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“Our mission is to eliminate the hazard of the turned Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers, and, if necessary, William the Bloody called Spike. Load up the tranq guns. Our orders are not to harm any involved humans so we’re going to neutralize the turned Slayer and then remove her from the scene before staking her. Understand?”

The collection of men and women gathered in front of him nodded.

“Let’s move out.”

--= * =-- --= * =-- --= * =--

April was holding a pile of fresh laundry.

“She keeps borrowing my stuff too! Willow!” Dawn crossed her arms and glared at the still-smiling April. “She’s like the little sister I never wanted.”

Buffy laughed.

“Feel my pain.”

Willow hurried over and took the clothes from April, handing them over to a pouting Dawn.

“Um, we’ll get you your own clothes, okay?” Willow said to the robot, who nodded pleasantly.

“Come on. I’m meeting Xander and Anya,” Willow said to Dawn as Buffy took the pile of laundry from her.

“Can I drive?” April asked.

“She drives?” Said Buffy.

“Yeah...uh. Tara wanted April to be more humany. So I’m...working on it,” Willow stuttered.

Buffy smiled.

“Yay. Driving robot. Whatever. Can we go now?” Dawn said from the doorway.

--= * =-- --= * =-- --= * =--

Spike was already inside when April pulled up to the movie theatre. Dawn scrambled out of the car.

“Sorry Dawnie,” Willow said from the passenger seat. She still hadn’t unclenched her hands from her armrests. “I’ll try and give her some more common sense.”

Dawn gave the car an incredulous look as it screeched off, and then went inside to meet Spike. Their movie was at 6:45.

Willow and April entered the Magic Box ten minutes later.

--= * =-- --= * =-- --= * =--

“I suppose you’ve all guessed why I’ve called you here,” Giles said as he polished his glasses on his sweater.

“Buffy.” Xander said. They had already relayed information about their encounter with Drusilla to Giles.

“Yes.” Giles said.

Anya looked at Xander.

“I’m concerned about her ability to carry-out her duties as a Slayer. I thought that her demonic state wouldn’t make much of a difference. I overlooked the fact that she would probably feel some sort of a-a connection to her, well, ‘family’.”

He looked at the sombre faces around him; Willow’s big eyes peering out from her red hair; Anya’s closed stance; Xander’s clouded eyes; even April looked grave.

“I just hope she only feels that way toward specific vampires from her bloodline. She should be here soon. I was hoping we could speak with her and...alert her to our concerns.” Giles hesitated. “Let’s just be there for her. As friends.”

Willow, April, and Xander nodded. Anya still didn’t move or say anything.

--= * =-- --= * =-- --= * =--

“Well. That was a lick and a tickle,” Spike said sarcastically.

“Aww...it was cute,” Dawn said, still munching on her vividly yellow, industrial-sized bag of M&M’s.

“It was a movie about fish.”

“But it was cute. You didn’t like it at all?”

“I liked the sharks.”

“You would.” She said with a giggle.

He laughed and lightly punched her on the shoulder.

A car screeched to a halt down the street from them.

“That’ll be April,” Dawn said with a sigh.

“Not too fond of the bot’s driving skills?”

“They’re worse than yours. I didn’t think that was possible.”

“Yeah well, you failed your Drivers Ed class so I wouldn’t be talking.”

“Hey! Meanie.”

“Dawn!” April called from the car. “Willow requested I take you home right away. It’s dangerous.”

“I’m 16! And it’s only 9:30. And I’m with Spike. How much danger could I possibly be in?” Dawn yelled back.

“I don’t know. Don’t shoot the messenger,” April said with a sad smile.

Dawn sighed again.

“See ya Nibblet,” Spike said and hugged the teenager.

“Bye Spike.”

As April sped toward the Summers’ House, Spike turned and headed for the Magic Box.

--= * =-- --= * =-- --= * =--

“So why the meeting?” Buffy asked from her position near the counter, Spike’s arm loosely around her shoulder.

Giles took off his glasses before speaking.

“Concerning our recent encounter with--”

Suddenly, all the lights in the building save the exit sign were shut off.

“What’s going on?” Willow asked.

Fifteen people, all dressed in black, swiftly and silently entered the Magic Box. You didn’t need vampire hearing to determine the amount of weapons cocked and armed and aimed at them.

“Miss Summers. If you will come with us,” the apparent leader said in a London accent.

The term ‘Watchers Council’ flitted through Giles and Buffy’s heads.

“Not happening mate,” Spike said, his arm still around her.

“Ah yes...Mr. Spike. We anticipated difficulty from you.”

The nameless Watcher pointed the gun at Spike...and then all hell broke loose.

Willow began rapidly firing off immobility spells in every direction, taking care not to hit her friends.

Anya ran behind a book case and pulled the fire alarm, setting off a blaring siren and flashing red light. Xander followed her and pulled her down to the ground with him.

Watchers were firing their tranquilizer guns at anything that moved.

Giles was face to face with an opponent and was grappling with the gun.

Buffy and Spike leapt apart to dodge several bullets, which effectively shattered the glass case behind them. Buffy knew Spike couldn’t fight these humans so she kept as close to him as she could while dodging tranquilizers and fending off manual attacks from Watchers.

But while she was distracted by two assailants, another had managed to get near Spike. And he had a knife.

Buffy turned around in time to see Spike successfully block a punch but then take the knife to his left shoulder.

In a possessive rage, her face slid into her demon visage and she strode over with a murderous look in her eyes.

Spike had grit his teeth and fallen to his knees; unable to strike back, he simply bore the pain. As an effort, he gave the man a shove backwards with the other arm.

The Watcher stumbled into Buffy. Running on pure instinct and fury, she grabbed onto him and swiftly sank her fangs into the man’s exposed neck.

Buffy’s eyes widened. This was the taste of human blood? It was like nothing she had ever had before. It was the ambrosia her body had been perpetually craving, the perfect food, the perfect drug.

When Giles caught sight of her, he stood stock-still. Willow gasped and her spell casting faltered. Xander and Anya’s eyes widened as they peered through the bookcase. They all looked on shocked as Buffy dropped the drained man’s now-lifeless body and stood tall, panting unnecessarily.

The three Watchers still standing tore out of the Magic Box.

To Spike, Buffy had never looked more glorious, with the blood of her first kill smeared on her lips, her demon in full front, red lights flashing behind her, bodies and shattered glass scattered about. He looked at her in awe for a few seconds before realizing the impact of the situation: Buffy had just murdered a human being.

He stood slowly, one arm over his wounded shoulder--he had removed the knife with some pain a few minutes ago--and stalked toward her until they were face to face.

She eyed him warily with her yellow eyes, like a predator regarding another. She was still manic from being filled with her first taste of human blood and hadn’t come down from the primal high yet.

Everyone in the Magic Box was noiseless, whether from anticipation, shock, unconsciousness, or death.

Spike opened his mouth slightly and leaned forward silently. Her eyes remained straight ahead but every fibre of her being was concentrated on his presence. He swept his tongue across the small streak of blood on her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned her head, drawing him in for a kiss, while all her friends watched on in horror.





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