Buffy's heart sank upon hearing Spike's words, any hope of finding out the truth about her mother from Riley had been crushed in a matter of seconds. She had believed her mother to be dead for a very long time, but could not help the hope that had shone in her heart at the thought of her mother still being alive.

Vampire or not, part of her would still be her mother. At least she hoped.

Spike knew nothing.

"Why wait two years?" Spikes voice broke her from her thoughts and she hmm'd in response. "Angelus had you for nearly two years. He obviously wanted to-" Spike raised his eyebrow as his eyes raked up and down her body causing her to shiver in her seat.

'Breed her' as he had so elegantly said it before.

The prophecy said that the chosen one would bring forth one, a child that would possess the strength of both the chosen and the immortal.

But that was only half of the parchment.

The flip-side of that parchment is what had hidden the secrets Angelus needed to make the prophecy work, but there was no way in hell Buffy was translating those words for anyone.

He had figured out one part of the prophecy though.

"The becoming, the um, the parchment Giles wants me to translate. That's what Angelus was waiting for."

A few maids walked into the room, arms laden with dishes and goblets of drink and Buffy was thankful for the interruption. Her belly let forth a loud grumble as the smell of freshly cooked meat assaulted her senses, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day.

"And the becoming is?" Spike asked in amusement, watching as no longer than two seconds passed before she was digging into her plate.

"Quite a rush actually. Oh my god this is amazing!" Buffy's eyes closed as a look of absolute bliss covered her face, not caring if the food was laced with sleeping powder. If Spike wanted the answers to his questions about the prophecy, then he was going to need her awake and alert.

Spike watched on, holding in his grin as Buffy shoveled the food into her mouth as if it were her last meal. He had seen her thin figure every time Willow and Tara changed her bandages and with a swish of his hands, motioned for one of his maids to fetch more food. The maid nodded and was gone almost instantly only to return moments later with another full plate.

"It's a rush of power, that's what the image on the front is supposed to symbolize. Everyone in the bloodline gets it at a certain age, but you have to be pure for what Angelus is trying to do. Or what the prophecy says can be done. It's kind of confusing actually." She paused mid chew, staring at the meat on her fork, but almost looking right through it as lines and passages from the scroll rushed through her head.

None of it ever did seem to make any sense.

"Pure?"

"Hmm? Oh, you know..."

"As in pure blood?"

"N-not quite." Her cheeks flushed when she met his quizzical gaze and his eyebrows widened in realization.

"You've never had sex?" Buffy's cheeks turned beet red and his demon purred. "You're missing out, luv." His smirk sent her eyes downcast as she stared intently at her plate of food, reaching for more of the meat that the maid had brought out. There were a few moments of silence before he picked up his glass and took a long sip before speaking. "Wow."

Buffy glanced at the plate of food in front of Spike for the first time and noticed that he hadn't touched a thing from it, only sipping slowly from his cup. She glanced at her own food and swallowed the mouthful she had very slowly with a gulp.

What has he put in my food now?

"I already ate." Spike met her eyes from the rim of his cup and grinned a toothy smile, remembering the cries and please from Riley's lips as he had drained him dry.

Buffy looked down and tensed, knowing he spoke of Riley. Riley had been hers to question, there were things she needed to know and now she never would.

She sighed.

"So for the prophecy to work the woman has to be of the chosen blood and be a virgin for it to work-"

"Hmm, newly chosen." Buffy frowned and sent one more glance down at her food, pausing.

"It can actually be done?"

"I've never heard of it working before, the text is very confusing." Her brow furrowed into a frown. "My father knew more. He thought they were about my mom. He had all of the scrolls from the past on the bloodlines, but I never got the chance to read them. But I guess Giles has them now." She trailed off, the mood in the room dropping even further.

She thought she heard Spike curse at himself, gripping the table and taking a deep breath before he spoke, coughed and spoke louder.

"I'm sorry for wha's happened to you, luv."

His sincerity had her speechless. Unconsciously her hand went to her throat. Was this the same man who, no less than thirty-two hours ago had his arm wrapped around her throat strangling her.

"Sorry about tha'." He said sheepishly, a look almost akin to shame crossing his face. "I've been looking for Finn for a very long time. Been waiting to kill the pillock for the part he played in all of this."

