Chapter 7
When Buffy woke in the morning, Spike was still sleeping soundly. She smiled a little, watching him sleep for a few minutes. His face was so innocent when he slept. If one didn’t know better, they wouldn’t know of what had happened in the ex-vampire’s past. But that was behind them now. She was glad to have things just the way they were. Spike was human. He was no longer burdened with the intense desire to feed and kill. Still, once in a while, he grew frustrated despite the fact that his strength was far superior to most human’s. His frustrations mainly stemmed from the fact that he was mortal, and he didn’t have the ability to heal quite as quickly as his wife. Still, in essence, he was practically a male Slayer. He could keep up with Buffy for quite some time in a fight, and some nights, while she was home with the kids, he’d go out and take care of his fair share of demons.
When she felt nature calling, she slowly slipped away, her bare feet padding against the floor as she made her way to the bathroom. After she’d finished, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a loose white shirt and black yoga pants. Her hair was messy, so she drew her brush through it and quickly brushed her teeth.
Finally, she made her way out of the bathroom and down the hall, being careful not to trip over sleeping bodies.
When she finally reached the kitchen, Bella and Bex were sitting at the counter eating cereal.
“Hey, what are you two doing up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep no more, Mommy,” Bex said, taking in another heaping spoonful of Coco Puffs.
“Anymore,” Buffy corrected her son.
“Yeah,” Bella teased her brother. “It’s anymore.”
“Bella,” Buffy warned. Bella grinned.
“Sorry, Mommy.” Buffy decided to join her kids in having cereal this morning, because she didn’t want to rouse the rest of the house with the stench of burning bacon and eggs. She liked the quiet, so she wanted it to last as long as possible.
However, as she was sitting down with a bowl of her own, Angel came walking around the corner. He hadn’t slept. Buffy could tell. He had that same look to him that Spike often had after they’d been up all night. She looked at Bex and Bella and then at Angel. She realized that he’d tensed from the way his jaw was set.
“Hey,” she said slowly.
“Buffy,” Angel said with a slow nod. He moved toward the fridge to pull out a fresh bag of pig’s blood. Bella made a face, but Buffy shot her a warning glance, as Angel began to squeeze the contents into a mug.
“Bella, Bex, you remember me telling you about Angel, right?” Buffy asked.
“Why are you drinking that? It looks like…” Bex started. Buffy cleared her throat, and she took the kids’ empty bowls away.
“Why don’t you go see if you can wake up Daddy. Be quiet though. Don’t wake the others.”
“Okay, Mommy,” Bella said with a nod, taking the lead, as Bex scrambled after her. When the kids were gone, Buffy turned back to Angel, who was taking his mug out of the microwave.
“They don’t know about vampires?” Angel asked, sitting across from Buffy at the counter.
“Ah, we’re trying to keep them away from things like that, but they’re catching on. Actually…we’re pretty sure Bella’s supposed to be a slayer.” Angel didn’t seem surprised.
“She’s following in strong footsteps,” he said quietly.
“She’ll never get the chance if we don’t fix whatever’s happening.” She looked down. “Part of me hopes that we can’t fix it, because that’s no life for her, you know?”
“Yeah, but they’ll come after her anyway. They’ll be able to smell it in her blood. She’ll be in as much danger as she would be if she was a Slayer, but at least that way, she’d be able to defend herself.” Buffy nodded, knowing this was true.
“Yeah.” She took a cautious bite before looking at him again. “I’ll have to re-introduce them to you. They’re a little rambunctious in the morning. And the afternoon. Well, pretty much all the time.” Angel smiled at that.
“Yeah. They come by it honesty, at least.” With a mother like Buffy and a father like Spike, these kids weren’t destined to be quiet, reserved children at all. He cleared his throat. “I’ll try not to drink my morning blood in front of them.”
“Thanks for understanding,” Buffy said quietly. She turned back to start putting the cereal bowls in the sink. “I understand why you didn’t want to see them. I know you don’t approve of me and Spike.” Angel didn’t answer. “I can’t expect you to understand. I just…I had to go with my heart, and as cheesy as it sounds, Spike is my heart. And Bex and Bella. They’re my family.” She turned back to face him. “I’m just glad you came. Considering…”
“I’ll always be there to help you. You know that.” Buffy nodded, and the kitchen was silent for a few minutes. “I’m a grandpa.” Buffy turned around quickly.
“What?!” she asked incredulously, amused at the image of Angel with grandchildren. Of course, he’d never have grey hair or use a cane, but the image was still there, and she couldn’t help but grin.
“Connor…he’s married. He’s got two daughters. Kate and Sarah.”
“Oh,” Buffy said quietly. “So you…”
“No. He still doesn’t know who I am. I just keep up on things.” He cleared his throat, not really sure why he’d brought it up anyway. “They look like Darla. All blonde haired. They have eyes like mine though.”
