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Career Decisions

Spike walked in the coven's home following Giles. They passed through the pale peach painted foyer to a door in the hallway surrounded by tainted wood, and down the steps into the basement. It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the candle lit room. In the center was Willow, now only a few inches off the ground. She was surrounded by robed figures, each chanting softly.

The old woman stopped and turned to the men. "She will wake in four days, possibly five. Her aura will be cleansed, but the emotions will not be lost, and time will need to be taken before she will be ready to return home."

The silence and solitude were palatable. Their very presence in this sanctuary felt improper.

The woman held out a small pouch attached to a leather cord. "When it is time, she will need to wear this. It will bind lingering magic, and make her healing easier."

Giles took the pouch filled with herbs, and placed it in his inside jacket pocket. "Is there anything I should do in preparation?"

"She will be staying with you until she is ready to return home?" the woman with wisps of white hair that forever bellowed round her despite the lack of a breeze.

Giles nodded.

"You must cleans your home of magics. Items of mystical properties are acceptable, but if you have performed spells in or on your home, I will need to provide a cleansing."

"That won't be necessary. I haven't cast any spells in that home."

"Very well."

Spike was still watching Willow floating just above the ground. Somehow seeing her made all of what Giles had told him, real. His eyes studied every psrt of her, and sensed the danger that she held within . The feeling reminded him of Sunnydale. Of The Slayer, her sister, of Anya and even Xander. In some odd way it reminded Spike of the crypt and of Clem. It was an energy that encompassed those who were aware of the darkness that tried to sneak during night.

Willow must have nearly died inside. How would she be ok once she woke and realized her lover was gone. How would he feel if Buffy had died? How could she survive with in that same painful darkness?

The ache in his stomach twisted. There was so much that had happened to the Scoobies in the few weeks he had been gone, and now... Now what?

He felt shame for leaving, pain for Red, sorrow for himself. "I never should 'ave left. I could have done... something." Spike shook his head and stared at the hardwood floor.

The old woman and Giles both looked at him.

"Chosen," the old woman began, "you should not feel guilt for this."

"There wouldn't have been anything you could have done. Warren shot them during daylight," Giles explained.

The old woman smiled at the blonde man. "You have been chosen for a greater purpose, one that you have already begun." She closed her wrinkled eyes. "You have obstacles, but I see that you are determined. You heart is true, and is your greatest asset." She opened her eyes, and looked back at Giles. "He is, as she."

"Pardon?"

"The woman you would call daughter. He is as she."

Spike cocked an eyebrow at that. "You have a daughter?" Then obvious stupidity hit him when he looked back at the old woman. "You mean Buffy, The Slayer?"

"He is as she is. He is a Slayer?" Giles questioned the old woman cautiously.

"Yes." Her white hair surrounded her face as she nodded, hands clasped at her stomach.

Behind her was a small table with various trinkets, herbs, and statues. From it, she chose a small charm with careful movements. "This will help you to find your way in a new world. Use it wisely, and trust your instincts." She turned to Spike and gently placed the item in his warm smooth palm.

Spike took the silver charm that appeared to be two knots tied together. "Thanks." He placed the thin silver necklace that it hung from, around his neck.

The woman nodded. "I wish you luck, in all aspects of your new life."

Both men could have sworn her eyes glowed with her last words, but it could have been the candle light.

The blonde looked again at the floating form of the redhead he had once considered turning.
She seemed so troubled even in her restoring state.

"Could I-" Spike began, but was interrupted by the woman.

"You may see her."

With a gentle smile on his lips, he walked tentatively to the floating form in the room.

The circle around Willow parted enough to let him by, and he crouched next to her. "I'm sorry Red. Should have tried harder to 'elp, rather than causin' more trouble."

He took a deep breath. "Don' worry. Won't never run out on none of you again. No matter what." Willow was motionless as a tear streamed down the side of her face, then to the floor.

He watched it fall before returning to the watcher's side.

Sunnydale, CA: two days later

Buffy came out of the basement room of the Sunnydale Police Department that acted as a classroom during training. She had done better on her test than she thought she would, but still, she had been hoping for better.

As usual, Jason was waiting for her.

She smiled at him. "Hi Ja- Detective Roe."

"You're done with classes for the day. I think you can call me Jason," he beamed at her. He couldn't wait for her to be finished. Until she was, he would have to try to keep his distance romantically. After though, he had serious plans for them, unbeknownst to her.

