, heading for the medical room, and Martin. By the time Morgana got there she was sitting by Andrew’s bed holding his hands. The poor boy looked like a half starved Victorian orphan in a bed far too large for his gaunt frame. Dawn was trying to get him to eat something. She spent hours sitting by his bed trying to persuade him to eat, but it seemed helpless at times. It was as if his body was healing but his mind was sinking deeper and deeper into itself. The shocks of the revelations had hit them all badly but Andrew had never really accepted all his mind told him; his other hero, his watcher-in-command, his jedi, was a dark lord: the source of all their misery and most of their problems. Most of all he just couldn’t face what had happened to his body and mind. In all the years he had been with the Scoobies, he had been the one betraying them, telling Giles everything then allowing him, Giles, to be abusive… Andrew’s mind hid deeper and deeper within itself.

Clem and Baya were sitting with Sam in the small seating area: William and Chara were on the mat. William was staring up at a mobile someone had set up for him and Chara was playing with some sort of toy.

‘This is it, isn’t it?’ Baya asked Sam quietly. The two mothers had found that they had a lot in common over the past couple of weeks.

Sam nodded. ‘I think so. Buffy will do her best to protect us all, don’t worry: she’s faced down Hell-gods and the First. She’s not going to fail us now.’

‘I’m not worried for me but Chara and William, they are so little and haven’t had the chance to smell life yet.’ Baya looked at Clem. ‘Do you think they’ll be safe?’

Clem tried to nod, but he was scared. His whole little group were hiding in the cellars of a hotel inhabited by members of a government organisation dedicated to killing his kind, and by women born to kill demons and vampires. He had to believe.

Buffy and Faith leaned back in their chairs at the same moment. Buffy ran her hands through her hair and looked back up at the men surrounding her.

‘Right: first, we know Giles is wielding magic so we either tackle him on his home ground or ours. He hasn’t tracked us here, but if we lower the shields to go somewhere else he will. So what I suggest is, we do lower the shields: but we don’t leave. Willow, can you and Morgana set up a real safe room in the basement, near the sewer entrance, for us to use as an escape tunnel should we need to?’

‘Yes, that shouldn’t be hard. The cellars don’t follow the same floor plan as the main building so we could completely hide a couple of rooms.’

‘Right. This is the plan. The Hyperion is the trap, I am the bait, rather Faith and I are, and you are the cavalry. We tempt him in, make him think we’re scouting the place out to use as a HQ. He won’t come alone; he’ll bring reinforcements. As soon as he’s here, Morgana and Willow will put the barriers back up and keep him here. We go after him. We’ll need to strip his powers.’

‘Cordy gave us a spell that would bind his powers for about ten minutes, he’s too powerful for it to last longer.’ Willow said apologetically.

‘That will have to be enough. Spike, I want you to lead the assault party. Rona, Cathy, Mary: you take Baya, Sam and the kids to the basement…you will lead out the escape party. Riley, I want your men down there as well. We are going to need firepower and numbers in the cellar and I don’t want pure humans getting in the way of the slayers.

‘Robin, you will be up here with the slayers. At least we now know why you could hold your own against Spike when you went blow for blow with him.’

Robin smiled wanly at that comment and looked over at Faith. ‘No wonder you haven’t broken me yet,’ he commented.

‘Yeah right: but it’s not from want of trying.’ Faith said.

Xander ‘ewwed,’ as he approached the group. ‘And I thought Anya was good at giving details,’ he added, pulling the vengeance demon closer for a hug.

They took the spare seat next to Spike, Anya sitting on Xander’s lap and kissing him as she sat down.

‘There is one spell we should do before the big battle.’ Willow spoke quietly.

‘What’s that?’ Buffy asked.

‘Xander: we should repair his eye. It would give him his depth-of-vision back and allow him to be able to fight better.’

Xander looked at Willow. ‘Can you do that? Put it back properly?’

‘Yes, shouldn’t be too hard. Morgana brought all the ingredients we need for healing spells and we have the spell itself on the scroll that Cordy gave us. If she didn’t mean us to do it she wouldn’t have given us the spell, would she?’ For all her maturity Willow still sounded unsure about what was right and what was wrong with her magic. She looked at Kennedy for confirmation.

‘It’s alright sweetie, Cordy wanted you to heal him, remember?’

Willow nodded and looked at her best friend from Kindergarten. ‘You ready?’ she asked him.

‘Yep,’ he said.

‘Right, Kennedy can you get the scroll Cordy gave us, and we’ll see what we need?’

It was the work of a couple of minutes to get the scroll and read off the ingredients needed. Sage for protection, Heal-All for growth, and the blood of a dead man, and the blood of a total innocent.

‘How much of each, Willow?’ Buffy asked quietly. She couldn’t believe that any spell from the powers would have them hurt any child and she wasn’t going to give up Spike for anyone.

‘Four teaspoons from a dead man and three drops from an innocent.’ Willow looked up at Morgana. ‘Where are we going to get the blood of a dead man, or an innocent?’

‘Dead man here,’ Spike put up his hand. ‘And I’m sure I can spare a few teaspoons for the whelp,’ he added.

Xander groaned and looked at Spike. ‘I always thought I’d end up feeding you my blood, never thought you would be giving me some.’ But the look on his face said the rest, how grateful he was to the blond vampire.

‘What about the innocent blood?’ Willow asked. ‘I don’t think any of us count.’

‘William does,’ Riley pointed out.

‘I’m not an innocent!’ Spike blustered.

‘Not you, my William, my son, after all it’s only three drops, and I’m sure we can find a needle to prick him with.’

‘That would hurt the little one. I could do it if you want, he would just feel pleasure if I nicked his foot, feel like a tickle - if you trust me, that is.’

Riley then did one of the bravest things he ever had. He went and got his son from Sam, who followed him into the room. She watched as her demon hunting, highly trained husband placed his precious son into Hostile 17’s arms.

‘Go to your God father,’ he said gently.

Spike looked up at the man and Rilely could see the tears in Spike’s eyes. Spike could hardly see for the blurred vision. He wiped his free arm across his face and looked down at the infant.

‘I’m never going to let anything happen to you, little one. I will always have your back,’ he whispered and leant down and blew a raspberry on the little one’s stomach. Young William giggled and laughed, waving his arms in the air and brushing against the brow ridges with his chubby little arm.

‘Now that’s a sight I never thought I’d see: The Slayer of Slayers, William the Bloody, one quarter of the scourge of Europe, playing with a baby with no intention of biting him,’ Sam commented.

‘Actually Sam, Spike needs to get a couple of drops of William’s blood,’ Riley said.

‘And you’re OK with that?’ She didn’t sound mad, or scared, in fact the only emotion Willow could detect was surprise.

‘Well yeah, he won’t hurt him.’

‘No he won’t. Riley, Riley Finn, you are a good man,’ Sam said and kissed him on the lips.

‘Time for magic.’ Morgana said and pointed at the circle. ‘In you go, Xander.’

Xander got up from the chair, gently kissed Anya on the lips and made his way over to the circle that had been drawn on the floor in sage. There was one small gap that he used as a gate and sat in the centre of the circle as Willow joined him.

Morgana went to cut Spike’s arm, but the vampire shook his head. ‘Let me pet,’ he said and slipped into game face. Morgana held up a cup and Spike slashed his wrist and let the blood flow into the vessel.

Sam watched in fascination. She must admit he looked handsome even as a demon. His golden eyes gleamed and looked at the baby in the vampire’s arms; he unwrapped a tiny foot and gently pricked it with one fang. William kept giggling and laughing as three drops of his blood were added to the vessel.

Morgana handed the cup to Willow and sealed the circle with more of the sage. Willow then started chanting.

‘Let that which was gone, return,
Let the body be whole and complete,
Let the eye renew,
Let it see clearly.’

She passed her hand over the mix and it started to smoke. She then went over to Xander and poured it into the orbit that once contained his eye. The liquid boiled and bubbled in the orbit, and the smell was foul. The smoking continued and Xander started screaming and shaking, an arm lashed out and caught Willow across the face. Willow scooted backwards until she was as far away from Xander as she could get. His fists were lashing out and would have hit her if she’d stayed where she was.

Spike handed his Godson back to his mother and went over. ‘Let me in Willow,’ he ordered.

‘I hate magic,’ he added. Morgana extended the circle behind the vampire and as soon as he was sealed in his own area, Willow opened up the circle in front of him, allowing him into help.

The vampire wrapped his arms around the man and held him still, using his preternatural strength to prevent him from harming himself or anyone else. The smoking seemed to be dying down.

‘It’s OK mate, I’ve got you,’ he whispered in Xander’s ear. When at last it was over, Xander came round to find himself securely held in Spike’s arms. Safe.

Xander looked over at Willow, she was getting a lovely black eye. ‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘It’s OK.’

Xander put a hand up to his face. He opened his eyes and there, staring back at the crowd gathered around, were two eyes. Xander was healed.

They were ready. Willow and Morgana had set up unbreakable sanctuary spells on the three small rooms in the cellar, and Baya and Sam had taken the children and Andrew into one of them and were bedding them down. Septamus had brought a few of the books down and was studying them by the light of a small lamp in one corner. Their inner sanctum had been doubly sealed with the strongest spells Morgana and Willow could devise. They could leave, but nothing and no-one could get in to them.

Martin had set up the medical room in the second. Dawn had spent as much time as she could with the man. He had been very nervous when Spike had come up to him the night before. Spike had helped Martin carry down the medical equipment the doctor, his preternatural strength coming in useful for the big boxes of drugs and supplies that were normally shifted by two men.
Spike watched as Dawn wrapped a blanket around Andrew after he had been lifted onto a stretcher and been readied to move. The poor man was still more zombie than human. His injuries had turned even Spike’s strong stomach. He thought that Angelus could be sadistic, but that master vampire could have taken lessons from Rupert Giles.

Martin and Spike were alone for a few moments; the human felt the demon staring at him, hard. It was the first time since they had arrived that Martin had really seen Spike in game face and looking deadly.

‘You hurt her and I will kill you. You know that, don’t you?’

Martin gulped, the tone of voice had by-passed his brain completely and hit some nerve that hadn’t seen the light of day since a sabretooth had chased his ancestors. He was having difficulty controlling his bladder. As a doctor he knew people could be frozen in fear, but he’d never felt it himself before. And all the vampire was doing was propping up a doorway, talking.

‘Pardon?’ Martin asked.

‘You hurt Dawn in any way and I will be forced to kill you.’

Martin nodded.

‘I love the bit you see, she’s family, and it would kill Buffy to see anything happen to her; so you hurt her and I will kill you,’ Spike continued. ‘That’s if Clem or Xander, or even Riley didn’t get there first, but I’ve got the advantage with the speed you see, so it will most probably be me.’

Martin managed to nod again.

‘Course, you treat her well and we won’t have a problem, will we?’ Martin managed to shake his head.

Dawn reappeared from the cellars and saw the look on Martin’s face and the way that Spike was nonchalantly leaning against a door smoking a cigarette.

‘Spiikkee, have you been talking to Martin?’

‘May have shared a word or two niblet, nothing much.’

‘You’ve been bullying him!’ she accused Spike, who at least had the grace to look a little ashamed.

‘Have not: if I’d been having a go at him there would be blood or bite marks or something.’

‘In that case, get rid of the bumpies, you’re scaring the natives,’ she growled.

Spike laughed, there were times that they were much alike, him and his little girl.

‘Now!!’ she shouted at him over her shoulder while she made sure Martin was alright. Spike shook off the demon face and smiled at Dawn, but there were fangs in the smile he gave Martin.

‘That was interesting,’ Martin stuttered. ‘Normally meeting the family doesn’t include threats of bodily harm.’

‘He what!!!’

‘It’s OK Dawn, they are just being protective.’

‘They?’

‘Well yes, I’ve had a similar talk from Xander, and Buffy and Sam and Riley and that demon, Clem? And Willow…I’m getting used to it now, they love you, and they don’t want anything to happen to you. I think they have spent a lot of years keeping you safe and they see me as the biggest danger to you at the moment. In some ways it’s reassuring, we’re going into battle and they all see me as the biggest danger in their world.’

‘I suppose, but I wish they would let me grow up!’

Spike’s voice sounded from the hall…’Come back when you’re ninety for that one niblet!’

‘Go away Spike,’ she yelled back and proceeded to make it up to Martin.

The humans and demons who weren’t up to the fighting made their way to the third, and largest of the sanctuary rooms. Everyone else, slayers, Clem and his friends, witches, Initiative soldiers and Spike were waiting with Dawn in the dining room. Buffy and Faith had dressed in fatigues, stashing weapons everywhere they could think of. Spike still couldn’t see where she hid her final stake. In the years they had fought together he never had worked that little mystery out.

The plan was simple. The dining room would be under a glamour, making it appear empty. Dawn would then open a portal, and it would appear that Faith and Buffy had jumped into the hotel to check it out as a possible base. When Giles and his partner came to grab them, Willow would drop the glamour, throw the weakening spell at Giles, and then it would be a free-for-all. Any demons he brought with him would be taken down by the joint forces of the Initiative and slayers under the command of Rona and Riley. Anya would be with the combined strength of the witches. As they had all been betrayed by a man, she felt that she would be justified in helping them with their wishes, as long as they were careful what they wished for. They had actually practised what sort of wishes could be used without them rebounding on the white-hats. Anya had actually been helping, teaching them how she could twist wishes to harm the wisher. The girls had been giggling over some of the ideas all day, leaving many of the men feeling gelded.

Morgana, Willow and Cathy took their places at the top of the stairs and Willow waved her hand over the entrance and it vanished. There was no trace at all that there ever been a door there at all.

A wave of Morgana’s hand put a glamour over all the waiting army and all that was left were the two Slayers. Kennedy would be staying with the witches as their body-guard.

Faith and Buffy were ready. They had overnight bags with them, everything that would give the impression that they had just portalled in to examine the place.

A last look round and the final wards were brought down and it looked like Faith and Buffy were on their own.

‘It’s all your fault B, that last place was good enough.’

‘Yeah, good until that group of vampires found us.’

‘Come on: we’ll find something to eat then look around.’

‘I need to sleep first, I’m shattered.’

Faith dug Buffy in the ribs and held up her charm bracelet. One of the charms was glowing, showing that they were being spied on.

Buffy unrolled her sleeping bag and put it onto one of the chairs; Faith took another and they pretended to go to sleep.

It was less than half an hour when two dark and swirling lights appeared in the middle of the foyer. Ethan Rayne and Rupert Giles walked out from the centre of them, closely followed by a swarm of ant like demons: six foot high ant-like demons.

The battle was about to start.

Giles grinned at Ethan: they sent out their thoughts, checking every closet and room in the building. The two slayers were totally alone in that great hotel. Now they could have some fun.

‘One each,’ Ethan smiled. The look on his face as he raked his eyes up and down Buffy made her feel sick. Giles was looking at Faith the same way.

‘I prefer them virgins myself, I do so love the screaming; but as you say, one each.’

‘Funny,’ Faith replied ‘but that’s sort of what we thought as well… One each…’

Ethan’s eyes became hooded: these silly little girls should be scared but they looked more like predators, cats who have seen a mouse.

Morgana put the last crystal in place, sealing the hotel from any more intruders and Cathy crushed the crystal holding the spell disguising the reinforcements under her boot.

The battle was on.

Ethan and Giles looked around in horror as hundreds of slayers appeared from nowhere. No wonder the children hadn’t been scared, they weren’t alone at all.

A group of soldiers came running down the stairs; Giles thought he recognised one of them, but he couldn’t believe that all his carefully laid spells to keep Riley and the slayer at each other’s throats had failed. His magic didn’t fail, couldn’t fail. He was too good for that to happen. He tried to strengthen the spell, to turn the soldiers against the slayers and the vampire that was in front of him, but it wasn’t working. He could feel the spell bounce off some sort of force-field and hit Ethan.

Ethan couldn’t think properly. Who was friend and who enemy? It made him feel sick and confused. Ethan started throwing spells around, trying to hit the women. He knew they were against him, women were always against him.

The ants crawled all over the floor, huge pincers reaching for everyone and everything. One of them caught a column and crushed it into dust.

‘Ugh, what a way to spoil a picnic, who would be stupid enough to bring ants?’ Buffy quipped at Faith who just grinned as she took her scythe to the nearest creature’s neck.

‘They die, same old way, cut off their heads. If you can reach…’ She laughed as Buffy missed one and caught its mandible instead.

Riley and his men started shooting at the ants but bullets seemed to bounce off most of their armour: they seemed impervious to normal weapons. A flame thrower kept them at a distance as the sharpshooters took more careful aim at the heads and eyes. One stray round got through a soft space on the thorax, spurting out greeny-blue blood over the walls.

‘Aim for the thorax!’ Riley yelled to his men and they altered their aim accordingly, scoring hit after hit, the green goo going everywhere, covering walls and people alike. The screams coming from the ants were sickening. One ant had caught a slayer in its mandibles and was squeezing hard. Spike could see the girl struggling: a shot from one of the soldiers brought it down and a second slayer used her scythe to cut the girl free. She leapt to her feet and back into the fray.

The slayers were coming in thick and fast, using their swords and scythes to decapitate any and all ants that got in the way.

Giles and Ethan ran straight for Buffy: take her out and the enemy would falter. They started chanting, red light extruding from their out-stretched fingers. It was sickly and evil looking. It shot forward: the light hit Buffy and she screamed. Buffy could feel her powers diminishing, she screamed again at the pain as it riddled her body. She had never felt anything like it.
Spike heard her shout above all the noise that surrounded them. He twisted the head off of the ant he was fighting and ran across the bodies of others to reach his beloved Buffy. She had collapsed on the ground, and seemed unable to stand.

But it didn’t have the effect on the slayers Giles expected. They didn’t falter, they rallied. Faith was yelling above the din to get their butts into the fight and take out the demons. She ran towards the two sorcerers, killing the demons in her way.
Ethan had his hands around Buffy’s throat and was squeezing the air from her lungs. Giles was laughing evilly and grabbed Buffy; pulling her roughly to her feet, he reached for her breasts, kneading and pinching them through her shirt, his hands cruel and vicious as he nuzzled into her neck.

‘You smell so sweet, is that why vampires keep coming back to you? Perhaps I should have a taste,’ he kissed her roughly.

‘I always wondered what she’d feel like,’ he grinned, ‘she seems to like demons, we could both make her scream.’

‘Not before I kill you, you couldn’t!’ Cathy was in front of them. She threw a dagger at Giles, but it turned to a snake half way across.

Ethan laughed and kept squeezing her throat. Spike appeared behind him. This was no tame lap dog but a master vampire in full fighting mode and protecting his mate. Giles had never understood that bond, and he didn’t understand it now when Spike twisted Ethan’s head viciously, just snapping the man’s neck. Willow had managed to make it behind the action to within touching distance of the former watcher. She put her hand, almost lovingly, on his back and started chanting the words that would strip him of his powers. It was obvious when they had left him. A black ooze went seeping across the floor, looking for somewhere to hide. Buffy threw her head back in a move that Spike’s nose knew only too well, breaking Giles’ just as she use to break his. Unlike William the Bloody, Rupert Giles had no super-healing powers and Spike didn’t need preternatural hearing to hear the bone crack. Another move Spike knew well freed Buffy, her elbow jabbing Giles hard in the groin, making the man double up in pain, even Spike winced with the venom she put into the manoeuvre. And Giles was on the ground. Willow used a pair of handcuffs to secure him, and a second binding spell to prevent his powers returning.

The slayers and soldiers had taken care of the ants.

‘Will the handcuffs hold if him if he gets strength back?’ William asked.

Willow blushed. ‘They withstand slayer strength,’ she said, looking at Kennedy with rose tinted cheeks.

‘In that case pet I may just borrow them from you at some point.’ He gave her a dirty grin and went to help Buffy up from where she was rubbing her bruised breasts.

‘I’d offer to do that for you but I don’t want my face slapped,’ he smirked and heaved Giles up from the floor by his cuffed hands, little caring how much it hurt the man’s shoulders. He shoved Giles down by the side of Ethan. Both men were bloodied and bowed but Ethan’s neck seemed to fixing itself.

‘Got a second set of cuffs?’ Spike asked and caught them with one hand as Kennedy tossed them to him.

‘They also stop magic use,’ she said, making a deeper red appear on Willow’s cheeks. Spike just burst out laughing at the thought of them getting wild together.

‘TMI,’ Faith added with another laugh. ‘Way too much information!’

The slayers and soldiers were signalling those hidden to lower the wards. It was safe to come out. First through were Dawn and Martin. Martin took one look around him and started dealing with the wounded, setting up a triage in the room there and then. There weren’t too many. One soldier had a nasty bite on his leg, but although it was deep, the bone was intact and he shouldn’t lose the limb.

Morgana and Septamus looked down at the ex-watcher and their friend.

‘You really have let us all down Rupert,’ Septamus started, ‘we thought that giving you a second chance was a good thing, but you have betrayed everyone, even your own slayer.’