“Oh,” Buffy replied quietly, really uncertain of what to say. “That must be hard for you. Having a family and not being able to…”
“It’s easier this way. It’s easier than having to explain to them someday why they’re little old ladies and I’m…still me.”
“Right. You…you could at least talk to Connor.”
“No. He can’t find out, Buffy. Having me as a father…it almost killed him. It almost made him want to die.” Buffy flinched. “I don’t want to risk that happening again.” At that moment, Spike came walking into the kitchen with Bex riding piggy back, as Bella pranced along behind him. He wasn’t exactly surprised to find his grandsire standing in the kitchen talking to Buffy, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to talk to him first thing in the morning.
“Daddy, this is Angel,” Bex said proudly at knowing the man’s name.
“Ah, yeah. I know who he is, son.”
“He drinks icky red stuff. Is he a…” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “vampire?” Angel glanced at Spike and then Buffy.
“Bella Pratt,” Buffy said quickly, “that’s not something you say about…”
“Well you never really told me, Mommy. Are vampires real or not?” Buffy sighed at her daughter’s question.
“Yeah! I wanna know!” Bex chimed in.
“Alright, you two,” Spike said cautiously, “let’s go get you dressed.”
“No! Tell us!” Bella and Bex piped up together. “Pleeeeease?”
“Listen to your father,” Buffy said, sounding an awful like Joyce, pre-split with Hank.
“Aw, man,” the kids whined, as Spike scooted them off. Once they were dressing, he returned to his wife and to Angel. Angel watched as Spike found something to eat in the fridge, and he felt a twinge of jealousy at seeing the vampire actually eating the food, seeming to enjoy it a great deal. That was something he missed terribly from the time he’d spent as a human, the time Buffy couldn’t remember. He missed the taste. Now, the taste was gone whenever he even attempted to eat food. There was no point. No need to feed an already dead body.
A few ex-slayers came slouching into the kitchen, looking much worse than yesterday. Spirits were low. Hope was fleeting. Their faces showed the severity of the situation. Giles came walking in with Robin and Willow.
“Alright, everyone,” he said, getting down to business. “Today’s the day we move to a more secure location.” He eyed Angel. “We’ll have somebody come for you after sunset.” Angel nodded, feeling pretty much worthless, but he knew he could do a lot of good at night. It was just going to take several hours for that point to come.
“So where’s this super secret place, anyway?”
***
“A high school?” Buffy asked, as the group, minus Angel, stood in front of an old, three-story high school. The foundation was sound, and the building was constructed of stone and brick, so it was pretty sound too. Still, a high school? “Please tell me there aren’t any hellmouths under it.”
“No. The nearest one is at least three thousand miles away,” Giles assured Buffy.
“Oh. Well, good.”
“So, we’re not trespassing or anything?” Dawn asked. They were on a side of London that was practically deserted, but that was a plus, considering that was much less blood for the vamps to come after, and that was also good, because training could take place out in the courtyard in the daytime, without suspicions rising.
“Mommy? Do we have to go to school?”
“It’s summer, so no. But Aunt Dawn does, because she’s missing school right now.” Dawn rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in,” she muttered.
“Come on. Let’s check out our new digs.” Movement from the front doors told them, however, that somebody was already checking it out. The front door swung open, and three young women came walking out. Behind them was a familiar face. Andrew. And behind him? Xander.
“Oh my God,” Buffy whispered hoarsely. Andrew looked defeated and tired, and the girls looked frightened. The other ex-slayers, recognizing their peers, went up to greet the other girls, while Andrew and Xander made their way down the concrete steps. Andrew immediately saw Spike and rushed over to hug him, much to Spike’s awkward discomfort. But, he gave the young man a heart squeeze anyway and a pat on the back, while Xander hugged first Buffy and then Willow.
“We got in early this morning. Robin told us to come here,” he pointed out.
“What about the other girls, Andrew? I thought you had more with you?”
“We did,” he said quietly. “They were picked off last night in a surprise attack.” Buffy shuddered.
“What’s he talking about, Mommy?” Bella asked, tugging on Buffy’s hand. Buffy’s heart jumped into her throat. Shit.
“N…nothing, Bella. Let’s go inside.”
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Buffy knelt down in front of her daughter, and she caressed her soft, blonde hair.
“What’d I tell you back home, Bell?” Bella thought for a minute.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You and Daddy are gonna protect me.”
“And we will. And we’ll protect Bex. That’s what families do, okay?”
“Ok, Mommy,” Bella said with a nod. Buffy stood, squeezing her daughter’s hand tightly. Spike wrapped his arm around his wife, and he took Bex’s hand in his free one. Everyone began to haul their belongings into the old school, which was, for the most part, overrun with dust and debris from chipping paint on the walls. But, it was obvious from the dust and dirt covering Andrew’s hands, and the cleared out space in the front lobby, that he’d already started cleaning.
