Twists Of Fate - (1) The Fight To "Live"
By Tasha and Athenewolfe

Chapter Summary: This is the sequel to Me and a Gun written by Athenewolfe. Athenewolfeand Tasha are writing this sequel together. This chapter picks up at the end of the previous story. It would be helpful to read that story, but the summary is that right after OMWF, Buffy is caught in the cemetery, raped, shot, and left to die. Spike sees the perpetrator leaving the crypt, and then he smells Buffy's blood. He finds her inside, and the rest follows.

***Warning: There is blood play involved in a lot of this story, including claiming and feeding for vampires. There are also many sexual situations and innuendos, as well as the violence of revenge on some characters and some language. Please read with caution if any of these things freak you out.***

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

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"Slayer ... Buffy ... Not again, luv." Spike leaned down and cradled Buffy's head in his lap. Blood red tears ran down his face as he processed all of the damage done to Buffy's body. He tried to stop the flow of blood from her bullet wounded chest, but his heart tore apart at the evidence of Buffy's sexually violated body. 'How could anyone be so cruel?'

There was no way Spike would be able to get Buffy to a hospital in time. The sun had already started to rise, and any movement from their location would render him dusty. From the skipping and slowing of her heartbeat, he knew it wouldn't have mattered if the sun or moon were up. She had less than 5 minutes to live. "Damn him." He growled.

Spike ran his fingers through Buffy's matted hair. "Please don't hate me, Buffy." He vamped out, leaned over, and pierced her neck with his fangs. He gently supped a few sips of her blood down his throat. There wasn't much blood to spare with the wound to her chest, but it would be enough for a Sire claim. He tore his wrist with his fangs. He held it up to Buffy's mouth. "Drink, pet."

Somewhere in the distance Buffy heard Spike's command to drink. In the back of her mind she knew the cold body that cradled her was Spike. A part of her longed for the peace of heaven once more, but she knew it wouldn't be the same this time. She was leaving so much undone this time. She hadn't told Spike how she really felt about him. She would miss her sister Dawn, and she had so much still to tell the Scoobies.

"Come on, Buffy. Please." Spike pleaded with Buffy's semi-conscious form. "I promised myself and the Nibblet that I would do anything possible to keep from you dying again." He opened her mouth a little wider. The blood that flowed from his wrist simply pooled in her mouth. She wasn't swallowing it. "Don't let that wanker who did this to you, win. Fight it."

Another part of Buffy fought with every ounce of strength that remained in her body. She wanted to live. She feared that Spike's gift of "life" would end up being a curse. Something told her that if she accepted Spike's gift she would still be herself, but she feared becoming her worst nightmare. Then again after the events of that night, she held no misconceptions that soul and human meant good.

Spike started to panic. Buffy's heart had slowed to an almost imperceptible level of beating. If she didn't drink soon, there would be no hope to save her. He wouldn't force this choice on her. He's spent many hours while stuck at the Watcher's house reading his books. They all thought he was chained up, but he easily escaped the chains when he wanted to. He'd put them back in place before anyone noticed, but in the mean time he read everything he could on Slayers. He wondered just how much the Watcher read of his own books. If only he had enough time to convince her that she would still be the same.

Spike rocked Buffy's unmoving body in his lap. "Please don't leave us again, Buffy. We need you pet." His tears fell harder onto Buffy's cheeks. They streaked her pale skin red with the blood from his tears. "I love you, Buffy." He hung his head in resignation that he'd lost the love of his life again. It broke his heart to imagine life without her again.

Spike was shocked out of his morose thoughts by the suckling motion of Buffy's lips on his wrist. He looked down into her green eyes that stared back up at him.

Buffy's lips locked tightly around Spike's wrist. With her last breath she kept the promise to herself that she made while being raped. She would fight to live. What better way to live again than by Spike's side? Something told her he wasn't just making her a vampire. She was sure that he was making her his Childe. That meant a lot more in the vampire world. She pulled harder on his blood to get as much as he was offering her. Her eyes fluttered closed with the last beat of her heart. Her chest fell silent, the last breath she ever needed to breathe having been expelled from her lungs in the silence of her death.

Spike held an unnecessary breath while he watched Buffy drink from him. Normally a Sire would have already stopped the new Childe from drinking. He vowed to himself and Buffy that she would be the strongest Childe possible. He hoped she wouldn't stake him when she woke up though. The Watcher's books noted that was the most likely result of a Slayer turning. He was willing to risk his final death if it saved Buffy from hers. He caressed her cheek while she drank until her head dropped loosely back into his lap.

Spike collapsed back against the sarcophagus in the crypt. He was exhausted from the emotional and physical turmoil of the night. If Sweet's singing and dancing spell hadn't been hard enough on him, having to watch Buffy die again was enough to destroy him. Only the hope that she would rise again and be the woman he still loved, gave him any lift in his spirit.

Spike had no idea what he was going to tell the Scoobies. They were going to want to stake him for sure. He had to keep Buffy away from them until she had time to deal with her new status and the pain that she'd suffered before her death. Who could he trust? The first person that came to his mind was Glinda. She was a true motherly type, despite the fact that her current relationship choice did not make becoming a mother as easy as it would be if she were dating a guy. She seemed like she needed or wanted to be motherly. She would be the right person to help him, and she wouldn't stake first - ask questions later.

Spike closed his eyes. He had time for just a little nap. Buffy wouldn't awaken for a day or two due to how severe her injuries were. Her body would need to fully heal before she would awaken. He had many things to take care of before she arose, including securing the wanker that did this to his love. So, he was going to need his rest.

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Buffy floated about in a surreal dreamland. People and places from her past and present visited her in the darkness and light of this in-between state of being. She felt the anger and pain that her friends were bound to have over her new status. Even in her dreams Xander and Giles lectured her over how demons were bad and humans were good.

The worst of those who chastised her in this state was Angel. He treated Buffy like she was a cast off or abnormality that he should put down. She begged and pleaded with him to understand that she was still the same Buffy that she always was. She had her soul, and somehow she knew she always would. It wasn't some curse. It was a gift from the powers that be because of her previous Slayer status.

A half-broken Buffy cried out in the dark for Angel to understand. He left her alone in the dark. She felt several pairs of arms surround her. One set was cold, and the others were warm. She turned her face into the cold chest of her Sire. This was the man who loved her no matter what. He loved her when she was the killer of his kind, and he still loved her now that she was a vampire.

"This isn't the end, Buffy." The soft and warm voice of Joyce Summers penetrated Buffy's fogged brain.

"Mommy?" Buffy looked up at her mother.

An ethereal light surrounded Joyce. She knelt beside Buffy. She hugged her tightly. "Hello, sweetie." She tucked loose golden tresses of Buffy's hair behind Buffy's ear.

"Where am I?" Buffy looked from Spike to Joyce. This wasn't how heaven was last time. She knew that.

"You're healing so you can awaken again." Joyce explained. "The powers sent me to tell you that they are still very proud of their warrior. They haven't given up on you yet."

Buffy started to cry. Her body shook with the sobs. "Mommy, it hurt so bad. I couldn't stop him."

Spike rubbed Buffy's back in soothing circles. He said nothing, but he gave his support with every touch and caress.

"I know. There are bad people in this world, and they don't have to be demons." Joyce's voice soothed Buffy's frayed nerves. "Don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise."

"I know that now." Buffy sniffled. "That man had a soul, but it didn't stop him from ... from ... violating me."

"Evil comes in many forms. So does goodness and love." Joyce looked over Buffy's head at Spike. "You need to listen to Spike, sweetie. It's going to be hard to start with, but I trust him."

Buffy turned in Spike's arms. "You always have liked him, haven't you?" She looked up into Spike's water filled eyes. "He loves me." She muttered softly.

"That's right, Buffy. He loves you." Joyce wrapped her arms around Spike and Buffy. "What he did, he did out of love. Never forget that, no matter what any of your other friends say." She turned Buffy's face to look at her again. "Your time wasn't done. The powers couldn't stop the evil man from doing what he did, but they sent you a different kind of salvation. It will protect you in the end from another purer evil that would have arisen if you had remained "alive" as a human."

"I understand, Mommy." Buffy hugged Joyce tightly. She instinctively knew that her Mother didn't have much longer to stay. She wanted to cherish every moment with her. "I'll make you proud of me."

Joyce stepped back away from Buffy. "I've always been proud of you, Buffy. Always." She turned her gaze to Spike. "Take care of my little girl, Spike."

Spike nodded then looked down at the top of Buffy's head. He kissed the top of her head. "With all my heart, Joyce."

As Joyce disappeared into the golden mist before them, Tara stepped forward. She wrapped the two of them in a protective embrace of warmth and enchanted protection. "Rest. We've much to do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara sat up straight on the couch at the Summers' house. She was panting and sweating. The sun was out, but she felt the chill of death down her spine still. She wriggled off of the couch she fell asleep on the night before. After finding out about Willow's spell she couldn't make herself sleep in bed with Willow. Now she had this weird dream to think about as well.

Tara headed into the bathroom. She looked at her worn face in the mirror. The events of the last few weeks had taken their toll on her. The last couple days had been the worst. What was she going to do about Willow? What did her dream mean? Were Spike and Buffy in trouble? She sighed. She had to get ready for school. She'd try to sort it out later.

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Spike tightened his grip on Buffy in the crypt where he found her. He was still asleep, but his dreams shifted from one place to another with plans that needed to be made. His body attempted to rest while his mind raced from one thing to another. He'd need to find Tara when he woke up. He realized from the dream he shared with Buffy that Tara would be the one to help him for sure. He hoped she really would understand. Buffy's "life" depended on it.

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(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (2) A True Friend's Support
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Chapter Summary: Spike and Buffy were resting in the crypt Buffy was killed in. Spike, Buffy and Tara all dreamed together early in the morning. Tara has headed off to classes, while Spike and Buffy are still sleeping. Tara is the first of the Scoobies to deal with Spike after everything that happened to Buffy. Will she choose to help them, or will she turn her back on them? Who else will they or should they tell about this?

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Tara sighed and shifted in her seat. It was hard to concentrate on what the professor was saying when all her thoughts were being consumed by her sweet and powerful Willow. The revelations of the previous night still echoed in her mind; what had they done? She had allowed Willow to convince her that Buffy had been in a hell dimension, and it was their responsibility to bring her back. She had her doubts at first, but they had disappeared under assurances from Willow that they were doing the right thing. She seemed to remember a spell they did to determine where Buffy was located at. When she concentrated on the details, however, the memory became fuzzy, and she was left with a vague sense of unease.

Was their previous fight really the only time Willow used a spell to make Tara forget? This coupled with the knowledge that Willow had wiped her memory of an argument had been terrifying her. She started to question what was reality, and what was Willow's desire for her to be the perfect girlfriend. If Willow was manipulating her, then how much of her actions, her thoughts, her desires were that of her true self and how much of it was Willow's desire to influence everything? Was she in control of her self or was she merely a puppet? She'd have to talk to some Wicca friends about a protection spell to keep Willow from erasing anything else from her mind.

These fears coupled with the anxiety over the dream which had awoken her, had left her feeling sick to her stomach. Willow controlling her; Spike and Buffy in trouble, what was reality anymore? Finally, thankfully, the class ended, and Tara gathered her books. Perhaps if she could find Spike and Buffy she could at least ease the discomfort that the dream had brought her.

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Tara looked at the map with a confused expression on her face. She had gone to the Magic Box to gather supplies for a locating spell after she realized that Buffy hadn't returned last night. The spell guided her to this cemetery, but she had already checked Spike's crypt and found it empty. The earlier fears returned with a vengeance. Both Spike and Buffy absent from their respective homes did not bode well, especially since it was daylight, the time when vampires should be asleep.

Spotting some footprints outside a crypt, Tara took a deep breath and went to open the door. Hopefully the prints belonged to Spike or Buffy; otherwise she was going to end up some other vampire's breakfast. She knew it would be more logical to go get Giles, or perhaps Xander, to help her investigate, but the uneasy feeling from her dream had returned and spurred her on.

Tara stepped into the crypt and closed the door behind her. She hoped her eyes would adjust quickly. If she left the door open too look, she took a chance of setting Spike on fire. That was if Spike was even there to begin with.

Tara gasped as she took in the sight before her. Spike was propped up against the side of the sarcophagus cradling a blood soaked Slayer in his arms. It looked as if Buffy had bathed in blood. Every inch of her was covered in a red so deep that it appeared black. At first glance, it didn't even look like her. Her hair was matted with blood. What remained of Buffy's red dress was in tatters, torn with what looked like a bullet hole in the center. She had blood running down her legs and pinpricks on her neck. The only part of her that appeared to me unmarked was her face. Her pale but beautiful face was unmarred with the exception of a small blood stain on the corner of her mouth.

Spike heard the door open. He'd made sure that Buffy and he would be protected from any stray streams of sunlight earlier, if the door was opened. He listened to the footsteps and racing heart of the human who entered. He peaked open one eye to see who was there. He hoped it was a friend because he was in no state to fight anyone right now. "I found her dying, Glinda. Someone, some human," he spat, "Violated her and then shot her from what I can tell." He sighed. "The Slayer!" He stated in disbelief that any human would want to kill the Slayer, the protector of humans. "How could someone do that to her?"

Instinctively Tara took at step back at the shattered voice of the vampire before her. Her gaze rose from Buffy to meet the anguished eyes of Spike. Bloody tears had dried on his face and he looked heartbroken. "Oh, Spike. What have you done?" Before she even asked the question, she knew in her heart what he'd done. Buffy's pale complexion told the tale of blood loss that her body had went through.

"I couldn't lose her, not again, not like that." Spike's eyes begged for Tara to understand his reasons. He sat up straighter. "I didn't force her though. I let her choose." After all Buffy had already gone through, he wanted Tara to know that he didn't push anything on Buffy that she didn't accept.

Tara nodded. Even in her current state, Buffy gave off an aura that Tara saw. She noted the near peace that surrounded the tendrils of anger, pain, and suffering that Buffy must have lived through right before her death. For whatever reason, Buffy's aura was fairly calm and accepting of her current form.

"She'll come back with her soul. They all do, Slayers that is. It's why you don't turn them. They stake their Sires as soon as they arise."

Tara gasped in shock. Spike turned Buffy even with the knowledge that upon her awakening, she would kill her Sire? Her heart ached for the blonde vampire who was always willing to give up so much for the woman he loved. She cared not what any of the other Scoobies said about Spike's love for Buffy. His aura radiated that love and caring from the very heart that no longer beat in his chest. She saw it every time she looked at him.

Spike noted how quiet Tara was really being. She'd gasped and nodded sometimes, but it was the look in her eyes that told him he was safe from being staked by the blonde Wicca. "If she can live, it will be worth it. Buffy didn't deserve to die, not like that." He continued to ramble on about Slayers, souls and the injustice of Buffy's death for a few minutes.

Watching him was enough to make Tara's heart break in two if it hadn't already been crying at the sight of the battered blond. She walked over, kneeled down and took the two of them in her arms. She rocked them back and forth in comfort and support, just like in the dream. This was the place she needed to be, at their side. This is where she was needed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara looked at the books in front of her. She'd left the crypt a few hours ago with a promise to Spike that she wouldn't leave them permanently, that she would help make it all better. She wasn't sure how she would manage to do it, but she knew they needed her. She kept flashing back to the dream, and she knew that she would do everything in her power to protect Buffy and Spike, even if that meant protecting them from the Scooby gang.

They'd talked for hours as she sat there and held them, comforting Spike as if he was a child and she was the mother. Spike was distraught; yet clear about what needed to be done. They needed a place to stay. Spike wouldn't, no couldn't, let Buffy awaken in a crypt. The memories of her rape, and her death, would be too strong. They had to get to a place where it would be a fresh start for all of them, with no expectations of how Buffy was supposed to react or what she was suppose to do.

Tara agreed, even going so far as saying they should take her somewhere else other then Revello Drive. Spike was surprised and pleased, but didn't press Tara for her reasons about that decision. That was good, because Tara didn't feel like explaining that she feared what Willow would do to them if she found out what had happened. Would Willow be kind and accepting, or would she stake Spike and then erase Buffy and Tara's memories? Her heart said that Willow would never do such a thing, but her mind was not convinced of Willow's motives and actions anymore. If Willow wanted to rearrange their lives, would they even realize she was doing it? Better to stay away for now.

Tara took her selection of books up to the counter and tried not to look nervous when the cashier gave her a strange look. She had picked up several texts on surviving rape, leaning to live again and other books that explained what family and friends should do when a loved one was raped. She wasn't sure that Buffy would want to read them, but she was confidant that Spike would read them, and she would as well.

There was so much that had happened to the slayer in the last few months that Tara was afraid for her. Buffy needed help understanding who she was, why she was here, and how she could go on. This meant keeping Buffy away from the people who always seemed to make her feel guilty.

Tara loved her friends, but she had noticed a disturbing trend of everyone always telling Buffy what was best. They seemed to make Buffy feel that she had to live a certain way or else she was bad. That could destroy Buffy completely now, and Tara would not allow that to happen.

Walking outside into the sunlight, Tara was pleasantly surprised when a car pulled up right on time. She held her hand up to shade her eyes from the sun to get a better look at the woman she was supposed to meet.

A tall blonde woman got out of the car. Valerie Logan was supposed to be her name. Tara had been surprised when Spike insisted that they buy a house in Sunnydale. He refused to take Buffy too far away from Dawn. He knew Buffy wouldn't be ready to see Dawn right away. She would need the Nibblet in her life later, just as his Little Bit would need her sister.

Tara hadn't even realized that Spike had money, not after all the times he'd swindled the Scoobies into paying him for helping them. Apparently, he had only hustled the Scoobies for money out of fun. Her next worry was that the money he had was blood money. She was told that the majority of it came from his family's holdings in England, investments through the decades, and the profits made off of the Amara treasure discovery. He was quite well off, and money would not pose a problem to them for any of their needs.

Tara's next set of surprises came from when Spike gave her directions to the Sunnydale Office of Wolfram and Hart. Apparently this particular law firm, which catered to demons as well as humans, had at least one office over every hell mouth and potential hell mouth in the world. The office itself was small and clean. There seemed to be about five or six lawyers and a few secretaries running the whole place. That was it. No demons roamed about, no evil plans dominated the tables. The place really seemed like just another law firm, except it handled a bit more delicate batch of clientele.

At first Tara was stunned when Spike told her to go have his lawyer buy them a house and put it in her name. She could tell he was worried about Angel trying to stake Buffy or another vampire trying to kill the newly turned Slayer. With the house in her name, a human, vampires would require an invite to get past the door. She tried convincing him to rent a house in case Buffy wanted to eventually go home, but he was insistent. If Buffy wanted to go home then Tara could keep the house. It was the least he could do for her help.

Spike's only request was that if Buffy staked him, to please take care of Buffy and Dawn. He'd even called ahead to give his permission for his lawyer to turn his holdings over to Tara in the event that his death was proven. He trusted Tara fully and completely.

Tara's second surprise was Valerie. The lawyer's aura was relatively good for someone who worked for an evil law firm. It sparkled with life and with an interesting balance. While she may not always have good clients, Valerie appeared to be fair while maintaining a sense of justice. Her aura had positively radiated with light.

Tara had briefly wondered if Valerie's being good was held against her at work. It couldn't help an "evil" law firm's reputation to have someone so pure on their payroll. Valerie laughed at Tara's first expressions, and the sound had made her feel more confident about their plans. There was no malice in the tone, only joviality.

Valerie walked up to her. "Hi Tara, I arranged for a rental car to be dropped off in the parking lot. It's the blue Taurus over there." She pointed across the parking lot to the dark blue car that just pulled into a parking space. "You can use that to move into your new place and get set up. Return it to the office when you are done, or let us know you want to keep it. We can make arrangements for you, if you want to keep it."

Valerie pulled a manila envelope out of her briefcase. She removed a few documents from inside it. "I have a four bedroom house, fully furnished in a nice part of town. It belonged to a former client who was dusted last week by the slayer."

Tara smiled inwardly at the irony of the house formerly belonging to someone that Buffy dusted. 'My how things change.'

"The glass is treated with the same film used in our L.A. offices. So, Spike should be able to move around the house without a problem." Valerie pointed to a place on one of the documents where she needed Tara's signature. "I have stocked the fridge full of blood bags and set up wards around the house as you requested. Is there anything else I can take care of for you?"

Tara smiled at Valerie. She felt a sense of relief that one of the hardest parts for their set up was ready and finished. She handed the signed paper back over to Valerie. "No thank you. I should get back to the crypt. Spike wants to get Bu ... his Childe into the new house so that she doesn't have to awaken in a crypt."

Valerie nodded and smiled. "He always seemed considerate like that. I don't know why he stayed in that crypt to begin with."

Tara neglected to correct Valerie on her assumption that she meant Spike's personal crypt. "He's just that way sometimes."

"Yes, I suppose so." Valerie picked up another stack of papers from her briefcase and handed them to Tara. "This is all that Spike will need to read and sign to process his request upon his death."

"Thank you. I'll be sure that he gets them." Tara smiled.

"I'm sure you will, Tara." Valerie smiled warmly in return. She stepped back towards her car. Before she got in she turned to Tara, "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope I see you again." With that she sat down in the driver's seat of her car.

Tara clutched the papers, and her previous book purchases, to her chest. She walked over to the Taurus, unlocked the car, and got in. The sun was getting lower in the sky. She needed to get back to Spike. Then she had to find a way to sneak some of hers and Buffy's clothes from the Summers' house without anyone realizing it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie watched Tara walk away. This had been the first time in centuries that William "Spike" Jamison touched his money instead of taking or stealing what he wanted. She'd been assigned his account when he first appeared in Sunnydale two years ago.

The Senior Partners would still require her to report on any possible blackmailable offenses, but she had a feeling this wasn't one of those. They kept tabs on each of the vampires from the Aurelius line for that purpose. Wolfram & Hart would love to have those vampires "owe" them a "favor". For the first time since starting for Wolfram and Hart she was glad that she didn't have that much to report. He wasn't stealing anything. He was using his own money. That kind of a natural transaction didn't need to be reported.

Valerie's mind wandered again to the blonde woman, Tara, that she'd dealt with. She realized right away that the young lady emanated a natural power and strength about her. She found Tara quite charming. Although she hoped it wouldn't be for troubled reasons, she wanted to see Tara again. Perhaps she would.

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(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (3) Preparations And Concerns
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Chapter Summary: Tara found Buffy and Spike, and she decided to help them as her dream insinuated. Tara took care of a bunch of errands for Spike. She even picked up some books that she hopes will help them to help Buffy with the trauma of why her death happened. She met Valerie, Spike's lawyer, to get all of the papers for a house and car. Spike is worried about Angel or other vampires being able to get to Buffy. So the house was put in Tara's name. Tara found out that evil law firm doesn't necessarily mean evil lawyers. Now Spike is stuck waiting for the sunset with too much time on his hands to think about all the perils headed their way.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Spike waited in the crypt for the sun to set. He held no concerns about Tara meeting his lawyer. He'd met Valerie once when he first arrived in Sunnydale two years ago. He would, however, like to know where he stood in case he needed to vacate quickly.

Valerie seemed like a very competent woman and attorney. She held various degrees, and he liked her personality. After he'd been chipped, and set free from the Scoobies, Valerie organized the retrieval and sale of the bulk of the Amara treasure. Several pieces of jewelry, and a weapon or two, were still under lock and key at the office, due to his lack of a secure location in which to store them. Now that he would have his own home again, he should probably retrieve them.

'It will be nice to have a house again.' Spike thought. He'd almost found himself a place a few times, but it never felt right to have a home in Sunnydale. A house was permanent; it meant that he had a reason to come back besides the blood and the mayhem.

Spike always tried to tell himself that he wasn't staying forever in Sunnydale, just until he killed the slayer, or until the chip came out. Now he knew that he was being delusional to think that he would ever leave Buffy or the Nibblet behind. He loved them both too much. Nope, he'd be staying in Sunnydale until he was dust or his girls wanted to go with him.

With a sigh, Spike looked around the dank crypt he was sitting in. The place was pretty disgusting, even for a crypt. Maybe it was because this was the place that his Buffy was attacked in. Perhaps the death of the Slayer in this place made it seem even darker than it was. As soon as the sun set, he was getting out of this hellhole. If Tara arrived before then, he'd take Buffy over to the house directly. Otherwise he'd take her to his crypt to wait for Tara.

"My poor, sweet Buffy." Spike ran his fingers through her matted hair. He hated seeing her like this. It tore him apart to look at her dead body after she'd fallen from the tower to close the portal several months back. Now he was looking at her dead body again. Only this time he knew she would awaken to a whole new world being opened to her. His feared whether or not she would accept the world she'd been given. Would Buffy hate him for eternity now?

"I've got to protect her." Spike knew that any vampire who found out about the Slayer's change would try to challenge his Childe. She would be a prized commodity in the demon world. Turned Slayers were an oddity that others would usually try to show off. He had no intentions of showing Buffy off. He was going to try to help her live as normal of a life possible. That was if she let him live past her first meal.

'I hope Dru is far away from here.' Even though Dru drained most of his blood from him that night back in the 1800's, her link wasn't as strong with him because she wasn't his true Sire. If she was a certain amount of distance away, she wouldn't feel much of Buffy's awakening.

'Of course the Great Poofter is another story.' Spike sighed. There was no way to hide Buffy's awakening completely from his true Sire. Angel would have to be very far away to keep from telling who Spike's Childe was. Even the fact that Spike had made a Childe would be odd enough for Angel to investigate. He had no desire to deal with an Angelus style beating at this time. His only hope was that the wards he requested would be enough to confuse the feelings his Sire would get when Buffy awoke. Hopefully it would hide at least her identity from his Sire.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara drove through downtown Sunnydale. Usually she walked everywhere she went, but she was going to be using this car a lot for a while. She'd need it to drive from her new home to the college. She wanted to check and see if Spike would let her keep it. It would be less noticeable then Spike's car.

So many thoughts and scenarios went through Tara's head as she drove. The sun would soon set, but she wanted to check the house out before she brought Spike and Buffy to it. She wanted to verify the wards surrounding it.

The house Tara now owned was across town from Revello Drive. It was unlikely that the Scoobies would happen upon it easily. That specification was intentional to keep any accidental meetings from occurring. Buffy would have enough to deal with when she first awoke. She shouldn't have to fear looking out her window to see Xander or Willow peering in from across the street.

Tara craned her neck over the steering wheel as she drove through what was to be her new neighborhood. It was a beautiful place to live. She marveled at how such a beautiful and serene looking neighborhood could be in the same city as a Hellmouth. It was all too surreal to think about.

A part of Tara was sad at the thought of leaving Willow behind on Revello Drive. Tara needed to talk to Mr. Giles about Willow's magic. She was sure that he would agree with Tara's assessment and concerns. She'd overheard an argument between Willow and he when he'd returned from England. She needed this time away from Willow. Maybe she would return to Willow later, but it was going to take a long time before she would trust Willow again. Her family played with her mind for years. To find out that Willow used magic to tamper with her mind was the worst thing Willow could have done to her.

Tara pulled into the driveway of the address on the papers. She would have laughed at the irony of the lovely colonial style home with a white picket fence around the property if the seriousness of these life changes hadn't still hung over her mind. She stepped out of the car. There was a garage at the end of the driveway. Without a handle on the front of the door, she assumed that it opened with an electronic garage door opener. She'd look for that later.

Tara walked to the side of the garage to unlock the entryway. The picket-like privacy fence lined the entire property. There wasn't an entrance off the driveway without going through the garage. It was probably more for security purposes. She figured that she would usually be parked in the garage anyways. So that was fine. She would scout out the rest of the property later to see if there was any other entrance gates on the other side of the house or out front.

When Tara emerged from the garage she was surprised at all of the landscaping on the property. The house had to be sitting on at least an acre of land, which was unusual for a city setting. White and red rose bushes lined the front porch area. It was a covered porch lined with tinted glass in front of screens. She wondered if the glass was specially tinted for vampires like the regular windows were supposed to be. 'That would be nice for Buffy and Spike if they can come out on the porch during the day.' She stopped to smell the snapdragons and other flowers interspersed in front of the roses in the flower garden.