She had to admit he was handsome. His dark hair complimented his tan, and his brown eyes were big and always seemed to gleam with life. Of course there were rules. Relationships weren't strictly forbidden within the department, but generally frowned upon with superiors and officers. Luckily, she thought to herself, once training was over, she would be assigned a unit not directly under Jason's authority.

"So, how did you do?" He walked her up the steps and out into the night. She handed over the paper.

"Only 96." He scanned her paper.

"That's great Buffy! The average is 78 out of 100. Most of the others will have to retake it."

"Really? I think I could have done better." She had forgotten that she measured her ability against Willow's when it came to studying. It was a good thing though, she seemed to push herself to reach those high standards.

"I'd say you're a sure thing." He realized what he said. "I mean...to choose your shift. Not to many new recruits get that chance."

Buffy shrugged. She needed to be able to get second shift "As long as I can work and pay the bills... and help our community." She threw that last part in, just to be sure he didn't think she was only doing this for money. The fact that she'd been protecting the Sunnydale residents for the past six years not withstanding.

They walked in silence through the parking lot. "Well, speaking of helping"

"Patrol?" Only Jason, knew exactly who she was. It had come up while she dusted some vampire her second night of classes when he had tried to attack the two of them just outside of the parking lot. Other than Detective Roe, no one knew her official status as the Slayer, just that she was extremely strong, and was always around when bad things came up in the town. Generally to make those bad things go away.

"Yup," she said taking off her cap. She folded it and placed it in her back pocket.

"Good luck, and-and don't get hurt."

She smiled at him, and he nearly melted. "I won't."

And she ran out into the night. Officer Griggs walked up to Jason as he watched her walk away.

"She's trouble."

"Yeah. I know." His smile never faded.

~~`~~

Buffy opened the door to the crypt and walked in just as she had every night after her final training class. "Clem?"

The demon walked out of the lower level. "Hey, Buffy. How'd the test go?"

"Apparently I did very well," she said as she descended the stairs passing the flabby skinned monster she just didn‘t have the heart to destroy. Clem stayed up top while she changed her clothes for some slayage. "At least that's what Jason thinks. ”Buffy continued. “I could have done better, but..."

"Still thinking about him?"

She came up the steps wearing black jeans, a black blouse, and Spike's duster. "Yeah, and Dawn is still making it hard. Even after I talked to her, she's still furious with him."

"For leaving, or the other thing?"

"I think both. If he'd come back she could yell at him, and get over it, but as it is she won't even mention his name anymore." She placed her uniform in a dark corner, as she always did. "Have you heard from him yet."

"No." He shook his head. "Nothing for more than two months now."

England

Spike sat back in Giles' recliner reading one of the Slayer journals. "Forged her own weapons?"

"Yes, she did," Giles answered from the couch.

"So she sharpened her own sticks, and the Watcher thought that was note worthy?"

"Uh.." Giles thought about the statement. "I'm sure there was more to it. Forge is a reference to
heating metal."

"That, and crafting. Making pointy sticks." Spike shut the book. "So when are you going to tell the Council of Bleeding Idiots about me?"

The Watcher looked over the rim of his glasses. "I see no need to. According to you, the Council discovered the Slayer's existence of their own accord. I see no reason for them not to do so in your case."

Spike smirked. "I knew you had a little evil in there somewhere, even without the Ripper."

"Yes, well. When will you be going back?"

"To Sunnydale?"

Giles nodded.

"Need to figure out what I'm going to do first. All living and what not, going to need some income."

"I see." A career for a former vampire. "Have you any ideas? What was your vocation before you were turned."

"Don't think I have to tell you that."

Rupert's curiosity was peeked. "It couldn't have been all that bad."

Spike grimaced. "Oh bloody- I didn't have a job. I was a student. A forever student."

Giles was shocked. "A student."

"You've heard of Oxford, Cambridge... I attended both, and had degrees in Modern Poetry, History, Mathematics, and Biology."

Giles dropped his teacup onto the floor. "I had no idea you had been educated."

Spike watched the bungling man across from him. "Don't those books tell you anything?"

"Just that you were known as William the Bloody before the name Spike stuck. No information of your 'human' life was ever discovered"

"Well, at least it saves me embarrassment from the Slayer."

