Chapter 2
Buffy, Willow, Tara, Faith and Anya sat around the Summers’ dining room table, pouring over the books that Anya had got for them about William the Bloody.
The five girls, plus Joyce, and Dawn were the only ones to know about Buffy’s plan. Every one of them was dedicated to supporting Buffy’s choice. Unfortunately the more they read, the more frustrated they became.
“Okay, this is getting ridiculous! Not one of these books says the same thing. I got five different human names, seven different descriptions, and at least twenty different histories. ” Buffy threw up her hands in disgust.
“Pay dirt!” Faith yelled excitedly. Turning her book to face Willow, she pointed at the page. “That him?”
Willow looked at the picture and gasped. It was an incredible artist’s rendition of the vampire she had contacted. “Well, his hair’s a different color now, but that’s him.” She bounced excitedly on her chair as she pushed the book towards Buffy.
Buffy stared at the picture before her. She was so entranced that she didn’t notice everyone had surrounded her to look at the picture too.
The master vampire was depicted as standing on top of a hill, legs parted and his arms akimbo. Wind held his billowing coat out like a superhero’s cape. His hair appeared to be a riotous mass of light brown curls. Sharp cheekbones etched his face, giving him a regal but dangerous look. Expressive blue eyes stared out of the picture, deceptively giving the impression that the figure seemed to be looking straight at her, like he could see right into her soul. Buffy’s one thought echoed through her mind.
‘Damn. That is one drool-worthy hunk of salty goodness!’
Turning to Willow, Buffy asked the question she’d been wondering for three days, “How did you know his name?”
Willow widened her eyes as she remembered. “That was so cool! It was like I got this instant knowledge. I know his names were William the Bloody and Spike. I know that he puts on a tough front, but he’s so much more that he appears to be. I know with absolute certainty that if you treat him badly, he’ll return the treatment, but if you show him respect, he’ll treat you the same way. I know he’s a demon, but he’s loyal, protective and his word is his bond. He’s amazing, Buffy. He really is.”
Buffy smiled sadly at the picture. He sounded wonderful, but what exactly did she have to offer someone like that?
~~~~~~~
Lawson loved his un-life. Being chief assistant to the legendary William the Bloody was the most amazing experience he’d ever been lucky enough to go through. He loved being second in command. He loved having a mission, and he loved being able to help Spike make a difference. ,Looking up as his boss swept through the front doors of the mansion, Lawson had a feeling that Sunnydale was going to be a very interesting place indeed.
“Welcome home, chief.” Lawson grinned at the lifted eyebrow he received.
“You’re a bloody master vampire. Stop calling me chief.”
“I’m a master vampire because the clan of Vladelus was stupid enough to think they could take over your holdings while you were away and I was in charge. They should have known better than to piss off a submariner,” Lawson snorted dismissively.
Spike looked at him, shook his head and chuckled. “Mate, you took out a family of seventeen vamps, five of which were masters.”
“Pffft, the Krauts would have had ‘em for breakfast. Stupid bastards had never even heard of an incendiary device. You’d think a vampire would take the time to learn about things that can fry ‘em.”
Spike chuckled. “It’s why I keep you around.”
“Whatever you say, chief,” Lawson joked as he moved to open the French doors that led to the garden. Pointing to the large ranch style house next door, he started catching his boss up. “The lawyers bought that one for the minions, this one for you, and I’ve got the one on the other side. They’ve all been furnished as per your instructions, and the pool house has been set up specifically for the protected ones if they need it.”
“Blood deliveries?” Spike asked as he wandered around the room picking up items randomly. He needed to keep moving. The last couple of days were like a blur to him. He couldn’t get the green eyed little blond out of his head, and he was kicking himself that he hadn’t even asked for the bloody bint’s real name. There was no way that her mother had actually named her Buffy! Nobody was that bent!
“We took a bulk delivery this morning. Every freezer in all three houses are filled to capacity. I’ve also stocked your fridge and cupboard with the usual.”
Spike nodded his acceptance of the arrangements. “Where’s my room? I need a shower before I head out again. Rumour has it there’s a slayer in town.”
Lawson headed in the direction of the master bedroom, knowing the other vampire well enough to know he would follow. “There’s two of ‘em now, chief. The first one died for a few minutes, and the second one was called.”
“Well, now, isn’t that bloody interesting,” the Slayer of Slayers remarked blandly as he entered his room, leaving Lawson in the hall.
~~~~~~~
“So, when do the others get back?” Buffy asked the group in general. She was desperate to keep occupied. The night out at the Bronze had been her idea. She had to keep moving, and dancing seemed like the perfect solution. She hated waiting and she felt like she’d been waiting forever for the arrival of someone she didn’t know but really wanted to.
“Xander comes back tomorrow, and he’s picking up Giles in L.A. on the way,” Anya happily informed the group. She was so pleased to finally be fitting in. It helped her cope with the certain knowledge that when Xander found out that she had helped Buffy find a mate that wasn’t him, and that she’d known the mate would be a vampire, she could say goodbye to orgasms from the carpenter for good. She knew this probably wasn’t the time or the place, but there hadn’t seemed to be a right time or right place up until now. They really didn’t have any time left. She had no choice. She had to tell her.