Tara looked through the various keys on the chain with her car key. She finally fished out the right one she needed for the porch door. "None of the doors have the same key. That will make it a little harder to break into." She looked down at the little sheet of paper with 6 numbers on it. When she reached the actual metal front door, she realized that the code must belong to the security panel next to the entry. She punched in the 6 numbers. After she heard the beeping of release, she unlocked the door with another key.

Nothing could have prepared her for the inside décor of the home. "Wow." Tara's eyes widened at all of the extravagances around her. Deep crimson draperies made of velvet hung around the main windows with white eyelet lace inserts to cover the windows when the draperies were open. All naturally stained cherry wood floors covered the majority of the downstairs, even into the kitchen.

The living room appeared to be decorated with various Victorian style couches and chairs. Everything was decorated with lavish materials, but it still felt like a place you could live in. "This is amazing." She had no idea that a vampire would ever live like this. Had Valerie changed the decorations to Spike's tastes, or was this how the last vampire had lived too? Either way it was gorgeous. It was like she'd stepped back into another era of time.

In the kitchen, Tara found that it was stocked as Valerie said it would be. She got a chuckle that the area for the blood bags had it's own shelf door to keep it hidden upon first opening the fridge. The kitchen as a whole was set up that no matter if human or demon visited, they would be comfortable and unoffended at what the cupboards and fridge could hold.

The first floor was complete with a fair sized office/den and bathroom towards the back of the house. A back door led out into the spacious back yard.

Tara walked through the four bedrooms upstairs. Each had it's own design or theme, but they all seemed practical as well as elegant. Each bedroom was large enough to be a master bedroom. 2 bedrooms were on one side of the hall and the other 2 were on the other side. The 2 adjoining bedrooms on one side shared a large master suite like bathroom. A non-shared bathroom separated the other 2 bedrooms.

Tara decided to wait to pick out her bedroom until Spike chose his and Buffy's. She had a feeling that Spike would pick the shared bathroom suite for him and Buffy. That way they'd each have separate rooms, but he'd also have a way to care for her without anyone else having to see. It seemed the most sensible thing to do.

Tara returned to the living room with the small bag she carried in with her. She laid out several ingredients along a leather scrap of material. She lit different scented candles, each with their own purpose or cleansing qualities, in a wide circle around her. She sat Indian style within the circle, closed her eyes, pinched her thumb and index finger together, and started to chant.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike stood up as soon as the sun fully set. He lifted Buffy up into his arms. He cradled her head against his chest. The cool of her body caused him to shiver. He was glad that he had the two days to get used to her new status. He needed to be sure that he never flinched at the touch of his Childe. She was going to have a hard enough time of accepting it without him flinching from her. He would not flinch in disgust, but he was used to her body being so warm compared to his. He needed to adjust his way of thinking when it came to Buffy.

Spike shifted Buffy in his arms. He turned around to be sure that he wasn't leaving anything behind. He wasn't sure if Buffy's attacker would try to come back or not. If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't come back. Not that it would save the wanker from Spike's hatred and revenge. His Childe needed a human meal for her first one to become strong. A human who would rape and murder the woman Spike loved was not worth living.

Spike opened the door, slipped out into the night, and closed the door again. He was careful to stick as much to the shadows of the night as possible. He was unsure if any of the other Scoobies realized that Buffy was missing. He wasn't up to dealing with a confrontation with any of them right now.

Spike kicked open the door to his crypt. The startled scream of a woman hit his ears too late to realize that someone was in his crypt. He had been so focused on the path to his crypt that he hadn't noticed a human was in it.

"Spike?" Dawn looked up from Spike's chair in front of the TV. She jumped up, heart racing, to face Spike. "Oh my God! Buffy!" She ran towards Spike.

"No! Dawn!" Spike quickly turned away from Dawn. She shouldn't have to see her sister like this. He was in a state of panic. What should he do? He'd promised Dawn that he'd never let anything happen to Buffy again, but he wasn't there to save her from the human. Would Dawn hate him?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara blew out the candles surrounding the circle. She gathered up the remnants of her supplies. All was safe for now. She still had to see a Wicca friend to complete the memory protection spell on her, but she should be fine until she could meet her friend. She had a warning spell in place if anything tried to alter her memories, but she'd feel a lot better once the full protection was in place.

Tara quickly locked everything back up. She frowned at the darkened sky. She hadn't realized that she'd been under the trance for so long. Now she'd have to head to Spike's crypt. Maybe she should make a pass by Revello Drive first. If no one was around she could sneak out some clothes for her and Buffy. She knew Spike wanted to bathe Buffy and put her into clean clothes.

Tara decided to do a quick sweep by Revello Drive . She hoped it was empty. Spike would already be at his own crypt by now so he could pack. It was best to make use of the time she had available now.

Luckily Willow was still at classes or out. All of the lights were off at the Summers' house. She assumed Dawn was out with her friend Janice. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She quickly grabbed one of her own suitcases and one of Buffy's. She packed the essentials she would need for herself. She and Spike were trying to think of a good cover story for their absences. They didn't need the Scoobies trying to find them. At least the wards would make any locator spell void. When they were in the vicinity of the house it would be as if they didn't even exist on this plane.

Tara tried to pick up things that Buffy would usually use every day. She gathered up some of Buffy's memorabilia and personal effects including her pig, Mr. Gordo. In just the few pages that she'd skimmed of the books she bought, it emphasized having comforting and familiar things around the victim. It was going to be hard on Buffy being at a whole new house. So, Tara needed to bring as much of Buffy's personal things as possible.

Tara hauled another suitcase onto Buffy's bed. She packed both casual and patrolling clothes. She didn't think Buffy would be too keen on patrolling, but it would be something to help her work out frustrations. She made sure that she packed enough comfortable clothes for lounging around in too. After adding a good amount of personal and intimate undergarments, she packed a few dresses and skirts. Anything else they'd need or want, she was sure that Spike would let them buy. This was enough to start with.

Tara drug the suitcases down the stairs as quickly as possible. She loaded up the trunk of the Taurus. After a second trip to grab the third suitcase and Buffy's weapon's bag, she closed the trunk and got back in the car. It was time to head to the cemetery. Hopefully Spike had all he needed packed by now too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What's wrong with her, Spike?" Dawn stayed behind Spike, but she bounced on her heels to try to see over his shoulder. "Please, Spike. I need to see her."

"You don't want to see this, Nibblet. Trust me on that." Spike's voice shook. 'Damnit. This is what you get for not paying attention.'

"Why? Is she ... Is she ..." Dawn's voice cracked over the two repeated words. She couldn't even get the last word to come out of her mouth.

Spike hung his head and sighed. What did he tell Dawn? "It's complicated, Lil Bit." He rested his cheek against the top of Buffy's head. "I didn't want you to see her this way."

"What way, Spike?" Dawn was beyond scared now. True Buffy and she hadn't had a very good relationship since Buffy's return from the dead, but she loved her sister more than anything. Buffy and Spike were her only true family left. Buffy was her blood sister, and Spike was everything that a brother would ever be to her. He protected her all summer when Buffy had been dead. He was there for her when everyone else was dealing with their own grief and ignoring her.

"I found her in a crypt." Spike started to speak. He tried to carefully think out each sentence, but he failed to find the right thing to say. In the end all he knew to do was be honest with the girl that he looked at like a younger sister. Joyce, Dawn and Tara were the only ones to ever really accept him. Anya never seemed to care one way or the other. "She'd been attacked."

"What kind of demon?" Dawn had a sinking feeling of the worst kind. Buffy hadn't moved the whole time in Spike's arms from what she could see. She also hadn't woke up either. That wasn't like Buffy.

"I'm afraid it wasn't a demon, Bit." Spike sighed. "She was ... She was shot by a human." Buffy needed to be the one to decide whom she told about the rape. It was something that he didn't think Dawn could handle now on top of the other.

"Oh my God!" Dawn ran in front of Spike. She fell to the floor on her knees at the sight of Buffy's blood soaked clothes. "No! No!" She cried out. She buried her face in her hands. "Oh God, she's gone again!"

Spike's heart was torn in two. Both of the women he loved were broken right now. He sat Buffy down in the chair carefully. He covered her body with a blanket to keep the haunting scene from Dawn's eyes. He pulled Dawn up from the ground to hug her. He rocked her back and forth. "Shhh ... She's not really gone this time." He kissed the top of Dawn's head.

Spike's words broke through Dawn's grief addled mind. "Not really gone?" She pulled back in Spike's arms just enough to look into his eyes. Her eyes widened with the knowledge of what Spike must mean. "You turned her?!?"

Spike cringed. 'Damn, but the Bit is a smart one.' He sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, Nibblet. I couldn't let her go; not this time."

Dawn gasped in shock. It wasn't that she was mad at Spike turning her sister, but she found it hard to believe that he had done it. He loved Buffy, and she knew that it would break his heart for Buffy to come back as an evil demon instead of the woman he loved. "Why?"

"Because I love her." Spike stuttered on quickly. "She'll keep her soul. All Slayers do. She might kill me, but she'll still be Buffy. I promise." He tightened his grip on Dawn, afraid that she had a stake hidden somewhere. He had to be there when Buffy awoke. After that he'd gladly take any stake that she or Dawn felt was necessary, but he had to see to her recovery first.

"Easy Spike." Dawn's voice was soothing. "I don't hate you." She hugged Spike tighter. "After this summer you should know that I would have asked you to turn her if there wasn't any other way to save her." She spoke the truth. She'd missed Buffy so much over the summer. Having her back now was a gift that she would have done anything to keep Buffy. She didn't care if Buffy was a vampire so long as she was still her Buffy.

"You don't hate me?" Spike stared at Dawn in amazement.

"No, Spike. If you say that she'll be Buffy, then I believe you." Dawn had faith in Spike long before anyone else did. She looked up to him as an older brother, and it always made her mad how the other Scoobies treated him. Even after everything he'd done for them during the summer, they went back to hating him as soon as Buffy was back. She refused to be that way.

"She will, Bit." Spike explained, "But she won't be able to be around humans for a while. I don't know everything that happened to her. I only know how I found her."

Dawn nodded in understanding. "Fine, but I want to see her as soon as you think she can handle it." She wanted to argue with Spike that she should be there, but she knew it was pointless to argue with Spike if he'd made up his mind. She saw the determination in his face. He wasn't going to budge on the issue. "Please tell her how much I love her, no matter what."

"I will, Bit. I ..." Spike was interrupted by the crypt door opening.

"Everything is set at the house. I was able to get some ..." Tara 's voice trailed off when she noticed Dawn standing in Spike's crypt. "Dawn?" She panicked, looking around for Buffy's body.

"Bit was here when I moved from the other place." Spike explained when he saw the confusion on Tara 's face.

"Oh." Tara saw the tear stains on Dawn's face. "She knows?"

Spike nodded. "Sussed it out pretty quickly." He hugged Dawn. "She's a right smart girl. Aren't you Nibblet?"

"Sometimes too much for my own good if Spike's reaction was anything to go by." Dawn rolled her eyes. She tried to keep the conversation light.

"O ... Okay." Tara stuttered a little bit. "You're okay with it?"

"I explained it to Spike, yeah." Dawn nodded her head. "I take it you are going to be there too?" She looked to Spike for confirmation. He'd said that Buffy couldn't be around humans. So she wondered why Spike was letting Tara be there.

"Tara is a witch, Dawn." Spike explained. "We needed protection, and I needed a human to own the home we'll use. I figured Glinda would be the first choice for support amongst the Scoobies."

Dawn frowned, but nodded. "I wish I could be there."

Tara opened her arms for Dawn to move into. "As soon as it is safe, we'll bring you to see her. We promise." She stroked her hand down Dawn's hair. This girl had suffered through a lot more than someone her human age should. She didn't care if Dawn was a mystical key before. Now she was just a teenage girl who suffered too much heartache.

"I don't care what anyone says or will say." Dawn hugged Tara then opened her arms for Spike to join them in the hug. When he reluctantly moved forward into a three-way hug she continued, "I will stand by you both, no matter what."

"Thanks, Bit. I have a feeling that we'll need all the support we can get." Spike kissed the top of Dawn's head again. "You can't tell anyone at all." He pulled back to look into Dawn's eyes. "Tell the Scoobies that Buffy needed to get away for a little bit to deal with some things. She told you that she'd contact you specifically off and on, but that she didn't want a whole Scooby troupe to try and find her."

"They won't be able to do a locator spell on her, Dawn. So, don't worry if they try one." Tara explained. "It will enforce to them that Buffy doesn't want to be found, hopefully."

"Okay. Anything else I should do?" Dawn wanted to help in any way that she could.

"Tara will be living with us. We'll figure out what to tell Willow, but for now just say that Tara is staying with a friend until she gets some things sorted out."

Tara nodded in agreement with that idea. "Sounds fine to me. I'll try to keep in touch. I'll still be going to school. So, I'm sure I'll run into Willow at some point."

"All right. You know they aren't going to like this."

"I don't give a damn what they like and don't like." Spike started to get angry. He wasn't upset at Dawn, but it always peeved him off how the Scoobies thought they had the right to run Buffy's life.

Tara put a hand on Spike's arm to calm him down. "They'll have to live with it. Since they know we took Buffy from Heaven, I am hoping they will understand the absence."

Dawn nodded. She looked over at Buffy's body in the chair. She shivered at the stillness of her sister. "May I say goodbye?"

Spike nodded. He watched Dawn walk over to Buffy, kiss her forehead, and hug her. She walked back towards the door. "Take care of her, or you will have one pissed off teenager coming at you with a stake or a torch."

Tara gulped. She knew Dawn well enough to realize she was serious. Spike nodded. He breathed a sigh of relief once the door shut behind Dawn. "Well that wasn't planned."

Tara half chuckled. "Definitely not. The house is all in order though." She looked over at Buffy's body, sleeping while it healed itself. "Are we ready?"

"I still need to pack. Nibblet was here waiting for me."

Tara nodded. "Okay. I'll watch Buffy while you pack."

"I won't take long." Spike jumped down the hole to the lower level to pack what he wanted to take with them. Mainly he'd just need some clothes. He has some special personal items as well that always traveled with him too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (4) Attacks and Disappointments
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Chapter Summary: Dawn knows about Buffy being turned, and she is willing to support Spike and Tara. Tara checked out the house, and she picked up Spike to take him and Buffy there. Dawn returned to Revello Drive. Tara gathered some of her and Buffy's clothes to bring to the new house. What is going to happen when Willow realizes that some of Tara's belongings are gone? Will the magic and wards on the house protect her from any spells Willow might do? Is Dawn safe?

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Tara just finished showing Spike the rest of the house when she felt a tingle at the back of her neck. It was faint, almost like the feeling one gets when you think someone is staring at you, but it was strong enough that she noticed it. She chalked the feeling up to nerves and hurried up to get the rest of the car unloaded.

Spike already situated Buffy in one of the two rooms that were connected by the master bath. That left Tara free to choose one of the two rooms that were situated on the other side of the house. After deliberating which room would suit her best, and which room would eventually be better for Dawn, she chose the smaller of the two rooms. It had the largest windows. The bay window would be perfect to put a desk by, and the furnishings were spacious enough to give her plenty of room to perform spells.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike laid Buffy on top of an extra blanket on her bed. He wanted to wash Buffy, but he needed to unpack her things first. He separated all the clothes that Tara packed in a suitcase into the new drawers of Buffy's dresser. He laid her brush and comb on top of the dresser.

The wood bedroom set was complete with queen-sized bed, end table, and dresser. The vanity on the dresser was missing the mirror usually embedded in the middle of these kinds of hutches. A vampire had no need of mirrors in their furniture. In its place was a landscaped mural of the sun rising over the English countryside and up the back of an English manor. Spike traced the painted rays with his fingertips. "I wonder where she found this. Resourceful gal."

Spike tucked the empty suitcase under Buffy's bed. He tugged a second suitcase up onto the dresser to unpack. After hanging a few dresses and skirts, he gathered the personal hygiene paraphernalia together. Vanilla scented oil and bath salts now lined the shelved edge around the tub. He artfully arranged various decorative bottles of lotion, soap and shampoo from Buffy's collection as well.

Vampires weren't usually into the whole bathing and hygiene aspects of life. One reason was that they didn't sweat. Spike enjoyed showering and bathing. It was one of the few times that his body would be nice and hot again. Based on how Buffy was before, he had a feeling that she would continue to enjoy her heated soaks in the tub. He hoped so. He always loved her scent. It would be a way that she could relax.

The heat would help unkink muscles for Buffy after patrolling. Spike figured that once Buffy was better acclimated to her new life, she would want to patrol again. Vampires needed violence to help satisfy their inner demons. Buffy would be no different in that regard. Her Slayer side already craved that violence almost as much as a vampire did. The crossover of being turned would complete the pull for that need.

Spike finished Buffy's unpacking by tucking her weapons bag in the closet. "Let's not keep the pointy wooden objects too close to the bed for when she wakes up." He half chuckled to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara touched the various pieces of furniture in her room. She counted the money in her bank account mentally. She'd have enough to purchase a new desk and lamp. Spike said this was her house. She was starting to get used to that thought. She wanted to add a few touches of her own.

After Tara unpacked the rest of her clothes, she sat on the edge of her bed. It was a nice full sized bed with an intricate lace covered comforter. The rest of the comforter was made of a light material to ward off the chill of a Sunnydale windy night but not be too hot. For the most part it would be decorative.

Tara shook her head back and forth as the niggling sensation at the back of her mind continued. It disappeared again. She headed out of her room and down the stairs. She felt a little hungry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike watched as Tara exited her new room. Her eyes sparkled with delight, and she had lost a bit of the haunted look she had been carrying in her eyes. Spike was glad that she moved in with them. Not only would it ease Buffy into the transition of her new life, but it would also help Buffy cope with the pain. In addition, it would be good for Tara to get away from Willow for a while.

Spike noticed the pain in the blonde Wicca's eyes during Sweet's musical interlude time. He had a feeling that her pain had something to do with all of the magic Willow kept doing. He'd heard Tara arguing with Willow about her magic the day before Sweet showed up. When Tara found him in the crypt, she told him about the spell Willow cast over her to make her forget things.

Spike thought of Dawn. He was glad that she handled everything so well. He loved the little Nibblet. All four of them had their own needs and crosses, no pun intended, to bear. Together they would all be able to help each other and heal the damage that Buffy's rape, Willow's betrayal, and Buffy's death inflicted. He hoped that the four of them would eventually form their own tight knit family unit. It had been a long time since he really felt a part of a loving and close family.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara rummaged through the refrigerator. She wasn't sure just what she was in the mood to eat, but her stomach rumbled again to remind her that she hadn't had anything since her early lunch. She'd been so focused on Spike and Buffy that she forgot to pick up something to eat before her bookstore errand.

Spike trotted down the stairs into the living room. He turned left and headed into the kitchen. He was just about to open his mouth and ask Tara if she wanted him to make her something when a flash of pain crossed Tara's face. Concerned for the blonde, he hastened across the kitchen to where Tara was standing. He gently touched her shoulder. "Are you all right, Glinda?"

Tara looked up at Spike and smiled weakly. She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "Sure, Spike. Just a bit of a headache." She turned back around to face the refrigerator, but instead she ended up unconscious on the floor at Spike's feet.

Spike panicked for a moment. He looked around the room. He wasn't sure why Tara collapsed, but he faintly smelled the taint of magic in the air. "What the bloody Hell is going on here? This house is warded big time, and Tara added her own protection spells as well." He was confident in Tara's magical abilities. She was a true Wicca of light. He always felt that when he was around her. "How could anything get through?"

Spike scooped Tara up into his arms. He laid the unconscious woman on the couch. She lay there unmoving. It unnerved him to see how much she looked like she was dead.

Spike shivered. He needed help, but he wasn't sure whom he could trust at this point. He made a decision, picked up the phone, and called the one person that he knew would help him, even if it was only because he paid her to. "Valerie, I need your help."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie shifted in her car seat, replaying the conversation with Spike in her mind. They would have to move fast to get everything accomplished and be able to help Tara before his Childe awakened. Spike felt he had until tomorrow night before she would awaken, but he had other plans that still needed to be taken care of.

Valerie was surprised at the worry she heard in the vampire's voice when he spoke of Tara's condition. He seemed genuinely concerned for the young woman. His worry tainted voice nearly quivered when he mentioned the teenager named Dawn, the sister of his Childe. He wanted the young girl safe at all costs. She wondered why he had such a strong bond with the girl named Dawn.

Valerie sighed in relief as 1630 Revello Drive came into view. She was still quite nervous about the whole plan. It was true that she would have two mages flanking her with powerful glamours and protection spells, but Willow Rosenberg was a powerful witch in her own right. Frankly, she felt the woman was out of control.

Wolfram and Hart had considered recruiting Willow Rosenberg for their special operations team, but her unpredictability was a serious deterrent. They feared that they wouldn't be able to control the witch. If Wolfram and Hart was worried about controlling Willow, Valerie had every reason to be scared. The sooner this was over, the better.

As Valerie knocked on the door, she felt the mages protection spells solidify. She would be safe from any form of magical control that the redhead could attempt. The mages would also act as muscle in case it was needed to take care of what she needed to do.

The first part of Valerie's mission was to conduct reconnaissance. All that Valerie was required to do was touch Willow, and she would instantly be able to tell if Willow was the person responsible for the attack on Tara. If Willow was innocent of any wrongdoing then they would leave the house without further communication. If she was guilty, however, then the lawyer had been instructed to get Dawn out of the house and into a safe location. Spike was insistent that Dawn not be left with someone who had brought physical harm to Tara.

After a short while a young redhead answered the door. "Hello," Valerie started the conversation with a fake southern drawl. "My name is Susan Parker, and I am here with social services. Are you Buffy Summers?"

Willow looked surprised and hesitated briefly. "Buffy is not here at the moment. I'm Willow Rosenberg, Dawn's babysitter."

Valerie presented her hand for a handshake and held her breath. As soon as Willow touched her she would know the truth. "Nice to meet you Willow."

They spent the entire summer Buffy was gone prepared with stories for Social Services. She slipped easily into their preconceived stories. "Is there something that I can help you with?" She extended her hand to return the handshake.

Valerie gasped as visions of Willow and her spell casting assaulted her. One of the mages at her side wrapped his hand on Valerie's arm in support. He felt the young witch's power saturating the house as soon as they'd walked up the porch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Flashback to earlier that day)


Willow looked around the room; a confused expression marring her beautiful face. She didn't quite understand what was happening. She thought things were going great between her and Tara. Now all of a sudden Tara was mad at her again. This time she had no idea what for. She hadn't done anything terribly magical lately that Tara would remember, and she was too good of a witch for the memory spells to have broken. What would have caused Tara to not only sleep on the couch last night, but to avoid her all day, and then sneak her stuff out of the room? It didn't make any sense.

Willow decided that she had to get to the bottom of their newest problem as a couple. Willow gathered her magical supplies. While casting the circle she thought back to the discussion that had occurred the last time her mother had made the entire family go to therapy. 'The only way to solve relationship problems is to sit down and talk it out. Moving out is never the answer because the incentive to solve the problems is lost and the communications break down.' The thought didn't cross her mind that forcing someone to return to you wasn't the best way to open up communication again.

Making her decision, Willow performed the spell to make Tara decide that she wanted to move back into Revello Drive. Everything that was missing of Tara's made Willow believe she'd moved out. She thought that once Tara was back under the same roof Willow would figure out what was wrong with Tara. It couldn't be too serious. She'd have some way to fix it. They were perfect for each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After the flashbacks, Valerie let Willow's hand go. She'd experienced enough of the magical world to understand what now occurred when Willow performed the spell. Under normal circumstances the spell would have worked. It would not have influenced Tara's memory or normally harmed her in any way. It would have simply created a nagging sensation in Tara's mind that she had made a mistake to move out and that she should return to Willow.

The spell would have worked, if Tara had been anywhere else other then the warded house. Instead of the spell influencing Tara, however, the house viewed it as a magical attack against its occupants and retaliated. The clash of the magical forces fighting had caused Tara the initial discomfort. As the magical battle waged over her mind, the pain eventually grew to be too much and caused the girl to pass out.

The spell had not meant to physically harm Tara, but the houses defenses were correct. Influencing Tara's mind in any way was an attack. Spike would be very upset to find out what occurred. She knew she had to get to Dawn out of there. She wasn't sure where they teenager would stay, but she was willing to offer her own home if it got the teenager away from this woman. She nodded to her associates.

Valerie's voice cooled when she spoke again, and her fake southern accent turned icy, "Well Ms. Rosenberg, it was a pleasure to meet you. However, this is not really a social visit." Her eyes narrowed into thin angry slits. "I am afraid that social services has looked over Ms. Summers record, and we feel that it would be in Dawn's best interest to be removed from the Summers' residence and placed into foster care at this time."

Willow gasped, and her eyes started to turn dark. The mages, however, were prepared and blocked the young witch's attempts to enter their minds. Willow's eyes widened when she felt her magic blocked. She stared at the three people confused.

Valerie glared at Willow. She felt the magic from Willow beat at her defenses. She was furious at what Willow did to Tara. She was also peeved that she tried to influence them as well when Willow wasn't happy with the situation. "Gentlemen, please stay down here with Ms. Rosenberg while I inform Ms. Summers of her change in status." She brushed Willow to the side of the doorway. "The Summers residence is not fit for a young girl to grow up in."

Dawn inwardly moaned over the argument she'd heard going on downstairs. 'I won't let them take me away.' She was worried that Spike wouldn't be able to find her if she was taken away. She had to watch after the Scoobies' actions for Spike and Tara. She headed down the stairs.

Valerie ascended the stairs, but she met by a hostile and defiant teenager only halfway up the stairs. "I'm not going anywhere away from my sister."

Valerie leaned close to Dawn. She whispered in her hear, "Shhh, it's okay. Spike sent me to get you." She put a hand on Dawn's lower back to nudge her back upstairs. "Just grab whatever you need, and let's get out of here. I will explain in the car."

Dawn looked panic stricken. "Is Buffy okay?" Had something already gone wrong with Buffy? Did she already wake up and stake Spike? So many thoughts worried around in her head.

"Buffy?" Valerie hadn't been told the identity of Spike's Childe. The name Buffy nagged at the back of her mind as a name she should know. "If that is his Childe, then no she hasn't woken up yet." She didn't want to worry the girl, but they had to get her out of this house quickly. She felt Willow's power as it grew while they spoke. "It's Tara, Dawn. She's been hurt, and Willow is responsible."

They'd made it back to Dawn's room by now. She already stuffed several changes of clothes into a duffel bag. She gasped, threw her journal, and her make up into the bag. She picked up her backpack with her schoolbooks in it. She ran around her room to gather a few other important things to her, including a necklace from her mother and her stuffed animal. "Let's go." If Willow was working the mojo again, Dawn had no desire to stick around.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike paced back and forth through his new living room. Valerie, Dawn and two other blokes had shown up to take a look at Tara. Seeing Dawn had crystallized his fears. He knew it meant that Willow was responsible for the attack. It made his heart ache for the young girl in his living room. Dawn had already lost so much. She shouldn't have to deal with Willow being responsible for hurting another of Dawn's friends. Although he wasn't terribly surprised at the witch's abuse of power, he did realize that this would break Tara's heart when she woke up.

In the middle of the mages working on Tara, Spike smelt a familiar scent. He raced to the front window. He noticed a man swagger down the middle of the street. Spike growled low. He wanted to follow the man, but he needed to stay with Tara and Dawn until Tara was okay. He tightened his hands into fists.

"What's wrong, Spike?" Valerie walked behind Spike. She rested her hand on Spike's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Just some trash that needs to be taken care of." Spike growled his response.

Valerie blinked. The anger that radiated off the vampire was so thick it was palpable. She moved around the side of Spike to look at his face. "Buffy Summers is the Slayer, isn't she?" She changed the topic of conversation.

Spike sighed. "Figured it out, eh?"

Valerie nodded. "Not until Dawn mentioned Buffy's name in reference to your Childe." She rested back against the wall with a hand on Spike's arm. "This could go very bad for you."

"I know." Spike nodded. "I love her." He picked up an envelope from a table by the door. "If she dusts me, so be it." He handed the envelope to Valerie. "This is all of the paperwork you needed me to sign to transfer all rights of my wealth to Tara upon my death."