‘Why shouldn’t I? She was never much of a slayer, off shagging the undead, forsaking her vows and birthright…’

‘Ah yes, but she never took the vows: seems you forgot that as well as the handbook in your eagerness to give her a second rate education.’

‘There were vows? I was supposed to be vowed?’ Buffy looked up from where Spike was checking her over. Dawn was a little worried, her slayer strength hadn’t yet fully returned.

‘If you weren’t up to strength pet, what’s with the watcher’s broken nose and bruised family jewels?’

‘That was me, Buffy Summers, just pissed off.’ She winced as she felt the bruise on her back for the first time.

The pair watched as the lighter bruising began fading as her slayer abilities returned and they looked around the room. Slayers and Initative were clearing up the dead and debris; Clem was hugging Baya close. He had been so worried for his mate. Chara was holding onto its Daddy’s neck with an unbreakable grip, the little family safe under a slayers’ protection.

The battle was over.

Giles and Ethan glared at the slayers and soldiers from their position on the ground, hands secured with handcuffs that even a slayer or witch couldn’t undo. How had it all gone so wrong? Four hours ago they had been ready to take down Buffy and everyone with her and now they were at the mercy of some very unforgiving souls and the vampire was the least of their problems from the looks they were getting. Even Riley looked like he was ready to tear them limb from limb. Ethan pulled himself up into a sitting position and shuffled closer to Giles.

‘What the fuck happened there? How did we lose?’

‘You got your neck broken by an angry vampire. And they were ready for everything we threw at them; anyway, why aren’t you dead?’

Ethan flashed his left hand; on his smallest finger, shining in the light, there was a ruby ring.

‘Works like the Gem of Amara does on vampires, stops anything permanent happening to me.’

‘Then I’ll just take that,’ said Faith, briskly snatching the jewel from his finger. She had been watching the captives closely, also wondering how Ethan had survived a broken neck. Ethan hadn’t even realised anyone was listening to his conversation with Giles and he certainly couldn’t react as quickly as a slayer could move. The ring was gone. Ethan was left with a literal pain in the neck and staring at an empty hand.

Giles growled and spat at the girl as she whisked passed. Faith laughed out loud.

‘Not very nice manners for an ex librarian, G,’ she said as she headed over to Robin with the ring in her hand. It glowed gently at the nearness of a slayer. Faith looked deep into the gem and could see colours and shapes dancing in its abyss. The gem seemed to pull her further and further in. Spike leapt up from where he was sitting and used every bit of his preternatural speed to get to the dark haired slayer, he could hear her heart slowing as he moved. He plucked the ring from her with dexterity and as soon as he had it in his possession Faith’s heart started to speed up again.

‘It was slowing her heart down: must work against females, or slayers or something,’ he explained as Robin looked at him askance. He hadn’t even seen the vampire move, he had just appeared from nowhere at their side. Got to love that speed, he thought to himself as he realised that Spike had just saved Faith’s life.

Ethan slumped down again. He had been hoping to take out one of the great slayers with the ring: it only protected those who had actually sold their souls. He cursed loudly and long, causing Morgana to look across at him.

‘I think we all need to rest tonight,’ she said. ‘I suggest we let our less than welcome guests examine the inside of the prison cell Willow and I have waiting for them, and then we can see to them in the morning.’

There was general assent to the plan and Buffy and Dawn watched with scant warmth in their eyes as the two warlocks were man-, and vampire-handled down the stairs and away from the white hats. Anya muttered something under her breath at them as they passed: what ever it was made Giles and Ethan turn white and start shaking. They stumbled down the steps to the cellars, where they were shut into a barred and guarded room, Spike picking Giles pocket and relieving him of his wallet before closing and locking the door on the two men.


The comedown from the adrenalin surge left slayers and soldiers alike jittery, on edge and exhausted. Willow and Morgana had brought down the glamour that had been on the hotel, so now at least they could call out for takeaway. Buffy had loved using Giles’ credit card to pay for huge amounts of Pizza, Chinese and Tex-mex, all of which was due in about half an hour. Spike had also used it for a beer order, which had arrived quicker than the food.

‘Well evil vampire here,’ was all he’d said, grinning at the thought of the $100 tip he’d given the man at the shop as he carried in the crates of alcohol.

Buffy grinned at his face and kissed him gently on the cheek.

‘I hope you have enough for everyone and don’t forget the sodas for the kids. No corrupting minors… evil or not.’

‘You spoil all my fun, slayer: what’s the use of being evil if I can’t corrupt a few minors?’

‘Corrupt any and I’ll set Dawn on you, Spike,’ warned a laughing Buffy. ‘And she’s cross with you anyway because of the ‘talk’ you had with Martin.’

‘Now that is evil! I didn’t touch the wanker anyway, the bit is playing doctors and nurses with him again, and I left him walking and talking.’

‘Yes,’ Riley said, ‘and playing doctors and nurses under the watchful eye of half the slayers and most of my men. All of whom are laying bets as to which one of the pair of you are going to hit him first. If he gets to first base it will be because Dawn told him to.’

‘If he gets to first base I’ll rip his head of his shoulders and drink from his brain stem.’

Riley just laughed and relieved Spike of a beer from the top of the pile.

‘I thought you were helping with the watch on evil does and evil says in the basement anyway, rather than helping some pillock get his hands on Dawn,’ Spike muttered as he watched the soldier find a seat.

‘The evil twins are safely behind spell-woven barriers courtesy of our friendly neighbourhood witches, and steel bars supplied by the Initiative, reinforced by those same witches. Willow and Morgana have also set alarms so if they do try anything we’ll hear them up here.’

‘What are you going to do with them?’ asked Baya quietly. She was feeding the baby with some sort of slop that stank so much it kept everyone well away from it. But there were smiles as the little demon’s tentacles floated around its face. They were trying to grab at the spoon which its mother was skilfully keeping just out of reach as she manoeuvred it into the mouth.

‘We’ve stripped the pair of them of all their powers for all time.’ Willow said joining the discussion, ‘they can never get them back.’

‘That’s bad,’ Cathy winced at the thought. Being stripped of powers hurt, like having a tooth pulled with no novacaine.

‘What they were doing was evil, the girls are remembering all sorts of attacks now, it’s going to take a lot of counselling to get some of them over this betrayal.’ Buffy answered. She had no sympathy for her old watcher whatsoever. Her heart was hardened against the man she once thought of as her substitute father.

Andrew managed to make his way from the sick room for the first time to join in the impromptu party, and was overwhelmed at his reception. He had been dreading facing everyone, especially Spike and Buffy but the Super couple put the young man at ease as much as they could.

Next morning found the white hats refreshed and ready to face Ethan and Giles.

They had all gone to bed early the night before, the emotional atmosphere leaving them all exhausted and drained and in need of a good rest. Spike cursed his enhanced vampiric senses, he could hear every muttered word and every stifled sound. Captain cardboard was snuggling with Sam, little William was snuffling and whimpering for his supper. He could hear Clem settling Chana down for the night and he could hear Dawn sneaking into Martin’s room. Dawn sneaking along the corridor to Martin’s room; that he had to put a stop to. Spike pulled his arm out from underneath Buffy and reached for his jeans that were discarded at the end of the bed. He rolled out from under the covers and headed for the door, waking Buffy in the process.

‘Where are you going?’ she mumbled.

‘I’m going to kill that wanker,’ he growled, his golden eyes glinting in the dark.

‘Wha? Which wanker in particular?’ she asked. ‘Has Giles escaped?’ She started to panic, she really couldn’t face another battle tonight.

‘No, not Giles, that Martin bloke: Dawn’s just gone into his room.’ He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

‘William the bloody, don’t you dare!!’ Her voice followed him out of the door. ‘If you leave this room now, don’t bother coming back: Dawn will never forgive you if you disturb them, they‘ve been planning this for days – well, she has.’ Buffy could growl as well, he realised. Buffy could be really scary when she wanted to be and then he thought about what Buffy had said. She was right as usual, his niblet would never forgive him if he did something permanent or nasty to the doc. He sighed deeply and went back to his own place in his lady’s bed. He could always kill the bloke in the morning if his girl was upset in any way. It took him some time to stop Buffy being so angry, mind you he was pretty sure she was putting it on, but better safe than sorry he thought as his talented fingers found the hidden spot in her body that had her creaming all over his hand.

Next morning saw a happier and more awake crowd. Xander and Morgana had kept themselves busy in the kitchen organising a team to prepare breakfast for everyone there. Plates of pancakes and syrup appeared as if by magic, and vanished just as quickly. Dawn seemed a little shy in the morning, but Martin was extremely attentive, pulling out her chair and fetching her breakfast. Spike watched his every move, a predator stalking his prey. Martin could feel his eyes on him at all times; Clem and Riley watched, waiting for trouble. They both had babies that would need removing from the danger zone if there was violence. Dawn knew what was happening: she wasn’t stupid. Buffy had already offered to step in and have a word, but Dawn had refused. She would sort this in her own way.

Andrew made his way unsteadily towards the breakfast table. He was still having problems walking, and he hated the colostomy bag that had had to be fitted to save his life. He felt useless and a complete waste of space. He didn’t even enjoy Star Wars at the moment, he just wanted to c-u-r-l up and die. Spike had managed to get him a mint Bobba Fett but even that hadn’t raised a smile. He was still apprehensive of how the Scoobies and slayerettes would treat him once he was stronger; they weren’t the most forgiving bunch and he had betrayed them so often. He had even told Spike that Buffy was seeing the Immortal and not killing him. Andrew just couldn’t believe he had been stupid enough to trust Giles. He hadn’t even been able to remember Ethan until Willow had released him from the memory spell.

Spike was still watching the Doc when Dawn came back from the bathroom. She walked past Spike and deliberately belted him across the back of the head as she passed him by.

‘Ow, what’ch do that for?’ he complained.

‘Because you are behaving like an arse: leave him alone, Spike.’ She hit him again to make her point.

Martin looked up at the noise to see a master vampire being hit around the head by Dawn. Whatever was going on he was determined to back his lady up. He got up and made his way past the slayers towards Dawn and Spike but Willow stopped him.

‘Leave them to it. Spike won’t hurt her, he gave his life to keep her safe. She’s just his baby sister, and she needs to spread her own wings; she can easily deal with him.’

The third hit was the clincher:

‘Niblet: stop that or I’ll bite.’

‘Yeah right, as if. You don’t scare me, William James Richard Pratt, and unless you want me spilling all the stories about the summer you babysat you WILL back off from my boyfriend!!’

Spike wasn’t sure which bit hurt the most, the taps on his head or the fact that she had used his full and proper name. He looked up at his bit and saw the Summers’ fire in her eyes. He knew when to back down, hadn’t lived nearly 200 years by being stupid!

‘If he hurts you...’ he started.

‘If he hurts me Spike you still won’t have to do anything, ‘cause believe me I will take all the lessons you taught me and I will do him some damage,’ she softened her stare at Spike. ‘I am a Summers, remember.’

‘Yes, bit, I remember.’ He rubbed his sore head, it was good to know his girl could protect herself, in fact he felt a bit sorry for the poor man. If he upset a Summers he would have to pay hell to escape their wrath.


Breakfast was quite riotous after the little incident. Martin kept looking over at Spike and grinning. It didn’t help Spike’s mood but he thought about it more carefully. It wasn’t like Dawn to be so protective of another man so she really must be serious about Martin, and Spike had to admit to himself that a doctor would at least be a decent profession for a future husband for his girl. He looked across at the man again and started grinning back. If Martin played his cards right, he could end up family, and Spike was loyal to family. Spike concentrated on drinking his warm blood and stopped tormenting Martin. Dawn could be really scary sometimes: he still remembered the threats about waking up on fire if he hurt Buffy. He sipped his blood again and smiled at the taste; some nice person had slipped some otter into his morning drink, it spiced it up nicely. The slayers were sweet to him.

When everyone was ready and fed, they went into the huge foyer to start discussing what to do with Giles and Ethan. Buffy chaired the meeting and tried to ensure that everyone had a fair chance to have their say. Clem suggested leaving him outside for a passing vampire to eat, but before Buffy could complain Spike pointed out that poisoning vampires with contaminated food wasn’t exactly a white hat thing to do. That raised a laugh around the room and broke the overly tense atmosphere.

Buffy was just calling the meeting back to order when Cordy turned up in a blinding flash of light. She was smiling a huge Hollywood smile, and dressed from head to toe in haute couture, she was even wearing high heels instead of sandals. It seems that the woman, angel, had finally earned her first Chanel outfit.

‘Hi, lower beings,’ she gushed and looked over the heads of everyone sitting in the room as she literally floated down the stairs. She smiled very brightly at Chara who was trying to eat Dawn’s hair. Baya had offered to take the baby back, but Dawn had refused, she loved holding onto at least one of the infants and giving Martin very pointed looks. Spike grinned, his bit needed no help in torturing the poor man. He had taught her well: the lump on the back of his head said too well.

Cordy descended regally down the stairs and joined the self-elected committee below. She flicked a finger at the air and a chair appeared beside the ones that Buffy and Faith were sitting in. Slightly higher of course. The slayers smiled, she was just playing her old tricks and they would let her get away with so much before putting her down.

‘Sorry people, but we need to talk. Your decisions today will have ramifications for centuries to come and I have to make sure you choose correctly.’

‘Hey, the cheerleader has swallowed a dictionary!’ Xander grinned at Willow. Kennedy laughed out loud, snorting and earning a frown from Cordy.

‘I can’t tell you what to do…’

‘Yeah I’ll believe that one,’ Faith said with derision. Robin looked across at his slayer and then back at Cordy: this might get nasty. He moved closer to the women to step in if needed.

‘Ooh cat fight,’ Xander squeaked with joy. Anya hit him on the arm.

‘You will not share your perversions with others Alexander Harris, unless of course you let me join in as well.’

Cordy sat down gracefully and looked around her. ‘I know it’s hard to hear but if you can listen to me for a few minutes?’ She was getting nowhere, everyone was talking at once, the noise getting louder and louder. She looked at Buffy and then Spike. Spike watched as Buffy lifted her fingers to her mouth and quickly stuffed his fingers in his ears as she let out a shrill whistle that loosened the earwax in every head in the room. Chara started crying and fussing. It had been scared by the noise.

‘I just need you to listen for one moment.’ Cordy continued she looked at Chara who was still snivelling and waved her hand, causing the infant to start giggling and laughing again.

‘Now that’s better; as I was saying, your decisions here today will affect the future in ways you can’t imagine and you need to choose carefully. I know it’s very tempting to just torture Giles and Ethan to death, or feed them to a passing demon but if you do that it will be your souls who will be hurt, damaged and although I know you want to rip them apart with your bare hands Spike, and I know that Riley and Xander would be only too happy to give you all the aid you wanted, trawl through your history books and pull out the iron maidens or the hot shoes, brand them, smash their joints then make them walk on those same shattered ankles to their own executions, where you could burn them, or hang draw and quarter them, or beat them to death with a flagell, or boil them in oil, or even just soak them in cold oil until their skin just melts away. History has given you some wonderful and imaginative ways of killing off your enemies, but everything you do will reflect on your souls, and there isn’t a being here who could take that sort of Karma.’

Faith started to talk but before she could get a word out Cordelia Chase gave her a look that shut even the brunette slayer up.

‘No Faith, not one, even Clem would be tormented for the rest of his life. I’m NOT going to tell you what to do, that’s not my place or my right. All I am asking is that you think about your actions very carefully.’

‘How about just killing the wankers, ripping their heads off?’ Spike just had to ask.

‘You have killed before Spike, and you could easily kill again, especially if you were protecting the ones you love, but killing isn’t torture.’ She looked straight at Riley. ‘Torture destroys your soul, you really have to work hard to repair that sort of damage.’

Riley felt the shame rise up in him. He had tortured so many beings during his work with the Initiative, even Spike at one time, and he still felt the pain of what he had done and Sam knew the number of times he had woken up in a cold sweat just remembering what he had done. He knew exactly what Cordelia meant.

‘So let’s get this straight,’ Faith stated. ‘We can kill them, but we can’t torture them?’

‘That’s right; well, not unless you want to suffer as well.’


‘Can we imprison them?’ Riley asked, thinking about the special prison the government had built for demons and other unnatural felons.

‘Oh yes, but you have to think about the future as well. Do you want them let out, ever, or would you let them die in prison?’

Cordy sat back and let her words sink in. She knew what was the likely outcome of these discussions and she was really having to bite her tongue not to just give them their instructions. It would make her afterlife so much easier if she could just tell them all what to do.

Andrew watched everything from his corner: the Angel scared him a little, but then everything scared him. He listened quietly to all the arguments about what to do with Giles and Ethan. The majority of the slayers and soldiers had left the meeting already. They had nothing to add and wouldn’t really be needed to make the choices that were before the meeting. Faith and Buffy, Kathy and Kennedy represented them quite well enough. Anya and Xander stayed, as did Willow and Morgana. Septamus went back to his books: his main aim was to find and deliver the letter that had been passed down in his family for more than 100 years. Dawn’s outburst earlier had confirmed his belief that William the Bloody really was his ancestor.


Giles and Ethan were dragged up from their impromptu prison and brought before the tribunal. Both looked like nothing more than old, broken men. But the decision had been made. They could not be permitted to live. Spike and Riley felt they had enough blood on their hands anyway and they would do the dirty deed, quickly and as painlessly as possible, but they would free them from the mortal realm. Ethan was already crying as he came up the stairs. He had always escaped from the consequences of his actions, but not this time. This time he would have to pay for his crimes. Rupert Giles didn’t even have the energy to fight the soldiers who held his arms. He hadn’t slept well on the cold stone floor and he dreaded what was going to happen to him. Buffy looked wan and drawn. She hated the fact that she had to condemn her old watcher to death, but she was The Slayer and it was her duty.

As Giles and Ethan were brought through the silent crowd Andrew started shaking and trembling. He felt sick at the sight of the man who had tortured his mind and destroyed his body. Before anyone could stop him, Andrew managed to find strength from somewhere and ran towards Giles. He grabbed a knife that Kennedy had been sharpening and stabbed Giles in the stomach. The guards had been taken completely by surprise and were too slow to react. Giles looked at the knife imbedded in him and laughed: he actually laughed. The men let go of his arms as he fell to the floor. Martin ran to try and help, as did Buffy and Faith. Xander started clearing the room, Riley shouted at his men, Spike went forward to try and stop Andrew and watched in horror as Giles removed the knife from his stomach and slammed it into Andrew’s heart. Andrew died in Spike’s arms, his last sight was Spike’s eyes filling with tears at the death of such a brave young man. Cordy felt the tears well up in her eyes. She knew this was going to happen but knew that it must. This was written.

Ethan watched the actions unfolding before him with dread and fear. He could feel something evil in the air, and wasn’t surprised when the Demon Lord, Eyghon, appeared in a cloud of sulphuric fumes. Those who normally breathed started coughing and choking until Cordy, who had been watching the whole of proceedings with disdain, waved a hand and cleared the fug from around the slayers and Eyghon. She stood and walked up to stand before the demon. She looked up into his eyes: they were red and glowing as though the fires of hell shone out from them.

‘Go away, Eyghon, you’re not wanted or welcome here.’

‘I come for the souls I’m owed,’ he growled out from behind his misshapen teeth.

‘You are entitled to them, but no others and there are none here you can claim. They are under my protection.’

‘Even the demons?’ the monster questioned, staring lustfully at Anya and then Spike.

‘Even them, in fact especially them. Now take those with whom you bargained and leave before I let the light of heaven shine here and burn you to dust.’ She turned her back on the monstrosity who made his way over to Ethan. Picking up the screaming man in one hand he looked down at Giles, who was near death on the floor. Giles managed to scream as red fire danced along his wound and the demon picked him up in his free hand and vanished back into hell with the men screaming and begging for mercy.
Cordy looked at the cloud of sulphur as it formed after the disappearing demon and tears fell from her eyes.

‘They will never escape. They are doomed to be his playthings for ever and I don’t think I can even feel truly sorry.’

She looked at Spike who was still holding Andrew’s body. ‘There is nothing you can do for him William,’ she said softly, ‘let him go.’ She held out her hand for Andrew. They could all see the sight as Andrew’s soul walked over to her. Hand in hand they vanished into a swirl of bright lights and were gone.

The death of Andrew and the appearance of Egyhon had upset everyone. Dawn and Buffy had just wanted to hold onto one another all night, their drying tears still stained the pillow that supported both their heads. Spike and Martin had tried to comfort them, but they knew what the girls really needed was each other. Neither man objected to losing their bed partner for the night, anything to stop the tears, anything to give the women what comfort they could.

Buffy and Dawn had finally gone to sleep in the early hours of the morning after crying for hours. They had lost a friend in Andrew and, although Giles had betrayed them, they had lost the only father either of them ever really knew. Spike had kept watch over both her and Dawn all night. He rested in the original torture device ‘the comfy chair’, rather than separate the two girls or be separated from them; he couldn’t, wouldn’t let them out of his sight.