“Um…Buffy?” she began hesitantly. “I have to tell you something.”
Buffy tipped her head to the side, curious about what could have the usually forthright woman so cautious.
“I know that you’re aware that Xander has a crush on you, but you don’t know all of it. I’m very afraid at what his reaction will be to all of this when he finds out.” Anya spoke in a rush as if hoping that if she said the words quickly enough, the pain wouldn’t be so intense.
“What do mean, she doesn’t know it all?” Willow had to ask. She had a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to be happy about what the ex-demon had to share.
“Xander is completely obsessed with Buffy. It’s so bad that he counted how many times she had sex with Riley.”
“WHAT?!” the other four women shouted indignantly.
Anya nodded her head, totally understanding their outrage. Tears pooled in her eyes as she went on to tell them the rest. “He has a drawer filled with pictures and videos of you. He calls your name in his sleep. He was the one that reported Riley for dating a student. He’s positive that sooner or later, you’ll realise that you want him as much as he wants you. I’m terrified of what he’s going to do when he finds out about Spike and that I helped you.”
“Anya, we’re in this together. No matter what happens, you have us,” Willow assured the tearful girl. The witch loved her Xander-shaped friend, but nobody was getting in the way of Buffy’s happiness again.
Anya smiled gratefully through her tears. She had been so very afraid that they would abandon her.
~~~~~~~
Lawson ambled through his own house. If the truth could be told, he was a little worried about Spike. Three days earlier, his boss had come to him in a whirlwind, saying that they had to pack up everything and move to the Hellmouth in Sunnydale, California. The blond warrior had been excited and agitated at the same time. He’d had some sort of vision, and now he was on a quest for his perfect mate. Oh, Lawson knew all about William’s not-so-stellar past when is came to love, but he also knew that inside that rough exterior beat the proverbial heart of a poet. He was love’s bitch, and he was proud of it.
When Lawson had first met him on that submarine in the forties, Spike had still been in love and missing his Sire, even though he hadn’t seen her in forty years. In all the years the master and the ex-submariner had travelled together, Spike hadn’t even looked at another woman except as a release from tension. Drusilla had held his heart for more than a century, but three days ago that all changed.
Drusilla might have kicked Spike out for daring to elevate himself to the title of master vampire ahead of her, but hopefully the blond master would now be able to find a requited love that wouldn’t be jealous or judgemental of his amazing achievements.
Lawson just hoped that the two slayers wouldn’t get in his boss’ way, because that could lead to some very bad things.
~~~~~~~
Willy’s head shot up as the front door to the bar slammed open. He caught sight of a flash of blond hair and groaned. Facing the Slayer was definitely not on his list of ‘things I want for Christmas’.
When the crowd parted for the arrogant blond, Willy was momentarily relieved that it wasn’t the Slayer as he had feared. That was, until the visitor spoke.
“So, who do you have to kill around here for a little fun?”
“You don’t look so tough,” one foolish patron announced, moving into the blonde’s personal space.
Spike arched an eyebrow and smirked at the fledgling that was posturing in front of him. Bloody kids; nobody taught ‘em manners anymore. His hand shot out at lightening speed. Catching the swaggering vampire around the throat, Spike grinned as he squeezed.
Through the settling dust, the master vampire asked a question as he brushed off his hands. “How do I look now?”
“Who are you?” the dusted vampire’s companion asked in awe.
“Spike,” he answered, bored. He ignored the gasps of recognition and whispers of his various monikers. He had more important matters on his mind than feeding his ego. Eyeing the bartender, he demanded information. “Hear there’re two slayers in this town, where would I find ‘em?”
Willy knew his choices; pissing off a vampire that was in front of him and would kill him, or pissing off two slayers that weren’t here and might hurt him. “Friday Night? They’ll both be at the Bronze.”
“Thanks, mate,” Spike threw over his shoulder as he left the bar, coat billowing.
~~~~~~~
Faith looked over her shoulder. Her slayer side was reacting strongly to the presence of a master vampire. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew that this one was different from any other they’d faced. A sea of blank faces looked back at her. Glancing over at her sister slayer, she was pleased to see she wasn’t alone in noticing the anomaly.
Spike spotted one of the slayers on the dance floor. She looked like a feisty little thing, full of piss and vinegar. He moved back from the banister of the balcony when her eye’s searched in his direction. Good. Her searching eyes told him she’d felt him. Now he just needed to locate the other one.
Letting out his senses, he felt the strong pull of the slayer he could see. Her pull, however, was overshadowed by the dynamic draw of the older slayer. He could almost taste her power. Bloody Hell, this one would be a real challenge to fight.
Spike narrowed his eyes as he saw the first slayer make eye contact with another girl. There. That was her. He could only see the back of her. From where he stood he could tell she was tiny, blond, and the most powerful slayer he had ever come across.
Buffy felt eyes burning into the back of her neck and all her senses were immediately on overload. Whoever the hell this vamp was, he was freaking her out. Slowly turning, she lifted her eyes to the balcony.
Spike gasped.
The Slayer of Slayers’ perfect mate was…a slayer.
He swiftly made his way to the stairs on the other side of the balcony, away from the dance floor and out through the crowds to the exit. He needed to talk to Lawson and maybe some other individuals under his protection.
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