Valerie opened the envelope. She double checked all of the paperwork to be sure it was in order. "I hope you know what you are doing."

"Now you know why I wanted to get things set up for Tara to take over." Spike eyes narrowed on the woman. "I trust you to keep this a secret, Val. Your bosses better not find out."

"You have my promise, Spike. You're going to have enough problems to deal with, without that added to it." Valerie patted Spike's arm in assurance. "Good luck."

Dawn watched Valerie and Spike interact. She could see that they were more like friends, but she still wanted to remove Val's hand from Spike's arm. She hoped Buffy didn't let Spike get away this time. If only Buffy admitted to herself last year that she liked Spike too after Drusilla came to town, maybe some things would be very different right now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several hours later, Tara sat on her new porch, swinging gently while she let her feet dangle. There was so much to process, and she was having trouble comprehending it all. Willow tried to manipulate her again. She tried to control her and take away her free will. Even though it was just to get her to come back to the house, Willow still tried to make Tara do something she didn't want to do.

Tara knew in her heart that things could never be the same again. Willow would never stop manipulating her, making her into the perfect girlfriend. She couldn't, no she wouldn't, be able to live through the manipulations and still retain her sense of self. Unfortunately that didn't stop the pain she was feeling over the loss of her girlfriend.

When Tara woke up the mages told her that if she was anywhere else other then in the house she would not have been able to resist the magical suggestion. Just knowing that if she had been outside, or in a store, or even at school that she would have gone back to Willow and not realized why she had done so, made her mad. The magic would have bypassed her protection spell, one because of Willow's strength and power and two because she wasn't trying to alter Tara's memories, just implant a suggestion.

Shaking her head, Tara thought about everything else that happened. Dawn was devastated at the current turn of events. Her world was crumbling, and there was not much Dawn could do to stop it. Her sister had been killed twice and now turned. Willow, who was like a big sister to her, had been abusing magic. Now Tara, who she thought of as a surrogate mother, had been manipulated and attacked by Willow.

Spike decided the safest place for Dawn would be at Valerie's house. None of the Scoobies knew Valerie or would think that Spike had a lawyer. However, just in case that Willow decided to go after "Susan Parker", Valerie and Dawn would still be safe within a magically protected house.

'I really don't want to see Spike's attorney bill this month.' Tara sighed. She wished that Spike would hurry up and return from wherever he ran off to. He had paced back and forth for hours after everyone left. Finally he broke down and asked if she could stay with Buffy while he went out to pick up "supplies" for when Buffy woke up.

Tara assured Spike that she would be fine in the house, but she hadn't pressed for details. The look is his eyes chilled her, and she didn't think she really wanted to know. His steps were determined and sure when he tromped out of the house. She wondered how long he would be gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (5) Tying Up Loose Ends and Awakening
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Chapter Summary: Willow tried to use magic to get Tara to come back to her. The warded house took it as an attack against Tara, and she passed out from the combating magical forces. Valerie, posing as a Social Services agent, removed Dawn from the Summers' house once she found out that Willow was responsible for the attack on Tara. Dawn is staying with Valerie. Tara recovered, and now Spike left to track down Buffy's murdering rapist. He wanted everything ready for when Buffy awakens.

**WARNING: The beginning of this chapter especially deals with darker words and emotions as Spike tracks down Buffy's murdering rapist. It isn't way crazy, but it is not a happy part. Feel free to skim down until those scenes are done if you don't want to read that type of thing. Buffy's awakening is in this chapter though, and you won't want to miss that. There is a little bit of revenge torture again towards the end from Buffy. There is a villain character death, namely the rapist's death after Buffy's awakening.**

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Spike sniffed the air to double check the trail of his prey. What he would do when he found the man, he wasn't sure. "Bloody military and their bloody chip." He muttered low. He hoped that if his intent were to restrain and not cause physical harm, the chip wouldn't fire.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Adam Masterson walked along Sunnydale's streets without a care in the world. He had a nice wad of cash in his pocket and a nest egg in his bank account from his latest job. The man may have been a geek, but Warren paid Adam well. Adam got a nice fuck out of the bargain too, but he hadn't shared that fact with the geek. The Slayer had a sweet little pussy. He'd keep that information to himself to bring up later in his mind for his self-pleasuring.

'Too bad I had to kill her,' Adam thought to himself. 'That is one hot one that I would have enjoyed "visiting" again.' He laughed with sinister glee at the thought of repeated visits to the crypt with Buffy at his mercy every time. It made him hard just thinking about it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike turned up an alley. He followed the scent of the man he saw the morning he found Buffy. He recognized the scent again outside their house when Tara was unconscious. Once Tara was awake for a while, he had to leave to follow the trail. He wanted to make sure this guy never had a chance to hurt anyone else. He would make a perfect first meal for his Childe. That kind of revenge would help Buffy deal with the atrocity committed against her as well. He crinkled his nose that the scent was also now tainted with the man's arousal. 'Disgusting.'

So lost in his thoughts, Spike failed to see his prey step into the shadows of a doorway. The click of a gun hammer being cocked near his ear startled him. He froze. 'Pay attention, Spike. You let the bastard catch you,' He mentally berated himself. "You don't want to do that, mate."

"And why not?" Adam stepped out of the shadows with his weapon trained on Spike. "I don't take too kindly to being followed."

'Think Spike.' Spike knew a bullet wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt. It could also incapacitate him long enough to allow the guy to dust him if he realized he was a vampire. "You're a hard man to find. Word on the street says you can help me with a particular problem that's been pestering me."

The prospect of another job stilled Adam's initial concerns. He was on a roll. Why not add another notch to his reputation? "I'm listening, but it better be good."

Spike relaxed a little. The eyes of a hunter scanned the alley for anything to help him or a sign of any other dangers. "There's a woman who has been getting in my way time and time again. She's made my life miserable for years."

Adam leaned against the wall of one of the buildings. "Women are nothing but nuisances." He kept his gun pointed at Spike's chest while they talked.

"I'm glad you feel that way. She has some pretty powerful friends who would see me dead if I killed her directly. I've tried a few times without much luck." Spike pulled a cigarette from the pack in his duster. He lit the tip of it. "I heard you know just how to take care of the annoying bints."

Adam laughed. He ran a hand down his chest to his waist. He tucked his thumb into his waistband and tapped his covered hard cock. "I know exactly what the bitches are good for." He leered at Spike. "After that, they might as well be dead."

Spike forced himself to say every word that came from his mouth. He wanted to beat the man's head up against the wall and then slit his throat. What he wouldn't give to have the chip in his head removed to give this guy what he deserved. "Like a bit of rough and tumble, eh mate?"

"It's no fun if they don't struggle and scream." Adam clapped Spike on the shoulder and waved his gun in the air as he spoke.

"This one would struggle for sure." Spike knew by scent that this was the man, but he wanted to be sure. He'd need every damning word and reason to convince Buffy to eat the murderer as her first meal. "She doesn't like to give it up to blokes like us. She feels we're beneath her." He poured the story on thick to anger the man further.

"The bitch! I'd show her who is beneath whom." Adam snarled in disgust. His hatred of women in general fueled his anger. "Where can I find her, what does she look like, and how much ya offering?"

"Strawberry blonde bint about yeah high." Spike held his hand up to his shoulders. "Bossy little chit with green eyes and stupid hair who likes to hang out in cemeteries." He huffed in mock annoyance.

"She's really gotten under your skin, hasn't she?"

"You have no idea, mate." Spike rolled his eyes. That much was true. Buffy was under his skin, in his mind, and buried in his heart. "She is a bit of a handful. I'm willing to offer 20 grand because she also happens to be the Slayer."

"Slayer?" Adam started laughing.

"Why is that so funny?" Spike gritted his teeth. He had a feeling that he knew the answer to that, but he wanted to hear the wanker say it.

Adam laid a hand on Spike's shoulder. "I'll tell you what ... since I was already paid one hundred grand to kill the bitch, I'll let you keep your money. Normally I'd keep your money too, but I'm feeling charitable tonight."

"One hundred grand?" Spike gasped at the amount of money someone paid to have Buffy killed. "Who would have that kind of money lying around? No one in the demon world would want her dead bad enough to offer up that kind of dosh for the job."

"Who said it was a demon?" Adam sneered. "It doesn't matter anyways. The deed is already done, and I can tell you she doesn't scream too loudly. She only screamed in the beginning when I shoved my cock into her dry pussy." He laughed. "I couldn't drag a scream out of her after that no matter how hard I gave it to her. Bled real good for me though, and when I was done I shot her in the chest."

"You bastard!" Spike elbowed up into Adam's face. He tackled the goon to the ground with punches to the face."

Adam growled. "What is your problem?" He tried to aim his gun at Spike's head. He thought the guy wanted the girl dead. Why was he going postal on him now?

"You killed the woman I love." Spike pulled Adam up off the ground and shoved him against a nearby dumpster. He kicked him in the knees. "You aren't worthy to be in her presence, scum."

Adam was enraged that he was tricked into giving away his identity and last job. He fought back against Spike viciously. No one was taking him down to the slammer.

"Bloody hell." Spike fought the shocks of pain the chip emanated. He pressed on despite the pain. He choked on the blood that flowed from his nose and into his throat. 'I wish I could get this bloody chip ripped out of my head.' He was pushed back against the wall by a punch to his jaw from Adam. Both of their hands were wrapped around the gun trying to wrestle it away from each other.

Unseen by either man a strange looking female demon peeked out from another doorway. She smirked to herself. This was the perfect vengeance. Although Spike wasn't directly the injured party, his wish was a way for the injured party to find her revenge. D'Hoffryn would let her get by with it. As the men struggled for the gun, she spoke softly, "Wish granted."

The justice demon opened her hand to see the piece of computer technology that impaired the vampire Spike for the last couple years. She looked up in time to see Spike kick Adam solidly in the groin. 'Ouch,' She thought to herself. She smiled at the delight she saw in Spike's face when no pain registered in his brain.

Spike stared at the fairly immobilized man on the pavement. He felt no shock when he kicked the goon the last time. He howled, snatched the gun from the ground and practically danced around the human. "About damn time!" He called out into the air. He didn't care why the pain was gone. He'd try to figure it out later. Now, he had one human to incapacitate to get him back to his house. He chopped Adam at the back of his neck, effectively knocking him unconscious. When he was again pain free, he figured that it wasn't just a fluke. Somehow the chip was not working.

The demon smiled for two reasons at the sight before her. First, she had a feeling that the vengeance Spike and Buffy would enact on the human would be sweet and perfect. Even in her sleep the Slayer's desire for vengeance reached her ears. Secondly, she repaid a debt she felt she owed to the man Spike once was. She'd recognized him immediately when he appeared in the alley and the Slayer's visions. "Until we meet again, William." She vanished to another realm with a flash.

Spike's head snapped up at the sound of his human name. He saw the flash of light, but his supernatural vision failed to find anyone else in the alley. He shrugged his shoulders. 'Must be an after effect of the chip's pulses.' He hefted the unconscious man over his left shoulder. He hurried back home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shortly before dawn, Spike arrived back at the house with his hostage in tow. He punched in the necessary security codes for the door and unlocked each door with its different key. He was surprised to find Tara still sitting on the porch swing when he got there.

"Spike?" Tara awoke from her nap when the porch door banged open. She stood up. "What did you do? Who is that man?"

Spike kicked the front door the rest of the way open. He turned around to face Tara. "This is the bastard that raped Buffy. He was quite proud of the fact when he admitted it to me."

"What are you going to do with him?" Tara was in shock. The guy looked like he was pretty beat up. How had Spike managed that? Wasn't the chip supposed to keep him from hurting humans? "Is he a demon?"

"Sad to say luv, but he is human." Spike walked up the stairs. He dropped the guy onto the floor of his bedroom, and he rummaged through a bag in his closet.

"How did you ..."

"I don't know." Spike pulled a length of sturdy chain from the bag. "One moment I've got the headache from Hell, and the next hit the headache is gone." He tossed another length of chain into the middle of the room. "I don't care why it's not working, but I'm glad it's not."

"Oh my." Tara wasn't afraid of what Spike would do to her. She'd seen him protect the Scoobies for a long time against demons. She doubted he would just start hunting humans now. Besides if he really wanted them dead, he would have found a way for someone to do it for him. She was finding out that he certainly had the means at his disposal.

Hadn't Spike also said that Buffy would keep her soul? There was no way Buffy would accept him hunting humans. Tara knew that fact alone would keep Spike from going out on the prowl, even if he had no other reason.

"I won't hurt innocents, Glinda." Spike stood up and faced Tara. He smelled her nervous fear in the air. He rested his hands on her arms. "This one is no innocent. He was paid 100 grand to kill Buffy, and he added his little rape as his own bonus. He may have a soul, but he's as bad as Angelus ever was."

"I und ... understand, Spike." Tara stuttered because she was nervous. So much had happened in the last few days. It was all too much to take in at times. Her life had shifted its course, and her goals were changed.

"I am going to chain him up in my room until Buffy awakens." Spike located two metal pins that he knew would be located in the one wall. He pulled hard on each one to be sure they were still secure enough to hold a fighting human. Satisfied in their strength, he threaded a length of chain through each separate pin.

"But how will you get Buffy to eat a human? She won't do it." Tara knew that the Buffy she first met, and learned to know over the last couple years, held firm in the belief that all demons were bad and all humans were good. "She isn't going to wake up and go oh yummy treat."

"I know that, Glinda, but she needs a human meal to start with." Spike picked up Adam. He secured the two ends of one chain to Adam's wrists with cuffs. He repeated the motion with the second chain and cuffs around Adam's ankles. "I am hoping she recognizes the guy. If not, I am going to do my best to convince her that his worthless life should not be allowed to continue."

Spike stepped away from Adam. He walked closer to the door to face Tara again. "This isn't the first time he's done this, Tara. He was pleased with his line of work, and he would do it again if given the chance. He was willing to when I offered him a fake job."

Tara knew how serious Spike was about this decision. He never used her real name. He always called her by her pet name of Glinda. The fact that he used her real name told her that he was quite serious.

"I probably won't be able to convince her myself. Will you help me?" Spike's eyes begged her to understand his reasons. "She can live off animal blood, but she needs to be strong. My Sire's blood will help, but as much as this git deserves to die, she also needs this revenge to end things and bring her strength up."

Tara looked contemplative. Slowly she shook her head. "I can't encourage her to take a human life Spike; even if he does deserve it. But I won't say anything about it and I won't try to stop either of you. If the positions were reversed..." she sighed deeply. "It's up to Buffy and I will support her in whatever that decision may be."

"You're probably right that he would do it again, and the next time there would be no hope for his victim to survive in any way." She thought about what would have happened if Spike hadn't found Buffy when he did. Would they have even found her body? Buffy would be completely dead, and they would have lost her again. After finding out Buffy was in heaven, she knew that Willow would never be able to convince the Scoobies to resurrect Buffy again.

"I really need to rest, Glinda." Spike sagged with relief that at least Tara agreed to support him. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "My head is still throbbing from the beating it took from the chip to start with."

"I'll bring up some heated blood for you. There were instructions in the package Valerie gave me to let me know how long to heat it for," Tara offered.

"Thanks, Glinda. I need to conserve my strength for tonight." Spike laid back on the pillows. "I don't know how much Buffy is going to fight me. I have to keep her from dusting me until I've at least gotten her fed."

"She won't dust you, Spike." Tara reassured Spike, "Not if she really thinks about it at all. You saved her out of love."

"I just hope she sees it the same way as you do, luv." Spike closed his eyes to block out the pain he feared of Buffy's rejection. "When you get back from classes this evening, I'd appreciate it if you could help me bathe Buffy and get her into some new clothes. I don't want her to wake up in the filth she died in."

Tara nodded in understanding. "That is very thoughtful of you Spike. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." She walked to the bedroom door and into the hallway. "I'll be back soon."

"Thank you." Spike waited for the blood and planned out many things to take care of his Childe. He let his senses reach out to Buffy's sleeping form. He felt the absence of the pain she was in previously. He calmed to know that right now she was merely resting peacefully because of the sun's rising while her body rebuilt its strength. 'Sleep well, beloved.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie fluffed up the pillows on the bed in her guest room. She was a bit nervous to have the teenager staying with her. If she hadn't seen the darkness in Willow when they touched, she probably wouldn't be doing this. She hadn't asked for any payment to take care of the young woman either. She knew she had to get her out of that house and into somewhere safer.

Dawn watched Valerie flitter about the room. "Honestly, I can take care of myself." She said nervously. "Not that I don't appreciate everything." She hurried on, "Spike felt I would be safe here. I just don't want you to go out of your way too much for me. I feel bad coming into your home like this."

"It's all right, Dawn." Valerie smiled at Dawn. "I've been alone for a long time now. Company would be good." It had been a couple years since her last relationship failed. Her last girlfriend found out the type of clients she worked for and dumped her in fear. She dated both men and women, but she tended to be happier with the women than the men. With her job, she really didn't have many chances to date. She wasn't too fond of the demons she met, and "normal" people didn't usually understand her dealings with the supernatural. That left her alone in her home.

"Spike must really trust you to let me stay here." Dawn voiced wavered with concern. "He's pretty particular about who he lets me be around. He's more protective than even Buffy."

Valerie chuckled a little bit. She caught the undertones of warning in Dawn's statement. "I've never given him a reason not to trust me." She knew how protective Spike was of those he cared for. He'd given her strict instructions when it came to Drusilla during his first visit to Sunnydale. "I've protected his interests over the years, and I've kept his secrets."

"I'll be glad when I can live with Spike and Buffy." Dawn realized how what she said might have sounded. "I don't mean that I don't want to stay with you, but my sister is only recently back from her last death. We haven't had a chance to spend too much time together lately. I love her."

"Don't worry about it, Dawn. I wasn't offended." Valerie stepped into the hallway. She pointed down the hall, "That door on the left is the bathroom. I usually take my shower first thing in the morning. I get up early, but I promised to take you directly to school before going to work until I hear from Spike." She wondered how much Spike's "family" had gone through lately. 'Last death?'

Dawn nodded. "Yeah, I promised him I wouldn't be skipping school this week. He doesn't want to take a chance of Willow or the Scoobies cornering me. If I'm not at school, I might run into them more. Plus I doubt a foster home would let me miss school."

"Sounds wise. There are still a few hours before sun up. We should both get some sleep." Valerie yawned.

"I have 4 hours until I need to get up for school. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep, but I'll try." Dawn went into her room. Before she shut the door she said, "Thank you, Valerie."

"You're welcome, Dawn." Valerie checked the wards and security system one more time before she headed to bed. A million thoughts raced through her mind. One thought stuck out over all the others, her memory of a beautiful blonde Wicca who shined like an angel in her mind's eye.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara managed to avoid Willow all day on campus. Their majors weren't the same. So, they shared very few classes together. Today she was safe from a direct confrontation in class if she could avoid Willow outside of class. The task was made easier by an internal "Willow detector" the mages created for her. Along with complicated memory protection spells and protection wards, the mages crafted a bracelet of various crystals to boost and secure the magic when she was away from the house.

Tara felt Willow's presence getting closer from the East. She estimated how long it would take her to cross the campus to the Taurus. Spike agreed to buy the car from Valerie for her.

Tara turned in the opposite direction she felt Willow coming from. She ducked into buildings and crowds as much as she could to block Willow's view on her way to the car. She was in no mood or frame of mind to deal with Willow right now.

Once Tara shut the door of the Taurus she relaxed a little bit. Willow wasn't anywhere in sight. Her internal detection system gave only a faint indication that Willow was even in the area.

Tara inhaled deeply, turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the campus parking lot. "Time to go home." This was a huge night for all of them. Spike was positive Buffy would awaken sometime after the sun set.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn walked into the Magic Box. She carefully looked through the window of the shop to see if Willow was there before she went in. Thankfully Willow was nowhere in sight. She twirled the crystalline bracelet around her wrist in nervousness.

"Hello, Anya. Is Giles around?" Dawn needed to speak to Giles alone. She had to tell him what Spike told her to say about Buffy. She also wanted to warn him about Willow. If Xander made an appearance she knew that she'd never get to tell Giles what she needed to.

"He's in the office going over the bookkeeping." Anya rolled her eyes. "He's been grumbling off and on all day." She pointed at a door to the right of the entrance into the training room. "I'm very meticulous about the inventory and money. I don't know why he's grumbling."

"Maybe I can find out." Dawn bounced in her mock teenage cheerfulness to Giles' office. She knocked on the door.

Giles jerked the door open, "Anya, I thought I told ..." He stopped when he realized that Dawn was at his door and not Anya. "Dawn? Please come in."

Dawn sidestepped past the Watcher. She noticed Giles was a lot more uptight since the night of Sweet's musical appearance. He hadn't smiled in days.

Giles closed the door behind Dawn. He removed his glasses and tossed them on the desktop. He rubbed his eyes. The figures had long since blurred on the page, but he had to keep himself occupied. Somehow he had to tell Buffy of his plans to return to England, but he couldn't get a hold of her. "Have you seen Buffy, Dawn?"

"Actually Buffy is one of the reasons why I'm here to see you." Dawn fidgeted in place. She continually shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "She needed to get away from all of us for a little bit." She nibbled on her lower lip. 'Doing good, no lies yet.'

"What?" Giles stared in shock and anger. "She left the Hellmouth unguarded?"

"She knows we can handle it for a couple days." Dawn stopped fidgeting as much. Giles anger was making her angry. "I can get a hold of her if we have an emergency, but she needs the time away. Now that we all know she was torn out of Heaven, she doesn't need to fake everything being good."

"You get on the phone and get her back here right this instant." Giles' nerves were frayed beyond measure. "This is irresponsible and immature for her to leave without a word to anyone."

"She told me!" Dawn knew the real reason why Buffy wasn't available. She wanted to spit it out to Giles to defend her sister, but that would only get Spike and maybe Buffy staked. "I will NOT call her. She is being mature to leave and regroup. She knows what she's doing. She's not a child, Giles." She thought, 'Except in the vampiric sense.'

Giles punched his hand hard onto the desktop. He winced at the pain that shot up his arm. "She has responsibilities here." This was exactly why Giles felt he needed to return to England. Buffy seemed to be thinking only of herself. She left her adult responsibilities for him to handle. He needed to remove himself as Buffy's crutch.

Dawn's look hardened on the man that Buffy considered more of a father to her than her biological father. "What is wrong with you, Giles? Buffy never got to rest when she was stolen from Heaven. She's been carrying this around for so long by herself. She deserves a break."

"She's the Slayer." Giles snapped, "I shouldn't be doing her job for her."

"Oh poor Scoobies. Something might interfere with your fun. Boo hoo." Dawn tightened her hands into fists. She forced herself not to punch the man she always used to respect. "We're lucky she's even here at all. Do you think you would have continued to live after being ripped out of Heaven? I'll bet that almost every single one of us would have slit our own wrists to get back to the peace she'd known."

Giles flinched and cringed. Dawn was being crude, but he deserved the young girl's anger. He was directing his anger at the wrong person. He should be lecturing Buffy, not Dawn. "Now you're being a bit melodramatic, aren't you Dawn?" He tried to even his tone out to calm the girl down.

"Don't," Dawn pointed her finger an inch from Giles' nose, "Patronize me." She turned around, grabbed Giles' door and opened it. "Don't try to locate her, Giles. It won't work. She's protected. Even if she wasn't, you would not want to deal with the consequences if you get in her way." She slammed the door behind her before Giles could speak again.

Giles fell into his chair. He was in shock. He'd never seen Dawn so upset and forceful. She looked like she wanted to rip his head off. He buried his face in his hands. What was life going to throw at them next?

Dawn stomped out of the Magic Box. She was too angry to tell Giles about Willow. Maybe she would try again tomorrow when she cooled down some. She headed off in the direction of the meeting point she and Valerie prearranged for pick up. She almost hoped something got in her way on the trip there. She was in the mood to rumble.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara set her purse and backpack down on the living room table. "Spike?" She heard a rustling along one of the walls. Muffled voices were barely heard above the shuffling.

Spike poked his head out of his bedroom door. "Yes, pet?"

"I just wanted to make sure everything was all right." Tara walked up the stairs. "I heard some noises."

Spike and Tara entered his room. He slapped Adam across the face. "Scum here thought he was going to escape." Spike pulled the chains tight before he patted Adam's cheek. Adam had duct tape across his mouth to keep him silent. "He was screaming like a girl when he saw my demon. Weren't you, boy?" He vamped out.

Adam would have wet himself if he had anything left in his system to let loose. The golden eyes of the vampire before him haunted him every time he closed his eyes. He cursed the day he ever accepted the job from Warren. He knew he was going to die. He wished they'd just get it over with.

Spike growled. "If you make a mess for me to clean up again, you will regret it." He looked over at Tara's confused expression. "Don't ask. It wasn't pleasant."

Tara had a good idea what Spike meant. She put her hands up in the air in a surrender motion. "Not going there."

"He isn't going anywhere now." Spike pointed at Adam. "Have you eaten yet, or are you ready to help me get Buffy clean?"

"I grabbed a sandwich in the commons before my last class." Tara stepped closer to the bathroom to get away from Adam. The darkness of his aura seemed to seep into anyone that was near enough to him. It chilled her to the bone. "I assumed you would want to start as soon as I got back."

"Thanks, Glinda." Spike nodded. He appreciated everything Tara was able to do. He wouldn't have made it through the last couple days without her help. "Go ahead and turn on the tap for her bath water." He stepped into the bathroom. "Temperature won't matter as much, but try to make it a little hotter than normal. It will help warm her up. I'll go get Buffy." He disappeared into Buffy's room.

Tara looked over all the bath salts and oils in the bathroom. She lived with Buffy long enough to know what kinds the Slayer usually liked to soak in. She tapped some of the vanilla bath salts into the running water. She adjusted the temperature a bit warmer before she added 3 drops of rose scented bath oil.

A gasp was heard from Spike's room. Tara looked up to see Spike with Buffy in his arms. She was still covered in blood and filth from head to toe. Adam gawked at Buffy from the other room.

Tara shivered, but Spike growled. He kicked the door to his room shut. "I'm not giving him a show."

Tara understood Spike's anger. She helped him sit Buffy up on the edge of the tub. Together one of them would hold Buffy up while the other removed a piece of clothing. When Buffy was down to her bra and underwear Tara asked, "Do you want me to take care of the rest?"

"Vampires aren't as concerned with nakedness as humans are, pet." Spike snapped the clasp of Buffy's bra open. "It is different because I love her, but I am also her Sire. It is my job to take care of her in every way." He lifted Buffy up into his arms again.

Tara removed Buffy's underwear. Spike seemed to avoid looking at Buffy's naked form except to clean her. He didn't look at her in a sexual way while he held her. She tossed the panties into the pile with the other pieces of clothing. She'd burn them later in the backyard per Spike's request. He didn't want anything in the house, save the hostage, to remind Buffy of her rape.

Spike lowered Buffy carefully into the full bathtub. The steaming water slipped up the sides of the tub to cover Buffy up to her shoulders when she leaned against the back of the tub.

Tara and Spike worked in tandem to make sure that all physical evidence of Buffy's rape and death were gone. All fluids from the rape were wiped out and cleaned from her body. The only marks that still remained on her were the twin prick marks where Spike bit Buffy to turn her. After a few awkward starts in dealing with Buffy's dead weight, Spike and Tara managed to get Buffy's hair washed with her favorite shampoo.

"I'll get her dressed," Spike said to Tara while they dried Buffy off. They wrapped her hair up in a towel. "I can lay her down on the bed to do it. Will you take that comforter off the bed for now please? I'll have to get it washed."

"I'll go toss it in the washer now." Tara hugged Spike. "Let me know if you need anything, Spike. I'm here for you both."

"Thanks, Glinda." Spike sighed. "The sun is setting. Now, we just wait until she rises."

Tara nodded. She exited through the door from Buffy's bedroom into the hallway. She had no desire to go back through Spike's room. She wanted to avoid that man at all costs.