The only disturbance had been when Martin had dropped him off some coffee and a mug of blood at about 5 am, trying not to wake either Dawn or Buffy, who lay sleeping wrapped in each other’s arms. They were tossing and turning in their sleep again, crying out in fear and calling for Andrew. They only settled when Spike sang a lullaby; with a master vampire sitting watch they slept safely, if not peacefully.

‘Useful trick there,’ Martin said. He had to smile at the sight and sound of a master vampire singing to comfort a couple of mortals, however mortal Dawn and Buffy could ever be.


Cordelia watched invisibly from inside the room. Even the vampire could not sense her presence for which she was grateful. It would be a while before she was forgiven for the day’s events, she knew that. She hated the fact that Andrew had died; she had done what she could to warn them, told them to be careful, but free will was a bitch, even more of a bitch than she was. Of course she could have stopped it, and if she had been human she would have, but her hands were tied, and she loathed and detested that fact. She could hear the angry distressed thoughts from Xander and from Riley, both showing their youth. Fate, free will, it was what made humans human. It was what having a soul was all about, choosing to do good, oh not in the way that some humans said but in the true meaning of the words. If she had waved her hand and prevented Andrew from acting, she would have taken his will away from him; if she had ordered Spike or Buffy to step in, that would have altered their paths. If she had stopped Giles, and she REALLY wanted to stop Giles, she would have been taking the final sin from his soul and allowing him a chance of redemption, but Giles killed with no mercy, killed one he had wounded the most. She would have been dictating their paths to them. All she could do was try and make good come from an evil act and at least Andrew was finally out of pain. If he hadn’t died Andrew would have eventually been tempted to sell his soul to stop the agony in his heart and his body, and become worse than Giles ever was. Yep, free will was a bitch, but the Power’s hands were tied. They hadn’t picked Buffy as a slayer, they hadn’t chosen to allow Willow to empower all the potentials. But when she had been chosen and Willow had released the power, they used their Grace to manipulate the consequences to their best effect.


Morning saw little joy in the Hotel. Clem and Baya along with the other demons that had been sheltering at The Hyperion had left with promises to keep in touch. Dawn had hugged Chara close and Clem had been tearful as he put his arms around Dawn. It was safer now on the streets, safer because all the demons that owed their allegiance to the likes of Giles were running for their very lives. Clem was taking his family south, into Mexico where a village had been set up to give peaceful demons like them somewhere to live away from trouble. Three of the younger slayers were going with them to make sure they arrived safely and to stay and guard the village from the sort of people and demons that would love to spoil their Utopia. Buffy laughed at the thought, really laughed, slayers protecting demons!! A lot of the girls were planning to get houses in New Eden, it would be somewhere they wouldn’t stand out as unusual. Somewhere they would be normal, and that, for a slayer, was a priceless gift.

The packing up of the army equipment had taken only a couple of hours, leaving the reception rooms looking desolate and bare. The soldiers were highly trained at what they did, the odd bandage or coffee cup left abandoned the only evidence of the room’s previous use. The main body of the troop would be moving out that day, posted back to base for R&R before their next job, a castle in Romania that was head quarters for a group of vampires.


Martin had spent all his free time with Dawn. She was still quiet following the horrific events the day before, withdrawn into herself, her world spinning out of control. Her friends all leaving hadn’t helped her. Spike looked over at her and remembered she was still a young woman, despite being around for thousands of years. Martin had requested and received permission to stay with Dawn, on leave for a month. It helped having a CO who owed the Slayer so much, and helping the Slayer’s little sister recover from her upset was considered a good use of his time.

Riley and Sam were headed home. They had bought a small house in Iowa, near his parent’s place, ready to give William a good upbringing. Riley was staying with Special Forces, as was Sam, but they had a lot of leave to catch up with, and the world was now full of slayers to help them out. Early that morning Spike had taken another small sip of blood from young William and claimed him as family. Riley smiled as one of the fiercest Master vampires that had ever lived, head of the most powerful vampiric family, put protection on a baby. The look in Spike’s eyes as he held William was haunting. A child that carried William the Bloody’s name was something very special.


Spike watched from a seat in the sun, playing with William, helping by keeping the baby out of the way while everyone else was so busy, as the lorries were packed up and sent on their way. Riley and Sam said their goodbyes quietly to their men; baby William was safe in his Godfather’s arms playing peek-a-boo with his bumpies.

Spike wanted to do something wonderful for the child. In his day a godparent lavished gifts on their godchild, and he wished he were still in a position to do the same. He had some savings in a demon bank, but nowhere near enough to do half the things he wanted to do. Buffy’s future was secure, all the watcher funds were under the care of Septamus, and they were busy setting up funds for all of the slayers. College and a future for them, no Double Meat Palace jobs for the younger generation. Buffy was grateful for that. She and Faith both knew how hard it was to balance real life and slaying and they were determined no one else would suffer as they had. The new generation would have choices or the new council would face both Faith and Buffy and they guaranteed the first slayer and her lieutenant would be dangerous enemies to make.

Andrew’s body had been left in one of the side rooms and the soldiers planned to take him with them when they left. He wasn’t left in the dark though: Willow and Morgana had lit candles in the room and put wards up around it. Tomorrow he would be escorted with full honours to a special cemetery that had been set aside for Riley’s men. Covered in wards and protection spells it was a place to let the dead rest in peace.

Three days later, and Andrew’s funeral was a quiet affair. Riley had organised an honour guard for the poor boy and he was buried with slayers and friends in attendance. Spike was grateful for the Gem of Amara that let him stand in the sun by the side of his beloved Buffy as she watched the coffin being lowered into the ground.

Morgana and Septamus stood off to one side. They had helped Willow deal with the details of the funeral, Kennedy’s father sending a private jet for any who wanted to go. They too were leaving the gang, going away to New Hampshire for a long vacation, courtesy of Kennedy’s very wealthy family. They needed it: Willow was exhausted from all her efforts. Morgana had promised to keep in contact with her and help her with her training, but not until she was properly rested. Their cases were waiting in the back of the limo.

Faith and Robin had left the day before, Faith revelling in her new responsibilities as the main trainer and den mother to the younger slayers.

Spike, Dawn and Buffy got into their own car after one final look back at the grave. Martin was already waiting for them in the driving seat. They headed back to the Hyperion to pick up their bags: they were heading back to England with Septamus and Morgana aboard one of the council’s private planes. They had a council to rebuild.

It had been a full month since the horrific happenings in LA. Whatever ‘big bads’ were around now were hiding, afraid of what a group of angry slayers and an equally pissed off master vampire would do to them: whatever it was they knew it would be painful and permanent. Evil was on holiday, for a long time; it had crawled away, with it’s tail between it’s legs and pulled it’s blanket over it’s head. The heads of the evil powers had been shocked that humans could take down a Demon Lord like Eyghon, even with help. They were now husbanding their resources and hiding.

Unfortunately for Buffy, good wasn’t on holiday: good was working overtime to catch up with what had happened. She looked at the piles and piles of paperwork on her desk and the fireplace in her office, and she was so tempted just to burn the lot…but she couldn’t, could she? She could hear soft laughter and music coming from one of the salons downstairs, tempting her away from going through the register of watchers left. The noise sounded like Dawn and Spike having fun; Buffy took one look at the pile of paperwork and used slayer speed to escape from the monster sitting on her desk.

She needed someone who was better at paperwork than she was, she knew it. Someone who could plough through the reams and reams of papers, the mountains of reports and make sense of it all. Buffy smiled to herself: the watchers who had hidden from Giles and from The First were heading home. They could take over this job, they could deal with the requisition forms and the stock control. But they would find a new regime and a regime that was weighted in favour of the slayers. Maybe she could get Anya to take over the books. The vengeance demon loved figures and numbers. She would be in her element here, and Xander was bound to find a place in the organisation somewhere.

But now she wanted away from the mountains of wood pulp that were threatening to overwhelm her: give her a good fight any day over this monster. She headed down the broad wooden staircase three at a time, earning a frown from one of the staff for her unladylike behaviour. The music got louder and louder as she approached the bottom of the stairs and Buffy headed for the music room across the large, open lobby. That had been a huge surprise, and one that had been very hard to deal with. The watchers’ council was rich, exceptionally rich: they had fancy houses and offices all over the world, they were like a slayer version of Wolfram and Hart, and Buffy had been left with bills, a teenager and no money at all. She would have had them all work long shifts in any burger house in town, if they hadn’t all already been killed off. Or taken by Egg On. She still felt bad, still had nightmares about Ethan and Giles being dragged off to hell screaming at her to help them. At least poor Andrew was at peace.

Buffy took a deep breath to calm herself down from the fight with the paperwork and opened the huge wooden door that led into the music saloon of the large Victorian house they had taken over. They had transformed the servant’s quarters into offices and the cellars into training rooms. They finally had a good use for Quentin Travers’ home.

When Buffy entered the room the sight that greeted her eyes made her laugh out loud. Spike was sitting at the piano playing a waltz with great panache and skill, while Dawn was spinning around the room in Martin’s arms. She couldn’t believe that Spike was actually playing the piano, and calling out the steps. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing as well. Buffy’s interruption distracted Martin so much that he fell over his feet and would have pulled Dawn over if she hadn’t let go quickly. Dawn laughed good-naturedly at the man on the floor, who was cursing his two left feet.

Spike sprung up from the piano stool and swooped Dawn into his arms before continuing to spin her around the floor. He never missed a step as he guided his niblet in the steps of a very complicated spin and twirl, dip and bow waltz. Morgana sat down in Spike’s place at the piano and picked up the beat, turning the waltz into a fast polka.

‘Spike, let me go, I don’t know this one!’

‘Then learn, pet: the steps are the same, it’s just faster,’ and he proceeded to Polka her around the room.

It was only then that Buffy noticed that the chairs had been pushed back around the edges of the room and the carpet rolled up to clear space for the lesson.

‘Where did you learn that?’ Buffy had to know.

‘Was born a gentleman, pet, and Gentlemen danced at balls. Even saw Chopin play once when he came to London,’ he answered with a sad smile. His memories of such occasions were not happy ones: he was never on the inner circle, always on the outside, and Cecily’s comments still held the power to hurt. He led Dawn formally back to her chair and bowed low over her hand.

Morgana picked up the music again and started playing another waltz. Spike bowed to Buffy and held out his hand. ‘Would you do me the honour of this dance?’ He asked very formally.

Buffy smiled up at him, she loved the juxtaposition of warrior and poet in him, it was very hot.

‘It would be my pleasure,’ she said smiling and placing her hand in his.

The music started up again and Spike guided her skilfully around the room, a slight pressure on her back moving her body in perfect time to the music that soared from the grand piano in the corner. Buffy was laughing and enjoying herself so much. She looked up into Spike’s laughing blue eyes; he looked down into hers which were shining like green emeralds, full of laughter and they were filled with so much love. Part of her heard the door open and Septamus come in, but she ignored it, she was having just too much fun.

‘I’m sorry to disturb you Sir William, but I have found a letter in our archives addressed to you,’ Septamus said timidly.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Spike. ‘Sir William?’ she stuttered.

Spike ran a hand through this hair, how had the old coot found out his name? He had no idea. All the watchers’ books had him down as a thief from the east end, running out of the Mock Beggar Pub in Whitechapel. He had hidden his real name and identity completely when he was turned, to protect his two sisters from Angelus, and from the shame of what he had become. Then he remembered his Bit using his full name when she was cross with him. That’s where it must have come from.
Septamus left the little family to their privacy, Morgana and Martin joining him for a walk in the gardens.

Spike looked at Buffy as she made her way across to where Dawn was sitting quietly on the sofa, panting a little after all the dancing. He could hear them talking about Dawn’s upcoming birthday and he turned his attention fully to the envelope in his hand. The script was firm and neat, nice in its original meaning. The fist seemed familiar to him and he tried to recall whose it was.

“My Dearest William,

It feels most strange to be writing to you like this, but I have been assured by your man of business that this will be delivered to you at the appropriate time, and we have always trusted Mr Honey.

My first task is to assure you that Stephen has done all you asked. The London house has been sold, and at a fine price, as have your estates in Ireland and Yorkshire. We have kept Willowstone Hall for our own use as you requested. I am most grateful for your consideration in that. Stephen has passed on your list of instructions to the solicitors, though how you know when stocks will rise and fall I fear to ask. But as you desired, we have taken a copy of the instructions and will abide by them. And I will ask no more questions of you.

It was a delightful surprise to see you at Lady Wheatmore’s ball last week, and I do so hope you enjoy your new life in America. Buffy is a wonderful woman and I am delighted that you are so happily wed. My regards to my new sisters and I hope God may see fit to allow us to meet again.

Your loving Sister,

Louisa”


Spike, William Pratt, Baron, looked at the signature and felt the tears damp against his cheek. His darling sister, Louisa, had written him a letter. He thought about it again for a minute: he hadn’t been to the Wheatmore’s ball, and how had Louisa met Buffy?

Buffy watched Spike thoughtfully. His shoulders were hunched: something had upset him. She hoped it wasn’t too serious, she wanted to question him about the ‘sir’ bit.

‘Well what do you think, Buffy?’ Dawn had been asking her something.

‘I’m sorry Dawnie, I was watching Spike.’ Dawn laughed at Buffy’s honesty.

‘Well, what I would really like is to go to a proper ball, a real Victorian one, with dance cards and gentlemen all dressed up and everything, horse drawn carriages, the works.’

‘And that’s what you’d like for your birthday?’

‘Well, yes, there are loads of slayers who can protect the world while we take a proper break and what’s the use of all this power if we don’t indulge occasionally?’

‘I’m not sure Dawn, I mean I’m game if you are, we can find a dressmaker to make the proper gowns and all, but I don’t want to use the powers to cause problems… we’ll check with Cordy to see if it’s OK for us, and if it is I’ll work on Spike to take us all, seeing as he knows his way around the dance floor.’

‘Thank you Thank you Thank you,’ the younger woman gushed: she’d wanted to do this since Spike had first taught her to waltz the summer Buffy had been away and she never believed she’d have the chance. Dreams really do come true.

Spike sat quietly after everyone had left the room, the letter grasped in his hand, the sound of footsteps and heartbeats vanishing down the hallway towards the backdoor that led to the private garden.
Spike was still pondering the letter Septamus had given him. How had Louisa known to write to him? And how had they met at the Wheatmore’s ball? And what was with the selling of the London house anyway? And the large estate? The only reason he’d do that would be to… invest the money… the penny finally dropped and the morning dawned…of course, he and the girls must have timed it, set up the trust funds and gone to a ball, but why he’d go to one of those dreadful things willingly? He couldn’t work out that problem at all. It would take an act of God, or his girls nagging, to make him go to a ball ever again.

He looked up at the sound of the doorway opening and smiled as Buffy came quietly into the room. She walked slowly up to him, holding a cup of blood fresh from the butcher.

She leant over his shoulder, reading the letter as she did so. Buffy had to admit she was curious as to who was sending Spike letters and she really wanted to ask him about the Sir William bit. She looked at the script: very florid and fancy and she didn’t recognise the writing at all. It was all old fashioned and formal, and very hard to read for someone bought up with computers.

‘Who’s that from?’ she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb his thoughts.

‘Me Sister, Louisa, Mrs Strathmore,’ Spike answered in a very cultured English accent.

‘Eww,’ she joked. ‘You sound more watcher than the watchers round here.’ She would have said more like Giles but her heart and her tongue wouldn’t allow her to even mention that man’s name.

Spike laughed, he had unconsciously slipped into the accent he’d had when he was alive: he could feel her heart beating quickly and sniffed the air. She wasn’t aroused, well no more than usual; he wondered what had got her excited.

‘I have a huge favour to ask, Spike,’ Buffy started to say.

Ahh: so that’s what the fast heartbeat was about, she wanted to ask him something and she thought he was going to say no. Spike grinned to himself.

‘It’s Dawnie’s birthday next week and she wants to go to a proper ball, carriage there and everything. I’m sure we can manage it, can’t we? I have to check with Cordy that timing it is OK, then you can escort us to somewhere wonderful…’ Buffy managed to say the whole sentence without a single breath.

‘Yeah, like my Godmother’s ball,’ he answered without even thinking, still looking at the letter.

‘That sounds perfect! I’m off to find Cordy and a dress maker.’

It was only then that the words sank into his brain. ‘Wha’… no, Buffy!’ he shouted to her vanishing back. ‘Bollocks!’ he knew he was trapped. She had got her way, as always.



Cordelia Chase was babysitting again. Joyce and Anne had come over for a chat and the women were ploughing through all the designs that had been sent to Cordy for her approval.

‘I think this one would suit you beautifully,’ Anne said, holding out a longer styled dress. ‘It is most graceful and I understand that it is now permissible for a lady to show her ankles.’ The Lady Anne had been so daring as to lift her skirts a full two inches above her foot. She loved the freedom that young women were enjoying. Cordy had found the lady a gentle loving companion that had softened her own rough edges.

Cordy looked at the dress. Lady Anne had impeccable taste: the dress was lovely, and would suit her perfectly.


She didn’t, however, think much to the hats. They were a big, a huge NO.

A gentle murmuring cry from the other room disturbed her thoughts and both older ladies jumped up and went to check the source of the noise. Cordy smiled to herself. They loved that infant so much; even if he was denied his mother’s love for the time being, he certainly was adored by all that surrounded him.

She could hear Buffy calling for her through the ether and peeked into her spare room. The occupant of the crib was being hugged thoroughly, and she smiled again at the women as they told her to, ‘pop along and go to work dear, we’ll stay here with this precious mite.’

She could hear them good naturedly arguing about whose turn it was to hold the child as she vanished into the cloud that would lead her to The Slayer.

Cordy found Buffy in her bedroom, looking through pictures of Joyce from before the Hellmouth had opened, let alone been closed with the destruction of Sunnydale.

‘You still miss her.’ It was more of a statement than a question.

‘Yeah I do. There are times when I would say that I would give anything to have her back, but that’s not true. I wouldn’t give Spike up, or Dawnie, but it still hurts and it still feels that she was taken too soon.’

‘I think she was. She was supposed to survive the tumour, and to help you in your life, we are still trying to find out what went wrong. Giles screwed up so much, but we don’t have proof that this one was down to him, yet.’

‘What happened to Giles, I mean after he was dragged off.’ Buffy had to know. She kept hearing her old watcher’s screams as the demon had vanished with the two men in his grasp, they woke her every night and she had to admit that Spike was getting very good at soothing her back to sleep quickly. Who knew a vampire could purr?

‘Tartarus, the Greek Hell dimension, he will be tortured for all eternity, no relief and no mercy.’

‘I can’t find it in my heart yet to pity him, he hurt us all so much; and some of the girls, he raped them Cordy, he was supposed to protect them and he was their biggest danger.’

‘It’s often the way: we protect children from strangers, but it’s family that do the most damage. And those young girls were like family to you, but you did your best Buffy, you really couldn’t have done more for them. I should know,’ Cordy said quietly. ‘I have a message from your mother, Buffy, she loves you very much and is still trying to come to terms with the times she betrayed you.’

‘She never betrayed me!!’

‘Yes Buffy, yes she did and she knows it now, from telling you never to return if you leave when you went to save Giles and Angel; to putting you in that institution when you left LA. She regrets it all and is really, really sorry. She hopes that one day you will forgive her.’

‘I forgave a long time ago: she protected Spike, gave him someone to talk to, someone who believed in him. She was a normal woman thrown into the most horrid circumstances and she did her best.’

Cordy was glad that Buffy felt that way. The blond had matured so much in the last few years.

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Yeah sure Cordy, but I’m not promising to answer,’ she replied with a grin.

‘Fair enough. Why haven’t you mated with Spike yet? I mean the guy is hot and he adores you; can’t understand why, but he does.’ Cordy’s grin gave lie to her words.

‘I want it to be perfect, not just something we do one night, I want it to be really special: flowers, candles, you know, no baby slayers bursting in and demanding we do something about the water pressure in the shower…’

Cordy laughed, a real laugh, from her soul. ‘I understand: a girl’s wedding day should be special.’

‘Wedding?’ Buffy gulped.

‘Well, yeah, duh, what do you think a claim is? It’s a marriage with no divorce, can’t change your mind after a century or so and hope the claim goes away. If you don’t renew the bond regularly it starts to hurt: it was used as a form of torture for vamps, keeping a claimed pair apart, the Council used it when studying them in the last century.’

‘Eww!’

‘Yes, well you think on it, you have to be sure, Buffy.’

‘What do I do, when, if, when we claim each other?’


‘You have to instigate it: you bite him hard, draw blood and then swallow some.’

‘Does it have to be the neck?’

‘No, some vamps use the thigh, more private and more erotic; anything else?’

‘Yep,’ she sounded the hard p just the way they all had at school. ‘Then you say, mine, my mate until eternity ends. Then he either accepts or declines the claim, says yours, or starts a fight if he doesn’t want to be claimed. If he really wants to, then he bites you and repeats the words, and makes the claim mutual and then that’s it.’

‘Then we’re mates?’ Buffy wanted to make sure she understood completely.