“Everyone can spread out. There’s plenty of room, and the place is secure,” Andrew assured them. He flitted off, while the girls all found places to get comfortable. Because it was not just a high school, but a boarding house as well, there were plenty of beds in each room, and for the beds that had rusted down and were unusable, there were plenty of extras in the other rooms. Buffy and Spike found a room with enough room for them and for the kids, and they tossed their things inside.
Buffy spotted Willow and Xander and decided to go catch up, while Spike and Dawn went exploring with the kids.
“Hey Buff,” Xander said, as the Slayer caught up with them. “You seen Faith?”
“Yeah, why?”
“She’s looking all gloomy. I mean, not the regular gloomy that comes with Faith. But a new gloomy, you know?” Xander asked.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I think she’s just having a hard time dealing with seeing Robin since they split. I think she’ll be ok. She’s tough.” She looked at Willow. “Find out anything new since last night?”
“Just your regular protection spell, but it’s not strong, Buffy. It might get us through the night though. I can keep trying them, but those kinds of spells are really draining.”
“Well, do what you have to do, but don’t drain yourself. Take it easy, Wil. We need you.” Willow nodded.
“I’ve looked up virtually every big bad we’ve ever come across and those that we haven’t, and they’re all dead ends. Obviously, something happened for all of them to lose their powers at once, but since you and Faith didn’t lose your powers, I’m guessing it wasn’t some overarching spell. I think my spell just wore off. It wasn’t supposed to, but you know how the magicks can get. The more powerful, the more consequences.”
“So all we have to do is find a way to restore their powers…”
“And find a way to keep them that way. Sure, I could easily do the spell I did with the scythe thingy, but who’s to say this won’t happen again? They’ve been almost completely wiped out, Buffy. If we take another hit like that, you and Faith might be all that’s left.”
“And Bella.”
“What?”
“Bella…I think she’s a Slayer.”
“How can you tell?” Xander asked. “She’s all bite size and innocent.”
“The night the Slayers lost their powers…she was really upset. She said she felt like something was missing, but she didn’t know what. I think she’s supposed to take after me,” Buffy muttered, shivering. Willow and Xander cast side glances at each other.
“She’s safe here, Buffy. She’s got all of us to protect her.”
“Yeah,” Buffy said quietly, unconvinced. “I’m gonna go talk to Faith. See if she wants to take the first watch tonight.” Buffy headed off, hands shoved in the pockets of her coat, while Willow and Xander were left behind. Xander adjusted his eye patch and ran his fingers through his hair.
“She’s not thinking clearly, Wil. She’s got the usual worrying about her friends and about the other girls, but she’s also go the kids and Spike to think about. He might be strong, but he’s human.”
“Angel’s here. He’s a good one to have when you need him.”
“Yeah, but how long do you think it’ll be before Buffy’s decision-making suffers, because she can’t think about anything but keeping everyone safe?” Xander looked after Buffy, who didn’t seem to hear them as she turned a corner and disappeared from sight. “Her heart’s in the right place, but sometimes that’s what gets everybody…”
“Stop,” Willow said quickly. “It’s not gonna be like last night, Xander. We’re not losing anybody. The vampires are gonna come. They’re gonna try to kill us, because they know we’re vulnerable now. They’ve spent the last six years shaking in their demon boots, but now? Now they’re pissed off, and they’re ready to taste blood.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better how?”
“If they want blood…we’ll give them blood.” Without emotion, without expression, a knife appeared in her hand from out of nowhere, and she made a clean, shallow cut across the palm of her hand.
“Wil? What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting the party started a little early.” She found an old glass sitting on the windowsill, and she put it under the steady dripping of blood until she’d collected a good quarter of a cup. She wasn’t faltering or weak at all, as she made her way to the school doors and out onto the sidewalk in front of the old school. She threw the glass down, watching it shatter, as blood sprayed across the sidewalk. Xander watched in confusion and wonder as his friend turned around and walked back in. Her hair was still red, so that was a plus. No veiny, scary, black-haired Willow. But what the hell was she up to?
“You do realize that’s going to draw them here? Powerful human witch blood, and all that?” Willow rolled her eyes.
“That’s kinda the point. They’ll know I’m here. They’ll get here, and they’ll either try to fight, or they’ll get scared and run.”
“And with my track record with vampires, I’m guessing they’re gonna fight.”
“And they’ll lose,” Willow stated.
“How do you know?”
“Because we’re going to ambush them.” Xander spun around to see Giles standing there, leaning against the stair rail, arms crossed in front of him.
“We’re what?”
“Tonight, when they come, we’re going to ambush them. We’ll pick them off one by one every night if we have to.”
“But they’ll keep coming. They’ll turn more, and they’ll keep coming.”
“That’s why we need to work fast. We’re not here to fight a war, Xander. We’re here to fight battles, yes, but the most important goal is to find a way to restore Willow’s spell and insure that it will not be broken again.”
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