"Looks like it is just you and me again, pet." Spike chose a light sundress from Buffy's wardrobe collection. He wanted something functional for her, feminine, but not overly revealing. He wasn't sure what she would do when she woke up. He didn't want her to feel further violated if he dressed her in something she would rather he not see.

Spike unwound the towel from Buffy's hair. He stroked Buffy's brush through her wet hair lovingly. Occasionally he would rest his forehead against the back or side of her hair and inhale her scent. He choked back threatening tears at the motionless body of the woman he loved. "Soon, my love ... Soon."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara pushed a button on the intercom system to side entry security door. "Yes?" She'd just finished burning Buffy's clothes in a pit outside and returned inside.

"It's Valerie, Tara. I have a package for you guys." Valerie tapped her fingers on her hips. Dawn was safely tucked into bed. Valerie promised to wake Dawn when she got home if she had any news on Buffy. Dawn was worried about her sister.

"Okay." Tara double checked the visual screen before she pushed the button to release the door's lock. She waited for Valerie to reach the porch, and she opened the porch door for her. "We should make sure you have a key to get in. It would be easier."

"I have a key, but I didn't want to use it today." Valerie followed Tara into the main house. "I wasn't sure if Buffy would be awake yet. I didn't want to walk into the middle of something."

"Oh." Tara blushed. "That makes sense." There was something about Valerie that made Tara feel warm from head to toe.

Valerie handed over a leather satchel with several phones in it. "There is a cell phone in there for each of you and one to spare in case you bring anyone into the circle." She explained. "Each phone has all of the other cell numbers programmed into it, including mine and Dawn's."

Tara pulled one of the phones out of the satchel. She grinned at the rainbow colored cover with a nice landscape scene on the back. "This one is mine, isn't it?"

Valerie nodded, pleased that Tara found hers. "I thought it suited you. Buffy and Spike's are hopefully to their tastes as well."

Tara pulled out an all black phone. She turned it over. In red dripping font style letters it said, "It's all about the blood." She chuckled at the appropriateness of that one. She dug around to find Buffy's. It was blood red on the front with a nice pointy stake covering half of the back. In black letters it said "Power in my hands," above the stake.

"Do you think they'll like them?"

"I think you have them pegged pretty well." Tara put the phones back in the satchel. She jumped in her chair when a loud growl echoed through the walls of the house. The answering growl of a more feminine nature had Tara moving for the stairs.

Valerie stopped Tara before she could get up one step. "Let them be. Trust me, you don't want to be up there right now. They'll be okay." She led Tara back over to the couch for both of them to sit down.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike felt his Childe moving closer to her awakening. He was never a patient man. In this he was even less patient. He needed to know that Buffy wasn't going to hate him. He had to know that she was safe. He sat down on the bed next to Buffy. He slit a line down the side of his throat. When the blood welled up sufficiently, he drew Buffy into his arms and placed her mouth over the cut.

Buffy floated in the daze of her dreams. She'd dreamt so many things over the last two days. It was overwhelming and confusing, but she found a peace in it all. She wanted to sleep and forget about the rest of the world. Her friends were never going to accept her life or choices now. She wanted to remain in this dreamland where their protests were more easily ignored.

At first nothing happened. Pale cold lips lay motionless against Spike's neck. Then he felt the slight movement of a tongue against the wound followed by a stronger suckling motion.

Buffy felt the draw of the outer world pulling harder on her. The alluring scent of something she wanted, desired, and craved filled her senses. Her dreams faded to black as the wonderful taste of security, love and Sire dribbled into her mouth. She drew more of the warm liquid into her mouth. She knew the one who fed her ... wait fed her? Her eyes snapped open.

Spike felt the moment Buffy came to full realization of what she was doing. Her body stiffened in his arms, and she stopped taking his blood. "Pet? Let me explain?"

Buffy buried her face in Spike's throat. Her fangs descended to bring more blood into her mouth. Talking was for later. Right now she needed blood, and his was sweet and powerful.

Spike was unsure whether to be horrified or cum in his pants at the feeling of Buffy feeding from him. The connection between them was different than when he was the Childe. This was stronger, more intense. He thought the Childe/Sire bond was wonderful, but the Sire/Childe bond was incredible.

Buffy continued to pull on the rich blood of her Sire. Her whole body was on fire. She felt the arousal from head to toe, and the connection she felt to Spike was amazing. She knew without a doubt that Spike was her Sire, and she was all right with that. There was a lot she needed to tell him.

Spike growled loud in warning to his Childe. She shouldn't have taken his blood without permission, but he could refuse Buffy nothing. She was, however, taking too much blood at once.

Buffy answered her Sire with a growl of her own. When Spike growled deeper with a grunt, she let go of his neck. She licked the wounds closed. Both of them panted needlessly. Buffy looked around the room. She didn't recognize it.

"Let me explain before you stake me." Spike inched a little bit away from Buffy on the bed. "You've kept your soul, so you can still go back to Haven."

Buffy listened to Spike babble. She hadn't given any thought to going back to Heaven right now. Her mother said that Spike loved her and would care for her. Buffy hadn't wanted to leave Dawn, Spike or her friends the way she would have if Spike hadn't turned her. She ran her hands down one of the long posts of her bed.

"I couldn't let you die, not like that. I'm a selfish bastard, but I love you so bloody much. I saved you for the Nibblet too." Spike feared Buffy was looking to break a piece of the post off to stake him. "I don't give a rot about the rest of them, except Glinda, but the Bit wouldn't have survived it if you died again either."

"Spike." Buffy pressed the fingertips of one hand against Spike's lips to silence him. "It's all right." She smiled warmly at her Sire. "I'm not going to stake you."

Spike relaxed a little. He stared at Buffy. His look conveyed his questioning why response.

"I did a lot of dreaming while I rested." Buffy removed her hand. She stayed sitting right in front of Spike. She wasn't going to move away from him. She needed him in more ways than one.

Spike thought about what he dreamed the first morning after he found Buffy. He tilted his head to the side while he listened to Buffy speak.

"Some of the dreams were pretty scary and not good. Some of them were very helpful and nice." Buffy grinned. There were a few things she dreamt about that she wouldn't mind finding out if they were true or not. "I wasn't meant to come back from Heaven."

"Buffy ..." Spike was stopped from commenting further by a look from Buffy that told him she had more to say.

"My mother basically told me that I had to die again to stop another evil from coming because of my resurrection." Buffy had several conversations with her mother while she slept. She'd learned a lot from her. "She told me that you were my salvation." She cupped Spike's cheek tenderly.

"I dreamt some of that too, luv." Spike smiled in joy, relief and love. "In the crypt, after I gave you my blood. She said she trusted me with you." He remembered the awe and pride he felt from Joyce saying she trusted him with her daughter. He always respected Joyce.

"She never liked Angel, but she ..." Buffy growled, vamped and burst through the adjoining bathroom doors and into Spike's bedroom. She snarled in anger at the sight before her. "SPIKE!!"

"Shit." Spike ran through the bathroom after Buffy. He wondered what took so long for her to smell the human. He figured that the bath's scents must have overpowered all the other scents until now. He stopped at the door from the bathroom to his bedroom.

Buffy pointed from Spike to the man chained to the wall. "What the Hell is he doing here?" Her anger and fury was palpable. "Do you know who this is?"

"He's dinner, pet." Spike halfheartedly chuckled in the hopes of lightening the mood.

A twinkle of deviant glee sparkled in Buffy's eyes. "Dinner?" The look on Spike's face told Buffy that he knew exactly who this was. He'd captured her rapist. "You do know I wanted to find him myself, don't you?"

Spike shrugged. "It's a Sire's duty to see to his Childe's needs. I felt he was something you needed to take care of when you woke up." He watched her every movement. He expected her to be appalled by his gift, but instead he noted a twitch of delight in her eyes. He sniffed the air, 'Yep, she still has a soul.'

Buffy walked over to the quivering man. "You and I are going to have a little bit of a chat." She drew her hand back and swiped in an x pattern from one shoulder down diagonally and then from the other shoulder down with her claws. The sharpness of her fingernail claws rivaled Drusilla's for their razor like edge while in game face.

Adam gurgled behind his duct tape covered mouth. If the chains hadn't held him up, he would have fallen to the ground in pain. Trails of blood welled and dribbled from the cuts.

Buffy's green-streaked silver eyes never left the gaze of the man she now considered her prey. Her rough little tongue curled out from her mouth. She rolled the tip over each slice of skin to lap up the blood there. "Mmmm ... interesting, Sire." She bit a flap of skin over Adam's heart with her fangs. She drew in two gulps of blood before she released him. "You really can taste the fear."

Spike gulped. He felt himself harden at the beautiful sight of his Childe on the hunt. Her actions were precise, and her moves were exquisite to behold from his viewpoint. "You'll regret knowing how good it tastes later when you have to drink the pig swill you and your bloody Scoobies have forced on me over the years."

"There's nothing to say that we can't drink bagged human blood." Buffy turned to look at Spike, but her claws shredded Adam's belt and pants to open his genitalia to her. She grasped Adam's balls firmly in one hand and squeezed. Her claws cut into the skin around his sack causing even more pain as she bled him. "Or even the blood of those as evil as this one."

Spike would have dropped over dead in shock if he weren't already dead. What was the Slayer saying? 'That had to be a helluva set of dreams if she's talking this way.' He watched Adam cringe and pale from the pain and blood loss.

"I know of at least one other person that deserves to die right now." Buffy twisted Adam's balls in her hand. With only a fraction of her combined Slayer/Vampire strength she crushed the tiny globes in the palm of her hand. "You won't be needing those anymore." She moved her grip to his cock. She scored it with her human fingernails, briefly devamping to complete the task before she revamped.

Spike covertly cupped his own balls and cock with the hands buried in his jeans pockets. It hurt just to watch Buffy exact her revenge. He wasn't going to stop her, but he hoped he never peeved her off enough for her to do that to him.

Buffy leaned in closer to Adam. "I hate to tell you, but even in my pitiful experience with men, you were a great disappointment." She huffed. "Pathetic really. Other than you shooting me, I probably would have just rolled over bored."

'Oh, that was low.' Spike thought to himself.

Adam struggled against his bonds. He was desperate to get away from this tiny slip of a woman who had him at her mercy.

"Doesn't feel so good to be on the other end of the situation, does it?" Buffy slapped him across the face. "No one will ever be your victim again." She lunged for Adam's throat. Her fangs unerringly located his jugular and bit down hard. She spared no pain for how deep she bit or how hard she pulled his blood into her mouth. She drained him in seconds.

Spike's eyes widened. 'That wasn't as hard to convince her as I thought it would be.' He was unsure about approaching Buffy. As her Sire he should be proud of what she'd done, but a part of him was scared for Buffy. He smelled her soul, but she was definitely not acting all that soulful right now. She was fueled completely by hate and revenge.

Buffy licked her lips clean with her tongue. "Strangely satisfying." She headed for Spike's bedroom door. She had another particular mission in mind before she was willing to let this hate within her go. It was the only way she could do what she knew was necessary to do.

"Where are we going?"

"To find his boss." Buffy stomped out of Spike's room, into the hall and down the stairs. "I know who it is. I just have to find him."

"Pet, I don't think you're ready for that yet." Spike followed behind Buffy. He ducked in front of her at the bottom of the stairs. "There are some things you need to think about and do before you go out around others."

Buffy sighed. One of the recurring dreams she had covered exactly how she wanted Warren to suffer for hiring that guy to kill her. He was beyond merely annoying now with his robots. This was war.

Tara and Valerie stopped talking when they heard Buffy and Spike running down the stairs. All of the muffled screams and sounds coming from upstairs unnerved Tara. Valerie kept her company to keep her calm. Valerie assured her that some noises were expected when a vampire first awakened. Valerie was the only thing to keep Tara from running upstairs to check on her friends. "Buffy?" Tara stood up in the living room.

"Tara?" Buffy took two steps forward and looked into the room off to the right of the stairs. She looked at the woman standing next to her friend. No smell of danger was in the air, but she didn't recognize her at all. She faintly smelled Dawn and a trace of Spike. "Who's that?" She pointed to Valerie, but she looked at Spike. She wasn't sure if Spike's scent was because the woman was in same place as Spike or if it was something more. "That had better not be your girlfriend, Spike." She snarled possessively.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (6) A Girl Named Valerie
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Valerie met Buffy's challenging stare with a calm look. She dealt with demons day in and day out for the last five years of her life. Although the blonde in front of her practically radiated jealousy, vengeful fury and power, Valerie was confident that she could calm Buffy down.

Valerie took in the woman/demon before her. She was stunned by Buffy's beauty even in her vampiric guise. She never met a vampire with such a mixture of light and dark radiating from them. Usually nothing surprised her anymore. After all, Valerie knew demons. Buffy was different than any she'd met so far.

While working for Wolfram and Hart may not have been her first choice as a professional career, it had provided her with a vast amount of resources, which she studied throughout the years. After she mentally assessed a few scenarios, Valerie chose the one she felt would work the best. Slowly she tilted her neck into a submissive gesture to the demon within Buffy Summers. "May I approach, please?"

Buffy looked stunned. The strange woman in front of her showed not a trace of fear, and her actions appeared to be soothing the demon inside of her. She could feel her jealous rage subside, and her female curiosity was piqued. The minutes ticked by as Buffy stared at Valerie in an assessment of her own. She finally nodded for Valerie to move forward.

Spike stood still, nervous at the interaction. He was confident that Valerie could handle herself, but Buffy was newly turned. He wasn't sure how long it normally took for the soul to master the demon.

Normally a fledgling would be completely overcome with their bloodlust by now. The fledge would have killed any living thing in sight to get the blood it needed. Although Buffy was cruel to her tormentor, Spike never sensed Buffy edging towards Tara or Valerie to eat them. Buffy was acting protective and possessive of a Mate. She wasn't trying to feed.

Spike tensed, ready to rush in if it was needed. He would hate to begin his new relationship with Buffy by having to use a Sire command. Plus, the silly bint was strong enough that she might stake him for it after his hold wore off. He still couldn't reconcile himself with the fact that Buffy hadn't wanted to stake him as soon as she rose.

Valerie approached slowly. Her steps indicated that she was still being submissive to the demon. She only moved forward a little bit at a time. She kept her eyes lowered to the floor and her head tilted.

Valerie finally made it all the way to Buffy. She stayed to the side furthest from Spike. She knew that if she got too close to the woman's Sire, that Buffy's demon would probably take over, and she might attack.

While Valerie wasn't particularly worried about dying, her contract provided extra magical protection against demons; she could experience a great deal of pain. Her research indicated that not all vampire bites were painful. She doubted that Buffy's bite, in this instance, would be gentle if she spooked or provoked the demon into action.

Valerie bent down close to Buffy's ear. She quietly whispered something to Buffy that only they could hear. She hoped Buffy would understand what she was trying to say.

Both Spike and Tara strained to hear what Valerie said, but it was no use. Valerie's protection against demons had kicked in with her proximity to Buffy, and she practically crackled with a magical barrier around her. Unfortunately, it also muted all aspects of her whispered words. Seconds later, Buffy started to laugh so hard she fell down.

Valerie's words satisfied both the soul and the demon. They were both pleased to have this girl around for them. Buffy had a feeling that they would become closer friends over time. Valerie seemed to understand what was needed without being judgmental or fearful. Buffy promised herself to ask Spike more about Valerie later.

Spike moved to help Buffy up off the floor as Valerie slowly moved back to her former position next to Tara. Tara looked at Valerie and whispered, "What did you say to her?"

Valerie looked at Tara with a twinkle in her eyes and smiled, "Someday, I'll tell you."

Suddenly Buffy stopped laughing, sniffed and cocked her head as if she was listening to an internal voice. She looked at Valerie, Tara and the new house that was scented with a multitude of personal scents. The longer she was "awake" the more her senses kicked in. She felt the magical barriers crackling in energy around them, unseen. Something else lingered in the air. Processing this information Buffy turned to her sire, "What the hell happened here, and where is Willow?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy sat at the kitchen table with Spike, her hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate. She looked more sorrowful than angry at the moment, and Spike desperately wished he knew what she was thinking about. The multitude of unsettled emotions was easy for Spike to pick up on. Until other claims were finished or initiated, his senses were on the outskirts of the true depths of Buffy's thoughts.

Lost in her thoughts, Buffy didn't notice Spike's discomfort. She was still trying to absorb all the information that had been given to her. The euphoria of being turned, and the adrenaline from her first kill, was starting to wear off. Now too many thoughts crept into her mind. She remembered everything: the rape, the feeling of helplessness, the desire to live, and the need to repair her relationships with friends and family.

The rage of the demon was overwhelming, but Buffy felt her soul in there too. It worked to calm her demon, and it wept at the treachery done to her body. She tried to push her thoughts away from the rape. She thought instead about the actions of one of her oldest friends.

Focusing on Willow's magical attack and memory violations of Tara was a way for Buffy to avoid thinking about other factors. If she held on to her anger at Warren, Willow, or fate in general, then she didn't have to focus on her feelings about the rape, or her surprising joy at being turned.

Finally Spike's voice broke Buffy's concentration, "So luv, what did lawyer girl have to say to you?" Sitting in silence wasn't going to help either of them adjust to their new lives. He wasn't going to push too much too fast, but he wasn't going to allow Buffy to retreat into a shell either. She tried to do that after returning from Heaven. He wouldn't let it happen again.

A laughing smile broke across Buffy's face. What was said really wasn't extremely funny, but compared to everything else going on it was hilarious. "Something about guys in dusters being so two years ago, and she much preferred blondes in skirts." Her eyes twinkled in mirth. "It was a lot funnier the way she said it. Do you think Tara knows that Valerie wants in her skirt?"

Spike laughed at Buffy's question, "I doubt she meant it quite that way, pet. She probably phrased it that way to get the point across to your demon that she wasn't encroaching on your "territory"." He tilted his head to the side in contemplation. "Of course, it is interesting to think about those two together."

Buffy playfully swatted Spike in the shoulder. "Watch it, Mister. No mind wandering to those two and skirt upping."

Spike laughed. He hugged Buffy tenderly. "No one will ever compare to you, Buffy. You are the only one I love like that." He moved slowly out of the embrace. He hoped he hadn't made Buffy uncomfortable. He knew he only acted naturally to how he felt about her.

Buffy felt bereft after Spike let go. In that brief moment that he held her, Buffy knew safety and peace. Her demon quelled into contentment during the brief touch. It allowed her soul to rest from all the work it was doing to keep Buffy sane. "I hope so, Spike."

A troubled look crossed Buffy's face, and her eyes started to flicker with silver. "How could Willow do that to Tara? Controlling someone and taking away their choices are wrong." Her anger at finding out her friend abused her magic again infuriated her. "Doesn't she realize that she violated Tara as surely as that man did to me in the crypt. I think what Willow did was worse.

"Worse?" Spike was confused about why Buffy felt Tara's violation was worse than Buffy's. Both of the violations were equally as wrong in his book.

"Willow manipulated Tara's mind. Now Tara will always wonder what else Willow might have made her "forget" or made her "want to do" like Willow tried the other night." Buffy went on for a few minutes ranting on how wrong it was to violate a person like that.

Buffy rattled on about how wrong it was for others to make decisions like that for people, even if they love them, and take away their free will. She never forgave Angel for leaving her "for her own good". He made that decision for both of them without even asking her what she thought. "Willow can't keep using the excuse that she is hurt or she loves the other person so much that she had to do the magic. It's wrong for her to think that she has the right to make those choices for us."

Spike sat back and let Buffy rant. He occasionally refilled her cocoa mug. He added enough marshmallows to cover the top of the cup when he refilled it. His head snapped up. "Luv, are you really all right with me turning you?" He worried that Buffy was upset with him as well. "I know I gave you the choice, but you were dying. Your survival instinct probably just kicked in ..."

Buffy stopped ranting and looked at the face of the man who loved her, her Sire. "Spike, I didn't choose to come back from heaven, and I didn't choose to get raped and killed."

Spike lowered his head in shame. Buffy might not be staking him, but she might as well stake him if she regretted being connected to him as her Sire.

Buffy lifted Spike's chin with the tips of her fingers. "I chose to talk to you over everyone else when they brought me back." She smiled. "I could have gone to Angel to tell him about Heaven. Heck I could have had Willow erase all my memories of Heaven, but I didn't."

Spike thought about that for a little bit. He was the only one who knew about her being ripped out of Heaven instead of Hell. Did that show that she trusted him as a friend before? Right before the tower, Buffy showed that she looked at him as more than just a demon, but when she returned from Heaven she held so much animosity within her that their confrontations had been strained.

"I chose to take your blood, willingly. You did not take away my free will." Buffy cupped Spike's cheek. "You expected me to stake you when I woke up. If you wanted to control me, you would have secured me in such a way that I couldn't harm you."

Spike relaxed his shoulders in relief. Buffy continually amazed him with her clarity of thought. 'She must have had a hell of a set of dreams to be so accepting of this.' She was handling everything a lot better than he expected her to.

"I'm not going anywhere, Spike." Buffy rubbed her finger in a caress against his cheek. "I chose to be here with you, in this strange family you seem to be making. I didn't want to go back to Heaven."

"You'll go back one day, luv." Spike turned his face into the touch. He kissed the palm of Buffy's hand. "Your soul is still there. I'm sure you'll go back."

"That's fine, but not right now. It might take a while for me to get used to being a vampire," Buffy sighed, "and the other things that happened. I swear that I'll work hard to make life better." She chuckled at the term "life" being used in reference to a vampire. "I'm glad Tara is here. Heck I'm even glad Valerie is here, and I'm glad she is taking care of Dawnie. I wish I could do that."

"You will soon, pet. She knows about you, and she still loves you without question." Spike opened his arms for Buffy to slip into. "We have to be sure that you can control yourself around all the heartbeats. I won't let you hurt anyone you care about. I know you'd regret it later." He chuckled. "I won't even let you kill Red, even though I'd like to throttle her myself right now."

"Thank you, Spike." Buffy rested her head against Spike's chest. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie checked on Dawn. She hated to wake her up this late at night, but she promised to tell Dawn about Buffy. Dawn wanted to know about any changes in Buffy's status. Walking softly across the room, she sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to gently shake Dawn. "Dawn? Dawn wake up. I have news."

Dawn answered her groggily, "What is it?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Buffy is awake."

Dawn bolted up. She almost fell off the bed in her haste to move. "She's awake? Did she ask about me? Did she stake Spike? Is she all right? What happened? Can I see her?" She fired off each question in rapid succession without giving Valerie a chance to answer in-between each new question.

Valerie laughed softly. "Yes Dawn. She is awake, and she asked about you." Valerie tried to answer each question in the order Dawn asked them. "No, she didn't stake Spike. In fact she was quite possessive about him. She seemed to be all right."

Dawn visibly relaxed. She loved Spike almost as much, if not as much, as Buffy. He protected her all summer, and he was her best friend. Spike never treated her just like a kid or a "key". He was always the same to her, and he treated her well.

"I need to make some arrangements at work tomorrow, but we think the mages can make a temporary protection spell for you to be able to see Buffy." The bright smile on Dawn's face was enough reward for Valerie to contact the mages first thing in the morning. "It would be kind of like the one I have. You won't be able to live at your new house yet, because the demon will still be too strong, but you should be able to visit for short amounts of time."

Dawn brightened up at the prospect of seeing her sister. "Can I visit tomorrow?"

"I'll pick you up from school and bring you to the office." Valerie mentally worked through the day's agenda of meetings. She rearranged things in such a way to make it all work out. "Hopefully the mages can work their mojo along with strengthening the protection spells against you. Now, you need to get back to sleep."

Dawn smiled and snuggled back down into her blankets. "Thank you, Valerie." She couldn't wait until tomorrow and the possible chance of seeing her sister again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara sat on the porch swing. She enjoyed the sensation of being rocked back and forth. The swing was quickly becoming her favorite place to think and reflect.
She had a pleasant conversation with Valerie earlier. They traded Sunnydale stories, and Tara hadn't been able to stop herself from asking a truly cliché question. "What's a nice girl like you doing working for an evil law firm like that?"

Valerie's answer, like so many things lately, made Tara deeply reflect on what she believed about the world around her. She learned about Valerie's family, why Valerie started working for Wolfram and Hart, and why she pretty much hated what the Council stood for.

Valerie's parents had been part of an "underground railroad" that helped peaceful or reformed demons relocate and start productive new lives. There were many demons that had no desire to kill, maim, or even hurt humankind. Some came from alternate dimensions to escape war and others were fleeing from organizations such as the Initiative or the Council.

Val worked with her parents on the railroad her entire life. She was as comfortable around demons as she was a human. Over the years, she heard many horror stories of demons that wanted nothing more than to live peacefully and raise their children. Instead, they had their family members killed, chipped or dismembered by some happy-go-lucky agency who didn't care that they had no interest in malevolence. No one stopped to find out if the demon they were hunting, testing or slaughtering was really a threat to anyone.

The year Valerie left for college the Council found out her parents were part of the railroad after a particularly nasty relocation. They succeeded in rescuing 20 Baccharan from a Council "demon-hunt", and her parents helped them move to upstate New York where they would blend in better. The Baccharan in question had all converted to Quakerism about twenty years prior. Now they were pacifists by virtue of their faith. The Council, however, hadn't cared about their conversion, and they sent a special operations team to "take care" of the demons.

Valerie's parents found out about the planned raid before it happened. Since they worked with the demon community in a positive way, word reached them of what was going down. Thankfully Valerie's parents were able to save all of the demons from being killed. Unfortunately something was left behind that led the Council to her parent's doorstep.

Two weeks after the rescue, the Council managed to track down the identity of those responsible for the rescue. They surrounded the home to make sure no one was able to leave. Then they blew the house up with everyone inside. Valerie's parents, and six innocent demons who were visiting from out of town, lost their lives.

Valerie admitted to Tara that she was very angry and bitter during those first days, weeks and months after her parent's death. She wanted revenge in the worst way, but she found it was quite impossible to take on an organization as big as the Council and win. She decided it was best to carry on the work her parent's started.

It was during that time that Wolfram and Hart approached her. They seemed sympathetic enough, but Valerie wasn't fooled. She'd heard about the law firm through the various demons they assisted. The member who spoke to her was very nice though. Wolfram and Hart offered to pay for all funeral expenses, give her a full scholarship to USC Law School, give her a lucrative contract, and take care of her personal expenses during college in exchange for 5 years of service in one of their offices.

That was 5 years and a few months ago. Valerie explained that although she was approached to be "promoted" to the L.A. offices many times, she never took the opportunity. The Sunnydale branch was much more sedate than other branches. Most of their transactions with demons were as normal as any human law firm, real estate agent, or bank. She told Tara how happy she was with her job, and how she felt that she was helping the right kinds of demons.

Valerie renewed her contract last month, and she still sent support checks out to other houses in the underground network. She kept enough to take care of her own needs and bills, but the majority of her salary was sent to various causes to help out the types of demons her family protected for all of her life.

Valerie learned everything about demons, both good and bad. She never went into any decision uneducated or unsure of just who she was dealing with. Although Spike wasn't the kind of client she originally wanted, he never asked her to do anything for him that went against her personal code of ethics. Now, she was glad that she'd kept him as her client instead of passing him off to someone else.

There was no doubt in Tara's mind that Valerie hated the Council with a passion. Valerie's lips pursed and her eyes turned fiery when she said the name of the group.

The concept of the "underground railroad" for peaceful demons piqued Tara's interest. She wondered if there was a way she could help out, or at least a fund she could contribute to. She needed to do more research to validate Valerie's claims.

Her own family, who lied to her for years, persecuted Tara. She was told that she was a demon, and her family treated her as one. They wanted her as their "slave" after her mother died. She was glad the Scoobies stood up for her then. If they hadn't, who knew where she'd be now. She understood the feeling of being misunderstood or scared that your identity would be found out and held against you. Tara sighed, slipped off the swing, and walked back inside. She made sure all of the lights were off downstairs before she headed up to bed.

Tara locked her bedroom door, as Spike suggested. She laid down and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was another day, and she needed the sleep to face it. She hoped she would be able to rest.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike looked around his clean room. Adam's body no longer hung limp from the wall of his bedroom. A clean up crew came in and quickly took care of the mess. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have known a man had been tortured there.