‘Then you’re mates, with all the benefits: feeling each other’s emotions, telepathy, an awareness of what is happening to the other one, you are fully bonded. But your lives are bonded as well: if one dies so does the other. The pain of being alone is just too much to bear.’

Buffy looked pensive, she really wanted to be Spike’s mate but really, really was frightened about being rejected. Everyone had left her. Her father, Angel, and she was terrified Spike would turn round at the last moment and reject the claim. She had to think about it, lots.

As usual when Buffy was thinking about one thing she changed the subject completely. ‘Cordy, I wanted to ask you, Dawn wants to go to a ball for her birthday, and we thought if it was OK we could time it back to something really special in Victorian times. Spike knows how to behave, even if he denies it.’

Cordy thought for a moment and grinned. ‘Oh yes, that sounds perfect. In fact how do you feel about a little vengeance on Cecily Underwood?’

‘That sounds like fun, but aren’t you supposed to be an Angel and what do you mean vengeance? That’s normally Anya’s job.’

‘Hey I’m an angel, not a saint.’ Cordy grinned and the two women got their heads together to plot and plan. ‘Cecily thought she was such a bitch, she wouldn’t even make grade one on the scale of Sunnydale High: Willow could take her down.’

Cordy’s last instruction to Buffy was simple. ‘Make sure you invite Morgana as well, she can act as Dawn’s chaperone then you can both enjoy the party.’

Leaving Buffy and Dawn poring over fashion books from 1883, to find just the right dress for the party, Cordy went downstairs to find Spike: they needed to talk as well. Sometimes Buffy’s Valley Girl roots really showed.


‘Hi bleached wonder,’ Cordy said without rancour as she entered the music room.

‘Hello Cheerleader,’ Spike replied in the same tone, ‘what can I do for you today? Nothing too serious I hope ‘cause all I want to do is get drunk, so if you don’t mind…’ he reached for the decanter to refill his glass.

‘I don’t mind you hiding inside the bottle William, but I think Buffy might,’ she smiled across at him. Spike marvelled at the different number of smiles the woman had. This was number 14: if you don’t stop what you are doing you will be in trouble and I am going to enjoy the show when you are.

Spike placed the glass carefully down on the table and gave Cordelia Chase his whole attention.

‘I want you to write a couple of letters Spike, they are needed if you are to regain what you have lost. I will see that they are delivered.’

‘Who are they to? And what do you want me to say? I’m not saying I’ll do it, you understand, and why the hell do I need to do what you say anyway?’

‘The letters are to Louisa, one dated May 1880, telling her you are taking your mother to Switzerland for the sake of her health and the other dated July 1881 telling Louisa that your mother has succumbed to Consumption and you are staying on in the continent for a Grand Tour.’

‘I never even thought about sending a letter to let Louisa know, I should’ve, I suppose. But why should I do it?’

Spike was getting belligerent. Too much brandy, Cordy thought.

‘You were only a young vamp, Spike, a fledgling, with a useless and sadistic sire. You couldn’t have thought of everything; at least you didn’t let Angelus know about your family, and as for why, one to let Louisa know that her mother died, and secondly to leave a space in history for you to drop into when you return to London.’

‘Return to London? Then I suppose you’ve OK’d this daft idea of going to a fancy ball. I am not doing that: no way, poncing around in evening dress, drinking champagne, getting bored stiff…’

‘Well you can of course not go, but Buffy is already picking out a dress and choosing flowers, so we’ll find someone else. I wonder if Heaven can spare Angel for an hour or two, or a whole evening. He always looked wonderful in formal dress…’

That just received a growl from Spike. There was no way he was letting the brooding one squire his ladies out for the evening. Cordy didn’t say anything else. She knew when she had won the battle and the war.

‘No way I’m getting out of this is there? It’s a done deal isn’t it? I’m going.’ He was still planning on trying to persuade the slayer it was a bad idea.

‘Yes you’re going, Spike; now, those letters?’

‘OK, OK, stop nagging woman. I’ll do it.’

‘Now get those letters written and leave them on your desk. I’ll pick them up later, you’ll find your seal on the desk in the study: you’ll need it.’


When he went upstairs late that night to find Buffy and Dawn still poring over the books deciding what to wear to the ball he knew that he was beaten, and he would be escorting both his girls to a formal ball like they had never seen before. The next few days would be full of dressmakers, dancing lessons and etiquette lessons so that Dawn and Buffy wouldn’t feel out of place. He really was love’s bitch.

The letters vanished from his desk in a shower of light and were delivered as promised.

Spike was hiding: he might be a master vampire but he got to be a Master by not being stupid. And it would be a stupid man, vampire, who got between Dawn, Buffy and the piles, no mountains, of fabric that they had bought for the trip back in time. It reminded Spike of times long ago when his own house had been in uproar for his dearest Louisa’s coming-out party. He’d hidden at his club then; no club to hide in now though. He’d just have to make the best of it.

Dressmakers had appeared, all specialists in historical clothing, and they had taken over the dining room producing all the gowns both women would need for a three week holiday in the past. Spike cheated. He had gone along to his old tailors in Saville Row and ordered what he wanted. There had been a couple of strange looks as the assistant had found that this Sir William Pratt had exactly the same measurements as the Sir William Pratt who graced them with his presence, and his accounts, in the 1870’s.

William Pratt had long ago realised that time equalled money and money certainly equalled time. The more money, the quicker the clothes would be ready.

He was promised that everything would be delivered to his house within a week. He felt different, dressed in the smart attire of his own class and own time. A gentleman born and bred.

A letter had been written to The Langham Hotel to reserve a suite of rooms for Sir William and Lady Pratt and their party and, although Cordy moaned about it, the letter was delivered through time as the others had been.

‘I’ll be glad when Dawn works out how to do this for herself,’ she muttered as she vanished into the bright light that hurt Spike’s eyes.

Dawn and Buffy had spent the whole week with Morgana, learning all the social niceties that dictated behaviour in 1880’s England. They had been in fits of laughter over the uses of a fan and how to gain a gentleman’s attention. Not that Buffy would be doing that much of course; Spike growled at even the idea of Buffy talking to anyone else. It was hard: Dawn never expected homework for her birthday present, but both the women understood how important it was that they fitted in. They learned to waltz and to polka, to do the gay gordons and the lancers. The natural grace exhibited by the slayer was shared by her sister and made the lessons quite simple.

Now everything was set for Dawn’s big day. Morgana seemed to know everything instinctually. It was as though she had lived through Victoria’s reign.

Dawn was the first one to ask, ‘just how do you know all this stuff?’ She just had to know after they had been listening to a lecture on the dance card.

‘I was born before even your vampire, young lady.’

‘What??!!’

‘A Lady doesn’t give out her age, but let’s say I have seen an awful lot over the years.’ She laughed and continued with the lesson, knowing Dawn would be mortified if she got any of the myriad of the intricacies of behaviour wrong.

Everything was ready. This time tomorrow they would be stepping through the portal and arriving in 1882 London for the season. They had booked the rooms for a whole two weeks and were planning all sorts of diversions, though they had enough clothes for longer.

Buffy was already in bed when Spike finished carrying the last of the cases downstairs. There were trunks and bandboxes galore waiting for the portal to be opened in the morning. It would zap them straight through to the Council Headquarters; Morgana had assured them that they would all be safe but Buffy would be packing a gun and a crossbow just in case. She still didn’t trust the council.

Spike just stopped moving and looked at her. She was beautiful, her hair spread across the pillow like a honey waterfall. He loved looking at her, she filled every empty hole in his heart and had completely taken over his life. This slip of a woman had become the centre of his universe. Buffy opened her eyes and watched her beautiful vampire watching her. It always made her feel so cherished.

‘Come here and make love to me, my gorgeous sexy vampire,’ she said with a grin.

‘Is that an order?’ He asked with a smirk. He could feel his body harden at the scent of her arousal.

‘Oh yes it certainly is,’ she reached out her hand and looked him deep in the eyes. They were flashing from blue to gold, a sure sign of both William and the demon’s arousal.

Spike took her hand gently in his and started kissing her fingertips. He brushed each individual digit with his lips before making his way up her hand and arm slowly. Buffy could feel the moisture pooling between her thighs before he had reached her elbow. He could make her come without even touching her anywhere naughty!

Spike looked up to Buffy’s face, he worshipped this woman completely. She had stolen his unbeating heart without even trying, he loved her strength and her gentleness. He loved her loyalty and her faithfulness. He just wished he deserved such a treasure. His eyes flashed golden again and he could feel his brow ridges emerging on his forehead. He wanted to make love slowly tonight and fought to keep the demon in check: demon tended to take Buffy fast and hard and tonight was a time for slow and gentle.

‘No, let him out..’ Buffy whispered as she watched the inner battle being played out in his eyes. She ran her fingers across the ridges, causing Spike to purr loudly and rub his face on her open hand. Buffy continued to brush her fingers down his face and neck causing the purrs to get louder and louder. He sounded like a contented panther.

‘Let him come through totally? Please,’ Buffy asked and Spike relaxed completely, allowing the demon to take over fully. His eyes became the deepest gold, as though the sun itself was reflected in them. He could feel his fingers lengthening and his claws appearing, but still Buffy didn’t pull back. His fangs dropped down from the roof of his mouth and she reached up to kiss him thoroughly. Her tongue traced the shape of his teeth, nicking herself on the sharp fang and allowing the blood to drip into his mouth.

Spike shuddered at the taste and strength of the elixir as it overpowered his taste buds. He thought he would explode, he was addicted to Buffy’s blood.

Buffy sat up further and pulled him down onto the bed. She deepened the kiss more, allowing her hands to wander over his body, down his perfect abs and along his narrow hips. She could feel his hard cock through the rough denim: it seemed big even for him and she undid the button and pulled down the zipper, releasing his shaft from its imprisonment. Buffy looked up again into the face of a pure demon, a demon that should have been ripping out her heart, not cradling it carefully and protecting it with all he was.

There were times when she really wished that she had told him that she loved him so much earlier. She regretted every blow she’d ever landed on that glorious face, and every cruel word she had ever spoken to the brave and noble being in front of her. She knew she would spend her life making it up to him.

Spike’s chest rumbled with the noises of contentment he was making, noises that only she ever heard: they seemed to reach her very core, making her even wetter if that were at all possible. Buffy helped him lay down on the bed and she was on her knees by his side. She kissed him down his chest and followed the short hairs that led to a greater prize. Buffy licked her lips at the sight of his magnificent cock. It was ridged when he was in game face. Thicker, longer, pulsing in time with her licks. She could feel him hardening and his cock swelling as she licked and sucked his beautiful cock deep into her throat.

Spike screamed his release as he shot his load down her throat within seconds as though he were some hormonal teenager having his first encounter. He had no control when Buffy was like this. His hand wrapped in her hair. He couldn’t believe that this wonderful, beautiful woman loved him and made love to him so thoroughly.

But Buffy wasn’t finished with him yet. She slid up his prone body until she straddled his hips. Spike’s eyes still showed gold but the demon was happy to let Buffy take the lead. He was totally secure in his belief in Buffy. Both sides of his essence loved, and worshipped this woman.

Buffy rubbed her wet core against his shaft until it was once again firm and standing proud of his body, then, lifting herself up, she impaled herself on it. Pushing hard down until he was embedded so deeply she could feel the tip of his cock rubbing against her womb. She felt full and complete and very loved. She started rocking, sliding up and down Spike’s cock. The cock was thicker and slightly longer than it usually was, an unexpected benefit from the demon being in the fore. She could feel the ridges hitting all the right spots, pushing her higher and higher into ecstasy.

Spike ran his hands up and down her flanks, being careful to ensure that his claws didn’t hurt her. Her skin was like satin, luxurious and smooth, golden against the silver of his paleness. He moved his hands across her ribcage and under her breasts. Spike loved her breasts. They seemed to fit his hands perfectly. He ran the pad of his thumbs across her nipples, hardening them more. Buffy was making the little noises that meant that she was getting close to her second climax. He could smell the increase in her juices and lifted his hips in time with her thrusts. As she reached the pinnacle of ecstasy Buffy leaned down to nuzzle into his neck. It was always an erogenous zone for any vampire and Spike moaned as her human teeth started nipping and biting him. She was right over the mark that Dru had left and it was driving him crazy. Before he knew what had happened Buffy’s teeth had lengthened into fangs and she bit down hard on his neck, obliterating all the marks that were there. She could feel her own fangs enter his skin and could taste the coppery blood on her tongue.

‘Mine’ she screamed… ‘My mate until eternity ends!’

Spike was so shocked that he didn’t reply: he’d always dreamed that Buffy would want this, that she would mate with him, but to have the dream come true was more than the poet or the demon had ever hoped for.

Then he smelled the tears and looked into emerald pools. Buffy was crying.

‘Don’t you want this? I thought this was what you wanted, I found about claiming and everything. I had to initiate it or it wouldn’t work: I’m sorry…’ she burst into tears. She sounded so lost and alone, Spike thought. He had never seen her looking so small and lost.

‘Wha’?’ was all he could manage to say.

‘You haven’t answered. Don’t you want me? You won’t have to fight for your freedom: I’ll go,’ she grabbed for the sheet and tried to hurry away, the tears flowing freely down her face. That was when he realised. He hadn’t replied to the claim. He hadn’t said anything. He could be so dumb sometimes.

‘Yours,’ he said quietly, then louder, ‘your mate, until eternity ends.’

Buffy looked at him from the middle of the floor, the sheet held closely to her body.

‘You mean that?’

‘Yours,’ he repeated again, ‘your mate.’

She moved the hair from her neck where it covered the bites from all the other vampires and walked back towards him as he lay naked on the bed.

‘You want us equal, pet? There’s no divorce, you know that?’

‘You mean you’ll never be able to leave?’

‘Never. We have to be together for the rest of our lives; if I die you will as well. Are you sure you want this?’


She nodded and tilted her head up to allow him to get better access to her neck. Spike stood up and walked towards her. Taking her gently in his arms he aligned his fangs over all the previous marks and sank his teeth into his chalice.

‘Mine, my mate until eternity ends.’

‘Yours,’ Buffy whispered. ‘Your mate.’

Spike swung her up in his arms and laid her back on the bed.

‘I’m going to shag you senseless until the morning,’ he stated as he threw her onto the bed.

‘No you’re not,’ she answered. ‘You’re going to make love to me, your wife…’

Buffy held onto the door-knob of her bedroom door with slayer strength as Spike pulled on the ribbons of the corset. She felt like she was being cut in two by the whalebone and canvas and she was regretting agreeing to Dawn’s requests – sorry, demands. Dawn had insisted on all their clothes being authentic so no nice comfy bra and thong set from Victoria’s Secret underneath the beautiful travelling dress that was waiting for her to put it on. Oh no, it was a chemise and corset and then knickers with a hole in them. Morgana had referred to them as Harvest Knickers…all safely gathered in; but Buffy was just concentrating on breathing. She could not believe women tortured themselves like this every day. And it did feel like torture. When Spike had pulled hard he finished off the cords with a bow and let Buffy up from her uncomfortable position. She looked glorious. There was something about his beloved dressed in the clothes of his time that really turned him on. She slipped the travelling dress over her head and turned her back on Spike again, this time to allow him to do up the row of small fabric covered buttons that ran from her neck to her waist. Buffy had been astonished at the complexity of the clothes: no wonder they needed maids to help. Spike had yet to change but it had taken Buffy over an hour to dress, and it wouldn’t take him anywhere near that long. Buffy sat carefully on the bed while Spike changed himself back into Sir William Pratt, Baron. He stripped off the jeans and tee that he habitually wore and put on the dress and style he had been born to.

Spike looked spectacular as he escorted Buffy downstairs. She walked carefully, very aware of the skirts that limited her movement and she was still giving her lover grief at how tightly he had fastened the corset. Spike was laughing.

‘If you can nag me pet, you’re breathing too much and it’s still too loose. You wait until you see how tight me sister wears ‘em,’ he told the pouting slayer.

Morgana had arrived early that morning looking every inch the Victorian matron and had asked, then demanded, that Dawn open up the portal early and let her through. Dawn had started to sulk until it was pointed out that if a vampire from as notorious a clan as The Aurulians came waltzing through Watcher Headquarters without prior warning he was more likely to be met with a crossbow bolt than a warm welcome. Dawn hadn’t thought of that, neither had Buffy from the look on her face, but Morgana was prepared. She had vanished into the swirling lights with a swish of expensive silk and a cloud of rose water. Septamus had been passing by and had barely stopped to say hello before wandering off again to the library.

The Watchers had been in a meeting, trying to track down the latest slayer when they had been interrupted by a glowing doorway appearing in their midst. Out from it had stepped Morgana De Merthyn, one of the most powerful witches of any age. She had looked around the room and then taken over the meeting completely. Mr. Morgan wasn’t used to being sidelined, but he wasn’t a stupid or blustering man. He was sharp and intelligent and believed very much in the cause they all fought for: protecting their world from the evil that invaded it. Morgana’s feats and history with the Council over the last five hundred years guaranteed that what ever she asked for would be done, if they possibly could.

Robert Morgan stood and offered the lady his chair, his Victorian manners insisting and his watcher’s heart backing that decision.

‘I am sorry to disturb your meeting gentlemen, but I have a request,’ she began, only to be interrupted by one of the other Watchers offering tea.

‘Yes please, Mr…?’

‘Alfred Travers, and this is Antony Giles,’ Robert introduced the two younger men.

Morgana gave them a slight bow and carried on with what she was saying, gratefully accepting the tea cup from the young watcher.

‘And you are?’ Antony Giles bristled with his own importance. ‘And how did you get in here? This is a private meeting.’

‘If it is a meeting of any part of the Watcher’s Council, Miss, sorry Madam De Merthyn has every right to be here,’ Robert began. ‘She has held a place at this table for over five hundred years and will continue to do so for as long as she wishes. We wouldn’t have fought off the great attack of 1665 if it hadn’t been for her, and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to blame all the deaths on illness if she hadn’t found that awful disease in Africa.’

‘It’s all right Robert, I seem to remember you as a young man asking exactly the same questions and getting just the same answers over forty years ago,’ Morgana chuckled as she sipped her tea. It was one of the nicest things about Victorian England, good quality tea.

The gentlemen around the table settled back down and Robert took the spare seat at Morgana’s left side.

‘Now where were you, gentlemen?’

‘We are trying to track down the latest slayer: our old one died yesterday.’

‘Oh I am so sorry, but you are not in Mourning?’

‘Well no, its not like we actually know the girl, they just work for us,’ Alfred started saying. Morgana could feel herself bristle.

‘I thought that little piece of thinking had been put back where it belonged, Morgan! These girls are the very reason you exist, you are supposed to guide and protect them, care for them…’

‘I know and we try, that’s why these two are here, they need a little further education. The problem is, Morgana, they have never met, in fact we have never actually met, a slayer.’

‘Well that is something I can solve for you. We await the arrival of the shining ones.’

As soon as she said those words, Alfred and Anthony jumped to their feet.

‘How do you know our most secret password? Who are you?’ They started firing questions at her.

‘I am Morgana de Merthyn and I know the password because I was there when the seer gave you the prophecies. Now sit down and calm down.’
She shook her head. ‘If this is the quality of Watcher, God help the Council over the next few years!’

Morgan had stayed in his seat the whole time. He had seen Morgana at work before and had no desire to get another lecture off of the lady: he had enough of those when he was a boy.


‘Morgana, what was that about solving our problems? We are looking for the next slayer.’

‘Anita, charming girl, lives in the Ural Mountains at the moment. Needed in St Petersburg so you will have to find her a house there to live in.’

‘Thank you Morgana, you never let us down.’

‘Well I try not to. Now as for you all meeting a Slayer, that’s what I’m here about. I have just timed it from the beginning of the twenty-first century and have come about a birthday party. One of our slayers has a young sister who wants to go to a ball and we are coming back in time so she can go to a real one. Things have changed in the century and a quarter between then and now.’

‘One of your slayers?’

‘Caught that, did you? Yes, one of our slayers. All the potentials have been awoken and are protecting our world. They were needed when hell itself opened and started spitting out demons.’

‘Good God!!’ Anthony exclaimed.

‘Yes, he was. Allowed a young witch to tap into the source and release the great spell. Also allowed the shining ones to meet and they will be here later today. My Slayer and her sister, and my slayer’s husband.’

‘Husband? They are not supposed to marry: no mortal would be able to deal with a slayer in full power - provided she lived through her Cruciamentum,’ Alfred Travers added with a smirk. The thought of a young girl trapped with a monster excited him a little. He couldn’t wait until he could oversee the ritual.

‘She not only lived through it, she succeeded against a master, so technically she is your boss.’

The men started spluttering. ‘A woman leader? Don’t be ridiculous!
How much does her husband know of our world?’

‘Everything.’

‘She broke oath and told him about us and the creatures of the night? This woman needs dealing with!’

Robert Morgan just smiled and let Morgana deal with his imbecilic underlings. He could see where the conversation was leading, and Morgana was not someone to be messed with. He got up quietly and slipped out the door: let Aunty Morgana deal with the idiots for a couple of minutes, he had messages to send to get the newest slayer a Watcher. Slipping back into the room he could still hear the raised voices, his juniors still arguing that they needed to deal with this rogue slayer.