"I thought you told her all about your past."

"She asked how I killed the Slayers, not who I was before I killed them." He shrugged. "Didn't seem like a vital point in her lesson."

Giles sighed, then an idea struck him. "Lessons. I may have an idea, one that will put you in the center of Sunnydale society."

"Yeah?"

"It may take some doing..." The Watcher let his sentence run off when he went to his phone and called in a favor from one of his many London contacts.

"Creighton, I need some papers."

"Yes, an American teaching certificate in the name of William Worthington."

"As soon as possible."

"Thank you."

Spike sat silently. "A teacher?"

Giles chuckled. "Would you rather be a librarian?"

~~`~~

Three days later

Spike stood in the airport waiting for his flight to be called for boarding. Giles waited with him.

"Now you're sure this will work, Watcher?"

"Creighton has never failed me. His work is impeccable."

"But a high school teacher. At least Niblet will be happy to see me. It would be interesting to have her as a student."

Giles shuffled his feet a bit before meeting Spike's blue eyes. "About Dawn."

Spike stopped. "What about 'er. She 'urt too?"

"No. No. Nothing like that, but you should know." Giles ran his hand through his graying locks. "She knows what happened, before you left."

"No." Spike was shattered. "Didn't think she would know. How?"

"Let's just say someone let it slip."

Spike looked out the window, then to Rupert. "Xander."

Giles stood silent. With a deep sigh Spike realized how much harder all of this was really going to be.

"Well, could do an Anya on him, but can't blame him for tellin' the truth. 'Sides, already 'urt them all by...Oh bloody 'ell."

"Quite."

"Look, Rupert. If I can win 'em back. I need to ask you something. Should be talking to Mr. Summers, but you're the closest thing the ladies have to a da anymore."

Standing tall, and feeling quite out of sorts, he continued. "I guess what I'm trying to do is ask for permission too see Buffy. But I feel like a right wanker doin' it."

Laughing lightly Giles handed him an envelope.

"What's this?"

"Permission, but wait until you get on the plane before you open it."

"Alright." He slipped the envelope into his leather jacket's pocket. "Do me another favor?"

"What's that?"

"Don't tell anyone you saw me. Not even Willow. I want to be ready, be able to have something to show for their troubles other than a temperature."

"I think I can manage that, but don't stay in hiding too long."

~~`~~

Willow awoke slowly. Her eyes flitted open, but she couldn't make out the foggy image of the face looking into hers.

"Willow?"

She knew that voice. She trusted this person. Slowly Giles' face came into focus.

"Giles?" her dry throat croaked.

"Yes, Willow. How do you feel?"

Willow looked around the dark room and tried to sit herself up on the firm couch.

She noticed the gauze like dress, and cloth that was draped over her body.

"Where am I?"

"In the home of the coven that sent me to you."

It was then that she remembered what she had done to him, Buffy, Dawn, Xander, Anya... Warren. "Oh Goddess. What did I do?"

And the tears came freely once again, just as they had in Xander's arms atop the hill.

"Shh. It will be alright. You just cry." He held her, letting her grief flow.

The old woman hidden in the darkness watched quietly. "Now, it will be alright."

~~`~~

Spike waited until the blue ocean was the only thing that could be seen from the plane high in the sky before he opened the envelope. The paper inside was folded neatly. He opened it, and a slip of paper fell into his lap.

Spike picked it up and was shocked to see a check. He quickly pocketed the paper, then began to read Giles's letter.

William (I know you prefer Spike),

I believe your intentions are true. I have seen the greatest warriors in my life, and would be lying if I said I did not include you on that list. If you are true to your new calling, I see a great future ahead for you. The coven's leader saw it in you as well.

With that said, I have something I'd like to tell you:
Into each generation a Slayer is born. One in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers.

We may have to revise that, but it seemed fitting. I believe that you are the beginning of a second line. With the growth in population of both humans, and demons, I believe the fates have provided. Take their gift and make them a part of you. In Buffy, you will find a guide in your venture. I wish both of you well.

Rupert Giles

Spike leaned back in his seat, and began rehearsing the first words he wanted to say to Buffy. How to apologize to Dawn, Xander and Anya.

Thank goodness it was going to be a long flight.


Chapter End Notes:
Aren't you glad Clem is ther for support?



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