Spike listened to the sounds of the house. Even though it was only 3 am, Buffy was already back in her own bed sleeping. She expended a lot of energy between her emotional and mental states. She needed the rest. After listening for a couple hours longer, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep. He'd hear Buffy if she needed anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy's eyes twitched in her sleep. She was lost in her dreams shortly after she fell asleep.

Buffy looked around the strange looking room. It seemed like it could be a law office, if the paintings and knick-knacks were any indication. Female screams penetrated the door. She ran out of the office in a hurry to find the source. She thought one voice sounded like Dawn.

"Get away from the lawyer, Dawn." A furious Angel growled at Dawn in the open area of the new room. "She's evil. I'm here to protect you from her."

"I don't need protection from her. Valerie saved me from the only person I needed protection from, Willow." Dawn firmly stood her ground in front of the bleeding woman. Angel would have to go through her to get to Valerie.

Buffy vamped and growled threateningly at the danger to her family and friends. She launched herself at Angel's back, kicking him to the floor with a blow to the middle of his back. She flipped Angel over while she punched and beat on him.

All at once the vampire surged off the floor. He bound Buffy's wrists in his hand. He growled dominantly, demanding her to submit.

Buffy snorted at the command. There was only one person she gave that control to, and that vampire was blonde, sexy, and her Sire. She counter-growled in refusal.

The dark haired vampire let go of one of Buffy's wrists long enough to open-handed slap Buffy across the face. The ring he wore on his hand cut into her cheek.

Pain radiated from the blow. She blinked at the stars swimming around her vision. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Dawn sneak Valerie down a hallway to another room. Happy that her sister was safe for the moment, she fought back again. Her boot connected with the vampire's groin, and he dropped her.

"Now Buff. Was that a nice thing to do?" Angelus cupped his aching family jewels. Seeing Buffy as a vampire called out to his demon. She was magnificent to behold. His demon forced its way to the surface in a lunge of desire, dominance, and a need to posses the woman, shoving the soul back into the background.

'Buff?' Buffy thought to herself. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Angelus?"

"Oh aren't we a smart little fledge." Angelus sneered. He straightened his back and walked closer to Buffy. He leaned down and sniffed at her neck. She felt like family, but how was that possible. "SPIKE!!" He snarled in disgust and anger. He recognized his Childe's mark on Buffy's neck. Spike's scent was all around the woman.

Buffy couldn't help the step back she took away from Angelus' rage. She doubted that she'd seen him this mad the last time he was free.

"How dare he?" Angelus grabbed Buffy's arms. He pushed her up against a wall. "You were mine."

Now Buffy was peeved. There was no way she'd let Angelus get away with a remark like that. "I was never yours, Angelus." Her eyes narrowed on the dark side of her first love. "And I never will be. I belong to Spike."

Angelus dropped Buffy to the floor, and he laughed. He laughed so hard that Buffy thought he was going insane. When Angelus stared at Buffy's eyes again, he glared at her in hatred. "If he touches you again, I will dust him. I brought him into this world, and I will take him from it."

Buffy twisted in the sheets on her bed. Her head tossed wildly back and forth. "No ... NO!" She yelled loud enough that Spike heard her even without his vampiric senses.

Spike rushed into the bedroom. He slept naked, and he hadn't stopped to pick up any clothes. All he cared about was getting to his Childe as soon as possible. He smelled the fear in the air from Buffy.

Buffy continued to growl, in full demon face, at whatever was causing her grief in her dreams. She scratched and kicked at Spike who tried to subdue her.

Spike shook Buffy's shoulders. "Buffy!" The scent of his blood and hers permeated the air. "Wake up, luv!" He was unable to stop Buffy from hurting him, and he had to dig his fingers down hard enough into Buffy's arms that his nails made her bleed to keep her flailing to a minimum.

Buffy heard a voice in the distance. It wasn't the voice of the vampire before her now. She turned her head to look back over her shoulder in her dream.

Angelus grinned at Buffy. "He can't save you. I will execute my rights, and you will be mine." His grin turned into a sneer. "If that doesn't work, I can dust him, and I still get what I want."

Spike sighed in resignation. He had no other choice but to use a Sire's voice to break Buffy from whatever was tormenting her. He slapped Buffy across the cheek and growled. "Wake up now, Childe! Return to me!"

Buffy screamed because in her dream Angelus bit her neck and started to pull the blood he needed to complete his claim. She was ripped from Angelus' arms at the sound of Sire's voice. It broke through the fog and horror that she was living in her dreams. She opened her eyes to stare into the troubled amber eyes of her Sire.

Spike heaved a breath of relief when Buffy finally opened her eyes. In the next moment his arms were full of a weeping Childe. He rocked her back and forth and rubbed his hand up and down her back to soothe her.

Tara opened the door to Buffy's room slowly. "Spike?" Her timid voice questioned. She wasn't asleep long before Buffy's screams woke her up. She knew Spike would take care of Buffy, but she was concerned. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nightmare," Spike told Tara in explanation. "We should be okay. I'll stay with her a bit until she gets back to sleep."

Tara nodded and closed the door. Spike looked back down at Buffy, only to find himself staring into blood-tear stained eyes.

Buffy clutched Spike like a life preserver from a sinking ship. "Please don't leave me, Sire." She pleaded with Spike. "Please be with me tonight."

Spike noticed his nakedness for the first time since he bolted from his room. "I don't know if that would be a good idea, pet. I don't think you're ready for that."

Buffy would have blushed if she could have managed it as a vampire. She buried her face in Spike's chest for a few moments to collect her wits together again. She looked back up at Spike. "Just hold me, please?"

Spike understood the loneliness that came from many sleepless nights alone in his bed. He nodded slowly. "Let me go get some pants first, kay?"

Buffy shook her head back and forth. "I trust you to behave. I'm not taking a chance on something happening if you leave me."

Hearing Buffy say that she trusted him meant a great deal to him. "Okay." He pulled back the blankets next to Buffy. He straightened the mess of sheets that suffered from Buffy's nightmarish ordeal. "Will you tell me about your nightmare, luv?" He slipped in next to Buffy. He waited for Buffy to decide what position she wanted to be in.

Buffy snuggled up to Spike, burying her face in his chest. She wrapped one arm over his waist, and the other was tucked up underneath the pillows at the head of the bed. She slipped one of her legs in-between Spike's to allow her to get closer to him. What should she tell him? Angel was a sore point with Spike. What would he say about her dreaming of his Sire, especially Angelus' claims that he would take Buffy away from Spike? "It wasn't just a nightmare, Spike. It felt like a Slayer dream."

"Are you sure?" Spike questioned. Her heard about Slayer's having prophetic dreams, but he wasn't sure which part of the Slayer was responsible for them. Finding out what Buffy could still do or not do would be interesting. She was more than a normal vampire, definitely a lot more than the average fledgling.

Buffy nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I've had them before." She frowned. Tears threatened to fall again. "They aren't one hundred percent accurate, a bit cryptic usually, and sometimes only little bits of the dreams are real. I'm sure that it was a Slayer dream though. I don't want any of it to be true, but I have a feeling that at least one part of it is right on the money."

"Which part, Childe?" Spike spoke lovingly and softly. He called her Childe in a caring respect to reinforce their connection, not as a reminder of his position over her.

"Angel," Buffy cringed when Spike's body tightened next to her. "He's coming soon." She tried to reassure Spike of his position in her life. "I don't want him here, Sire. I chose you, not him."

Spike held Buffy tighter to him. He had no desire to see his nancy boy Sire right now. Heck, he didn't want to ever see him, but right now he wasn't sure if he could handle the problem. He needed to focus on Buffy and her training. Angel would only muck up the progress that Spike made in his relationship with Buffy.

"He can challenge your rights as my Sire, can't he?" Buffy meekly asked the question on her mind.

"There are ways, yes." Spike frowned. "It was one reason I made sure to have some heavy magic around us." His demonic face melted away to the saddened and insecure face of the human he used to be. Angel had a way of making him feel like the weakling he used to be in his human days. "I wanted to keep your turning from Peaches."

Buffy raised her head to lock her gaze with Spike's. "I don't want him to challenge it, Spike." She caressed her fingers down his cheek. She traced the line of his jaw to his lips. "Don't let him take me away from you."

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered. "I'd have to be dust before I'd let you go. You are mine: my Slayer, my Childe, my Buffy, my love, and so much more. You're the one Buffy, from now until eternity."

Buffy sighed contentedly back into Spike's arms. She rubbed her cheek against his chest. "Eternity with you sounds pretty good, Sire. I don't know if I will be able to say the words I know you want to hear Spike, but I promise that I won't hide them from you if or when I feel them. I need a little time to work through all of my issues."

Spike nodded in understanding against the top of Buffy's head. "Take as long as you need. Just being close to you is enough to bring me joy." He hugged her tightly. "All I ask is that you don't shut me out. Even if I don't like what you have to say, I will not turn away from you. Trust me to be there for you. I won't leave you."

"I'll try, Spike." Buffy closed her eyes. Somehow she knew the dreams wouldn't return when Spike held her. She would deal with Angel or Angelus whenever she had to. She wanted to forget about him until then.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow woke up slowly to the sunshine streaming through the window. Her mind was fuzzy, and she tried to recall last night. Rolling over she snuggled up to the leggy woman in her bed. 'What the...?' Memories started to flood her mind.

Yesterday she woke up to an empty house again. Buffy took off for parts unknown, Dawn was taken by social services, and Tara disappeared into thin air despite Willow's best attempts to track her down and bring her back home. Everyone close to her left her in some way all at once. She couldn't even count on Xander due to Anya's wedding obsession. Giles spent the last few days in a drunken stupor, muttering something about run-away slayers and mystical keys yelling at him.

No one bothered to check on her needs. No one cared to see how SHE was doing after Tara abandoned her. No, they were all going on with their own precious lives. Didn't they realize she was hurting? Willow spared no thoughts for how Buffy was doing or how Dawn was adjusting.

Willow even thought about hiring a detective agency. Perhaps Angel would be willing to locate Tara for her. She was frustrated with her own private search. All of her spells indicated that Tara was not in Sunnydale. She really wanted to know what kept making people leave her. She wouldn't go through the loneliness again. She would find Tara, and Tara would be coming home with her.

Lonely for company, and not wanting to deal with fools or drunkards, Willow finally thought about a spell to de-rat Amy. She was pleased when her casting resulted in the reappearance of another witch in her life, hopefully one that would understand her better.

The girls talked about all the changes that occurred on the Hellmouth during the last few years. Later that night, when no one had bothered to come home again, Willow decided to go out and have a bit of fun. 'Would it have hurt them to call and see how I was doing?'

The girls went to the Bronze and had a magical blast rearranging reality on the poor unsuspecting crowd. It was the most fun that Willow had in ages, and she found herself wishing that Tara was more accepting like Amy. 'I wonder if there is a spell to make one enjoy using magic more?'

Silently Willow contemplated whether it would be possible to magically enforce a desire to do magic onto Tara. Her thoughts drifted to other possible uses of the magic on the Hellmouth. She would have to keep quiet about it though. Her experiences had shown her that people like Giles and Tara wouldn't appreciate her efforts to manipulate her surroundings, even if it was for their own good.

Finally, physically and magically drained, the girls had collapsed in Willow's room. They fell asleep before they could even get undressed. If no one bothered to return home, perhaps Amy would like to move in with her. It would be nice to have another magically inclined friend around. She figured that it was her home too, and she should have a say in the living arrangements. She thought she could do what she wanted to with the house. Besides, Dawn's room would be available now.

Willow felt a twinge of guilt at giving away Dawn's room without at least checking to see if the girl was all right in her new life. 'She's probably happier there anyways. Now I don't have to worry about her getting in my way and messing up my spells.'

Willow cringed at the thought. She liked Dawn. Why would she think of her in that way? She made a decision to stop by Dawn's school in the afternoon about the time school let out. The only information she got out of Giles was that Dawn knew where Buffy was. Perhaps she could convince the girl to tell her where Buffy was and find out if she'd seen or heard from Tara.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy curled up on the couch reading one of the many books Tara purchased for her. She resisted staying home alone at first. She wanted to go hunt down Warren, or have a "talk" with Willow about what she'd done to Tara. Spike took the time to calm her down, before he took the sun-proofed car to go check on Dawn. He kissed her softly on the lips before he left. She found the endearment so touching.

Logically, Buffy knew she wasn't ready to face humans yet, but that didn't make it any easier for her to accept. She would rather be out patrolling or hunting for human or demon scum than sit here and read these books. She laughed softly at the irony of her thoughts. At least the book was right about one fact. She was trying to focus on everything else rather then deal with her own feelings. She wished the realization made it easier to deal with her feelings, but it didn't.

Twirling her new Willow-detector bracelet, Buffy let her thoughts wander far from the books in front of her again. She wondered if Spike would let her buy a new computer for the office. She could go back to school and take night courses or even online courses if she had a computer. She wanted to feel active in life again. She'd shut so much out since her return from Heaven.

Besides, Tara would be able to use it too. Pushing the books aside, Buffy began to wander around the house making a shopping list of everything she wanted to buy. This would take some time, and it gave her some time away from the tumultuous emotions going through her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn squirmed in her seat. It would only be a few more minutes until the final bell rang, and it would be time for her to be on her way to Wolfram and Hart. She was a bit nervous because apparently it was an evil law firm. 'A demon law firm, not an evil one.' She reminded herself.

Dawn shook her head while she tried to reconcile the thought of Valerie, who was quickly becoming her friend and a mentor, with her conception of an evil lawyer. The ideas just didn't seem to go together. 'I wonder if I pulled my grades up, if I could go to law school too. Valerie seems so cool, plus a ton of money for arguing all day. I could so do that!'

Finally the bell rang and Dawn sprung from her seat. She grabbed her books, and she made a beeline for the door. As soon as she stepped into the warm sunshine she began to look around for Valerie's dark blue Mercedes. Spotting her, she sprinted to the car. She never noticed that her charmed bracelet was glowing, indicating that Willow was near. It was tucked under the long sleeves of the peasant blouse she picked out to wear to school.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow watched Dawn sprinting to the dark blue Mercedes. 'Her foster parents must have a lot of money.' She was surprised to see only a strangely professional looking blonde in the car. 'I wonder if that's her foster mom.'

Willow thought it would be best to follow the Mercedes. Something seemed a bit wrong with Dawn being so excited to go with her foster parents. She knew how much Dawn loved Buffy, and this didn't seem right. She spotted an unused vehicle in the parking lot. She quickly used a bit of magic to unlock the car and began to trail the Mercedes.

After about ten minutes the car pulled into the Sunnydale branch of Wolfram and Hart. Dawn got out of the car. She practically ran to the front doors. "Wolfram and Hart? That's the evil law firm that tried to kill Cordy. They have Dawn."

Willow feared that the law firm, as a means of reaching Buffy, kidnapped Dawn. "I just resurrected her. No one is going to kill her again." Quickly she pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the Magic Box. She ran in, grabbed the phone and started to dial.

"Hey!" Anya protested at Willow barging in and using the phone.

"It's an emergency." Willow waited for someone on the other end to pick up the phone. She was glad to hear the male voice on the other end. "Angel? This is Willow. We have to talk."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (7) Family Ties - Part 1
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Chapter Summary: Willow followed Dawn from the high school to Wolfram and Hart. She recognized the name of the law firm and immediately rushed to call Angel. Buffy had what she considered a Slayer dream about Angel/Angelus' return to Sunnydale. She was worried, but she tried to assure Spike that he was the one she wanted, not Angel in any form. So now we deal with Willow and Angel on the phone and the day after Buffy's awakening.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

An annoyed Angel stomped his way down the stairs to answer the phone at Angel Investigations. It was the middle of the day, and no one was around. He wondered where Wes and Cordy ran off to.

"Angel Investigations. This is Angel." Cordelia made a little spiel up that she expected everyone to use when they answered the phone. Since Cordelia wasn't around, he was saved from her lecture because he chose a more direct and short greeting.

"Angel, this is Willow. We have to talk."

"And why is that?" Angel sighed. He wanted to beat his head against the wall nearby. It figured that the time he was forced to answer the phone, it was someone who reminded him of what he left behind. "You have a problem?"

"I think Dawn has been kidnapped." Willow panted a little. She was still flustered and winded from her drive and run to the Magic Box.

"You think she's been kidnapped?" Angel groaned. What had he done to deserve this? Dealing with these people had to be more penance than his guilty soul required of him. "Why don't you have Buffy look into it, Willow?" He gritted his teeth and attempted to stay calm.

"Buffy hasn't been seen for a few days. Dawn was the only one who knew where Buffy was."

"And you can't talk to Dawn because you think she's been kidnapped?" The conversation had the markings of a wacky round robin, and he wasn't in the mood for games. "Make sense Willow, or I'm hanging up."

"Did you know Wolfram and Hart had a Sunnydale branch?" Willow questioned. She wanted to strangle Angel. Was he really that dense?

Angel's interest perked up at the name of the firm that continued to be a thorn in his side. "I never heard anything about it." He remembered some demons talking about a few places in Sunnydale where various transactions took place with the human world. He had no recollection of anyone mentioning the name Wolfram and Hart to him.

"Well, they do," Willow stated matter-of-factly. "I've seen it."

"An office of theirs would stick out like a sore thumb in Sunnydale." The only part of Sunnydale ritzy enough for the law firm's tastes was nothing but upscale houses and a couple parks. "Their offices are pretty huge."

"Not this one," Willow sounded flustered. Why didn't Angel believe her? Did he think she was making it up? "They have a modest sized office on the Eastern outskirts of town. There was a sign out front, as plain as day, with their name on it."

Angel jotted down a few notes on a pad of paper near the phone. Cordelia liked to be prepared for each phone call. "I can look into the situation to see how much of a threat that branch is to Sunnydale, but I don't understand what this had to do with Dawn and Buffy."

"I think they kidnapped Dawn, and if they have Dawn they might have Buffy too. I saw Dawn running into the building a half hour ago."

Angel worked to comprehend what Willow was telling him. "Was someone dragging her?"

"No. She ran from a car that picked her up from school." Willow was baffled as to why Dawn looked so happy if an evil law firm was involved. "She seemed willing to go in, but then I saw the name of the firm. I drove as fast as I could to get to a phone to call you."

"Maybe they are using a spell to bend her to their will? They're not above using magic to get what they want." Angel ground his teeth together tightly. 'They love to mess with your life.' He both hated, and was delighted, that they found a way to bring Darla back.

"Magic! That's it!" Willow slapped her forehead. "I should have realized that only a heavy barrier or protection spell would have warded off my spell on Susan a couple nights ago."

"Susan? Who is that?" Angel queried.

"She was a woman who posed as a social worker. She came to the house and took Dawn away." Willow was angry with herself. Had she let Dawn be taken away to be hurt? 'Buffy will never forgive me if something happens to Dawn.'

"You said someone picked up Dawn at school. Was it that same woman that took her from the house?" Angel sorted through a file folder marked Wolfram and Hart from the desk. He hoped that a description would help him find out something about who might have taken Dawn.

"No, she wasn't the same one. She drove a really nice blue Mercedes." Willow tried to recall exactly what the woman looked like who picked up Dawn from school and the social worker. "I don't remember what she looked like exactly, but I know they weren't the same woman."

"All right. Here is what I'll do," Angel put the notebook down on the counter, "I can't leave until dusk, and there are a few things that I have to take care of before I can leave." He rubbed his chin. There was no way he was leaving Connor behind. He had to find some way to locate Cordy and Wes. "You are living at Buffy's house, right?"

"Yes, I've been living here since Buffy's dea ... you know." Willow sighed. She forced herself not to regret bringing Buffy back. 'She could have been in a Hell dimension.' She felt that she had a right to do the magic if she was able to. Those who had power to do good should. Why didn't people see that, and why did they keep telling her to use restraint? Restraint was for geeks and wimps. She refused to be either.

"Fine," Angel closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about the time Buffy was gone because of death. He'd seen her be brought back to life after the Master. When they'd seen each other earlier in the year after she returned this time, it wasn't all that pretty of a sight. He wasn't looking forward to running into Buffy in Sunnydale. "I'll meet you at Buffy's house a few hours after dark."

"That sounds good, Angel. Don't take too long." Willow frowned. 'Spike would have found a way to get to Sunnydale, sun or not.' She wondered if Angel didn't care about Buffy as much as he professed he did. "I don't know what they are doing to Dawnie."

Angel hung up without saying goodbye. He refused to let a barely out of her teens woman make him feel guilty. He was a vampire for crying out loud. It wasn't like he could take a drive in the sun. He paused to think of his wayward Childe who always seemed to get wherever he wanted to no matter the time of day. 'He's just crazy.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn sat down in a chair in the lobby of Wolfram and Hart. Her face was buried in her hands, and she was crying when Valerie walked in.

Valerie rushed over to Dawn. "Dawn? What's wrong?" She looked around at her fellow workers in the area. "Did anyone touch her?" She would be ticked off if anyone harmed this young woman. She'd already found a soft place in her heart for Dawn Summers.

"No, they ... no one ... I'm so sorry!" Dawn looked up at Valerie and wept harder. "I didn't catch it. I didn't see. I'm so stupid." She continued her tirade of insults at herself.

"Dawn, what didn't you see or catch?" Valerie wrapped Dawn's hands in her own in comfort. "You have to tell me what's wrong, or I can't help you fix it."

"We can't fix it." Dawn sniffled, but she started to get a better hold of herself. She pointed at her "Willow detector" bracelet. "I wore a long shirt today, and I forgot to check the bracelet when I got out of school. I was in such a hurry to get here to have a chance at seeing Buffy."

Valerie nodded in understanding. "Willow was nearby?"

"Yes," Dawn nodded emphatically. "When I got inside, I dropped my bag. I picked it up, and my sleeve pulled up to reveal a glowing bracelet." Her face looked like she was ready to hyperventilate. "She knows I'm here, and if I know Willow she is going to head straight to Angel about it."

"Angel?" Valerie thought about her dealings with the Aurelius clan. "You mean Angelus, the head of the clan?"

"Not so much the head of anything when he's all soulful," Dawn answered. "He goes by Angel then. If he finds out about Buffy, he is likely to kill Spike and Buffy."

"I see." Valerie stood up. She headed over to the main welcoming desk. "Patch me through to widescan for our operatives in Sunnydale."

"Yes ma'am." The secretary hurried to follow Valerie's orders. Right now Valerie had the biggest clients of Sunnydale, and their bosses were very pleased with her work. She was a woman you didn't want to have on your bad side if you were hoping for a promotion.

"Attention all," Valerie spoke into the handset, "Locate, follow, and report on a Miss Willow Rosenberg. She has red hair, average height for a female, and is around her early twenties. She frequents the Sunnydale College, Magic Box and other magic related areas. Her residence is currently 1620 Revello Drive, also the home of Buffy Summers. Use caution and avoid contact, charms in place. Report in if you have any information, directly to Valerie."

A long series of beeps, long and short, and other signals answered the call one by one to acknowledge the receipt of the information.

"You have my pager and cell phone number, Colleen. Contact me immediately if anyone checks in." Valerie walked back over to Dawn. She crouched down next to her, and she ran her fingers comfortingly through Dawn's long brown hair. "They will find her, and we'll make sure we know if Angel meets with her."

"But what are we going to tell Buffy and Spike?"

"What are you going to tell Spike about?" Spike walked into the room from a back entrance that was protected from the sun. He noted the concerned looks on Dawn and Valerie's faces. "It doesn't seem like happy news."

"It isn't." Valerie stood back up.

Before Valerie was able to say anything, Dawn jumped up off the chair. "Spike!" She ran over into his arms, hugging him tightly. "It's all my fault. I didn't notice that Willow followed me from school. She knows I'm here."

Spike's head shot up to look at Valerie for confirmation. He sighed at the nod of her head. "It's okay, Bit." He ran his hands up and down her back in circular motions. "I'm sure you were just in a hurry to get here for your bit of mojo to see Buffy."

"I was, but now Angel is going to kill her because I wasn't paying attention." Dawn's wet face drenched Spike's shirt where her cheek lay.

"That stupid git is not going to get close enough to kill Buffy." Spike growled. "I will dust him first myself." Childer were not usually able to kill their Sires, but Angel had killed Darla. Spike hated Angel enough to force himself to kill his Sire to save his Childe, if necessary. He looked up at Valerie again. "We have time to prepare. I know my Sire, and he won't leave until the sun goes down."

"That gives us several hours to get things in ..." Valerie was interrupted by a loud beeping at the welcome desk. She quickly strode over to take the call.

Colleen picked up the handset. "Agent Matthews," She said before she handed the device to Valerie.

"Thank you, Colleen." Valerie beeped in her response code then started to speak, "Go ahead, Matthews."

"Target located leaving the Magic Box. I'm being forced to follow at a distance in-between different establishments. Difficult to follow."

"Understood. Do your best." Valerie paused in thought. "This is an important target. Succeed, and I will give put forward my recommendation for further field training. Check in every half hour to 45 minutes." Her voice was very authoritative and precise. She wounded like someone you didn't want to disobey.

"Yes, ma'am." Two long beeps followed by four short signaled the end of the conversation.

Valerie walked back over to a surprised Spike and Dawn. "What? A little incentive goes a long way." She grinned. "If he can handle following Willow, then he will deserve that recommendation."

Spike chuckled. "I like you, pet." He looked down at the mass of Dawn that was still in his arms. "Let get this mojo worked on you, Nibblet. Looks like you might be trying out a longer term stay today."

Valerie motioned for them to both head into her private office. She had her mages waiting to perform the demon defensive spell on Dawn. "This shouldn't take more than an hour or so."

"Sounds good. I think I will take Dawn directly back to our house afterwards." Spike reasoned, "If Red is snooping back around here, she would recognize your car. She doesn't know about mine."

Valerie agreed. "Later on, I will head home with a company car. I'll pick up some of her clothes and personal items and bring them over."

"I'm going to spend the night?" Dawn said with an eager lilt.

"We might have no choice with the poofter sticking his nose where it doesn't belong anymore." Spike looked at Dawn very seriously. "I don't know what it will be like. If Buffy can't handle it, we'll have to think of something else. As much as I love you, Bit, Buffy comes first in my mind."

Dawn nodded her head vigorously. She was almost happy that Angel was coming to town since it meant she'd get to stay with Buffy and Spike all night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy sat up straight on the couch. She sighed. The emotions she felt from her Sire told her that at least part of her dream was coming true. Angel was coming to Sunnydale. She flopped back against the couch with an exasperated sigh. "He better not try to take me away from Spike."

Buffy tore off another piece of paper from the notebook she was writing in. She started to work on a list of things she needed to do before Angel got there. She hurried off a text message to Spike on her cell phone to tell him that she knew Angel was coming.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn and Spike exited the Taurus in the garage at their new house. Dawn clutched Spike's hand tightly as they made their way to the house. She wasn't worried about her love for Buffy changing. She was more worried about Buffy's love for her changing.

Spike recognized Dawn's distress. He worked to reassure her of Buffy's desire to see her sister. "Bit, Buffy wants to see you as much as you do her. She was talking about you last night and today."

"I'm just scared." Dawn walked up the porch steps alongside, Spike. "We've grown apart since she came back. What if now that she's turned, she doesn't care at all about me anymore?"

"Dawn," Spike used Dawn's formal name to get her attention. He turned Dawn to face him. "She is still the same Buffy you've always known. I promise you that. She has some things to deal with because of the demon and being torn out of Heaven, but she is still Buffy."

Dawn nodded slowly. She watched Spike key in the entry code. She gulped hard when the key clicked in the lock and the door opened. She stood amazed at how beautiful the house looked on the inside as well as the outside. Her nervousness temporarily faded as she walked in, looking around. "Definitely a step up from the crypt, eh Spike?" She teased.

Before Spike was able to answer Dawn, a somewhat timid voice wafted down the stairs, "Dawnie?"

"Buffy?" Dawn followed the voice to the staircase. Slowly she inched away from Spike to meet Buffy at the bottom of the staircase.

Spike watched both of his girls interact. He hung back far enough to allow the two of them their space, but he was close enough to jump in if necessary.

Buffy reached out to run her fingers through Dawn's hair. With Dawn growing so quickly, Buffy almost needed to stand one step up to look Dawn in the eyes. "How have you been?"