Morgana had had enough. She waved her hand towards the teapot and Robert watched in amusement as a fresh cup of tea danced down the table and into her hand.

‘Enough! You really have become a council of fools. This slayer was called ten years ago. She has stopped more than one apocalypse and is coming here for a much needed rest. She IS bringing not only her husband but her younger sister, whom she has raised, and you WILL make her and her family welcome. You WILL be paying any and all expenses they incur and you will be issuing invitations to your homes.’

‘I for one will be delighted to meet them: a slayer that has been working for ten years, she must be amazing.’ Robert answered swiftly.

‘She is,’ Morgana’s voice softened as she thought of the young blond woman she had left just hours before.

‘Now here comes the bit you won’t like.’ She added and looked straight at Robert Morgan.

‘What’s that? Her husband?’

‘Well yes, he is quality, but…’

‘There’s a but?’

‘There is a but. He is a Victorian gentleman turned in 1880, and by 2008 is a master vampire of the Auralian line. You see, gentlemen, we don’t await the arrival of the shining ones; for us it IS the time of the shining ones.’

Robert was astounded, he could barely make out the words that both Anthony and Alfred were shouting at him.

‘You need to invite him in: actually you don’t, do you? Buffy passed her Cruciamentum, so technically this is her house, isn’t it? I do strongly suggest, however, that you give them a bedroom a little away from anyone you actually like. They have only been mated a short while and you must have read what it is like for a mated pair.’


‘A mated pair?’ Robert managed to say.

‘Yes, mated, and he is incredibly protective of both Dawn and Elizabeth, Buffy, so I wouldn’t shout at them if I were you. And if you value your lives don’t lecture her!’

‘Why, will the vampire,’ Alfred spat the word out, ‘will the vampire kill us?’

‘Oh no, but if you spoil Dawn’s birthday treat and Buffy’s holiday, I will.’
She said it in such a light and undramatic way that it hit every primeval nerve and chilled the listening Watchers to the bone.

‘You mean that? You value a demon over us?’ Robert asked.

‘Oh yes, you see I know their future and if keeping them safe means destroying half of London I will do it without so much as a thought. Now how about some more tea?’



The cases had been loaded onto a wheeled truck and were ready for the journey. Dawn was bouncing, she might be 23 but this was a huge adventure, an adventure she got to share with her sister and her best friend. She turned around to hurry Spike and Buffy along only to find the vampire kneeling at Buffy’s feet holding out a ring box. She didn’t speak, not wanting to break the spell. Dawn couldn’t hear what was being said but Buffy looked happy. Spike slipped not one but two rings onto Buffy’s ring finger. A simple gold wedding band, engraved with orange blossom and a large and spectacular emerald. It shone with the fire that was usually seen in Buffy’s eyes.

The portal was ready and Buffy led the way through. It always made both Dawn and Spike a little apprehensive and the two old friends shared an understanding look before stepping through and back to the past.

Dawn stepped into an old-fashioned parlour. Even the piano in the corner had its legs covered. The room was brightly lit with early morning sunshine and the curtains had been pulled right back, letting the light flood into the room. It was a good job that Spike had the Gem otherwise he’d be vampire flambé before he’d taken a step. There were two men armed with crossbows pointing straight at her.

Dawn couldn’t step back because Buffy was right behind her. Spike was coming through last, pulling the little wagon that was loaded high with their luggage.

He saw the men as soon as the flashing lights dimmed and quickly stepped in front of Dawn to protect her. He and Buffy started doing a little dance, each trying desperately to cover the other one. Spike had shifted into game face without even thinking and Buffy could feel strength invade her limbs. Her mind seemed clearer and faster, she could even feel her eyes change colour. Her heightened senses could hear every heartbeat, smell every different person in the building, let alone the room. She knew, even with the dress encumbering her legs, she would move faster than she ever had before.

Morgana stood watching, then laughed.

‘See? I told you he would defend them, now be good boys and put down your toys before I start to play.’ Her voice had gone cold at the last part. The watchers lowered their weapons but kept a close and wary eye on the vampire.
‘I will repeat again: we await the arrival of the shining ones, well actually you await the arrival, for me and my time they have already arrived. Now Robert, be a dear and order tea and dismiss your foot soldiers.’

The man she had been addressing nodded at the weapon holders who left the room quietly and efficiently.

‘Buffy my dear you look wonderful, now this is Robert Morgan, Head of the Watchers Council. Robert, may I present Sir William Pratt; Lady Pratt, Elizabeth; and Miss Dawn Summers.’ The man held out his hand to William very carefully. He had never been this close to a vampire let alone a master vampire.

Spike shook off his game face and took the other man’s hand. He could feel how nervous the poor sod was, he wanted to grin and show fangs – hey, still evil here - but one look at Buffy and Dawn’s faces warned him that if he wanted the rest of the holiday to go nicely he had better behave.

‘How do you do?’ he asked, allowing his native upper class English accent to shine through.

‘How do you do?’ Was the instinctive reply from an exceptionally nervous Robert Morgan.

Morgan held up the decanter of whisky to his guest. He knew he needed a drink and hoped it would break the ice; he had never entertained a vampire before. The slim blond man relaxing in the wing chair by the fire nodded and smiled. He could still hear the poor watcher’s heart going nineteen to the dozen and smiled. It was meant to reassure the human but seemed to scare him even more. A drop of the good stuff would smooth the rest of the evening.

Morgan chided himself when he felt his hand shaking. Spike smiled, showing all his white perfect human teeth as Morgan handed over the large measure of twenty-year old malt. The two men sat quietly enjoying the fire and the warming effect of the whisky before the silence was broken by Spike.

‘I ain’t going to bite if you talk to me, watcher,’ he grinned. He had timed the comment perfectly and Morgan spluttered on the drink. Spike’s mouth twitched upwards in a smile, he was enjoying this too much and knew he would be in trouble from his mate later, but: still evil here…

The men exchanged looks over the top of the whisky glasses, assessing each other and liking what they saw: just wary, watcher of vampire and vampire of watcher.

‘How come she didn’t kill you?’ Morgan finally blurted out. He hadn’t meant that to be his first question; it had just escaped his mouth. Morgan started cursing himself, he was supposed to be circumspect and his brain had left him as though he were still a callow youth.

‘She tried,’ Spike smiled at the memory. ‘God knows I tried to kill her enough times as well, but there is something about Summers’ women that just twists a man's heart, leaves him protecting them whether he wants to or not. Dawn’s just the same; so was their mother, Joyce.’

Morgan signalled the blond to continue his tale, and sat back to listen.

‘First time I met Joyce she whacked me across the head with an axe!’ Spike seemed to be lost in memories that were coursing through his mind. Unfortunately he had caught Morgan taking another sip of whisky and again it went down the wrong way and left the poor man coughing and spluttering. Spike watched as the poor man went slightly purple before he used his preternatural speed to reach the watcher and thump him, gently, across the back.

‘Sorry,’ he muttered to Morgan when the man finally got his breath back.

‘Is this how you kill your victims, drown them in malt?’ Morgan gasped when he’d finally got his breath back.

‘No, but it’s a thought, and what a way to go!’ Spike laughed and went back to his own seat and drink.

The gentlemen were both dressed for a formal evening out and counted themselves lucky that they had only been waiting an hour and a half for the ladies to join them. The conversation flowed over a surprising range of subjects until Spike stood up and placed his empty glass on the table.

‘Ladies on their way,’ he said before sedately leaving the room and strolling to the bottom of the grand stair. Morgan couldn’t remember when he had enjoyed an evening more.

‘Useful hearing, that,’ he whispered as the gentlemen picked up the three posies they had waiting on a table situated at the bottom of the stairs.

Looking up, Sir William Pratt was glad that he no longer needed to breathe because if he had he didn’t think he would be capable. Buffy looked incredible, amazing, beautiful, effulgent. It was the only word that fitted. She glowed with an inner light, she truly shone. Her dress was an off the shoulder green silk creation that grasped her slender waist and made it look even tinier than usual. Her blond hair had been swept up into a high design that suited a married lady. Around her neck was the emerald necklace he had collected from the bank vault earlier that afternoon. It had been in his family for years and had always been handed on to the eldest son’s bride as a wedding gift.

Dawn followed just a step behind, looking equally beautiful, her hair curling around her shoulders, dressed in a pale blue dress, as befitted her (officially) maiden status, but Spike’s eyes could only see his beloved mate.

‘You look amazing pet,’ he managed to say. Buffy just looked up into his eyes and smiled demurely.

Morgana coughed loudly, bringing him out of his reverie and Spike looked at the other ladies and smiled, glad that vampires couldn’t blush or he would have been beetroot by now. ‘You all look wonderful,’ he added.

The two Victorian gentlemen bowed politely as they presented the evening posies to the three women. ‘For you to carry.’ Morgan explained to Dawn. She was unused to getting flowers, and sniffed the posy.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her face aglow with excitement.


Buffy smiled up into her mate’s face. She could see the love burning there and wondered how she could ever have doubted him in the years before the fall of Sunnydale. Her heart felt as though it were going to explode from the amount of emotion that was swelling up inside.

‘I do so love you William,’ she said quietly, knowing that only he could hear her.

‘As I do you pet,’ he managed to stammer in reply.

Morgana smiled indulgently at the pair; she signalled Morgan to escort Dawn into the waiting carriage and coughing again, informed the besotted blonds that it was time for them to leave.


Dawn looked out of the window of the horse-drawn carriage open-mouthed. The gas-lights were lit showing a soft yellow light, and there were vehicles everywhere. The two horses pulling theirs were elegant chestnuts with proud heads. William Pratt had given them the once-over with a knowing eye. It was another side of her husband for Buffy to investigate; whatever else happened in her life she would never be bored. William Pratt was a deep and complex man.

The house in Grosvenor Square was ablaze with lights. There seem to be coaches everywhere, taking their turn to pull up to the grand entrance. Liveried footmen were waiting to open doors and help the occupants out. Dawn and Buffy were trying to take in all the different sights and sounds around them. Spike and Morgana exchanged a small smile at the childish exuberance the Summers’ girls were displaying. Very unfashionable behaviour but Morgan was pleased that his guests were having fun. He hadn’t forgotten Morgana’s not-so-veiled threats that morning, not that he would be stupid enough to call her wrath down on his head…well not for a second time, anyway. Their own carriage moved forward along the line and pulled up outside the great ornate doorway. A footman opened the door and folded open the steps before standing aside to allow the gentlemen to alight. The highlight of Dawn’s birthday was about to begin.

Morgan turned to help his many-times-great-grandmother down the step and then Dawn. Sir William Pratt shook slightly as he helped Lady Pratt down the step. He still couldn’t quite believe she was his, even the touch of her hand made his body react.

He looked up to the house he hadn’t seen for nearly 130 years. A house where he’d spent happy days as a boy. He led Buffy up to the front door, which was standing open and welcoming to the guests who were arriving in droves. It was going to be quite a squeeze. Buffy could see a grand swooping staircase rising up to the public saloons on the next floor. She took a pace forward and felt Spike slow. He was worried about something; then she remembered that he hadn’t been invited into this house. There would be a barrier. Buffy was angry at herself for not remembering beforehand. But she sometimes forgot what exactly her husband was.

Morgana and Dawn were right behind the blond pair. Morgana leant forward and whispered loudly, ‘Do hurry up, Pratt! I told your Godmother you were in town and she said to make sure you attended tonight!’

Morgana had thought of everything. Buffy was relieved. The woman had removed the barrier to the house they were entering, and managed to let him know without letting everyone around in on his secret.

The ball was everything Dawn could have dreamed of: the lights and the music had captivated her from the first moment. Lady Wheatmore had made her and Buffy so welcome, although she had told William off for not writing for so long. She had promised to visit them all at Langham’s the following afternoon before turning to receive the next guest. William let out an unwanted breath. He had been scared about facing his old life. He felt Buffy’s reassurance through the claim: she was flooding his mind with lots of images of what she’d do to him later, after the ball was over. He was very glad that his dress trousers were looser than his jeans tended to be. He had never followed the fashion of wearing an Albert, but was regretting that decision now.

Buffy and Dawn looked around the huge ballroom. There were beautiful women everywhere, the silk of the dresses reflecting back the lights from the gas lamps. The walls were lined with mirrors and an orchestra had been set up at the far end. There were couples working through a complex country dance on the floor and more people around the edges. Chairs had been set up for the older ladies and Morgana led the way across to them.
She intended to take her role of chaperone very seriously: she greeted the ladies to either side of her, although she knew neither of them, but Morgan introduced the two parties properly and the older women settled in for a chat. Spike took his place behind the ladies’ chairs and tried not to feel so insecure. Occasions like this brought back so many bad memories for him…

Dawn was wide-eyed, but curtseyed very sweetly when one of the gentleman, Richard Addams, asked her for the next dance. She looked at Morgana and received a nod of approval and they swept onto the floor for a polka. Morgan bowed low to the slayer.

May I have the privilege of this dance?’ he asked and pointedly ignored the growls coming from the vampire behind him. Buffy smiled and put her hand in the Watchers as he span her across the floor.

Morgana had vetted every young man that had presented himself to Morgan and William for an introduction to the young Miss Summers during the evening. Dawn was having the time of her life. They went down to supper together and Morgan had introduced them to hundreds of people. Rumour had gone around that William Pratt had married an American Heiress and was now even richer. He smiled to himself as he heard the tales spread throughout the room. There were few of his old acquaintances around; mind you he had murdered quite a few of them when he was first turned. Then he saw HIM: Henry Fitzherbert, his nemesis. One of the few he hadn’t managed to kill. His demon wanted to rip the man’s head off in the middle of the dance floor, but he could feel Buffy sending soothing thoughts through the claim, reassuring him of her love and commitment to him.

‘Your Godmother wouldn’t thank you for getting blood all over her nice floor, would she?’ Buffy sent him a smouldering look. ‘And if you are a very good vampire you might get a tasty treat just before bed.’ She moved her head, making the claim marks on her neck obvious to the aroused demon.



Buffy looked around, trying to see who had upset her mate so much. All she could see was a fat man in his thirties trying to look younger. The man walked over to her when he saw her watching him.

‘Lady Pratt, I know we haven’t been formally introduced but I do so hope you won’t mind my forwardness. I’m Henry Fitzherbert,’ he said, holding out his hand to her.

Buffy wasn’t sure how to react, she knew she wasn’t supposed to touch him, and there was something about the man that made her skin crawl. He was debauched.

‘May I have the pleasure of this dance?’ He asked. His voice sounded oily. Buffy really didn’t like him. She was relieved when she felt Spike come up behind her.

‘Your lemonade, my dear,’ Sir William said as he presented her with a glass.
‘My God, Fitzherbert, I haven’t seen you for years: how are you old chap?’ William said. ‘Watch this one pet, he’s not nice,’ he murmured quietly enough so the man couldn’t hear him. But Buffy had. She smiled up at her husband from below her lashes coyly, tempting the demon into renewing the claim.

‘I’m sorry Mr. Fitzherbert, but my husband promised me this dance.’ She handed the man her glass and moulded herself to Spike’s body as they indulged in a waltz.


Morgana had told her that she was only permitted two or three dances with Spike, and she had been determined to save those for the waltzes. William waltzed beautifully and she loved the feeling when he whirled and twirled her around the floor. And she knew it was acceptable for her to dance with any gentleman that had been introduced to her, but waltzes were Spike’s. She could feel the eyes of many of the women on her as they danced through the room. Spike was an amazing dancer, she had always known it; he guided her though the patterns and around the other couples. She was truly in heaven. When they finished, Spike escorted her back to her seat near Morgana, but growled as he saw Fitzherbert nearby. He was insecure enough in this situation and seeing his old enemy just brought back all the bad old feelings.

Fitzherbert could have sworn he saw Pratt’s eyes flash gold. He wanted to discompose the man that the wimp had become. He had found Cecily Underwood and brought her over for an introduction.

‘Pratt, You remember Miss Underwood, as was? She is now Lady Southmere.’

‘Congratulations on your marriage, Lady Southmere; may I present my wife Elizabeth Summers? Elizabeth my dear, this is Cecily Southmere.’

Buffy looked at the woman who had made her husband’s human years so tormented. She didn’t seem much, and certainly wasn’t that pretty. She had the sort of look on her face that Cordy used to keep for the outcasts in the school, and was looking straight down her nose at Buffy.

‘Come on Pratt, why don’t you introduce me to the rest of your party? We can leave the ladies to get better acquainted,’ he added with a snide smile. He linked his arm through Spike’s and led him away. Spike couldn’t make a scene, he didn’t dare spoil Dawn’s party, and so let himself be led away, hoping that Buffy would be a match for his youthful amour.

‘Does William still write poetry, Lady Pratt?’ Cecily asked in a condescending tone. ‘He used to keep us very amused with his pitiful verses.’

‘He’s had a lot of practice since then, and his latest is very well received in some circles. It’s so nice to be married to a man who can create things isn’t it; is your husband artistic at all?’

‘Oh no, he wouldn’t waste his time on that sort of rubbish!’

‘How strange that you find creativity a waste of time. Personally, I admire a person who can produce something beautiful. What is it Mr Morris says: the things one owns should be either useful or beautiful?’ Buffy smiled at the woman.

‘How long have you been married, Lady Pratt - or may I call you Buffy?’

‘My friends call me Buffy, so Lady Pratt will do nicely thankyou, and we have been married just a few months.’


‘So William must still be making a lot of demands on you. I remember how hard it was when I first married, the “obligations” one had to submit to.’ Cecily was determined to try and cause trouble.

Buffy laughed out loud. ‘Do you find it an obligation to be close to your husband? How sad… No, William spoils me dreadfully and it is always a joy and a great pleasure to be with him, day or night,’ she added with a sly smile. ‘Now you must forgive me Lady Southmere, Morgana de Merthin is signalling me and I really should go back to my party.’

Buffy walked across the room slowly. Her smile was as broad as it could be, almost a smirk in fact.

‘I’m sorry pet, I couldn’t get away from the pillock.’

‘It’s alright Spike, she just tried a game of one-upmanship, and lost. Who does she think she is?’ Buffy shrugged her shoulders. ‘The woman was a moron.’

‘The toast of London, I believe,’ Morgan said as he handed Buffy another drink.

‘Well, she's not my toast. I went to school with Cordy and Harmony: her bitching didn’t even merit amateur status!!’ Buffy huffed.

‘How did you know about William Morris?’ Spike asked, fascinated by what he had overheard.

‘I read, and Mom had this book about him in the gallery. I read it, ‘cause he was alive when you were,’ she smiled up into her mate’s eyes.

That’s charming, Buffy.’ Morgana smiled. She was enjoying her observation of the vampire and his mate. The shining ones were truly amongst them.



Dawn was having the time of her life. She hadn’t sat out a single dance all evening, but the icing on her cake had been when Martin Lawson had turned up to claim a waltz. He was wearing full dress uniform from the American Army, courtesy of 1880. He looked so handsome Dawn found it hard to breathe: the last person she expected to see was Martin. She had been surrounded by admirers all night, each one trying to sign her dance card when the uniformed man had pushed his way through the crowd. The men were less than pleased when a complete stranger took the belle of the ball away from them to have the next dance. Cordy smiled as she vanished back into her own realm: things were progressing very nicely.

Dawn felt that she was in heaven, and Buffy smiled as she watched her sister twirl across the floor in Martin’s arms. She didn’t have to turn to know that Spike was just behind her. She leant back onto his chest and took strength from his presence.

‘The doc has asked my permission to court her,’ he said quietly to Buffy. Buffy turned quickly to look at her mate. ‘And?’

‘And I told him No Way, Niblet is too young.’ Spike grinned as he saw the storm clouds descend on to his mate’s face.

‘You, you… man, you!’ Buffy was furious; she knew how much Dawn cared for Martin and couldn’t believe Spike had said No! She turned to him ready to give him a piece of her mind when she saw the look in his eyes. He was winding her up. ‘You are so easy, pet! I said yes: what did you think I‘d say?’

‘Is he going to ask her to marry him?’

‘He showed me the ring, and it’s beautiful.’ Spike added. ‘Bit strange playing the part of Dawn’s dad, though’.

Buffy smiled and leaned back against her mate, totally secure in his love for her.

‘William?’

Spike turned round to see a face that made his heart feel like it was beating again. ‘Louisa,’ he whispered. ‘Louisa,’ he said again more loudly. ‘I was coming to visit you tomorrow.’

Buffy swung her head round to see Spike kissing the cheek of a very beautiful woman with sparkling blue eyes.

‘When did you get back? How have you been, you look amazing!’ she babbled at him.
Buffy felt the jealousy fire through her heart. Whoever this was, Spike loved her, she could feel the emotion over the claim. She looked closer at the woman who was still hugging William. Spike broke off from the hug and held the woman at arm’s length, looking her up and down.

‘You look beautiful tonight, Louisa.’

Then the other woman looked pointedly at Buffy. ‘William?’