"The war started over Drusilla didn't it?"

"Technically Angelus started it, bloody wanker." He growled, eyes flashing gold as his demon cried for blood before he shook it aside and his eyes flashed to blue once more. Meeting her gaze, he spoke gleefully. "Want to help me kill him?"

"Get in line." She grinned back. "It's why I was headed this way, why Riley was so close to your lands I guess. I was coming to find Rup- Giles. I needed his help and I knew after he found out whose daughter I was that he would. I want Angelus dead." Buffy's eyes narrowed menacingly. "And Drusilla. You've already done me the favour of killing Riley, albeit a little too soon before I could question him. He was the first on my list, but Drusilla is next. Mark my words."

Spike couldn't help but give her a warning growl. He had spent over a hundred years with his dark princess. She had turned him, given him a new life and there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't plot to kill Angelus and win her back again. The mating claim they had placed on each other would be difficult to overcome, but it could be challenged.

And challenge it he would.

"Drusilla is-"

"You have no idea what she did to me. What they both planned to do to me."

His demon thrummed beneath his chest, begging to take charge. God she smelled delicious.

"I can' apologize for what she has done to you, but there are things in my world tha' you will never understand."

"Things I won't understand." Buffy shook her head, fists clenching and unclenching with silent rage.

"She's my creator. My make. My sire. There is always going to be a bond between us that can' ever be broken."

"There are things in my world that you will never understand." Buffy's eyes welled with tears and she took a deep breath forcing them at bay. Memories of her time being held captive flooding her mind.

The way Drusilla and Angelus had taunted her and tortured her, sometimes not even needing to touch her to make her scream for another person's innocent life. She would never forget the day Drusilla had savagely ripped into her side, her bite deep, hands scraping at her flesh as if she was digging out her insides before Angelus finally came and pulled her off.

"You'll never make my daddy pretty little dollies. You're just like your mummy. Broken! Ohhhh but the pixies they whisper to me. I can fix you, they say. It will all be better soon-"

She shook her head, shaking the memory away, her hip burning.

"You are a fool to think that she will ever come back to you."

"She's my dark princess."

"She's insane." Buffy whispered, no longer hungry. Pushing her chair loudly back from the table before standing and walking towards the doors they had entered through. Her request about a room with windows forgotten, Buffy welcomed the guards that surrounded her as they marched her to her room.

Leaving a torn Spike behind her not knowing the battle that was raging inside his head.

There was no wash cloth or plate on the chest at the end of the bed, just a small fire burning low in the corner of the room. Willow waddled in some time later and tried to engage her in conversation as she lathered the cream on her back once more. Buffy stood in silence, staring at the crimson bed sheets and the patterns on the stones of the walls. If Spike wanted help killing Angelus she would gladly give it, but he was a fool to think that she would never take a pass at Drusilla if one was left open.

The pair of master vampires had ruined her life, kidnapped her mother and quite possibly turned her into one of their own. Her fathers whereabouts where unknown.

Is he even alive?

She would die before she let them hurt anyone else.

She whispered her thanks to Willow and barely spared her a glance as she waddled from the room before slipping into the cold sheets of her bed. Buffy stared at the ceiling for minutes or hours she wasn't sure, time seemed to drag on forever as thoughts and memories rushed to the surface.

She missed her father.

Giles had seemed to know her father quite well and she wondered how close they had been. It must have been pretty close for her father to hand over the parchments and scrolls into his care. She wondered where he was now and if he was still alive. The last place she had seen him had been burnt to ruin, all that was left was ash and rubble.

With a sigh Buffy rolled over and pulled a spare pillow to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. She would not cry. She had been doing too much of that lately.

You're getting weak Summers.

The last memory she had before slumber took her was of her parents. They were laughing with her as they tumbled on the grass one summery day, many many years ago.

"You're special, Elizabeth and one day not too far from now you're going to do great things."

"But Mumma I'm already great, watch!"

She rolled on the hills with her father, tackling him to the ground and giggling when he fell with her.

"Yes you are my precious little one."


Chapter End Notes:
Just a quick chapter to end the weekend :)



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