"Scared, but Valerie is taking good care of me." Dawn wanted to hug Buffy so badly. "I'm not scared of you," She added. "It's just Willow and Angel ... I'm scared of losing you again."

Tara moved out of her room into the hallway. She heard Spike and Dawn talking, and then she heard Buffy leave her room to join them. She waited a few minutes before she snuck out herself to see how the meeting was going.

Spike smiled warmly, and he nodded to Tara to let her know that he saw her. Buffy seemed to be handling everything quite well. He sensed that her bloodlust was under control. He was proud of her.

Buffy glanced up at Spike. She silently sought his permission to let the demon out. They'd talked about it earlier in the day before he left to see Dawn. If she did well to start with, she wanted to test out her demon. With Angel on the way, and the likelihood of Dawn spending the night, Buffy wanted to be certain that her sister was safe.

Spike rested his hands firmly on Dawn's shoulders. "Do you trust me, Nibblet?"

"Always, Spike." Dawn glanced from Buffy to Spike and back to Buffy. "You stayed with me when everyone else forgot that both you and I hurt as much as them, if not worse."

Spike nodded his approval to Buffy. He promised Buffy that he'd never let her hurt her friends. That was doubly true for Dawn. If he was right, and Buffy's demon and soul followed the path he expected, Buffy would not have any desire to kill her sister. Buffy loved her family too deeply for that.

Angelus killed all of his family after he was turned, but he hated them to begin with. Drusilla loved her family so much that when Angelus murdered them she went insane. She had been trying to recreate a family ever since then with her dolls and other invisible friends.

William turned his mother, but it wasn't out of malice or destruction. When he was turned he woke up strong and vibrant. His mother was deathly ill, and he wanted his mother to feel good again. He loved her, and he wanted her to be with him always. Anne was too weak to fend of the demon's more savage influences. Instead the demon took control of her instead of the other way around.

Buffy was strong. Spike had faith that her demon would be forced to accept her human family as protected and cherished. A woman who loved so strongly, like Buffy, could make any demon submit to her will. It still amazed him that his own demon was as much in love with Buffy Summers as his inner poet was.

Buffy picked up Dawn's hand. She squeezed it gently. "Do you trust me, Dawnie?"

"With all my heart, Buffy." Dawn forced her voice not to quiver. She knew any sign of fear would give the demon within Buffy more power against her. Dawn wanted Buffy to know that she was willing to do whatever was necessary to stay with her sister. She didn't want to be parted from her again.

Buffy nodded to Spike. She was ready. She drew in an unneeded breath, and she shifted into her demon form.

Dawn gasped. After a few seconds her heart rate evened out. She tilted her head to the side in a very Spike-like fashion. "You're beautiful, Buffy." She wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't this. Buffy's ridges seemed smoother and her face softer that other vampires she'd seen. "You're eyes," Her grin widened, "They're silver instead of gold."

"They're silver?" Buffy directed the question to Spike. Without being able to look in a mirror, she just assumed she looked like every other vampire she'd seen.

Spike almost chuckled. If he hadn't known how sensitive Buffy was to everything right now, he probably would have. Her demon wasn't worried about eating Dawn. It was worried about how it looked. "Yes, pet. They are a lovely silver, flecked with your beautiful natural green color."

"Oh great," Buffy huffed. "Even among demons, I'm a freak!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. Buffy still held her hand, but Dawn pulled Buffy to her for a hug. "You aren't a freak. You are unique and beautiful."

Buffy returned the hug wholeheartedly. "Oh Dawnie ... I'm so sorry that I've been mean to you since I got back. It wasn't your fault."

Dawn closed her eyes as happy tears streaked down her face. "I'm sorry I didn't try to understand more why you were so upset. If I'd known you came from Heaven, I would have understood why you were so unhappy. I thought you just didn't love me anymore." Dawn moved back to look into Buffy's vampire face. "I was so happy to see you alive again. I didn't think about where you might have been before."

"I'm sorry too, Buffy." Tara walked down the stairs. "I should have made sure Willow did a dimensional locator spell." Her face darkened, "I thought she had."

Buffy turned to look at Tara. "It's done now, and we can't change the past." She smiled warmly at her friend. "I know how you feel about magic, and I know you wouldn't have done it if you didn't truly believe that I was in Hell."

"Thank you, Buffy. It means a lot to me that you don't hate me." Tara sighed in relief.

Buffy lifted Dawn's wrist to her mouth. "One more test, Dawnie, and then we can leave all this tension behind. Are you ready?"

Dawn nodded. She nibbled on her lower lip. She had a feeling that Buffy was going to bite her, and she was afraid that it would hurt too much.

Buffy kept her eyes locked with Spike's as she brought the wrist to her mouth. She licked and suckled at the vein there to bring it closer to the surface. At the right moment, she sliced her fangs into Dawn's skin and pulled once on her blood.

Dawn stiffened at the point of entry, and then she relaxed. It actually felt pretty good. 'That's strange.'

"Pet?" Spike felt the churning emotions from his Childe. Something was disturbing her in Dawn's blood. "What is it?"

Buffy's fangs retracted back, and she licked the wound closed. "Spike?" She looked up at Spike in confusion. "I know the monks made her from me, but she literally has Slayer blood in her." Her demon wanted to taste more Slayer blood, but it was satiated from the sense of family it felt in Dawn's blood instead.

"That's a twist. Guess you have a bit of the fighter in you, Bit. Always knew you were a spitfire." Spike chuckled. He wrapped one arm around Buffy and another around Dawn. "Let's go sit down, and have us a little chat."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel and Cordelia, along with Angel's son Connor, were on their way to Sunnydale a half hour after sunset. He drove the speed limit to avoid any delays by being pulled over. The closer he drove to the town, the more nervous he got.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Angel?" Cordelia cradled Connor in her arms. He was such a good baby. She was constantly amazed that a beautiful and well-mannered child like Connor had Darla and Angel for parents.

"No, I don't think this is a good idea, but I don't have much of a choice." Angel sighed. "Willow has no idea where Buffy is, and if Wolfram and Hart is involved it can't be good. We talked about this already." His patience was worn thin. He'd spent a couple hours just arguing with Wesley and Cordelia about why he should or shouldn't go to Sunnydale.

"Don't bite my head off, Mister "Broodier Than Usual"." Cordelia spent a large amount of time in her bedroom between Angel's announcement about heading to Sunnydale and their actual departure. During that time she was sent a vision by the powers. Wesley heard her scream of pain, but they agreed to keep the contents of her vision from Angel for now. If what she saw was true, it would change everything for everyone.

"Can we just not talk, Cordy?" Angel huffed. He needed more time to think. Something wasn't adding up in his head. He'd been so busy with Connor lately that nothing else penetrated his mind. Now, as he thought harder on the events of the past week, he felt a nagging sensation in his mind that he missed something important.

Cordelia watched Angel out of the corner of her eye. She knew when his thoughts turned in different directions. Something about Angel was easy for her to read, no matter that he kept the same expression on his face. It was like she felt his emotions at times. It always unnerved her.

Angel realized that part of the sensations he'd felt were due to the creation of another Aurelian Childe. He felt it when Dru turned Darla back into a vampire, but this had a slightly different edge to it. He would almost think that Spike created a Childe, but he knew about the government chip that kept him from harming humans. 'And I'd say turning a human into a vampire would be considered harming.' His thoughts continued to wrestle around within his head the whole way to Sunnydale without being able to nail them down.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie scanned through all the information the Los Angeles office sent her on Angel. It seemed that Lindsey McDonald made it his goal to find out everything he could about Angel and attempt to destroy him. From the notations she read by the Senior Partners, Lindsey wasn't very successful overall.

Valerie's eyes bulged at one of the footnotes that led to another report in the file. She quickly flipped through the pages and read from top to bottom. "Oh my gosh." She tossed the other folders onto the coffee table.

"What is it?" Tara leaned close to Valerie to see what she was reading.

Valerie looked up at those gathered in the living room. "I don't see how this information is accurate," She passed the folder over to Spike and Buffy who sat on the opposite couch from her and Tara. "It has to be wrong."

"What has to be wrong?" Dawn's curiosity was piqued. She unrolled her legs out from underneath her. She sat on a chair in-between the two couches. Even though everything was going well with Buffy, Spike still made sure he was between her and Buffy in case he needed to protect Dawn.

Spike darkly laughed. "You're bloody right it has to be wrong. Vampires can't get people pregnant, and we certainly can't have babies!"

Buffy ripped the file from Spike's hands. "Darla? Darla was dust." She read on, "Valerie, I'm seriously worried about the firm you work for when they are able to bring back dusted vampires." She looked up at Valerie with a cold stare.

"Not all branches are like that Buffy." Valerie wanted to remain calm, but she felt the anger pulse from Buffy. "It seems that Lindsey McDonald and a couple associates worked to bring this about. It wasn't sanctioned by the Senior Partners directly."

"They tried to give him a happy, Val!" Buffy jumped up in anger. She growled. "Do you have any idea what happens when he gets a moment of perfect happiness?"

Spike stood up next to Buffy. He nuzzled his lips against his Sire marks on her neck. He whispered soothing words and sounds against her neck to help calm her.

Buffy panted, and her eyes closed. The touch was both arousing and calming. She felt her anger ebb itself away until she was much more calm. "I'm sorry, Val, but you have no idea the Hell I went through the last time his soul went on walkabout." She whimpered.

Spike caressed Buffy's back. "It's all right, pet. The papers say his soul is still in there."

"It's not all right, Spike." Buffy looked up into her Sire's eyes in pain. "Angel has a child, a real flesh and blood child, and that bitch Darla is the child's mother. He had sex with her! The file says that Angel protects and loves that child completely from all reports."

"Is that the problem then?" Spike growled. "You're all jealous that the bleeding poofter had sex with another woman?" He tried to cover up his aching heart with anger. He knew that Angel would ruin everything for him again. Here it was happening, and Angel hadn't even arrived in Sunnydale yet.

"No," Buffy hung her head. She realized her words caused Spike pain. "It is that he took the chance to lose his soul again after all of his lectures to me of how we couldn't be together anymore, blah blah blah. He is such a hypocrite." Tears rolled down her face at the memory of the pain she suffered after Angel left for L.A.

"Pet," Spike tipped Buffy's face up. He kissed each cheek's tears away tenderly. "His brooding self has played the martyr for decades. I don't know what happened with Darla, but the snobbish bitch was still family. She was also Angelus' Sire, and you know now just how strong that bond can be."

Buffy nodded slowly. "If she hadn't dusted herself, I'd go dust her myself now," She spat out in disgust. "Don't think Drusilla would miss my wrath either for turning Darla gain." She hoped Spike could understand why.

"If Drusilla, or anyone, tries to hurt you, I will dust them myself. Now that the chip doesn't work, I can take care of anyone that comes our way, human or demon."

"The chip doesn't work?" Buffy's eyes widened.

'Uh oh,' Spike cringed. He thought Buffy figured that fact out when she saw the rapist. "Did you think Tara picked up that bastard who hurt you and brought him home?"

"No ... I ... I really didn't think about it." Buffy's shoulders sagged. Dealing with the Scoobies would have been hard enough if Spike was still chipped. Now, what was she going to do?

"Do you want the stake now, Slayer?" Spike's tone was cold, and he bit back the pain he felt inside. He begged whatever higher power would listen to him to allow them to stay together.

Dawn jumped off her chair to Spike's defense. "Buffy, please ..."

Buffy held onto Dawn's arm to stop her. "I was just caught off guard." She turned back to look at Spike. "I can trust that you will not harm innocents?" Her eyes searched his gaze. She hoped to find the truth and trust in their depths that she needed.

Spike relaxed some. "Buffy, I promise that I will never do anything that you would have to stake me for. The chip's been gone for a couple days, and I haven't gone all massacre happy. I can control myself. I am not Angelus."

Buffy hugged Spike tightly. She buried her face in Spike's chest. She felt the reassurance of his love flow into her. She felt secure that he meant every word he said.

"Not to interrupt, but what are we going to do about Angel and the child?" Valerie queried. "What if he brings the child with him?"

"If he does, then we'll have ourselves a little family reunion." Spike grinned devilishly. He had no plans to harm the child, but the boy could be an ace in the hole to keep his Sire from staking Buffy. "Even Angelus keeps certain ties to family and blood. Sometimes his idea of taking care of the family is pretty sadistic, but blood means a lot to him."

"You think we can reach that part of him that still recognizes the claim of family to protect me?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, and if we have to, we can use the boy as a little persuasion."

Dawn gasped. "You wouldn't hurt him, would you?"

"No, Bit, but if we can make him realize the correlation between how he feels about his child, and how I feel about mine, maybe we can get through to him."

Valerie's cell phone went off. She pressed the talk button and listened to Agent Matthews report on Angel's arrival. "See if you can hear any of the conversation, but do not give away your presence." She closed the phone to end the call. "I hope you're right, Spike. Angel's here, and he brought the boy with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (8) Family Ties - Part 2
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Chapter Summary: Angel is in town with Cordelia and Connor in tow. Wesley stayed behind in Los Angeles. Willow and Angel have a chat when he arrives, and she explains her woes to him. Cordelia has another vision, and she goes out in search of some answers. Buffy's getting a little bit antsy, and they decide to head out on a patrol.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Willow and Amy lounged on the new couch that Amy conjured up after looking through catalogues. The old couch was simply not large enough for both of them to spread out on comfortably, and Willow wanted to be able to kick back and relax with Amy.

Willow was upset about Dawn being kidnapped and nervous about Angel's arrival. So, Amy had offered to perform a quick relaxing spell. Willow accepted, and the result was two very mellow witches. To keep themselves occupied until Angel arrived, they decided to paint their nails. A bottle of Violent Light nail polish for Willow and Pink Paradise for Amy levitated in the air while the brushes hovered over their toes, slowly stroking each nail in turn.

Willow waved her fingers in the air, "How did we ever manage to paint our toes and fingers before this?"

Amy giggled, "Who knows. After your friend arrives can we go back to Rack's? Last night was a blast, but I need a recharge."

Willow's answer was cut off by a loud banging on the door. With a quick wave of her hand, the nail polish vanished and their toes were magically dry. She sighed and straightened up on the couch. She didn't even bother to go to the door. She called out, "Come in, Angel."

"That was a foolish thing to do, Willow." Angel stomped into the living room with a scowl crossing his face. He hated leaving Connor's side, even if Cordy was there to take care of him in the car. He knew no one would protect Connor like he could, but the thoughts of trying to explain to everyone why he had a baby was too much to deal with right now. He didn't want to explain Darla to anyone right now, much less admit what happened to Buffy or her friends.

"I was specific with the invite." Willow huffed at Angel. "Only you would have been able to come in with that offer. I'm not stupid."

Angel ran his hand through his hair, careful not to mess up the gelled mass too much. 'Maybe not, but you can't find one teenager without calling me to Sunnydale to help you out,' He thought to himself. 'It's not like Dawn isn't in danger every other week. Buffy always saves her.' He frowned. "It is better to be safe than sorry, Willow."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I know what I'm doing."

'Is dragging me here some form of revenge? Is Willow still that upset over her fish that she would do this to me on purpose? Torment the vampire with what he can never have?' Angel sighed audibly.

"You aren't here to give me a lecture on proper vampire procedures, Angel." Willow started to get angry. Angel had no right to tell her what to do. She was a powerful witch now. She didn't need his guidance.

"Right." Angel clenched his hands into fists at his side. He fought to keep down the anger at the redhead. 'They call me to come here and help out and protect them, then she has a hissy fit when I try to tell her to be careful.' His anger increased the longer he stewed on it.

Amy cleared her throat beside Willow. She wasn't about to get in the middle of a fight, but if this was the Angel that Willow had been waiting for, she wanted to get rid of him so they could head to Rack's.

Angel focused on the other girl on the couch. "Hello ... Who are you again?" He figured that she had to be one of the Scoobies he didn't remember or she wouldn't be in Buffy's house.

Willow answered Angel impatiently, "This is Amy. Do you remember the burning at the stake incident and the turning into a rat problem we had?" At Angel's blank stare she continued, "Never mind it's not important. Amy is an old friend of ours from high school. She is moving into Dawn's room now that Dawnie has moved out."

Angel stared at Willow. She was making absolutely no sense again. "I thought you said Dawn had been kidnapped. Why are you moving people into her room, if she has been abducted?" He paused a moment, "Why are you moving people in here at all without Buffy being here?"

"The state will probably take Dawn away from Buffy for real, anyway." Willow shrugged and looked unconcerned. "The social worker really doesn't like Buffy. It's not like Buffy is ever home anyways." She complained, "No one has heard from her, except Dawn, for the last four days. Not once has she bothered to call and check on me." It didn't matter to Willow that if Buffy was gone she wouldn't know that Tara had left her. She was just upset that Buffy hadn't coddled her. 'It's just like when Oz left all over again.'

"Buffy has been gone for over half the week, and you are just now contacting me? Who has been patrolling for her? She is the Chosen One, the Slayer." Angel was flabbergasted. It wasn't like Buffy to shirk her duties and responsibilities like this, not the Buffy he knew. "She should be here guarding the Hellmouth. What the hell has been going on since she got back?"

Willow was feeling annoyed, and she could feel the relaxing spell starting to wear off. Her eyes started to darken, and she snapped at Angel. "Look I told you on the phone that Buffy had disappeared, and Dawn was the only one who knew where she was. You need to focus Angel."

Angel looked at the redhead and sat down in a chair. 'This could be a long night,' He thought to himself. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"

"Beginning? You've got to be joking." Willow watched Angel for a moment before she realized he was serious. She contemplated incinerating the vampire from the inside out, but she needed him to find Buffy and Dawn. Wolfram and Hart have Dawn, Buffy is nowhere to be seen, I can't find her checkbook to pay the mortgage that the bank keeps calling me for, and Tara left me." She spat out all in one breath.

Angel inwardly rolled his eyes. Did Willow even realize how she sounded to him?

"To top it off Giles is drunk, and Xander is off trying on tuxes for his wedding. I have to help patrol, everything is falling apart, and I'm the only here trying to hold it all together. So whatever the heck is bothering you I'm sorry, but hello, you need to help me deal with this now. I don't have all night to hold your hand." Willow finished her tirade of anger and complaining.

"What exactly do you want me to do about it all? Most of that I can't do a thing about." Angel was beyond annoyed. For being Buffy's best friend, Willow seemed more concerned about her own personal problems than she was for Buffy's welfare. He was very close to slapping Willow for her whining attitude.

Two hours later, an annoyed Cordelia stormed into the house with a crying baby and a small overnight bag. She stomped over to Angel, and she thrust Connor into his father's arms. "You take him. He won't calm down for me anymore. He can tell you're upset even from the car."

Cordelia plopped down in a chair. She waved at the two women. "Hey Willow. Hey Amy. Can we stay here tonight?" She stretched her legs out in front of her. She'd been cramped up in that car for far too long, and her legs hurt. "I have a feeling this isn't going to be resolved any time soon, and I am really tired of sitting in the car, even if it is a nice one." At Willow's nod, Cordy jumped up and grabbed her bag. "Thanks, I am going to take a shower."

Willow just stared as her former high school nemesis dropped off a baby, which calmed immediately, and headed upstairs towards her bathroom. "What the ..."

Angel grimaced, 'I guess I will have to explain now. Couldn't Cordy have waited five more minutes?' He sighed and began the story of Wolfram and Hart's meddling and how it had resulted in his miracle son.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cordelia waited until she got into the bathroom, and she had turned on the shower, before she started shaking. She had fallen asleep in the car with Connor cuddled up to her chest. During her rest she dreamt a truly bizarre dream.

Cordy still tried to make sense of what she had seen. Some of it seemed like flashbacks to her vision from earlier. Others were flashes of things that didn't quite make sense to her. Was it precognition like her visions, or was her mind recreating the worst fears she'd dwelled on during the ride to Sunnydale.

Cordelia had clearly saw Buffy die in a cemetery from what looked like a gunshot wound. Then, she saw Buffy being turned. From the hair color of the head leaning over the dead Slayer, she placed her bets on Spike being Buffy's Sire. The rest was a jumbled array of scenes.

In her dream, Cordy saw Spike and Buffy fighting demons, caring for Dawn and a couple of blond women that she didn't know but were at their side. She saw Buffy fight Angel, who looked a lot like Angelus with all the leather and demon face, and Buffy crying over an unconscious Willow. A vamped Slayer would be dangerous, but the thought of Angelus on the loose made her blood chill.

Were Buffy and Spike going to be their salvation, or did they help create the situation? Was it their fault that Angelus got free? Cordelia knew Wolfram and Hart was involved somehow from Angel's ramblings on the way from Los Angeles. Could it have been they who took his soul? Was it simply a dream she misunderstood or a vision gone wonky.

She decided to try and find out what was going on. She slipped out of the shower and left in running. She hoped the noise would mask her leaving for a while. She quickly dressed into suitable fighting clothes. She went to Buffy's room and slipped down the tree, much like Buffy did hundreds of times. She hoped to find some answers to her questions by wandering into the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy stared out into the night. She waited until Dawn and Tara had dozed off before coming out to the porch to think. Her thoughts were overwhelming at times. She needed the space, for both her soul and her demon.

Silently, Spike slipped out onto the porch. Buffy smiled at her Sire. Sometimes, he could be so sweet and gentle. "Are you going to sit with me?" She'd seen him be equally as protective, kind, and loving over the last couple days as he was hard and vengeful over what happened to her.

Spike nodded and moved over to the porch swing. He sat down on the furthest side of the swing. He felt Buffy's emotions running high, and he wasn't sure what was wrong. So, he opened up his arms for her to slip into if she wanted to.

Buffy snuggled into Spike's arms and closed her eyes as Spike began to stroke her hair. "What are you thinking luv? I can hear the wheels turning."

Buffy squirmed around until her head rested in the nook of Spike's shoulder. She took an unnecessary breath and sighed. "You haven't even tried to touch me the whole time I've been here, not even when I rose."

Spike stilled. He wasn't able to tell if Buffy was trying to convey his restraint as a good thing or a bad thing. He had to choose his words carefully. "Don't what to push you into anything, pet. I read all those books that Tara picked up, and they all mentioned how it important it is not to push you into something you're not ready for."

"You actually know how to read?" Buffy teased before she became silent for a few minutes.

Buffy's silence unnerved him. So Spike continued to talk to her as he stroked her hair. "Luv, you're so beautiful and strong. I love you very much, and I want to be with you forever." He lifted her chin up to look into her eyes. "I want any joining we have to be something you choose, not something you do because I am your Sire or because you're suddenly a vampire." He cupped her cheek. "I can wait until you're ready to decide if I'm the one you want to be with. Time is on our side now."

Buffy smiled and stretched up to kiss Spike on the cheek. "Thank you." She felt relieved and a strong sense of contentment. Knowing that he was willing to wait for her was a relief. She just needed some more time to get used to everything.

After a while of sitting on the porch and cuddling close to each other, Buffy looked up at Spike. "I think I might be ready to patrol. I'm getting a bit restless about being cooped up. Can you come with me?"

"Sure, luv. A little patrol would go a long way to smoothing your demon's need for violence." Spike held out his hand for Buffy to stand up with. Hands still clasped, they slipped off into the night together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cordelia walked towards the cemetery she'd seen in her vision. She had a few stakes on her, and she felt fairly prepared if she ran into any vamps. She wasn't hunting for vampires however. She wanted answers, and like everything strange in Sunnydale, the answers would most likely be found in the graveyard.

Walking silently in the shadows, Cordelia observed the night around her. The air felt heavy. It was as if the night knew why she was there and wanted to stop her from finding out its secrets. She quietly moved around the darkened corners and listened. The crypt she saw in her vision was closer to the other side of this cemetery.

Quietly, Cordy listened in on the conversation floating on the air. She rolled her eyes. 'How do they ever manage to sneak up on vampires with the racket they are making?' She ducked behind a crypt to keep from being seen.

Giles and Xander lounged on tombstones discussing the whereabouts of the missing Slayer.

"All I am saying Xander, is that Buffy really should have given us a way to contact her. It was bloody irresponsible of her to run off like that." Giles had been following the same rant for the last two days. He was forced to cancel his flight back to England, and he was ticked off. "I know that being pulled out of Heaven must have been hard on her, but it is time for her to act like an adult. She needs to take responsibility for her self and for Dawn."

Cordelia stifled the gasp that wanted to escape. 'Buffy was resurrected from Heaven? Oh my gosh! No wonder she was so messed up when she came to LA.' Her heart broke to think of how hard it must have been for Buffy to transition from Heaven back to the hell that was Sunnydale.

Giles continued his tirade. "We can't always be here to clean up after her, take care of Dawn and patrol for her any time she decides to take off."

Xander grimaced and attempted to soothe Giles' rant. "Channeling the evil undead G-Man? Buffy is going through a rough time right now. She's easing back into things." He sighed audibly. He still had a hard time dealing with the fact that they had resurrected their friend out of a heavenly dimension. "We ripped her out of Heaven. The important thing is to help her through this transition."

"Didn't you say something like that last week when you thought she had been in Hell?" Giles knew that he was being unreasonable, but he couldn't stop it all from coming out.

"It's still true, no matter if she came from Heaven or Hell. I think coming from Heaven would be a lot worse of an adjustment than a hell dimension."

The conversation quickly spiraled into an argument over what Buffy really needed: time versus responsibility. Each of them had a different opinion, but they both seemed to agree with the fact that they wished they knew where Buffy was.

Cordy shook her head. 'Those idiots tore Buffy out of Heaven, and they expect her to be all happy about it?' It seemed that Xander was okay with allowing Buffy the time away to deal with it. 'What the hell is with Giles though?'

Finally a body rose from the grave and both men went into attack mode. After they dusted the newly risen vampire they moved on to another part of the cemetery.

Cordy quietly snuck past them. She finally reached her destination, the crypt she saw in her vision. She tried to open the door silently, but she winced when it made an annoying creeping noise. 'God this is so like a cheesy movie.'

All light thoughts fled when she saw the inside of the crypt. The burial vault was covered in blood. She covered her mouth and forced herself to walk in further. Tears burned in her eyes. She noticed a trail of blood and some half burned cigarettes on the floor.

Everything looked exactly like her vision. She could almost picture a dying Buffy and a weeping Spike standing over her. She bent down to touch the space on the ground that she imagined they rested against. She'd seen enough to validate her worst fears. She needed to get to Angel to have him verify if this was Buffy's blood or not.

Cordy turned and fled out into the night as quickly as she could. She had to get away from that crypt fast, before she threw up. She fled out past the crypt door, but her progress was stopped abruptly when she ran straight into the arms of a snarling vampire. She screamed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel knocked on the bathroom door. The shower had been running for over an hour now. Although vampires were not sensitive to cold and hot, he still wanted to get some lukewarm water for his own shower.

"Come on Cordy, answer the door." Angel knocked again. He heard Willow and Amy leave the Summers' house about a half hour ago. He didn't know where they were headed to, and he really couldn't bring himself to care. Something about Willow seemed darker than before. His demon seemed to lean towards her. That was never a good thing.

Angel pounded on the door. He didn't want to wake up Connor, but he wondered if something was wrong with Cordelia. "Delia ..." He knocked again. "I'm coming in if you don't say something in the next five seconds." He counted to five, and after no answer, he shouldered the door to the bathroom open.

Angel searched the bathroom for any sign of a struggle or trouble. He reached into the empty shower and turned off the water. "Strange." He looked around the room again. After a trek to Buffy's bedroom, and seeing that Cordy's clothes were strewn about, he assumed that she slipped out. "What the heck does she think she's doing?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (9) Snooping Around
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Chapter Summary: Angel, Cordelia and Connor arrived in Sunnydale. After a chat with Willow and Amy, Cordelia snuck out of the Summers' house to search for the crypt from her vision. She was caught coming out of the crypt, and those who found her now confront her. Who caught her? Will Angel find out about Buffy? Is there someone lurking around the cemetery who will catch Spike and Buffy out on "patrol"?

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

"What are you doing here?" The vampire snarled at Cordelia. "Come to make sure your work was complete?" Spike, in full game face, gripped Cordelia's arms tightly.