‘I’m so sorry, Louisa this is my wife Buffy, Elizabeth Summers… Buffy this is my sister, Louisa Aldercott.’

Spike was feeling put upon, very put upon: since when did preternatural strength equal him being used as a beast of burden? Spike tried to juggle the two trunks he was hauling down the stairs to the trolley they were to use. And how could three women manage to buy so much in just two weeks and in a time period not their own? He had tried to persuade Buffy and Morgana to help him manage all the cases back through the portal, but they had laughed at him and then just brought down another trunk. Him, William the Bloody, slayer of Slayers, reduced to being a sodding porter. And being laughed at by those bints. Then he had to grin. Dawn and Buffy had had a brilliant time shopping and they had cost The Council a fortune. Morgan had just smiled as the bills came in from the tradesmen, but Travers and Giles were livid. They had ranted and raved for hours about the amount the women were spending, but to little avail; Morgan just signed the bills and ordered them paid. Travers and Giles watched the little party gathering together from the safety of the library, having polished off a decanter of brandy before noon.

‘How dare this upstart spend all the Council’s money on frippery!’ There was undisguised venom in Travers’ voice.

‘We have to do something about her,’ Giles replied as the two men watched Buffy and Spike vanish through the portal, ‘and we have a hundred years to plan it.’


Cordy watched as Buffy and Spike made their way to their sitting room that evening. Martin and Dawn had vanished off into the night to go dancing to celebrate their engagement and she had waited quietly in the shadows until the house had fallen still. She knew she was supposed to talk to them, but watching the way that Buffy and Spike were wrapped around each other, lost in each other’s eyes, she thought it could wait for another night. She had to see Andrew anyway, and Anne and Joyce would spoil the baby rotten if they stayed with the darling much longer. She had to relieve them at some point, and it would soon be time for the little mite to leave them all for a while. Then there was all the work that needed doing to get the new place ready. An angel’s life was not a simple one, but she loved managing everyone, especially now that she had her wardrobe. She gave herself a little wiggle as the chiffon floated around her. She didn’t really ‘do’ chiffon but Christian Dior had made a real angel dress for her, and he’d been right, she could carry chiffon. Cordy smiled as she felt another wave of love emanate from the pair below her. She would talk to them tomorrow.

Spike felt the happiness flow off his mate as they walked into the room. The silk of her dress was making the most wonderful sound as it swished through the doorway. It brought back memories of his mother and his old life. In fact the whole visit had made him rethink his early years. Everything was now set up as well, and by the end of the week his girls and his godson would be rich. £500 properly invested in 1882 amounted to over a million dollars now; William Riley Finn was a very wealthy little boy. He just hoped that Captain Whitbread would accept the gift: it was for the lad’s college fund after all. The rest of the Pratt fortune had been squirrelled away for his own use and as soon as he went to Temple Bar he would have access to millions. Technically he would be among the richest men in the world, if the girls didn’t manage to spend it all. The Summers’ women could be a natural disaster to any man’s account. At a growl from Buffy he turned his attention back to where it should be, his beloved mate.

Spike started purring without even realising it, he was so happy, and Buffy nuzzling and nipping at his neck was creating wonderful reactions in his body. He led her gently further into the sitting room and towards the fire. He had lit the fire before they had eaten, and the embers were giving the old panelled walls a rich warm glow, enhanced by the candles and soft lighting. He had pulled the thick velvet curtains shut against the rainy night, leaving the two of them cocooned in a world of gold, red and wood.

Buffy hadn’t changed out of her Victorian clothing all day, it made her feel so feminine, womanly, and she was revelling in the effect it had on her Victorian husband. She knew he could feel the corset under the dress, hard against the softness. He kept stroking her ribs and waist. It was making him even more horny, if that were possible. Spike seemed to live in a permanent state of arousal since he had first met Buffy all those years ago, and it hadn’t eased since the mating. He only had to sense her, or scent her and he was rock solid enough to hammer in nails. And she knew it, and played on it, like now. All that nuzzling at him: she knew that a vampire’s neck was a sensitive spot. Now the bint was being particularly cruel, she was sucking hard on the mating marks. His demon had had enough, he was having her here and now and nothing and no-one was going to stop him. He manoeuvred her over to the sofa and guided her down onto the leather seat. Putting a cushion behind her head to ensure her comfort his lips locked on hers, his tongue almost begging for entrance to her mouth, caressing hers, exploring the inside of her mouth.

Buffy felt rather than saw the bones in her lover’s face change: she could taste the muskiness of pure male on the air as the demon came forth and it made her even more hungry for him, she wanted to drown in his presence, his smell, his sheer maleness. The claws tracing up her thigh and gently stroking the fine curls at the apex of her legs made her whimper in need. Buffy shifted slightly on his lap, allowing her legs to fall open and for him to have access to her most secret place. She watched as he lay alongside of her, the over-wide sofa easily accommodating the two slim blonds. He had shrugged himself out of his formal jacket, leaving only his waistcoat and cravat over the thin cotton shirt: every inch the gentleman, every inch the cad.

Spike stroked and rubbed the outer lips of her pussy, feeling the moisture pooling on his finger. He slipped the digit into that tight, tight hole. It had been less than a day since he had been inside her, but she was virgin-tight again, her body always swiftly recovering from his intrusion. He could feel the erection he was sporting pressing hard against the buttons on his Victorian dress trousers. The woollen fabric added to the sensations coursing through him: he wanted nothing more than to be balls deep in his beloved Buffy. He could feel the slayer part of her buried deeply within her: he was facing a pure human. The demon broke off from the kiss and rubbed his face against her cheek, it felt soft and vulnerable to him. He scented her neck and face, aroused even more by the mixing of their fragrancies. He followed the line of her jaw finding and nibbling at the mating mark, smiling at the mewing noises she was making. His fingers could feel the flood of moisture as he made her body sing.

Spike pushed her further back into the sofa, and moved down her body. He started kissing her legs, starting at the ankle, his fingers skilfully undoing the tiny buttons that held her boots on. He could feel the silk on her legs and he tried not to snag it on his rough skin; his talons led the way up her legs, leaving red lines where they had barely scratched the flesh. He traced their path with kisses and nips, very careful not to allow his fangs to rip the delicate material. His shaft pushed against the fabric so much he wondered if it would take the strain.

He reached the garter and watched his own fingers shaking as they undid the bow, laid the pale lemon ribbon aside and rolled down the silk stocking, licking the skin as it appeared.

Buffy watched as one of the most vicious demons that lived treasured her stocking and laid it aside as though it were a sacrament. His tongue was doing wonderful things to her skin, setting a fire in her belly and releasing another flood of moisture from her core. He seemed to be pandering to her every need. He had rolled down the second stocking and kissed her behind her knee; her hips raised themselves off the sofa and she thought she would break from the shivers and shocks that shot through her whole body. Spike grinned at her reaction, but continued his ministrations. His sharp and deadly claws were still stroking her womanhood; she was sopping wet in sweet anticipation of his next move. Buffy felt she couldn’t wait any longer and reached down between her legs and wove her fingers into his slicked-back hair; she tugged his head up her body, gasping as a talon caught the inside of her thigh and caused it to bleed.

Spike smelt the blood, he slipped back down her body and tenderly licked the wound he had inadvertently caused before returning his attentions to her lips and tongue. He gave her a deep and lingering kiss, his tongue begging for entrance into her mouth. The one she’d been begging for, he smiled slightly; she always was the begging kind.

When she released his hair, Buffy reached down her hand and started to undo the buttons confining him within his trousers. Her impatience got the better of her and she ripped the fly, sending the buttons shooting everywhere. She wrapped her hand as far around his magnificent cock as she could and started stroking up and down; her thumb found the seeping tip and she massaged the large, bulbous head with his precum. Ten wonderful inches of malehood filled her hand and more. She could not reach around its girth when he was human; she had no chance when he was in full vampire mode. She squeezed harder, eliciting a moan from her mate as he revelled in her touch.

Spike could feel himself getting closer and closer to spilling his load and desperately held off. He wanted - no needed - to be deep inside her tonight and he could feel her need to be filled as well.

‘Let go a minute pet, or I’ll embarrass myself and shoot off like some sodding schoolboy.’ He said it with clenched teeth, his fangs making his words less clear.

Buffy looked up into the golden eyes and completely surrendered herself to the demon. He could do what he liked. She loved and trusted him so much. She lifted her hands above her head, exposing her whole body to his ministrations. Her hands found the wooden rail on the small table that stood behind the sofa, and she wrapped her fingers around it, closing her eyes and giving him tacit permission to do what he would.

Buffy looked so vulnerable and sexy. Her eyes hooded with lust and almost unfocused in their gaze before she closed them. She looked like a sexy kitten that had had too much cream, her voluminous Victorian dress pulled up to her waist showing the bottom of her corset and her dripping wet pussy.

He couldn’t wait any longer. His member was bulbous and purple and large, the veins and ridges making it a weapon of torture unless he was very careful. He put the head against her hole and pushed gently. The feel of her hot wet pussy had him grinding his teeth together to keep from shooting off straight away. He inched himself forward slowly watching her face carefully for any signs of her discomfort. But there were none. She was whimpering and moaning, lifting her hips, trying to urge him in deeper, filling her completely. Buffy felt that wonderful moment when he was fully imbedded within her welcoming body, the tip of his cock hitting her womb, sending pulses of pain through her body, delightful pain that enhanced every movement and sent ripples of pleasure racing through her whole body, making her blood sing, adding to the slayer tingles that she always had when a vampire was close. She could feel the orgasm building, it seemed to make her so sensitive to every texture and feeling around her: the leather of the sofa, the silk of her dress, the wool of William’s trousers and the throbbing of his cock deep inside her. Every thrust was pushing her higher and higher until she felt she couldn’t breathe. She struggled for air as Spike added to the maelstrom by sinking his fangs into her neck.

‘Yours,’ he growled, his yellow eyes shining with the passion both the demon and William were feeling for this amazing woman.

Buffy could take no more and saw stars before passing out from the passionate fire he had lit in her. The clenching of her inner sheath around his already engorged cock made Spike follow her over the edge into ecstasy. He could feel his body pumping into her for what seemed like forever as he slipped out of game face and into his human visage. He pulled a rug over the pair of them and wrapped his arms around his beloved mate.

Dawn found them there in the morning, the sunshine finding a chink in the curtains and falling on Spike’s face, the Gem of Amara safely on the nearby table catching and throwing back the rays as well.

Septamus Pratt enjoyed his time in the archives. He loved and understood his books and scrolls far better than he understood the people upstairs. Like most men in his family he was shy of strangers, and he could see that same trait in Spike. He picked up another tome from the pile that had arrived from Watcher’s central and put it up on the table. By the time he had finished his work that night, he hoped that all the books would be back on shelves where they belonged and the reference library would be up and running. Another leather bound book found it’s way into his hands…

‘The Lore of Vampyres and their Stewards,’ and he smiled. Buffy and William might enjoy laughing at that one later. He felt delight at the fact he had found something that might please The Slayer: she was scary, although she had never been rude to him. He continued sorting through all the books until Dawn shouted into the library that Dinner was ready.

Septamus picked up the stack of books he had thought might be of interest to the other members of their strange little group and headed up the winding stone stairway to the library proper, and out into the main hall. It amazed him that such a young lady as Dawn could make her voice travel so far.
He disliked raised voices normally but Dawn’s didn’t seem to grate, there was always that spark of light in it. He hurried along and opened the door to the small dining room they used when it was just family, the four of them sharing a quiet meal together. They would have had to live on takeout and TV dinners if it hadn’t been for the fact that William the Bloody could cook. Buffy was banned from the kitchen after the lettuce and the boiling water incident (who could ever know a young woman couldn’t even prepare a simple salad?) and Dawn’s efforts were…original…although the chocolate sauce on pizza hadn’t really worked.

The smell of a rich stew floated across to him as the dishes were put out. It made his stomach rumble and Spike turned and smiled at the old watcher.

‘Those girls got you working far too long in the cellar watcher, you forgot your lunch again.’

Septamus smiled and adjusted his glasses, he always felt a little nervous around the vampire. Nothing to do with him being undead, and everything to do with the confidence the man exuded from every pore.

‘I think you are quite correct William, but I found something that might be of interest to you and your good lady.’ Septamus pulled the book from the pile in his hand and held it up for his ancestor to see. Spike raised a sardonic eye brow at the title.

‘Their steward’s? Not sure I like that idea,’ he said. Septamus felt his face fall. He had tried to help.

‘S,OK watcher, the book is a lovely thought. Just don’t want to give the missus too many ideas.’ Spike smelled the disappointment from the man; he would have to be more careful in dealing with him, didn’t want to hurt the guy, had to remember that Septamus had been used to getting put down constantly by the old council.

‘Come on, let’s see if it has any ideas on how to keep your mate sweet and obedient!’

‘Who do you want obeying you?’ Buffy asked from the doorway.

‘Nothing love,’ Spike said quickly as he put down more hot dishes: new potatoes and baby peas to accompany the beef stew and dumplings. The smell was delicious: Buffy appreciated it all the more since the mating. It seemed she had picked up the odd vampiric trait: heightened senses of smell, night vision and super hearing just being some of them.

‘Watcher boy here found a book on Vampires he thought might interest us, I was just laughing over the name.’ He could feel through the claim that she didn’t quite believe him. Septamus held the book up for Buffy to see and she burst out laughing. ‘Their Stewards?? See, I told you I should be in charge!’

‘And I love it when you are.’ He curled his tongue up behind his teeth and grinned at her in that fashion that made her panties wet and her knees buckle. Spike grinned again when he smelt her arousal.

Dawn came bursting into the room like a hurricane. ‘Can we please hurry up? Martin and I are out tonight…’ She could still whine even with a rock the size of Mount Rushmore on her finger. Who would have believed that Doc Martin was rich in his own right?

‘We’ll eat quick, niblet…’

‘Spike, I’m too old for that,’ she complained, helping herself to a large part of the vegetables. Spike smiled, his girls could certainly pack it away. Good job he had money or they would eat him out of it in a matter of weeks.

‘You are and always will be my niblet, even when you’re old, grey, and a granny: either that or bite sized - and your young man went white when I called you that,’ he grinned.

Dinner was over quickly at Dawn’s insistence and Septamus made himself scarce after helping clear the table, leaving Buffy and Spike to settle by the fire to watch a DVD and look at the book they had been given. The laughter rose up from Buffy most of the night, whoever had written the book certainly didn’t know Vampires or slayers. It was a hoot, or at least the first part was. Buffy was about to put the volume down when Spike reached for it at the same time. Both their hands were touching it when the book seemed to glow with an inner light and they looked in astonishment as the words inside changed. Spike moved round to read over her shoulder:

‘…and there shall come a time when the slayer line will be renewed, and again on the face of the world shall walk many of that line. The One and True slayer shall find her heart’s desire and the warrior will walk by her side for ever.’

‘Buffy, I don’t think this book is a load of tosh pet: I think we’ve stumbled on some real information here.’ He took the book out of Buffy’s hand and she leant back and snuggled, books were not her thing.


‘What?’ she asked boredly. She started licking his ear and nibbling his neck. That was one sure way to get his attention.

‘Well look at this, there are chapters on mating claims, caring for hybrid children, powers that master slayers gain… little gold mine, this is.’ He tried to ignore the effects of his mate’s attentions.

‘Hybrid children?’ Buffy asked sitting up quickly, ‘they wrote a book on how to care for our baby?’ She was suddenly interested in the small book in Spike’s hand. ‘The council knew about vampire-slayer children?’

‘Don’t know about the wankers pet, but someone knew: this book has all about the claiming rites, the protection of the children from the sun when they are little, familial bonds, everything, and was written by someone who knew what they were talking about.’

‘It was written by a vampire with a soul,’ a voice came from behind the couple. Buffy sat up straight, reaching for the stake that was on the table. Spike had changed into his game face.

That voice… ‘Andrew??!!’ Buffy screeched.

‘Hi Buffy, like Gandalf, I reappear!’

‘You come to taunt us, you’re the First.’ Spike growled, sniffing the air for signs of dark magic.

‘No, you can touch: see?’ Andrew blubbered, holding out his hand for inspection. Buffy slapped it and Andrew started whining. ‘Not so hard slayer, that hurt!’

‘You’re dead.’ Buffy managed to say, looking at Andrew and wondering if the First had made a reappearance.

‘And round here that’s considered the end of matters? You of all people should know death isn’t exactly a permanent state of affairs. My funeral was nice and I got lonely for you all... So like Gandalf or Obi Wan I came back, and I am supposed to help you, but I’m not allowed to tell you how.
Hey, have you seen the seventh episode of Star Wars?’

‘Seventh?’ Spike asked.

‘Yeah, got an advanced copy: and Red Dwarf, Dr Who, Torchwood, just you wait ‘til series four and there is the most dreamy guy in Torchwood, he played a time cop called Captain John… I have a poster up of him and everything…’ The unfocused look on Andrew’s face was a familiar one to Buffy and Spike.

‘Andrew, are you there?’ Cordy’s voice cut across his stream of chatter and she sounded mad.

‘Oops: caught, got to go,’ he waved at them both and faded away before their eyes. Buffy and Spike looked at one another; for all the strange things that had happened in their lives that had to be one of the strangest. They turned back to the book and it had fallen open at what looked like a well thumbed page.

‘When a slayer and vampyre do become lovers, the slayers blood will enrichen in such a way as to satisfy his every need and requirement, preventing him from having to feed on any other.’

‘You’re just saying that as an excuse to get your fangs out,’ Buffy said with a laugh, hitting him with a pillow.

‘I’m not, honest,’ Spike showed her the book, trying to dodge the missile that kept landing on his head. ‘Look…’

Buffy took the book out of his hand, after throwing yet another cushion; she settled back to see. ‘Hey, you’ve got all the pillows!’

‘I wonder why,’ Spike said dryly, as he handed her a cushion. Buffy blew him a kiss and put the cushion behind her back: it seemed to be aching a lot these days.

‘If a slayer wished to control a group of vampyres for her own use she can easily feed up to four from her own blood. This would allow her a sire’s control over these soulless beings to use them as foot soldiers in their war to maintain balance…’

Buffy leant forward to put the book onto the coffee table. Then sat up straight and grabbed it back.

‘To maintain balance…not fight evil or beat up demons, maintain the balance. Spike,’ she said, ‘read this, it says maintain the balance here, and I am supposed to use vampires to help.’

Spike looked at Buffy closely, she was practically shaking with excitement.

‘What do you think, Spike?’

‘I think maybe we need to talk to Morgana or Cordy.’

‘You yelled for me, blondie?’ Cordelia appeared within a bright light, and walked down to the floor as though she was descending a set of stairs. She looked amazing, dress and shoes were couture.

Buffy smiled up at her. ‘We must be getting it right, your clothes are getting better!’ There was laughter in her voice. Cordy gave a little bow and sat herself down next to Buffy, shifting Spike off the seat completely.

‘You have questions?’ She asked.

‘A few,’ Buffy said, waving the book in the air. ‘This says about keeping the balance.’

‘Yes,’ said Cordy, looking bored.

‘Not fighting on the side of good?’

‘No,’

‘Cordy, you are not helping, one word answers are yucky, and dishelpful.’

‘Unhelpful pet, I think you want unhelpful.’ Spike said with a straight face. Buffy stuck out her tongue and pulled a face at her mate.

‘Go make coffee or something,’ she ordered, but over the link he could feel the love.

‘Cheerleader, you want anything?’ he asked as he headed for the door. His lady wanted some private time, he would give them a few minutes private chat.

‘I’ll have a soda please, full sugar, ‘cause the calories no longer matter!’
Spike lifted a hand in recognition and shut the door carefully behind him.

‘This is perhaps one of the most valuable books that has ever been written,’ Cordy started to explain. ‘It cannot be destroyed or misused, it is simply there, for reference for any that want to use it. It wasn’t written by good or evil, but by the Supreme Being, the one above all others.’

‘So this is, like, the reference book…’

‘Yep, it is and it’s yours; study it well.’

She vanished to Buffy’s yells of ‘I’ve got homework, I hate homework!’
But the slayer settled down with the book, to read.

Buffy was still complaining about homework when she finally came to bed. She had spent the whole evening with her nose in the book and she felt her head was about to explode. There had been so much in there that she simply hadn’t known. The Cruciamentum was mentioned as a test of intelligence and skill, and it was not supposed to be against the likes of Kralik but against a vampire like Spike or Angel, armed with a silver stake. It had never been a test to kill the slayer; in fact she might bring it back, put the Slayerettes up against Spike at full speed and see how they fare. He’d be fine juiced up on slayer blood as he was most of the time anyway.

There was stuff about The Shining Ones, twice dead who would live for ever, ending one slayer line, starting a new one and making the universe safe… she would have to show that passage to Septamus in the morning, he and Morgana would be interested she was sure. Morgana had kept mentioning the Shining Ones, and the password for the council had been about shining ones.