Cordelia shook in the Master Vampire's arms. Never had she seen such rage up close. She knew this was Spike, and she was afraid that her next breath would be her last.

Buffy caught up to Spike. He'd broke out into a run when he glimpsed a figure near the crypt they'd been in before. She stopped Spike before he sank his fangs into Cordelia's neck. "Spike, she isn't the one."

"Are you sure?" Spike looked over Cordy's turned head at Buffy. "She was snooping around in places that no human in their right mind should, unless they were looking for something in particular."

"Of course I'm sure. The guy told me who his boss was." Buffy reasoned with her Sire. "This is Cordelia. She probably came from L.A. with Angel."

Cordelia felt relief for a moment or two. 'Buffy kept Spike from killing me.' So, if Buffy was a vampire, she reasoned that Buffy was a good one. She tensed up in fear again after the mention of Angel caused Spike to growl deeply once more.

"Peaches doesn't even do his own investigating anymore? He sends out his women?" Spike rolled his eyes and let go of Cordy. "Go tell the prat his interference isn't needed or wanted here in Sunnydale."

"First off, I'm not one of Angel's women." Cordelia scooted back against the crypt door and pushed herself up. "He ... He doesn't even know I'm out here. Angel is at Buffy's house."

Buffy placed a calming hand on Spike's arm. She tried to show Spike her support and assure him that he was the one she wished to stay with. "Why are you out here, Cordelia? You should know better than to travel in the cemetery at night in Sunnydale."

"I needed to find out if something was true, and I could only do that in this cemetery and at this crypt." Cordelia answered honestly. Whatever was going on wasn't as "evil" as she originally interpreted from her vision. Apart from Spike's anger at finding her at the crypt, Spike was back in his human face and calmly waiting for her explanations.

Buffy listened to Cordelia talk. She could smell Angel's scent on Cordy as well as a couple others mingled in. One smell was oddly familiar to her. "What are those smells Spike?" She was still learning what each scent stood for. Her Slayer senses were keen before, but now they were even more attuned to every underlying scent or touch.

Spike leaned in a little closer to Cordelia to get a good grasp of all the scents on her. He loved Buffy's curiosity. If they could get everything squared away with his Sire, he was going to enjoy showing and teaching Buffy everything he could. "I'd say some of it is Peaches' scent. Some of it belongs to the kid of his." He inhaled again. "The rest is a mixture of Willow and Willow's residual spell casting."

"So, Willow is doing enough magic in my house that a smell sticks to people who visit?" Buffy's gaze wandered from Cordelia to Spike.

"The smell would be stronger the longer someone stayed and the more magic was casting within a certain amount of time." Spike pulled a cigarette out of a pack in his duster. He flicked open his lighter and lit the tip of the cigarette. He enjoyed breathing, but he didn't want to smell Angel's scent. The smoke would cover it up well enough for him to bear it. "Why do you think there are ways to trace spells or magic used, pet? Because all magic leaves a trail for a bit. The stronger the magic, the stronger the trail."

Buffy leaned into Spike's side. She rested her head with her cheek down on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you got Dawn out of that house." She sighed. "I would have been so worried about her, if she was still there."

Cordelia listened to the conversation go back and forth between the two blondes. She noticed how easily and comfortably they interacted with each other. 'This is not the same Spike who came to Los Angeles and tortured Angel. Though he still seems to hate Angel.' Many questions ran through her head to ask the pair, but her mind stopped wandering at the mention of Dawn's name. "Dawn is safe?"

"Of course she is. Definitely a hell of a lot safer than she was with Red." Spike huffed. "I took care of the bit for 147 days when Buffy was d ... dead. Why would I let anything happen to her now?"

"Have you seen her in the last 12 hours?" Cordy was more baffled than when she left L.A. What was going on between everyone in Sunnydale? Buffy was hanging out with Spike, Giles was all bad Buffy, and it seemed that no one knew what was going on with the others.

"We left her at our new home less than an hour ago, Cordy." Buffy lifted her head off of Spike's shoulder and sighed. Their house was already starting to feel like a home with Tara and Dawn there with them. She felt like she was a part of a true family again. "I'm afraid that someone jumped to the wrong conclusions when she called you here."

"We were told that Dawn was kidnapped, possibly by a branch of Wolfram and Hart." Cordy watched Spike and Buffy's body language and facial expressions for any signs of insincerity. It hadn't gone unnoticed that most of the time Buffy barely took a breath during the whole time they talked either. "We've had dealings with Wolfram and Hart, and none of them have been good."

"I had a feeling that's what the bloody bitch told the poofter." Spike spat out his words in anger. "She didn't even bother to check the facts before she assumed the worst."

"Spike ..." Buffy cautioned Spike about his temper. She cared deeply for him, whether she wanted to admit it fully or not, but his temper did frighten her. He was a passionate person, and he felt everything deeply including his anger and love. "She's still our friend. Willow is just on the wrong track right now. She could have been genuinely concerned about Dawn."

"From what I overheard of Willow's conversation with Angel, I don't think so." Cordelia interjected her perspective.

"Why should I believe what you say about Willow?" Buffy asked the question in curiosity and not malice. "It's no secret that you two haven't exactly gotten along since the whole kissing thing with Xander."

"Red kissing the Whelp?" Spike raised an intrigued brow. "Never would have figured that one to happen."

"Yeah well it was your fault." Buffy slapped him upside the head. "I never really slapped you for that one either."

"Oi, how was that my fault?" Spike rubbed the back of his head.

"It was your oh so wonderful plan to lock my boyfriend and Willow in the factory," Cordelia grated her teeth together as she spoke. "Oz and I found them snuggling and kissing on the bed you left them on when we went to rescue them."

"Oh." Spike frowned. "I just wanted her to do a spell for me, but the Whelp got in the way. I couldn't leave him on the lab floor. He'd have gone running to you all for sure."

"Spike it doesn't matter. It's over and done with, but I will kick your ass if you kidnap my friends again."

"Yes Mistress Slayer." Spike growled playfully. He wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and pulled her back against him. "I promised you that I wouldn't harm innocents any longer, didn't I?"

"Yes you did." Buffy closed her eyes to savor the feeling of being in Spike's arms. She opened them again at the sound of Cordelia clearing her throat.

"Not to break up the oh so touching scene, but I believe we were talking about Willow." Cordelia's hands were on her hips. She rested her weight on her right leg.

"Sorry Cordelia," Buffy answered.

"Anyways, Willow seemed to want Angel to solve all her problems for her, including finding your checkbook. She was hardly focused on Dawn at all." Cordelia started to explain the conversation she walked in on again. "Plus from what I saw it looked like she redecorated Dawn's room already. She's probably going to have her friend Amy live there."

"Amy?" Buffy blinked in surprise. "When did she get de-ratted?"

"I don't know, but Amy was there. Her and Willow were looking pretty cozy on what looked like a new couch." Cordelia tilted her head to the side. "It's a nice one. When did you get it?"

"I swear I'll rip her limb from limb if she got rid of, or ruined, any of my family's things." Buffy growled loudly. She heard a yelp of surprise from Cordy, and she realized that she must have shifted faces. "Sorry." She lowered her head to hide her face.

Spike lifted Buffy's face to be level with his. "Never be ashamed of your face, Buffy." He smiled lovingly. "You are beautiful no matter which face is forward."

Cordelia stared at Buffy. Now that the shock was over, she smiled. "Your eyes ... They're pretty. I've never seen silver ones on a vampire before."

"You knew I was a vampire?" Buffy was surprised that Cordelia wasn't freaking out a lot more.

"Yes, it was a part of the vision I had." Cordelia motioned to the closed crypt door. "That was why I was looking for this crypt." She took in a deep breath while a shudder passed down her spine at the memory of her vision. "I saw your death and then your turning."

"I see." Buffy nodded. That explained to her why Cordelia wasn't all wigged out. "The eyes must be a part of the whole Slayer package: soul, silver eyes, no guilties." She shrugged. "More research for Giles to do if I ever get up enough gumption to see him again."

"If you aren't careful, you'll see him tonight." Cordy remembered that she saw Giles and Xander earlier before she found the crypt. "Xander and Giles are doing some sort of patrol in the cemetery. A whole clan could walk up behind them with how loud they were."

Buffy's concern for her friends overrode her various qualms with her Watcher and one of her oldest friends. "Do you think we should follow them? Just in case they get into trouble?"

"I think they'll manage fine without us." Spike wasn't ready for a confrontation with the Scoobies, and he doubted Buffy was either. "We have to suss out what to do about Angelus first."

"Angelus?" Cordelia gasped. "No way. He's definitely soulful right now. He's brooding too much not to be."

"For now, but let's just say I had a little vision of my own." Buffy frowned. "It could have been a Slayer dream. It sure felt like it."

"He's not making with the happies about being back in Sunnydale." Cordelia was afraid to deal with Angelus again. "He wants to avoid you if at all possible. So no bump and grind for him to lose his soul with."

Spike snarled possessively. He bared his teeth at the former cheerleader. "He won't get a chance to get his mangy paws on my Mate. I'll pull his undead heart out with my own hands if he even tries to get that close."

Buffy nuzzled her lips against Spike's neck. She knew what being mated meant, and she was fairly certain that the term slipped out of Spike's mouth because he cared for her as a Mate and not just a Childe. A year or two ago she would have been ticked at such a possessive tone, but right now she felt pretty good about it. "I am yours, beloved Sire." She purred softly and soothingly. She turned Spike's head towards hers to share a brief but heartfelt kiss.

'This night just keeps getting more bizarre,' Cordelia thought.

Buffy looked at Cordelia after she was sure that Spike was calmer. "My dream showed Angelus coming to the foreground when he realized my change. I don't think the soul was gone. It just wasn't in the driver's seat."

"That would be very bad." Cordy contemplated what they could do to avoid a confrontation between Angel and Buffy and Spike. "I can't get him to leave Sunnydale without some explanation as to how and why I know that Dawn is safe or that Wolfram and Hart aren't involved."

"We never said that the law firm wasn't involved." Spike spoke evenly.

"You said Dawn wasn't kidnapped. So, if she wasn't kidnapped, why would they be involved?" Cordelia questioned in confusion.

"Not everything is in black and white." Buffy explained. "Just like not all humans are good, or all demons bad, not all at that law firm have evil purposes."

"My lawyer, Valerie, works for them." Spike further explained. "She helped me get Dawn away from Willow's magic, and she had the firm's mages cast multitudes of protection spells and wards for our home."

Buffy nodded her agreement with what Spike was saying. "Though I don't like what I saw in their files on Angel, Valerie has done nothing but be helpful."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe." Cordelia shook her head back and forth. "If you knew what the firm in L.A. has done to use for the last couple years, you wouldn't believe them to be anything but evil."

"From what we read, a lot of that has to do with Lindsey MacDonald." Buffy sneered. "If I ever get my hands on him for finding a way to bring Darla back, I'll hurt him ... a LOT."

"You know about Darla?"

"And about Angel's child with her. Yes."

"Valerie was quite shocked by that situation herself." Spike rocked Buffy in his arms to comfort her. He was starting to realize that her anger over the situation wasn't that Angel was with someone else. She was mad that Darla returned, no one told her about it, and Angel risked his soul to be with anyone.

"It could all just be an act." Cordelia countered. "Angel is never gonna believe me without some kind of proof."

"We can have you meet with Dawn and Tara." Buffy offered. "Willow tried to brainwash Tara. Her last attack was the reason we took Dawn out of my Mom's house." She had been filled in on everything that happened in the couple days that she was resting before her awakening.

"Valerie can bring them somewhere safe. So, you could talk to her as well." Spike wanted to do whatever it took to get Angel and his group gone. They had a lot of preparation to do for their future meetings with the Scoobies. They couldn't hold off that meeting forever. Every day that passed brought them that much closer to the inevitable encounter.

"I don't know if it will be enough, but it's a start." Cordelia pulled a little notepad out of her back pocket. "What is a number I can get a hold of you guys at?" She looked up at Spike and Buffy. "I have to figure out a way to do this without Angel's knowledge. So, I'll have to call you later with a time."

"Fine." Spike rattled off his and Buffy's cell phone numbers to Cordelia. "We pick the place though. We have to be sure it is warded against any magical attacks or interference."

"You're really serious about the magic, aren't you?" Cordelia asked. She'd noticed that something seemed to be off about Willow, but she assumed it was because Willow had grown up in the last couple years.

"Yes, we are. She's tried to brainwash people and take away their will." Buffy gripped her hands into fists. "She tore me out of Heaven to resurrect me. She uses magic without thought or care to the consequences, and she makes too many mistakes with it."

"Don't let Red know anything or she might try to swipe you too." Spike cautioned. "We can try to bring you protection if you are willing to trust us. I hope you do." He spoke honestly. "I don't want anything to happen to Buffy or the Nibblet. They are my life, and I love them both."

Cordelia nodded. "For some insane reason, I believe you do love them. Beyond that, I can't promise right now." She looked back and forth over the tombstones at the eery night. "I've been gone a long time. I'd better get back. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Okay, Cordy. Thanks for giving us a chance." Buffy smiled.

Once Cordelia headed West back to the Summers' house, Buffy and Spike headed North for a quick patrol of the area. They hoped to avoid Xander and Giles.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Xander sat flat on the ground. He shook his head once, twice, and then he buried his head in his hands. There was no way he just heard any of that between Cordy, Buffy and Spike. 'She seemed like Buffy, but that's impossible if she's a vampire.'

Xander waited for the trio to part ways before he walked to the crypt. He held his hand on the door. He was afraid to go inside to see any evidence to support what he'd just heard. He opened the door and nearly passed out at the gore apparent from the violence that happened in the tomb. Until he slipped on the bullet on the crypt floor, he was ready to assume that Spike attacked Buffy

'Spike wouldn't use a gun. He can't.' Xander remembered back to a time in his parent's basement when Spike tried to point a gun at him. The chip fired even at that. Xander stood there for a couple hours, cemented to the place where his life had changed again forever. He shifted between tears of pain and disbelief and overwhelming joy that Buffy wasn't "dead" again.

Xander cursed himself for not following Giles out of the cemetery earlier. If he hadn't decided to make one final sweep, he would have never known about his friend's turning. He didn't know how he would survive this happening twice in his life. From what he'd heard, he couldn't even talk to Willow about it. He wasn't blinded by her forays into too many things of a magical nature. He believed that what Buffy and Spike said could very well be true about Willow.

Xander didn't know which way to turn or who to turn to. Life was getting more complicated by the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (10) Seeking Answers
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Xander stood in the crypt trying to process everything he heard. The bullet on the floor, and the blood splattered around the crypt, told him a story that he didn't want to accept.

Who would use a gun in a cemetery? A gun wouldn't kill most demons. So a demon must not have been the original target. All of the vampires and demons he read about/encountered used brute strength, cunning or an occasionally flashy but effective sword or hammer. A gun seemed to imply a human assailant seeking out a human victim. Buffy was the Slayer. A human couldn't possibly be responsible for her death or want her dead.

The overheard conversation kept replaying in Xander's mind. Buffy said she had a soul. She had been turned but retained her soul? That couldn't be true! A vampire always equaled evil and must be staked. It was the way it always had been. He staked Jesse when he was turned. Even Angel, the original souled vampire, proved that vampires could never fully be trusted. If vampires could be redeemed, then with the right sire and incentive could Jesse have been redeemed? It was obvious that Spike was Buffy's Sire, and the bleached menace wasn't Xander's idea of the right kind of Sire.

All these thoughts ran through Xander's mind. New ones kept popping up and Xander started to feel overwhelmed. It was giving him a headache. He closed his eyes tightly.

If by some miracle Buffy retained her soul, did that mean she could lose it like Angel did? If she really had a soul, what was she doing with the evil undead? Sure, he had to be her Sire, but why didn't Buffy stake him when she rose? Why hadn't Buffy contacted Xander, or at the very least contacted Angel? Wouldn't Buffy have sought solace with her friends? Didn't she trust them?

With a guttural moan Xander turned and ran out of the crypt, not even bothering to slam the door shut behind him. He ran until he was blinded with tears. He had already pushed himself past the point of shooting chest pains and a lack of breath. The world was spinning, and he was dangerously close to passing out. Finally he collapsed on a park bench, tears streaming down his face.

Xander's world had been turned upside down. If he was to believe what he overheard, then his best friend had spiraled out of control and was manipulating everyone around her. His other best friend, Buffy, was dead. The clear cut lines between good guys and bad guys was blurred. He didn't like this strange new world he was in. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

'Where should I go? Who can I talk to?' Giles was drunk, and he seemed to blame Buffy for disturbing his life. Anya would have answers, but Xander wasn't sure if he really wanted her opinion on the matter before he was absolutely sure of the truth. He loved Anya, but her views on the demon world and her past disturbed him. If he was honest, he would have admitted that he was having as much of a problem with accepting Anya's past as he was his own. He was terrified of turning into his father and of never measuring up to a "real man". He knew they would have to work it out, but he couldn't deal with that tonight.

Running the options over in his grief-stricken mind, Xander dismissed everyone he knew from the equation. Perhaps Cordy misunderstood what was happening at Buffy's house? He should really talk to Willow before he made any decisions on who to trust. After all, he owed his best friend the chance to defend herself. Standing up, he got his bearings and then headed in the general direction of Buffy's house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow leaned back into the couch at Rack's and started at Amy. The magical buzz she got from Rack completely restored her good mood. She could barely remember why she was upset with Buffy. Did it really matter if Buffy came home? Well aside from still not knowing where the Slayer hid the checkbook that is.

Willow barely remembered her own name at this point. The magic coursing through her veins was so intense, so primitive, and so primal. It felt like molten chocolate was caressing every inch of her body. She felt powerful and yummy. Life was excellent, the magic was plentiful, and as soon as she found Tara ... Well Tara would come back to her. She wouldn't have a choice.

In the meantime, Willow looked up at Amy, where had Amy picked up that shirt from? It looked like dark crushed red velvet. Willow ached to reach out and touch the material, as well as the girl who wore it. Biting her lip, Willow tried to figure out if she could get away with having an affair with Amy. After all Tara did break up with her, and while Willow would make sure Tara came back to her, she couldn't be faulted for having a little fun.

Tara would get used to having Amy around. Amy had magicked the rest of her stuff into Dawn's room earlier. So Tara would have to accept Amy in their lives. If she was careful, Tara would never even know what had happened. Besides, Amy was fire and lightning while Tara was soft and cuddly. Who would blame her for being attracted to both of them.

Reaching over, Willow caressed Amy's arm. Amy flinched and started to pull away from the other girl. Then, Willow glanced over at Amy, soft black eyes meeting Amy's green. "Come on Amy," She seductively purred. "Don't you want to feel what I can do to you: all this energy, all this power, all this magic running through us. "Don't you want to feel the power?"

Amy looked unsure until Willow sent a magical pulse of power into the reluctant girl. The magical energy surrounded Amy, erasing the doubts from her mind and bringing her to orgasm. Slowly Willow pushed Amy down on the couch. The power swirled around them. It caressed and melded the two bodies in a lover's dance. Rack sat back and watched the pair with a leer of cynical delight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel paced all around Buffy's house. He couldn't believe how irresponsible everyone seemed to be acting. Willow practically begged him to come to Sunnydale and one he arrives she scampered off to go play with her new friend. Buffy, the Chosen One and the protector of all that is good and pure, seemed to have run off for a vacation. Wasn't being dead for a while enough of a vacation for her already? Finally, the only person who knew where Buffy was had managed to get herself kidnapped.

It was simply amazing that these children hadn't been killed years ago. How did they ever manage to defeat his alter-ego? It astounded him. He remembered that one reason Angelus was defeated all those years ago was because of his Childe, Spike. Angel growled deeply at the thought of his oft time rebellious Childe.

Then there was his trusty seer. Cordelia whined and complained all the way down from Los Angeles, and then she disappeared, leaving him stuck in the house with Connor. Angel loved his son, but how was he supposed to take care of everyone and watch a baby at the same time? Cordy should have known that she was needed to baby-sit while he went out to save the Sunnydale gang ... again.

After twenty minutes of pacing, brooding and the occasional swear word, Angel grabbed Connor and headed out into the night. Perhaps he could find Giles or Xander to watch Connor for him. They had to be good for something because obviously they were lost when it came to dealing with problems or their Slayer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy and Spike headed home to their new house. Patrol was quiet. All they saw were a few fledges that Giles and Xander had managed to miss and one ugly demon that came to Sunnydale to take on the Slayer. Buffy briefly mused at how all the demons knew what she looked like. She knew that vampires could sense her, but could demons feel her as well? The world wasn't black and white, despite what the Council thought.

Speaking of the Council, she would have to find out if a new Slayer has been called when she died this time. No one said anything to her about a new Slayer being called after the tower incident. Were there three Slayers roaming around, or was her first death the only one that mattered?

Lost in her thoughts, Buffy never noticed when Spike put his arm around her. Instinctively Buffy leaned into him as they passed by the brightly lit Magic Box. Thankfully the sole occupant of the store was on the phone to the Council and not watching as they strolled by.

Spike's vampire hearing picked up on the conversation inside, and he cringed. He was grateful that Buffy was so lost in other thoughts, or she would have heard the conversation as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I don't care if Faith is still in jail. We need a Slayer here, and Buffy seemed to think now was a good time for vacation." Giles spoke harshly into the phone. He seemed more upset with the person on the other end of the phone line.

"Of course she'll be back. Her sister is still in Sunnydale." Giles threw his glasses onto the counter near the register. "However, she has been quite unsteady lately after her ..." He caught himself and quickly amended the end of his sentence. "... mother's death."

Giles listened to the other person talking for a brief moment before he interrupted again. "The last time she left, she was gone for three months." He looked at the ticket on the counter. "I am leaving here in three days."

Giles held the phone away from his ear while the person on the other end yelled at him. "Frankly I don't care." He paused to take in a deep breath. "You can choose to arrange Faith's release from jail or not. The choice is up to you. Buffy's been through enough. It's time for Faith to do her REAL job."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow and Amy stumbled out of Rack's place. The air surrounding them crackled with energy. They walked along the sidewalk with their arms wrapped around each other.

An elderly man looked up and watched the two women stumble about. 'Damn shame it is how the kids these days act. Two beautiful girls like that strung out on drugs already.' Crossing the street he steered away from them. He shook his head, and he quickly continued home.

Perhaps they were members of the famous PCP gang that frequently rampaged through Sunnydale. They looked like addicts who would kill for their next dose, pimp themselves out for another hit or simply manage to kill themselves because their true pain would not register. Nothing meant anything to him but their next fix and their desire for more.

Unknown to the little man, however, was the realization that it wasn't drugs that caused this dangerous high. It was something even worse, the remnants of Rack's magical enhancements and Willow's blackest mojo were emerging. Amy was hardly an innocent in the whole matter either. She was spiraling out of control herself and would soon surpass her mother in magical abuse and addiction. Seeing the look the man gave them as he passed made Amy briefly wonder if she was losing herself to the power. With a caress of Willow's hand, she quickly forgot her doubts. The Bronze was waiting for them.

Xander halted his progression to Buffy's house when he spotted Willow and Amy. "Willow, wait up!" He broke out into a jog and quickly caught up to the two girls.

Willow turned around. She was quite annoyed at being interrupted on her way to go dancing. Seeing that it was Xander, her face softened, and she reached out to caress his cheek. "Xander, you haven't called or come by for almost a week. Don't you love us anymore?"

Xander blinked and stared at Willow. She seemed off. There was something her that was mesmerizing though. Perhaps it was her eyes or the husky sound of her voice. As she stared at him, he shivered. For the first time in his life, he felt afraid of his best friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel was on his way to the Magic Box, when a strange scent floating past his nostrils. Clutching Connor, his mind was focused on the scent, Connor began to squirm and then yell. His father, however, didn't notice as the baby began to wail his outrage that his father was holding him too tightly.

The vampire flashed into game face, and his pace picked up from a slight trot to an outright run. He stopped paying attention to the boy in his arms or the area surrounding him. He concentrated on the strangely familiar scent that seemed to hold him in thrall.

As Angel ran further into the cemetery the scent grew stronger. He staked a couple vampires standing outside the door of an open crypt. He snarled and ran into the open door of the crypt through the other vampire's dust. Close his eyes, he breathed in deeply. He remembered this scent. It was the sweet smell of Slayer blood, and he could almost taste it.

A fledgling growled at Angel from his spot on the floor. He looked up at the elder vampire and growled again his warning to back off on his find. The vampire's face was covered in the remains of the blood that hadn't dried yet and what he licked off the cement floor of the crypt.

With one hand wrapped around Connor, Angel swiftly dusted the irreverent fledgling. No matter who found what first, he was the elder. His rights should have been respected.

Memories of his teeth buried in Buffy's neck made him grow hard, and he growled in frustration and anger. Who dared to take the Slayer into this dank hole? He smelled the perfumed scent of blood, sex and death. It permeated the air, even though he knew that this scene was several days old.

Angel felt Angelus clawing at the surface of his brain to be let free. He snarled into Angel's ear, 'Who would dare touch what belongs to us?'

Angel inhaled more deeply. There were faint traces of leather and smoke. 'No, Spike wouldn't be that stupid, would he?'

Angelus roared in anger. 'That Childe has gone too far this time. He must pay.'

Angel snarled and stormed out of the crypt. He slammed the door shut. He knew the Slayer lost too much blood in that place to have walked out of there alive. 'Somehow Spike must have hired a human to help him kill Buffy.'

'You really are an idiot, Angel.' Angelus mentally slapped his souled counterpart. 'You know what happened here. You felt it a couple days ago.'

'No, no, that can't be.' Angel leaned against the side of the crypt. There was no way he was ready to face the possibility that Spike found a way to Sire Buffy.

'Be denial boy all you want, but you know it's true.' Angelus delighted in the thought that Buffy was now a vampire. Now he would have no reason to hate her. He wanted to give the soul a moment of happiness to go bye bye and claim her. His Childe would be no match for him if challenged.

'You aren't going anywhere, monster.' Angel chastised the beast within him. No matter how close to the surface Angelus was, he refused to acknowledge that the two parts of him were really one. He headed out of the cemetery and back to his original destination, the Magic Box.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow felt the power still surrounding her. There was nothing that she felt she couldn't do. She could tell that she made Xander uncomfortable. Raising an eyebrow at him, she upgraded her assessment incorrectly to him being aroused. She chuckled in an amused way to herself. She always knew that Xander had a desire for powerful women, demons, and the unattainable.

Willow still remembered Xander's myriad of rejections throughout high school. She lusted over the boy for years, and he had only desired her once someone else laid claim to her heart. He never wanted her, just plain Willow. He had wanted Oz's Willow. Then once they were caught kissing, it was over again. He only wanted what he couldn't have, again.

Just look at Xander's history ... first and always foremost was the unattainable Buffy. Then there was the Queen Bitch of them all, Cordy. After using and using and disregarding her own self, there was the slutty Slayer Faith. Lastly, but not least, he moved on to a former vengeance demon. Sure Anya was easy to obtain in the beginning, but did anyone actually think he could keep a woman like that? It was so obvious that he was perpetually challenged to find what he couldn't have.

Willow couldn't think of a better revenge for his callous treatment of her pre-witchy self. Of course, now that she was in control, he wanted her. She could tell by his obvious discomfort around her. Standing there, shifting from one foot to another while avoiding looking at her. What else could cause his uneasiness. He was so obvious to her.

Willow grinned devilishly and slid up next to Xander. She leaned close and practically purred into his ear, "Now, now Xander. What are you doing running around at this time of night without one of us to protect you? If you're not careful, you could attract another demon. Don't you remember how much of a demon magnet you are? Why even Cordy is part demon now."

"Of course it could be fun." Willow leaned even closer to Xander so that as she whispered to him, her lips would caress his ear. She ran her hands down his front, pausing to cup his covered cock. "I still remember all the naughty things that my vampire double whispered to me." She licked the edge of Xander's ear lobe.

"She told me how the two of you used to paint the town red with blood, and then fucked in it until dawn." Xander shivered, and Willow took that as a good sign. "She told me how she took you and made you beg for mercy before draining your life blood. You begged her to take you, to turn you and to fuck you forever Xander. You begged her for forever with her!"