She knew she had to find out more, but now she had more important things to do. She could hear Spike in the bathroom cleaning his teeth: she knew his routine almost as well as she knew her own. First he would wash his human face, then his vampire visage and fangs would be scrubbed, then human teeth brushed and he would come out to face her. There was always a part of him that would be ashamed of his demon and tried to hide it from her, but Buffy loved it, loved his strength and his passion.

She watched as Spike started to get undressed, his naked form looked like it had been carved from living marble, the light from the fire reflecting off of every plane and curve. She could count his six-pack from the bed.
Buffy licked her lips and watched from hooded eyes. The way he was moving she knew that he knew she was watching, it was an old game they played.

He drew his shirt over his head slowly and deliberately then sniffed the air deeply. The scent of her arousal was thick and heavy. The muskiness of it drew him towards her like a moth to a flame. He pitied more mortal men because they couldn’t be seduced by the fragrance coming from their mate; he took another deep breath in, allowing the air to caress his tongue as well as his nose. He could taste her from here, warm and musky and full of promise…

He undid the top button on his jeans and kicked off his docs, then he stared down at his golden mate, her hair spread around her like a halo, and crawled up the bed to her, kissing her gently as he moved up her body. He could taste the faint smell of the apple bodywash she had used that morning; it tasted crisp and fresh, like a spring morning. He breathed in deeply again and watched Buffy’s eyes darken with desire.

Buffy watched as her lover crawled up the bed to her, the sheer masculinity rolled off him and completely swamped her senses. She felt her heart fill to bursting point as she realised just how much she loved this man, this vampire. She couldn’t believe how much, it swelled inside her and obliterated everything that had been called love before it. The claim echoed the feelings back and forth between Spike and Buffy until they were both shaking from the sheer raw emotion.

Spike started kissing the junction between her legs, the short hairs tickling his tongue, her juices making him feel more and more aroused. His cock was so engorged that it was pushing down the zip of his jeans by itself. He kissed up her body, rubbing his naked chest as he licked and nibbled his way up to her breasts. The nipples were already hard and tempting. He caught one bud in his mouth and started sucking on it, teasing it with his tongue. Buffy was starting to make those little noises that spurred him on to greater and greater efforts.

Buffy reached down between them and helped the zipper on its way. She pushed down on the material and it slipped off his hips, catching on his thighs. His cock freed from its confinement dug into her thigh; Buffy moved her legs, allowing Spike to settle between them. He was home again, he looked into her emerald eyes and felt her hips grind against him as she moved under him.

Buffy lifted her hands and stroked down his back. The muscles were like solid steel beneath her fingers. She rubbed up and down his spine from his incredibly crafted shoulders to his amazingly firm arse. She giggled a little as Spike started purring, then watched as his eyes flashed from gold to blue. They appeared chequered between the two colours…the demon was trying to come through. Spike’s bumps were appearing and disappearing in waves, Buffy remembered seeing him like that the night before the closing of the hell mouth.

‘Let him through,’ she whispered gently.

Spike looked down at the amazing, incredible woman below him, he could feel his cock pressing into her centre and she was asking for a demon to come through.

‘I love you: William, Demon and Spike… and I want all three of you here tonight.’

Spike dropped his head and took her mouth in his, he demanded entrance, his tongue exploring every part of her mouth, teeth, gums, nothing was sacred or out of bounds. Buffy’s tongue battled for supremacy as they kissed more and more deeply. He could hear her heart speed up and could smell her arousal getting stronger and stronger.

He reached down between them and started rubbing her nub. He could feel her juices, smell her juices, they were soaking his hand and his cock, making him desperate to enter her. He needed to hear her screaming his name. He watched her eyes, they were hooded with lust and desperate for him.

Buffy could feel the muscles of his buttocks tighten and loosen as he moved against her. She felt his cock pushing, begging for entrance into her core. She shifted her hips a little and allowed the head to enter her body; she tightened her walls, holding him firmly within her. Spike’s ridges were trying to break through his face and she reached up with her mouth and kissed his forehead, licking the demon’s face gently, making him purr and lean into her attentions.

A slight movement of her hips and his shaft was pulled further in. The heat of her channel was scorching him, burning him up in a way that made him think he would not survive the night. Slowly, gently, he pushed further into her; her muscles stroked and massaged his cock ‘til he was about to shoot off like he was an unpractised schoolboy and not a master vampire with 150 years of experience.

Her moans were coming louder and louder, hitting him in his very soul; he pushed deeper and deeper, feeling her orgasm approaching. Buffy looked into his chequered eyes and felt her own fangs lengthening. She bit him deeply on his neck, right over the claim marks and screamed, ‘Mine!’

Spike responded in kind, he bit into his mate’s neck, drinking deeply from his chalice; he could feel Buffy’s blood seeping into every cell and pore. Four deep sucks were enough to send him over the edge, following his mate into the abyss. He could feel the spikes erupt from his cock, embedding themselves into Buffy’s walls; holding him deeply inside of her, he shot his cum deeply into her, he kept cumming and cumming, he couldn’t seem to stop.
Buffy was crying out, thrashing from side to side, but the claim told him it was from pleasure and not pain. The barbs held him in place as he completely filled her body with his seed.

When they had both finally succumbed to the exhaustion that followed, Buffy snuggled into his shoulder exhausted and totally sated. She couldn’t believe how powerfully they had made love all night. She could smell the wonderful scent that was pure Spike: whisky, cigarettes and musk, plus pure unadulterated sex.

They were nearly asleep as dawn was breaking, their eyes drooping when the room was filled with a pure white light. Spike leapt up, game face to the fore, to protect his mate from whatever it was that had entered their domain.

As they light dimmed a familiar voice spoke out. ‘William, it is delightful to see you, but would you be so kind as to don some garments so as not to shock all your visitors?’

‘Mother!’ Spike gasped as he grabbed for his jeans and shrugged them on. He pulled on a shirt as he became aware of Buffy trying to pull on a pair of pyjamas behind him. Unfortunately the shirt he had grabbed was one of Buffy’s and was very frilly. Spike pulled the edges together as best he could and turned to face the light. Buffy came and stood beside him; armed with a stake, she slipped the Ring of Amara onto his finger to help protect him.

‘I don’t think that will be necessary Buffy dear, and where on earth did you manage to find another pair of Yummi pyjamas?’

‘Mom?’ Buffy couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes. From the bright light four figures appeared.

Cordy was glowing, literally glowing, as she floated towards them, before dulling enough so that they could look directly at her.

William gave a small bow to his mother and went to her. Buffy watched as her beloved mate lifted the woman’s hand to his lips and kissed it before falling on her, crying.

Buffy turned slowly towards the second figure. Joyce held open her arms and Buffy ran to her; there were tears throughout the room. Cordy stood quietly to one side with Andrew.

‘Buffy, Spike I know you want to spend time with Joyce and Anne, but we don’t have time tonight. We came to do a job and then we will leave you in peace for a couple of weeks.’

‘I love you baby and I am so proud of you,’ Joyce said as she freed Buffy’s arms from her neck. She gave her daughter a little push towards the angel as Anne led William to Buffy’s side.

‘I am also proud of you, William. You have become a fine man, as I always knew you could be.’

William felt a lump in his throat as he stood beside Buffy. Cordy then let the light fade around the fourth figure. Andrew stood there, with a bundle in his arms. Cordy started speaking.

‘Great Slayer, you have served the powers above and beyond the call of duty; and Vampire, you have fought by her side, fought for your soul and won. You have been faithful and true. When you were so bitterly betrayed by The Watcher, he took something from you that he had no right to touch.
Here, now, we return your gift. Immortal slayer and her mate, we return your child.’

She signalled to Andrew who walked forward to where Buffy and Spike stood, hand in hand.

The bundle was a baby, asleep in his arms. Cordy lifted a hand and pointed. The baby started to glow and it floated out of his arms and towards Buffy’s abdomen. It hovered for a second or two then zipped into her belly.

Buffy screamed: it hadn’t been pain but there had been something. She would have fallen to her knees if Spike hadn’t supported her. The last thing she remembered was her mother’s voice saying, ‘Congratulations Buffy, you’re pregnant!’

'Come on pet you're frightening me,' was the first thing that penetrated the fog that seemed to be invading her brain. She could feel someone holding her hand, stroking it; was aware of her mate's panic and that panic was spreading to her as well. Buffy tried to sit up but another hand was across her chest, gently holding her down on the bed. The hand felt familiar, safe and reassuring.

‘No sweetheart, you just lie there and rest.’ It was her mother's voice and that confused her even more. It all seemed like a dream, one that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to wake up from.

‘What happened?’ she managed to get out, her head still spinning, but at least the waves of stress from her mate seemed to be calming down a little.

‘You fainted,' Cordy said sharply, but she was grinning from ear to ear. The ex cheerleader was so happy that she was actually glowing.

‘I don't faint!' Buffy exclaimed. She was feeling decidedly put, upon as though the world was ganging up on her, and she was remembering why she hadn't really liked Cordy in high school.

'Well you did today: pregnant women do that occasionally.' Cordy's smile was evident in her voice. 'You didn't really think The Powers would allow anything to happen to your son, did you?'

'Your son?' Spike’s throat loosened long enough for him to stutter those two words. He was staring directly at Buffy's abdomen in shock. 'My son,' the purr could be heard clearly heard in his voice. He put his hand out tentatively and stroked her stomach. 'My son.' Spike could feel the William part of his soul crying with joy and the demon was crowing in triumph.

‘And so the first of the shining ones comes to earth protected by the strongest of warriors and the most loving of hearts,' a voice resonated in the room. It was coming from a blinding light that appeared to make the whole room fluoresce. It hurt Spike's eyes to look at it and Buffy was shading hers with her free hand. Spike could feel his demon backing away from the source of the voice; that was something it hadn't done in more than 120 years. Whatever it was it was pure good, diametrically opposite to the First Evil they had fought years before.

‘Do not fear my son,’ the voice continued, ‘I just wanted to ensure the safe return of your child. We will all leave you now: you will want time alone, but before I go…’ a hand appeared from the light and gestured.

The ring of Amara flew from Spike's finger and into the outstretched grasp. The fingers closed around the gem and the hand waved again, opening the thick velvet curtains, letting the first rays of the sun flood into the room, and onto the mated pair. Spike threw his hand over his face to try and protect himself and Buffy tried to reach for a blanket to save him from the lethal effects of light. But both preternatural creatures were unable to move: their limbs seemed paralysed.

‘Do Not Fear,’ the voice boomed, ‘I am merely retrieving that which was lent. I will not have the father of the shining ones so vulnerable to a simple spell. May the light of heaven shine on you and bless you, as it has from the moment you claimed each other. I am so sorry Buffy, that the melding of your life force with that of your child caused so much pain; we had not anticipated that occurrence, but now no-one can take him away from you again.'

Cordy turned and, smiling, gestured to Andrew to preceed her back into the light. It shimmered as it enveloped the two figures.

‘That was fun: just like Han and Leia,’ Andrew's voice could be heard saying as they disappeared. Spike looked at Buffy. Joyce and Anne were still in the room and smiling.

‘He's a charming boy,’ Joyce said as she looked at the pair enveloped in each other's arms, oblivious to their surroundings.

‘And she is just what he needed,’ Anne answered.

‘Did I ever tell you about the first time I met him? He was pretending to be in a band with Buffy…' Joyce asked as they, too, faded from view.


Spike and Buffy hadn't noticed anyone leave. They were still looking at each other in stunned silence. The sunlight lit up Spike's bleached blond hair as though it were a halo; Buffy couldn't believe how handsome he looked bathed in its light. She reached out a hand and caressed his chiselled cheek.

‘Baby,’ she managed to say, 'and light.'

‘Wonder what else I can do?’ the demon muttered. He was trying not to show all the emotion that was threatening to turn him into a blubbering mess. He was the Big Bad, not some wuss that cried at the first opportunity: but so many dreams were coming true for him. Buffy was his forever, and she was carrying his child within her body; not only that but he could now walk in the sun. A huge part of him didn’t want to push his luck and ask for anything else. He had all he could have ever dreamed of.

‘We could find out…’ Buffy said quietly, almost afraid of his response. Spike gave a small nod and a half smile at which she stood up and walked across to the weapons bag that had been dumped in the corner of the room. Buffy pulled out a crucifix and a small bottle of holy water from the side pocket where they were kept safely away from Spike's searching hands.

She walked slowly back to the bed. Spike had thrown himself back on the pillows, his jeans low slung on his hips and the rest of him bare. He had taken off Buffy’s frilly shirt as soon as he could. Buffy stood transfixed by his feet. She hadn't really thought about it before but the man had sexy feet: every toe was perfectly formed.

‘Come on pet, let's get this over with.' He sounded cross, but Buffy knew he was just anxious.

She held out the cross and he opened his eyes to stare at it, the symbol of everything that he was supposed to hate and fear, there in front of him. He reached out a tentative hand and brushed his fingers across the wood: nothing, no sizzle, no tingle, nothing. William slipped into game face; crosses had always hurt worse when the demon was at the fore. Still nothing. He grabbed it hard with both hands and all he could feel was peace.

The holy water was wet and cold and made him damp. A drip trickled down his front and made its way under the band of his jeans. It tickled as it went into his groin but there was no other reaction.

‘Not a lot can hurt either of you. William, you are immune to stakes and fire; Buffy, bullets and knives are no longer a threat. In fact the only thing that can do any damage is beheading, and even then the result of that is only temporary.’

Buffy swung round to see Morgana standing in the room behind her. Neither of the supernatural creatures had felt her appear.

‘What?' Buffy managed to stutter out.

‘You are now chosen above all others; no earthly weapon can hurt you and the majority of the unearthly ones are merely a nuisance.' Morgana pointed to the discarded water and cross. ‘Now the three of you need to sleep and rest; Buffy, you will need a lot of rest in the next few weeks. I will come back tomorrow and help you with the morning sickness; we can discuss everything else then as well.’

Although she wasn't normally the compliant type to say the least, Buffy did exactly as instructed and between one breath and the next both she and her mate fell deeply into the arms of Morpheus.

It was late afternoon when Spike was awoken by the hammering on the door. He could hear two heartbeats outside and smell not only Dawn but Xander as well. Buffy was still asleep curled into his side and he slid his arm out from underneath her before padding across the wooden floor to open the door before Dawn woke her sister up.

‘Where's the fire Niblet? And keep the noise down, Buffy's still asleep,' he grouched, pulling his tee shirt over his head. The flash of a heavenly sculptured body made Dawn smile. Her sister was a lucky woman, all that male goodness to play with!

‘What?’ She snapped when Spike gave her a pointed look. She realised that he had read her body language somehow, from the smirk on his face.

‘Where’s Martin, pet?’ Spike asked quietly and pointedly.

‘He and Anya have gone to visit some demon doctor or other,’ she said. ‘He needed more practise on non humans… and I’m engaged Spike, not dead!’ She added with a smile. ‘Anyway we need you downstairs, that book Buffy was reading is glowing and every time we touch it, it burns.’ Dawn managed to say the whole sentence without taking a single breath.

Spike grabbed for his shirt and started pulling that on as well when Buffy woke up, sat up and ran to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. Spike grinned to himself but was nearly pushed over when Dawn barged past him. Xander put out a hand to steady the vampire as Dawn followed Buffy into the bathroom to find her throwing up into the toilet.

‘Get Willow!' Dawn yelled at the two males, wetting a cloth and handing it to her sister. Dawn looked whiter than Buffy as she watched in horror as her sister threw up what little was in her stomach. Xander took one look at Buffy and ran out of the room to collect the witch. Spike leaned against the door jamb with his arms crossed and smirked a little. It wasn’t that he liked to see Buffy suffer, ‘cause he really didn’t, but knowing the cause of her sickness made him feel manly and full of love for his pregnant mate.

'It’s OK,' Buffy managed to say between bouts of sickness, trying to reassure the younger Summer’s woman; but from the way Dawn’s heart was thumping Spike didn’t think it was working. Dawn tried not to join in with the vomiting: she hadn't seen her sister this ill in years.

‘Willow will be here in a minute,’ Dawn told her, rewetting the cold cloth and handing it back to Buffy. Buffy gratefully accepted it before sitting against the sink and closing her eyes, her stomach heaving as though she was on a roller coaster. She just hoped it wouldn't last for long. Dawn rubbing her back felt so good and she relaxed into the massage.

Willow came in quietly and took one look at the tableau; she then deliberately shut the door on Spike and Xander, leaving the two males staring at the wooden blockade in surprise. Shut out of the action they sat on the couch and waited to be summoned again. Spike could feel his mate’s discomfort but she didn’t feel worried, and that alone reassured him.

‘Glad you have a huge bathroom, it’s getting crowded in here,' Willow said as she knelt beside her friend. She started to pull her power together, ready to examine Buffy and find out what poison had been used against the slayer, after all a slayer was immune to most things…

Buffy grabbed her wrist and shook her head at her eldest friend. 'I'm supposed to be throwing up: that's why it’s called morning sickness.'

Willow and Dawn stared at one another open mouthed before letting out a scream of joy and hugging Buffy tightly.

‘Need to breathe here,' Buffy giggled and both girls started crying.

Spike heard the scream and the tears and his heart broke, he was terrified for his mate; he damn near took the door off its hinges as he burst through it to find all three women hugging each other and crying. He had been terrified for a few seconds that she had lost the baby and he found the women grinning at one another as though they were loony birds. Xander peered over the top of the vampire’s head to see broad smiles on the girl’s faces.

‘She's pregnant!’ Willow laughed, grabbing hold of Xander and pulling him back into the bedroom. The pair of them started doing a dance in the room, up and down and around and around, a Snoopy dance plus extras.
‘It’s our happy baby dance,’ they tried to explain amidst all the laughter.

‘Buffy's having a baby, Buffy's having a baby!’ Xander sang out as he and Willow danced out of the room. Dawn followed equally joyfully and singing just as loudly as the other two.

By the time Buffy had made it down stairs Willow had made her ginger tea and some dry toast to settle her stomach. Spike was hovering around her like a mother hen, driving her absolutely scatty.

‘If the next nine months are going to be like this William I am going to end up testing out the theory that you are immune to weapons BIG STYLE!' Buffy groused, but secretly she was enjoying all the fuss smiling secretly at her mate’s care. Spike grinned but he still handed her a cushion and put a stool under her feet.

‘Now what was it that brought you up to our room this morning?' Buffy asked Xander, pointedly turning her back on the hovering vampire.

‘That book, it was glowing and when we touched it, it burnt us,’ Xander explained. Buffy looked at it sitting quietly on the table in front of them all.

'Well it’s not glowing now,' she pointed out. Xander went towards it and the cover started emitting an unearthly light.

'Uh Spike, I think you had better get it. I have no need to get fried by a book; are you sure this isn't a hell mouth here, books attacking decent folk?' Xander said to the man beside him.

Spike grinned and picked it up. In his hands it just seemed like a normal leather bound old book. He could smell the must coming off of it. Turning the pages carefully he watched as the words turned from Latin and Greek to plain English before his eyes.

Buffy held out her hand for it and before it could be passed the tome flew to her, landing gently in her lap.

‘Now that's creepy,' Xander commented. Buffy and the others watched as the title changed before them…

“Vampyres and their Stewards” was added to until it read:

“Vampyres and their Stewards and the Slayer Line.”

Buffy opened it up and started reading.

‘…When the first of the shining ones is returned to earth and into the care of his mother's heart, this book will tell the truth of the slayer line… Make a change, us being told the truth,' she groused but she was curious about the little tome in her hands. Her voice triggered a change in the book again and the light started narrowing into a beam, then shone out to illuminate the wall. It was like watching a film being shown before them.
Buffy, Dawn and Spike turned to face the film show. Willow took a seat near Xander and held her oldest friend's hand tightly. They could all feel the tension in the air.

They saw the first slayer lying in the arms of a vampire, game face to the fore, obviously happy, her abdomen swollen with a child. The vampire was stroking her body and she was purring…

Then came the first watchers who seemed angry at the girl. They killed the vampire by beheading him, then used magic to burn his body, all in front of Syneta who was being held back by a couple of Fyarl demons…

She was screaming as they chained her down and used magic to remove the baby, tossing it into the flames that were engulfing the vampire’s body. The preternatural woman desperately tried to save the child pulling hard at her restraints, the blood flowing from her hands as they cut her to pieces, but to no avail. The first slayer's maddened screams made everyone in the room feel sick. The men on the screen watched with no emotion showing on their faces at all. Xander couldn't watch, turning his head from the scene; Willow and Buffy were crying, tears rolling unchecked down their faces.

The scene then changed to the one Buffy knew, to the one they had believed to be the making of the first slayer. Syneta was still chained up and the men were performing magic around her: the spirit of the slayer entered her, but it was twisted and damaged because of the torture Syneta had endured. Instead of it being of the light there was a darkness about her. They watched as magic was performed to seal the heaven's gates from the world, hell mouths were left open and the first watchers were pleased with the power it gave them. Syneta died at the hands of a demon and they used magic to transfer her essence into another young girl, one they trained to think they way they wanted her to…

There were generations of Slayers, all at the mercy of the Council of Watchers, most of whom were abused for the few years they lived.

The light and purity that should have been a part of the slayer was getting more and more hidden as the centuries went on. Then came Buffy: having died at the hands of the Master (that scene elicited a growl from Spike), Xander did CPR and brought her back.

'I owe you for that one, whelp.' Spike said in a stage whisper.

'Any time, dead boy,' the man answered with a grin.

They watched as the part of Buffy that was pure angel was released from its prison in her soul and started to take over her body, pushing out the evil and the darkness.

'This is how it is supposed to be,' a voice echoed around the room.

Buffy glowed from head to toe. The light was brightest around her belly where Spike’s child lay.

Then they watched as Willow performed the spell that released the essence of the slayer from its prison in the scythe, infusing all the potentials around the world with the power that was rightfully theirs. They watched as she stumbled over one word and Morgana was seen to feed the extra energy in she needed. And in the one spell two were performed, the second freeing up the heaven gates and allowing angels to walk the earth again. The first sign of it came when Willow herself was taken over by the goddess to complete the magic, her white hair shining and her eyes aglow with a unearthly light.

The film finished with a map of the world, showing the heavenly gates, from Easter Island to Ayres Rock, and from the Rollright Stones to the Great Wall in China: there were gates all over the world.

There was silence in the room when it was finished. Buffy passed the book to Willow without thinking and the witch took it, and it didn't burn her...

'It won't burn anyone you give permission to handle it,’ Morgana's voice sounded incredibly loud as it broke through the quiet, answering the unasked question. 'You can photocopy the page with all the gates and when you get a bit more practise you all will be able to open one anywhere,' she said quite briskly. 'Dawn, you will be able to open a portal up to anywhere; I will happily show you how when you feel you are ready. Now, people, this is the important bit: Spike and Buffy are the head of this little band until their children grow up.'

Spike smiled. Morgana had said children: obviously the present bun wasn't going to be the only one. He looked pointedly at the older witch and she winked at him; she always knew more than she was telling.

‘Now, people, the world is yours to guard. Willow's spell freed the angels from their captivity, allowing them free rein all over the world, but we also have a gift for you.’ She took Willow's hand in hers and started chanting a simple phrase:

‘Let the door between here and home open. Morgana and Willow.’ She gave the witch a look and Willow repeated the words. A shimmering light appeared in front of them and coalesced into a simple portal; through it they could see buildings and a familiar landscape.

Sunnydale...

‘There are some people there already. When each of you dies, you will be given the choice: heaven or here. Here you will continue living as you always have done, but there will be no violence, no evil demons to fight; it will be sunny heaven, not sunny hell. Everything is ready for you: Andrew has set up the library, the computers work through to any world and you can invite anyone or any demon you like to join you. Willie's is there with the alibi room intact; Clem will arrive eventually or you could ask his clan to set up home there now. There is no life or death there: it simply is.

‘Spike, we have built a luxury home where the old mansion used to stand, for you and your family. Joyce and Anne have their own places; it is a closed universe, a safe haven for slayers and their friends.'

The stunned silence filled the air. The Scoobies looked around at one another: their own heaven, set up just for them…

‘Can we leave?' Dawn's voice asked quietly. She was thinking about Martin: she loved the doctor so much and had no desire to be without him for eternity.

'It’s not a prison child, it’s a haven, and your doctor can come and go as freely as the rest of you.'

Dawn looked relieved.

Morgana looked around the room. ‘All any of you have to do is ask for the gateway to be opened and it will. Willow will have to guide you through the first time, then any of you can guide through another, and so on.'

Buffy looked thoughtful. ‘What if we get a rogue slayer, the way Faith was originally? She will be able to simply let demons in…'

‘No she won't, the protection spells are the strongest heaven has ever cast. Only those of a good and honest heart can enter; if the person is there to cause mischief they simply won't be allowed in.'

The stunned silence that met her words told Morgana more than the words themselves ever could. She smiled as she faded from view, leaving the Scoobies alone in the room.

Buffy and the rest of the Slayers entered the new Sunnydale with awe and wonder. The glowing doorway that had opened had led them straight to the library where Andrew sat looking through piles of paperwork. He looked up to see Buffy and Dawn headed straight for him, his hero behind them swaggering through the entrance as though a vampire in heaven was a normal occurrence. Andrew grinned to himself and managed to get round the desk before the last of the slayers and Willow had made it through the gate.


Buffy and Dawn ran forward and hugged him closely: they had missed his charm and particular view of the world. And it was just so good to see him obviously happy and healthy. He grinned as he was soon enveloped in hugs from all the girls that had made their way through the portal. Spike even held out a hand and when Andrew went to shake it the blond man pulled him into a bear hug, slapping him on the shoulders.

‘It’s good to see you, nerd,’ he said, but Buffy, Willow and Dawn knew him well enough to hear his voice breaking with emotion. Andrew just stared up at his hero and gave a great sigh. It felt good to be in his arms.

Spike could smell the arousal coming off of the young man and from the look on Buffy’s face, so could she. He let his arms drop from Andrew’s arms and stepped closer to his mate.

‘Getting jealous?’ He whispered to her.

‘You wish,’ she replied, slapping him gently on the arm as she made her way to one of the seats that surrounded the table Andrew had been working at. Spike rubbed his arm and looked for sympathy, but found none in the faces of those in the room. Spike just grinned and pulled up a chair. He rested his Doc Martins on the polished wood of the desk and reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Before he could light it, the cigarette was blown to pieces in front of him.

‘Not in front of the baby,’ Willow chided before turning her concentration back to Andrew. Buffy gave him an old look that told Spike he was in trouble again. Spike shrugged his shoulders; he knew that he was likely to spend the next nine months in trouble over something.

Buffy looked at the huge map of Sunnydale that dominated the table. It was different from the place she had known. Restfield cemetery was there, but the others were all parks or open spaces…

‘Only one cemetery? She asked Andrew as he took his place opposite her.

‘Yep, just one, it’s not like you’ll need any more, but the Boss thought you and Spike might like to keep the crypt he had there…’ Andrew smiled as he watched Buffy’s cheeks turn bright red.

‘These are the houses we’ve sorted out for you all: if you don’t like anything, all you have to do is let me know and I’ll fix any problems.’

‘You?’ Dawn didn’t want to sound insulting, but she couldn’t help it.

‘Yes me, I’ve been given the job of librarian; and Wes, you remember Wes?’

Buffy nodded.

‘Well, he and Septamus will be your Watchers’ liason: it’ll be up to you to appoint the Council of Watchers when you’re ready.

‘We will also keep a list of any dimensional hotspots that need your attention, and there will be a hall of portals where you can come and go as you please. It’ll have a magical sort of passport control and anyone coming here will need an invite to get through. You will be able to leave a person’s name there if you want them to be admitted. The town will be populated with slayers and invited demons: Clem has already applied for a gateway to be put in from their town, and one of his friends wants to open a pizza place here.’ He pointed to the mall marked on the map. ‘And a lot of the big name stores are already asking for space. We refused WolfRam and Hart,’ he added with a grin.

Spike was tapping his foot up and down to some rhythm he could hear only in his own head. Dawn wondered yet again if he had some sort of ADHD as she watched him fiddle with everything in sight. Buffy grabbed his hands and held them still, smiling as she did so; Spike gave her an apologetic grin, then calmed a little.

Andrew picked up the scattered envelopes and started searching through them. He sorted out one and handed it to Dawn.

‘The deeds to an apartment in the big block here,’ he pointed at the map. ‘It’s got a concierge, underground parking, the keys for your car are in the key safe in the hall, and there is a maid service once a week.’

He handed Willow and Kennedy a similar envelope. ‘I’ve put two cars in your place, and there is a pool as well as a cared for garden. Willow, I have set up an account at the magic supply shop, Anya will be running it, and anything you need for business will automatically be paid for by the Watcher’s Council.

‘Buffy: the mansion has various cars and bikes, and Spike, we’ve put the DeSoto into the garage for you as well as the Viper from Angel’s collection.’

Spike’s grin got bigger: he had won everything and his late unlamented sire had nothing, at least he thought he had nothing.

‘What happened to Angel?’ He asked, not really wanting the answer - but he had to know.

‘He is working in the sewers in another dimension, a hell dimension, and there is no hair gel there. No darkness either and he’s not immune to daylight like some vampires we know.’

Buffy looked at Spike: he was shaking from head to toe. She tried to ‘feel’ his emotions: what had upset him so much?? She could see the tears rolling down his face; Buffy moved closer in to Spike, trying to give him the reassurance he obviously needed. She had always thought he hated Angel, but to see him so upset about his Grandsire’s fate broke her heart. She touched him gently on his arm to get his attention, but when he turned those incredible blue eyes onto her there was no pain in them, just laughter. Spike was shaking with laughter.

‘I thought you were upset…’ she started to say.

‘Not upset pet, I think its bloody hilarious! He never took to the sewers unless he had to, then he complained about the smell, and now he’s got to clean them… back to eating rats for peaches!’ The howls of laughter reverberated around the building, making everyone stare at them. ‘Peaches in the sewers, Peaches stuck in the sewers forever!’ he sang loudly.

‘Not quite forever, but until he learns his lesson; then he’s going to be handed over to Cordelia to train.’

That brought a new wave of laughter out of the vampire. The thought of Angel being at the cheerleader’s beck and call warmed his heart.

‘Both Anne and Joyce have taken houses on Rodello Drive,’ Andrew went on. ‘Xander, we have given you and Anya the apartment you loved so much; the deeds to the Magic Box as well as the ones to your own construction company are lodged with Lamb and Son. They have opened up a branch in the centre of town, and they have contacted a bank that has dealt with The Powers before, and they’ve agreed to, like, come and take over all your accounts and stuff. You’ll need it with the amount that will be going in.’

‘Money?’ Buffy understood that bit.

‘Lots,’ answered Andrew with a wide grin.

As all the slayers had collected their keys for the various houses and apartments that had been set up for them, Buffy and Spike headed off to explore their new home. She had been handed a bundle of papers by Andrew and hadn’t really looked through them, but one thing had caught her eye: the black American Express card. Now that was something she could put to excellent use, if they had shoe shops in this place.

Spike and Buffy wandered slowly through the streets to where the mansion had originally been in Sunnydale. In its place stood a huge modern house with large windows overlooking a garden and a pool. There was a building at the bottom of the garden that looked like it should be the poolhouse, but on closer inspection turned out to be a studio, filled with the best quality paints and brushes.

‘I didn’t know you painted, pet,’ Spike could feel his mate’s delight at all the supplies.

‘I don’t, I’ve never had the time. But I always wanted to.’

‘Now you can.’ He nuzzled the claim mark on her neck and Buffy felt her knees go weak. He turned around with an evil grin.

‘How about we christen the new place before we get all the furniture in? There’s six bedrooms in there according to the blurb that Andrew gave me, as well as a study and a library and a rumpus room and a kitchen and a breakfast room…’ Spike kept listing all the rooms as he led his beloved mate into their new home and their future.

Buffy could hear the bell ringing as someone tried to get her attention from the front door of the mansion, but whoever it was could wait. She had settled on the sofa with a herbal tea, a box of chocolates and the remote control and she was not moving for anyone or anything. Her back ached, her feet ached and she felt like a stranded whale. Thinking of feet, the sight of them was a long forgotten memory and the only reason she knew her shoes matched was because her mom had told her so this morning, but she loved every hormonal minute of it.

She loved the morning sickness, well not the actual throwing up because that was just ewww, but the knowledge that her baby, his baby, their baby, was safe and growing. She loved the way Spike held her hair back when she was in the bathroom and brought her a drink of water and some dried toast after she had finished.

She loved the tightness of her jeans and then the fact that she couldn’t even get them on now, and the way her breasts grew and grew… she was like a ‘double d’ cup, much to Spike’s delight. He spent many happy hours rubbing cream on to her belly and breasts.

Thanks to his preternatural senses he could hear the baby’s heartbeat and the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the blood through the placenta. He fell asleep at night soothed by the rhythmic sounds coming from his beloved mate’s body. And Buffy fell asleep to the feeling of Spike stroking her pregnant belly and purring in his contentment. They couldn’t be closer: he kept surprising her with little gifts, a poem, an orchid or just a little cake she had said she wanted. Their life seemed enchanted.

The bell went again and Buffy looked at the TV, wishing she could just zap whoever it was away. When the bell went for the third time Buffy tried to get up from the sofa, but it had eaten her again. She couldn’t swing her body up to the pivot point and was stuck.

‘Stupid damn sofa, evil sofa monster, just you wait until I’m me again,’ she grumbled as she tried to regain her balance.

Xander had wandered in to the mansion via the back door to find the strongest woman he knew struggling to get to her feet. He tried not to laugh as Buffy was complaining and moaning to the sofa.

‘You need a little help there, little lady?’ he asked with a grin and had to finally give in to the laughter as Buffy poked out her tongue at him. She held out her hand gratefully and Xander pulled her gently to her feet, holding out his arm to steady her. Buffy still hadn’t managed to keep her balance and ended up in his arms; Xander pulled her in close so that she was hugging him - but she was safe. Xander was still man enough to admit that the experience was enjoyable, but he was still trying to get Buffy stable when Spike and Anya walked into the room.

‘Buffy that’s not your man, Xander is only supposed to give me orgasms, Spike is available to give you orgasms…’ Anya’s blunt ways sent peals of laughter through the slayer. There was no trace of jealousy from the demon, just a statement of fact. Xander was hers and Spike was Buffy’s.

‘I was trying to get up from the sofa and overbalanced, Anya! I was not stealing your man, he was just being the gentleman and making sure I didn’t fall on the floor,’ Buffy smiled at her forthright friend.

‘Well that’s good then, because we are friends now and I would hate to have to curse you or something; but he is very muscular and I don’t mind him lending you his arms if they stop the baby getting hurt. Xander, you can hug Buffy if it helps the baby.’

‘Thank you Anya,’ Xander answered with a totally straight face.

‘Yes thank you Anya, that’s very kind of you.’ Buffy also managed to keep her face straight.

‘Yes it is, isn’t it?’ Anya continued into the room and put the bag down she was carrying. It was made from heavy leather and reminded Buffy of the slayer bag Robin had given her all those years before.

‘We found this in one of the banks that handled the watchers’ council accounts.’ Anya was talking as Spike helped his wife out of his friend’s grasp and into his own. Spike nuzzled the top of her head, smelling that wonderful Buffy smell.

‘You’re purring Blondie,’ Faith told him as she came into the room. Spike just grinned and flashed her a little fang and gold eye. In game face he could hear the heartbeat coming from the other slayer. In fact he could hear two… the grin got wider and developed into a smirk.

‘Got something to share with the class, Faith?’ he asked, giving her abdomen a very pointed look.

Faith blushed: she actually blushed. And then changed the subject. Quickly.

‘I heard the chatter from everyone and let myself in: hope it was OK?’ she said, moving away from the vamp with his damn superhearing. There were some things a girl just wanted to keep to herself for a little while.

Buffy missed the interplay between the dark haired slayer and her mate, she was just revelling in the fact that he had got his arms around her and she was safe. Anya had been totally oblivious to what had been going on behind her.

‘It seems to be a bag of books and stuff, like that one you told me about with the weird men, but this one is safe. We had it checked for magic and although it has been held in stasis there is no spell actually on it.’

Xander looked at the bag. ‘Well as the only non-magical one amongst you I’m going to look,’ he told the group.

‘Why should that matter?’ Faith was puzzled.

‘Duh: magic can be triggered by a magical being,’ Anya thought it a very silly question; the answer was so obvious, to her at least.

Buffy waddled forward and looked into the bag. It seemed to contain books and paperwork, and a few other trinkets. Something occurred to Buffy.

‘Who was at the door?’ she asked the gang in general.

‘That was me B, didn’t realise that you couldn’t make it without help though, or I wouldn’t have rung it, but I didn’t feel right about just walking in on you.’

‘That’s ok,’ Buffy answered. All the old feelings she had about Faith were long gone. She knew the younger slayer harboured no ill feelings anymore.

Xander was pulling the books out of their hiding place in the old bag. ‘These are a history of the slayers, a real history, prophecies… there’s a copy of that Vampires and their Stewards book you found!’ he said, waving it in the air. ‘This stuff is way old.’ Even human as he was he could feel the age in some of the papers.

‘Look at this,’ he said tugging on a bundle in the bottom. It was a silk scarf embroidered with signs and sigils. Wrapped in the scarf were the ashes of a vampire: they could all sense them. Someone had collected these ashes together and put them into silk to prevent them being reanimated; and in a separate box there were more ashes.

Anya had started looking through the books and read out aloud what she had found.

‘The ashes in the box are those of the first slayer. Her demon lover and the baby are in the scarf; they have been kept apart so that their souls couldn’t meet in the afterlife. Ugh… that’s cruel.’

‘Do you realise that the slayers have been betrayed since the very beginning, when the first one was made? They were supposed to be cared for and looked after, but they were treated like disposable soldiers. Glad I’m not one of heaven’s chosen ones.’ Xander shuddered at the thought of those hundreds of young girls doomed to short, brutal lives just to try and fight the good fight. ‘And not a volunteer amongst them.’

‘The spell was set incorrectly when the Garden of Eden was evacuated: seems like you were betrayed by heaven itself.’ Anya kept on reading from the books.

‘Betrayed by heaven itself: that really is the ultimate betrayal.’ Buffy was angry, she could feel her blood pressure rising. A comforting hand on her shoulder relaxed her. Her Spike always knew what she needed, what she wanted, whispering into her ear all the naughty things he was going to do to her as soon as they were alone. It didn’t help Buffy’s blood pressure but it certainly helped her mood. She smiled and tried to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks.

‘It’s why the new Sunnydale was built, baby,’ Joyce’s voice said from behind them all. ‘The Powers That Be knew they had done wrong, but they didn’t know how to put it right. I know how crazy that sounds, but they have no concept of mercy or forgiveness; if you have never sinned you don’t understand how hard it can be to get it right. That’s what you have all been brought together for, you will be the start of a new council of powers, with the concept of mercy fundamental to the running of things.’

Buffy looked at her mother with a mouth wide open: she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

‘Wha?’ Was her only response.

‘We’re going to be working with the powers?’ Xander struggled not to laugh; he looked around the room at all the stunned faces. ‘We’re going to be working with the powers,’ he said again, but this time more soberly; this was no joke.

‘The powers have been relieved of duty for a short time. The Great Balance has decreed that you, in this room, are to train them in such ideas as justice and kindness; there will be others as well, you’ll be like an advisory group, making sure they don’t screw up again.’

‘So mote it be.’ was heard to reverberate around the room, in fact it could be heard all over Sunnydale.

‘So we’re going to tell the powers what to do,’ Buffy looked at her mother. ‘And my baby, is he still going to be some sort of shining one?’

‘He is darling, he is, but you are still going to have to raise him. He’ll be a normalish child, a few extra gifts and so on but nothing you can’t handle; so you are invincible and in charge, at least until you want time off when the little one is old enough to take over.’

‘But what if I make a mistake? What if I hurt someone? I’m not powers material!’

‘You’re my Goddess,’ Spike whispered quietly. Joyce smiled at him: she loved seeing how protective the vampire was with her eldest daughter.

‘You’ll learn, you have made mistakes, but you learned, you all did. The only other Scoobie who will be on the council to start with is Willow: she is one of the two witches, along with Morgana. Xander and Robin will represent the humans, Anya and Spike the demons, and you and Faith the slayers. Anne and I will be your oracles and liaisons.’

None of the Scoobies could believe what they were told, but as they looked at one another they could feel the power infuse them. They knew it was right. The Power that Liked to Mess had been defeated, the Ultimate Betrayal righted and a new Sunnydale would arise from the destruction of the old.



Spike felt useless, he had been pacing up and down the corridor for at least five minutes, and they wouldn’t even let him have a fag.

‘You can come in now Spike,’ Morgana told him, smiling as the vampire used his speed to make it to his mate’s side. Buffy was sitting up and looking around her, finally out of pain.

‘This is all your fault, you know that don’t you.’ But the smile on her face belayed her words.

‘Yeah, I know pet, and when you’re fit and healthy you can punish me however you want.’ Spike curled his tongue up and stuck it behind his lip.

‘And you can stop that mister, that’s how I ended up in this mess in the first place.’ A wince stopped Buffy from saying anything more. Spike held her hand as Morgana checked on the baby’s progress again.

‘Tell you what, you could make a fortune with this magical epidural,’ Buffy told her before grimacing again.

‘It’s time to push Buffy, time to become a mother!’ Morgana told her.

‘Mommy; I want my mommy!’ She cried, and Joyce appeared in a bright light.

‘Well, you didn’t think I was going to miss this did you?’ she said with a smile, going around the bed to hold Buffy’s other hand.

With her mother one side of her and her mate the other, Buffy Anne Summers pushed William Richard Pratt II into the world. When Morgana held him up for his father to see, Spike fainted, much to the women’s amusement. He came round to see his mate and their child basking in the light of a new day that was breaking over New Sunnydale and to hear the cheers as the news spread that the first child had been born safely into their world.