Willow let go of his cock and stepped back. She sneered at him, "Now you have your little vengeance demon, and you can't even keep her happy." She waved her hand in the air with indifference. "I heard about what the two of you sang during Sweet's visit. So pathetic! You'll never be man enough for any woman." She blew Xander a kiss, turned, and walked away from him.

Xander stood there and gaped in shock while Amy and Willow walked away. What the hell happened to Willow? Cordy, Buffy and Spike were right. How the hell did he not notice that transformation? He staggered down the road on autopilot towards home. There was only one person he could trust. He might not like what she would tell him, but at least Anya was always honest. Right now, she seemed must less scary than the Willow he'd just met.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy sighed in contentment when they reached their house. She hadn't realized how nervous and tense she was until she spotted the familiar and welcomed structure. Home was her safe haven. It was her reclusive place away from a strange and hostile world.

It was strange that even as a vampire, she felt right slaying evil. Buffy briefly thought about using her "death" as a perfect excuse to retire from being the Slayer. She wanted to be able to run away and try her hand at becoming a "normal girl", well as normal as a Slayer turned vampire could be.

Who was she kidding though? She was Buffy the Vampire Slayer who just happened to be a souled vampire with a mystical key for a sister. She was pretty sure that she was falling in love with Spike, a vampire without a soul and her Sire. It was enough to make her head hurt.

Becoming a vampire hadn't seemed to change her very much. If anything it seemed to make Buffy a better Slayer. Tonight, while patrolling, she noticed that her senses were stronger, her actions were quicker, and she practically craved the violence of the fight more than before. She couldn't imagine not slaying.

Buffy led Spike over to the porch swing and sat down with him. She needed to rest and decide what to do about her friends. Now that Cordy knew she was a vampire, she would have to think about how to tell her friends. Everyone was going to find out. It would be better to tell them on her terms then deal with the aftermath of them finding out on their own. Of course that did mean figuring out what to do about Willow. They'd have to block her magic somehow.

Buffy snuggled into Spike's arms and then froze. She hadn't realized that she was this close to Spike on the swing until now. Earlier, she rejoiced in the feel of his arms, but that was when they were out in the cemetery. They were surrounded by people, demons, fledges and eventually Cordy. At home they were alone. Everyone else had fallen asleep a long time ago.

Buffy felt the outline of Spike's body pressed next to her and his cool breath on her neck. She closed her eyes and let out a ragged breath. She fought the urge to flee, and she willed her body to calm down. She was in Spike's arms, and this Spike would never hurt her.

Finally Buffy looked up and met the worried gaze of her Sire. "Spike? I know you said you would be patient with me, but can I kiss you?" She hurried on before he answered, "Nothing else ... Just kiss you?"

Spike nodded his agreement. He couldn't trust his voice not to squeak when he spoke. He vowed not to move or press Buffy for more. He would accept what she was offering, and he wouldn't try to pressure her into anything she wasn't ready for.

Spike's demon raged inside of him. It demanded that he take her, claim her, and mate with her. It was more than dominance. The demon wanted to offer Buffy the comfort that their mated bond would bring.

Spike knew that he could take the pain away with the bonding between their demons, but he knew she wasn't ready for that yet. He would not take the risk of further traumatizing Buffy. He read enough of the stupid books to know that she needed to be in control of things for a while. So, he waited, staring into Buffy's beautiful emerald eyes.

Buffy leaned closer to Spike for a kiss. She hesitated for a moment, and then pressed her lips against his.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (11) Confrontations - Part 1
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Previous Chapter Summary: Xander ran from Willow and headed towards home. Angel came upon the crypt where Buffy died. Angelus came out to have a little chat with Angel while he was there. Giles contacted the Council about Faith being brought to Sunnydale. Spike and Buffy shared a sweet kiss at the end of the night.

Chapter Summary: Xander confronts his fears, and he will have faith and trust in Anya's knowledge. Buffy confronts some of her emotional and physical fears towards Spike and intimacy. Angel attempts to confront Cordelia back at the Summers' house. Willow and Amy drown farther into the abyss of dark magic with each other, and they talk about what happened with Xander.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Xander arrived at his apartment out of breath and scared. After Willow's little lust speech, he ran as fast as he could to get across town to his home. Once inside he slammed the door shut, locked it, and his body crumbled to the floor. With his face in his hands he wept for the anguish that was in his heart concerning his two best friends.

Anya walked out into the main living room when she heard the door open and close. She was about to ask about his patrol when she heard his shuddering sobs. She stopped advancing on him, and she tried to figure out what to do. She wasn't too good about dealing with all of the human emotions she felt or saw in others. "Xander?" She queried softly.

Xander's tear stained face looked up at his fiancé. "Ahn ..." He held out his arms towards Anya. "Come join me down here. I think we're having an unscheduled apocalypse."

"That must have been one heck of a patrol, Xander." Anya sank down next Xander on the floor. She snuggled against him. "You don't seem injured. What did you fight?"

"The injuries are internal, Ahn." Xander ran his fingers through Anya's hair. He rubbed her back with his other hand.

Anya rested her head on Xander's shoulder. She knew him well enough to realize that he was still in shock about whatever he'd seen. She waited for him to be able to continue.

"Willow ... She ... She taunted me with what her vampire doppelganger told her a couple years ago." Xander shivered again. "It was like she went all dark and sexy in an evil way. She even grabbed me." He shivered in disgust.

Anya knew what Xander referred to. Anya had been a part of the original spell to try and get her amulet back. She was glad that the spell hadn't worked because she wouldn't have Xander in her life if it had. "I wouldn't take everything that the vamped Willow said seriously. She wasn't exactly telling the truth about everything."

"What do you mean? Are you saying she lied?" Xander hoped that even as a vampire he hadn't done some of the things his Willow told him about earlier. 'Not that it matters. Willow was still all freaky to even say it.' He remembered how dark and cold Willow felt to him.

Anya tried to console Xander. "She was a bit upset that she was here." She rubbed the top of Xander's thigh. "Plus that whole bit about vampires not being anything like they are before they are turned was a bunch of hooey."

Xander remained silent. He contemplated telling Anya about Buffy. He needed to hear more from Anya before he did. He didn't want to believe that the Buffy he knew and loved was gone. It would be even worse than her death after Glory because he would see her but it wouldn't be her.

"Vamped Willow was just upset to be reminded of her humanity," Anya explained. "She chose to be how she was. The vampire demon helped her to let go of herself to the darker side, but she could have fought it."

"Fought it how? Vampires don't have their souls."

"That is a bunch of garbage, Xander Harris." Anya sat up and rolled her eyes at Xander. "I really wish that you'd stop reading those Council books. They are not worth the paper they are written on."

"They've researched vampires and demons for centuries." Xander defended Giles and his knowledge base. "After dealing with them for all that time, they should know everything there is to know."

"They might know everything if each Council group would stop hiding information that they didn't want known by the next group." Anya stood up and paced in front of Xander. "I've been around for over a thousand years, and I know what they don't want their Slayer's to know."

"I'm not biased against facts that don't fit a certain mold like they are." Anya continued her tirade, "For example, why would the Council want the Slayers to know that not all demons are bad? The Council wants their Slayers to just kill any demon or vampire without any regard to the truth because they order it."

"I haven't seen all that many "friendly" demons. Most are trying to kill us, one way or another."

"You live on a Hellmouth," Anya stated matter-of-factly. "You are going to get the more violent and Hell bound demons here, doubly so because of the presence of a Slayer. There are many places, and even some right here, where demons just want to live in peace alongside the humans."

"Wow, that seems unreal to me." Xander contemplated Anya's words. "It's hard for me to get a handle on that one."

Anya dropped to her knees in front of Xander. "There are good and bad demons, just like there are good and bad humans. Surely you don't think all humans are good because of a "soul"."

Xander thought about how Willow acted earlier. He realized even more how his lines of black and white were growing ever more blurred. "Tell me more about vampires. You said that they could follow the ways of their humanity or the demon?"

"Yes," Anya folded her hands in her lap and continued, "The demon and human essence, or soul as you like to call it, battle it out when the body is transforming itself into the hybrid creature we call a vampire."

Xander nodded. "So Angelus, Drusilla, and Spike are all like their human counterparts before they were turned?" He feared for Buffy to be under Spike's care if he was that vicious even as a human.

"Not always. The ways of the demon are an easier path to follow. Often, the human essence gives up and just lets the demon take control." Anya thought back on the many vampires she'd encountered in her centuries of vengeance. "Being more human is chastised amongst the mainstream of vampires. Sires will try to beat and torture that essence to eradicate it."

"We were told that Drusilla was made insane by Angelus before she was even turned. She still remains insane now."

"Yes, but the unstable human element is what helped her vampire demon to take control of her." Anya had met the crazy Vampiress many decades earlier after Angelus left the fold with his soul. She'd granted a wish for Drusilla then too. "Her love for Angelus, and blind devotion to her Sire, also shaped who she became over the years."

Anya wasn't sure how much she should tell Xander about what she knew from her friendship with Halfrek about Spike. "I have a feeling that a lot of what Spike became had to do with Angelus tormenting him and his love at the time for Drusilla."

"How do you know that? Did you know Spike before he was turned?" Xander wondered if Anya had a connection to Spike before he was turned. 'Is that why she always seems to be more on his side?'

"No, but a friend of mine did. In fact, she feels that she was the reason he was turned in the first place." Halfrek never said much about her human days, but, after a run in with Drusilla one day, she'd confided in Anya about some of her past. "Spike has changed some since the chip was put in. He couldn't do many of the things that his vampiric family ties forced on him for decades."

"That isn't to say he doesn't still have the bad boy in him, but the chip let the demon justify in his mind how much of the human was showing again. For decades the demon was in the driver's seat. Now, it seems like they switch depending on what is needed."

"He did take care of Dawn all summer, even when Buffy was gone." Xander thought about how devastated Spike looked that morning after the tower incident. His own heart felt torn in two just by watching the grief on the vampire's face. "He could have left, but he stayed to help us. No one expected him to stay. At least I didn't."

"Exactly. Now you are starting to see, Xander." Anya beamed proudly at her fiancé. "He could have left, or he could have even had someone else kill us all. He is still a Master Vampire in one of the oldest clans in existence. He chose to stay with us and fight for us."

"So, if say Buffy was turned into a vampire, she might not go all evil on us?" Xander questioned.

"No, Slayers are different," Anya started to understand why Xander was so curious about her knowledge of demons. She figured something must have happened to Buffy. "They already have a vampire like demon in them from the time they are Chosen."

"Buffy has always been a demon?" Somehow the thought of Buffy always having a demon actually comforted him. 'If I liked Buffy before, and she fought with the good side, she should still be the same.'

"Hybrid, Xander. You need to stop thinking in absolute black and white." Anya was willing to spend whatever time it took to help Xander understand. Their wedding date was getting closer, and she longed for him to accept her demon friends.

"Okay, she was a hybrid; one of the good demons." Xander nodded in acceptance.

"Yes. The human change into a Slayer hybrid starts when they are Chosen." Anya stood up. She extended her hand out to Xander to help him up. The two of them walked to the couch and sat down while Anya continued her explanations. "The demon presence makes itself known through dreams when they are first Chosen. It is how the Slayer is able to share in the memories of past Slayers. Normally they will feel the pull of both the darkness and the light."

Xander wrapped his arms around Anya. He felt like he should be taking notes in true Giles like fashion.

"Most Slayers end up leaning towards one side or the other. Some bounce back and forth over the line depending on the situation. That is one reason why we have rogue Slayers, like what happened with Faith. They get a taste of the dark side, or something snaps, and they lose it."

"But Buffy could still be a good vampire or at least not a fully evil one?"

"Xander, are you trying to tell me that you think Buffy is a vampire?" Anya was tired of dancing around the subject. If Buffy was a vampire, they needed to deal with it head on and not run about the mulberry bush with it.

Xander nodded and sighed. "Let me tell you what happened tonight after Giles and I finished patrol."

Anya and Xander talked until well after sunrise about what Xander heard, what he saw in the cemetery, and what happened with Willow. They talked about different ways to handle their knowledge, and they finally decided that they wouldn't tell Giles about it yet. Both of them realized that Giles was acting very out of sorts, and they wanted to get all the facts before they went to Buffy's Watcher.

Anya knew of a few books that she could order that weren't tainted by the Council's teachings. It would take a day or two for them to get in, even by express. So, they needed to wait until they could get them for Xander to continue his research.

A part of Xander rebelled at the thought that anything vampire could be good, but he couldn't deny what his eyes told him. He tried to will himself to keep an open mind until he knew more. He wanted to talk to Buffy, but first he needed to know a little bit more about Slayers and vampires ... things he wouldn't find out from the Council of Watchers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cordelia snuck into the Summers' household before Angel, Willow, and Amy returned to it. She frowned when she found the shower off because she knew that Angel must have realized she left the house now. She quickly slipped into bed just as Angel returned from his outing.

A furious Angel slammed open the door of the Summers' house. All the lights at the Magic Box were off when he arrived, and he didn't have the patience to head to the Watcher's house to find him there. Instead he headed back to Buffy's house. He hoped that Cordelia would be back for him to talk to. He stomped up the steps with Connor in his arms.

Cordelia's heart skipped a couple beats. She could tell Angel was ticked. He wasn't being quiet about his entrance at all. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide her speeding heartbeat from him, but that didn't mean she was going to acknowledge him either. She wasn't ready to face his questions yet. She still had too many of her own.

The door to the bedroom slammed open, and Angel stepped into the room. "Delia?" He'd heard her heart race, and the scent of her trepidation was in the air. "Delia?" He repeated again.

Cordy tried her best to remain calm and stay still. The whimpers of an unhappy Connor nearly had her turning over in the bed to take care of the child.

Angel huffed. "I find it strange that the water was running without you being in the shower. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" He questioned.

After a couple more minutes without a response from Cordelia, Angel turned around and left the room with a parting statement. "I saw the crypt, and I know you're hiding something. I will find out what it is."

When the door closed, and she was sure that Angel was gone, Cordy sat up in bed. 'How did he find it? What was he doing in the cemetery anyways with Connor?' She'd have to avoid Angel as much as possible over the next couple days.

Cordy had to find out more about Willow's magic and talk to Tara and Dawn before she met with Spike and Buffy again. The trick was that she had to do all of this without Angel's knowledge. Her best option was to stay out of the house during the day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow and Amy stumbled into the door, giggling and holding onto each other.

Willow flashed a sly grin at Amy, "Did you see the look on Xander's face? Such a scared little boy; he is always wanting what he can't have. Do you remember the love spell you cast for him?"

Willow and Amy chuckled before Willow sneered and continued, "I just wish you could have seen his reactions to my vampire double. He was so scared of her, of me." A part of her delighted in the feelings of fear she felt from Xander. "You could tell he was jealous of his doppelganger, but he went on for days how *he* was a big shot in the alternative universe."

Willow paused a moment in contemplation then continued, "I know I was the truly powerful one. He was there what he has always been here; a scared little kid riding on my coattails. Poor Xander, can't get a passing grade, can't get a date, and can't help Buffy 'cept get in the way."

Willow's eyes maintained their inky blackness during the entire rant. The air was practically electrified from the borrowed magic coursing through the red head's veins. Right and wrong were no longer distinct choices. Everything was blending together, and the only thing that mattered was the magic and the delicious rush of power that accompanied each spell that was woven.

Reaching out to Amy, Willow pulled her closer and embraced her with a passionate kiss. This time Amy didn't pull back or flinch. She craved the power and energy of her former friend, now lover. It didn't matter to her that she had never considered herself to be gay, or even bisexual. The power was addicting, and she would do anything to keep Willow close. As long as they were together, they would be unstoppable.

With a wave of Willow's hand they were both naked. Their bodies started to move in slow rhythmic motions, and they were lost in the ecstasy of each other's bodies. Neither bothered to remember that they were in the living room or that their guests were secluded in various rooms and could come out at any time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In their separate rooms Buffy and Spike both reflected on the day. Each of them were lost in their own thoughts, yet their thoughts both lingered on the same thing ... each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy slipped beneath the cool satin sheets on her bed. The silkiness of the fabric felt like a tender caress over her exposed flesh. She sighed happily and buried her head in her pillow.

The longer Buffy lay alone in her bedroom the more unsettled she became. She felt cold and distant, alone and detached. She kept reaching out for something or someone else in the bed, but her reach came up empty every time.

Buffy hugged her arms around herself and clutched tightly. She figured out what was missing, but she was afraid to call out to him. She knew Spike would come to her aid, but she didn't want to hurt him or lead him on in any way. She needed him and wanted him, but she wasn't sure how far she was able to go.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In his own room, Spike sighed happily. He and Buffy sat on the porch until the sun started to rise. They alternated between kissing and just holding each other while they talked and snuggled. He felt closer to her than ever before, and he felt the bond they shared be strengthened.

Spike's blissful thoughts slowly drooped into bouts of loneliness and longing. He knew that he was content with how the day went. So, he assumed that what he was feeling came from Buffy. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, and he concentrated on the link he had with his Childe. It wasn't as strong as a mating link, but it still told him a lot about Buffy's moods.

Spike frowned at the pain he sensed in Buffy's heart and mind. Earlier she'd seemed so happy about having Dawn, him, Tara and Valerie around. He clutched his chest as the emptiness Buffy felt gnawed into his consciousness. Why was she feeling lonely when there were so many people here with her and on her side?

'But no one is in there with her now, vampire,' Spike's inner poet chided. 'Shouldn't a Sire be there with his Childe?'

'Most Sires would have let the Childe rise from a grave and find them,' The vampire retorted.

'You aren't a normal Sire to this Childe, Spike.' William knocked on the inside of Spike's brain. 'You love her, and you know you want to be in there with her.'

'She isn't ready yet,' Spike gripped the sheets more tightly. He had no desire to ruin the progress he'd already made with Buffy. 'If we push her, she might reject us. Rejection was hard enough before, I can't handle it again.'

Although it was unusual for William to be pushing Spike into moving into action sooner, it wasn't unheard of. William's heart broke over the pain he felt from Buffy's mind. He hated to admit that only his "Spike" side could calm her as her Sire, but he would do anything to ease her loneliness. 'Did earlier tonight feel like a rejection to you? Take the chance! Go in there!'

Spike gulped. He felt the mental nudges from William, and he was shocked to find William being so forceful with him. 'Fine!' Spike stood up, 'But if she rejects us this time, mate, I'm going to kill you.'

'Too late bleached boy. Already dead, remember?' William chuckled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy looked up at the door before she heard the soft knock on it. "Spike?"

Spike opened the door to Buffy's bedroom a tiny bit. He peeked his head around the corner. "Mind if I come in pet?"

Buffy shook her head back and forth quickly. "I don't mind at all. Please do." She sat up in her bed.

Spike walked slowly over to Buffy's bed. "I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong, luv." He leaned against the side of the bed. "Is there something I can get you?"

Buffy nibbled on her lower lip nervously. She gazed down at the hands twisted in her electric comforter. Spike had been so loving and caring to make sure that she had everything she needed to stay warm and survive. She felt wrong in asking him for more, but there was something she needed more than anything else he could give her. She answered, "You?"

"Excuse me?" Spike blinked in utter shock at Buffy's statement.

Buffy ducked her head shyly, but she pulled back the comforter of the bed. "You, Spike." She timidly raised her head to look into his eyes. "I need you."

"Buffy, you can't mean ..." Spike's words fell off into the silent night even as his body sank down to the bed to sit on the side of it.

"Hold me," Buffy spoke tenderly while her hands reached up to remove Spike's shirt. She dropped it over the side of the bed and scooted closer to him. "Show me the depth of your love."

Spike grabbed Buffy's hands when her fingers attempted to pop open the top button of his jeans. "I love you with all that I am, Buffy," His voice was barely audible except to Buffy's vampiric hearing. "I don't want to hurt you."

Buffy smiled warmly in return. She moved his hands away from his jeans with her free hand and continued to first pop the button open and then lower the zipper. "You won't hurt me." Her gaze never left his. "I need to feel your touch and your body completely against mine."

Spike kicked his jeans off onto the floor. He took Buffy in his arms and laid her back against his arm and the pillows in the middle of the bed. He pressed his naked body alongside hers, cupped her cheek with his free hand, and then ran that same hand through her golden tresses.

Buffy closed her eyes and purred softly in contentment. All of the pain from earlier vanished just by being in his presence. She turned her head to kiss the palm of Spike's hand. "Sire ..."

Spike kissed Buffy with the growing passion he felt for her. He nipped and nibbled along her jaw line until he claimed her lips again. "You don't have to do this, Childe. We have eternity to wait for you to be ready."

Buffy cupped Spike's cheek. "I'm doing this because I want to, not because I have to," She reassured him. "Is it too much to ask for you to touch and hold me without, you know what?"

Spike softly chuckled, "If you can't say it, you can't do it, pet." He loved to tease her. He trailed his fingertips down the side of her breast. He pinched one nipple between two fingers. "But I think I can accommodate you."

"Oooo," Buffy moaned. "And very well it would seem." She ran one of her hands down between them until she was able to wrap her fingers around his cock. "Although I can't give it the happiest place in the world, I won't let him be lonely." She stroked his hardening shaft up and down in time with the caresses and kisses he placed upon her body.

Spike kissed down Buffy's throat. He nipped and worried where her beating pulse would be, teasing the borrowed blood to the surface of her neck with blunt teeth. He growled into her neck.

Buffy knew instinctively why Spike was growling. She ran her fingers through his gelled hair, loosening it, and cooed, "Soon my beloved. Soon."

Spike's eyes flashed amber, and he pulled back to look into Buffy's now silver eyes. He grunted then growled again.

Buffy released her grip on his cock, nodded and placed both of her hands on his shoulders.

Spike grinned in all his fangy splendor then began his trek down Buffy's body.

Tiny trails and droplets of Buffy's blood dotted her chest, breasts and abdomen, but this time there was no pain involved that she didn't want. When each nip beaded another droplet of blood on her body to add to the trail he'd created, she reveled in each flicker of Spike's tongue that took her blood off her body.

Spike snarled in pleasure with each taste of the Slayer's sweet elixir. She was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Being both his Childe and the Slayer did something to her blood that no one else could mimic. She tasted like Heaven, a pure nirvana for him to sample.

Spike buried his tongue in Buffy's belly button. He swirled the tip around the tiny hole, and he delighted in her squirms to try and get away from the questing appendage.

"Oh gosh ..." Buffy gasped the moment Spike's mouth met with her moistened core. She nearly shot off the bed, but Spike's hands on her hips held her down. "No one ..."

Spike grinned like a Cheshire cat. 'How could she never have had this done for her?' He silently cursed Buffy's previous lovers for not showing her this particular pleasure. In the next thought he grinned devilishly for being able to introduce her to this side of oral pleasure.

"Don't stop. Please don't stop," Buffy begged and twisted underneath Spike's grasp. She wrapped her legs on either side of his head and squeezed her thighs together around his head.

Spike was thankful he had no need to breathe, or he would be dead. The tighter Buffy gripped him, the further his tongue delved into her pink folds. He nibbled on the edges of her lips while he plunged two fingers into her depths.

Buffy squealed out in delight and bucked her pussy up into Spike's mouth. She writhed and cried out her mounting pleasure.

Spike's arm shot up to cover Buffy's mouth with his hand. Although he loved the growing volume and sounds of her pleasure, he as pretty sure that Tara and Dawn wouldn't appreciate being awakened by Buffy's orgasm.

Buffy beat her fists into the bed as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her body. She never felt this alive even when her heart beat. She careened over the edge into orgasmic ecstasy.

Spike continued to lick and suckle Buffy's clit into his mouth, alternating with full-length licks of his tongue into her core, to prolong her orgasm. He ground his own erection against the bed to seek any kind of relief that he could for the ache in his groin. When Buffy's orgasm started to abate, Spike sunk the tips of his fangs into the tender flesh around Buffy's clit and drank the sweet nectar of her blood along with her release.

Buffy's mouth opened to scream, but Spike's wrist and palm stopped most of the noise from coming out. Without thought Buffy sank her fangs into Spike's wrist and drank deeply of her Sire's essence. With each pull of his blood she felt more complete than the last.

Spike was unable to stop himself from cumming hard and fast when Buffy drank from him. He nearly passed out immediately from how much she was taking, but he wasn't able to stop her. He was mesmerized by the allure of her feeding. Just before he passed out from the strength of his orgasm and blood loss, he swore he heard Buffy say "Mine" and his own response of "Yours" echoing through the room.

Buffy pulled Spike up next to her. Instinctively she cut her tongue on one of her fangs. Then she sealed the wound on his wrist. She felt a change in her bond with Spike. She felt him more clearly, but something was still missing. She'd ask him about it later. Right now her body called out to her to sleep. Sunrise was approaching fast.

Spike dreamt of being claimed by Buffy. He wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, but he didn't care. He was in Buffy's arms, and that was all that mattered. He was fairly certain that it was all just a dream because Buffy wouldn't know about claims yet.

Buffy caressed his face in his sleep. At first she worried that she took too much of his blood. A mental check revealed that he was only sleeping. She felt his dreams. She pulled the covers up over both their bodies, nestled tighter into Spike's embrace, and drifted off to a peaceful and contented sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (12) Confrontations - Part 2
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Tasha)

Previous Chapter Summary: Xander and Anya talked all night and into the morning about vampires, demons, and what Xander knew about Buffy and Willow. Cordelia snuck back into the house before Angel, but Angel tried to confront her without success. Buffy and Spike shared the night together in more tender but passionate embraces, moving forward in their relationship.

Chapter Summary: A couple days of time have passed since the last chapter. Spike believes that he only dreamed the last part of his night with Buffy. He thinks that their connection is stronger only because of their growing relationship. Several people will be faced with different confrontations, both good and bad. Buffy will be tested both physically and emotionally over the time that passes in this chapter. Our little family will grow closer, possibly bring in new additions, and old friends will find out that what they do will affect their friendships.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

The next couple days passed in relative peacefulness. Angel paced and scoured
Sunnydale with no further luck in finding Dawn or Buffy. Every time he tried to corner Giles on the issue, he was brushed off. Giles even went so far as to kick Angel out of the Magic Box on one of the days.

Angel followed Willow's directions to the Sunnydale branch of Wolfram and Hart, but he never saw any sign of Buffy or Dawn. When he went back to examine the crypt it was completely clean. No traces of blood remained, and there were no other signs of a struggle present.

Cordy still wasn't talking to Angel, but he knew that she had some idea what was going on. He had picked up traces of her scent the first time he visited the crypt.

On the third day Angel was fed up with Cordy's avoidance of him, Willow's nonchalant attitude, and Giles' pompous posturing. He dashed out the door of Buffy's house with a quilt over his head, and he darted down the manhole in the middle of the street. He was going to get some answers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cordelia called the cell phone number she had for Spike, grateful that he picked up on the second ring. "Spike?"

"Depends on who wants to know," Spike answered.

"It's Cordelia. Angel just left here like a bat out of hell." Cordy walked into Buffy's old bedroom where Angel was sleeping. Schematics and architectural designs of the sewer systems as well as the Wolfram and Hart building were strewn across the vanity.

"Any idea where he's headed, luv?"

"I think he's headed to Wolfram and Hart. It looks like he figured out the sewer access to it."

"Bugger! Of all the days to ..." Scraping noises and cursing echoed over the phone line. "Buffy headed there to take care of some legalities about bank accounts and the house."

Cordelia heard the sounds of doors opening and closing amidst more cursing. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay with his kid and try to get a hold of Valerie. She needs to be warned that the poof is on his way."

"I'll do what I can." Cordy heard the line go dead before she finished speaking. She dialed up Valerie's number, but it was busy. She set her phone to automatically redial until it went through. While she waited, she thought about the meeting she had with Dawn, Tara and Valerie the day before.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The day before ...

Tara twisted her hands nervously in her lap. "Dawnie, please."

"I can't help it." Dawn paced back and forth in front of the bus stop bench Tara sat on. "I feel like a caged rat."

Tara cringed. Spike and Buffy shared all the knowledge they gleaned from their conversation with Cordelia. Tara knew Amy was a witch before she was turned into a rat. She couldn't help but wonder what Amy and Willow might be doing.

"Oh my gosh," Dawn gasped. "I didn't mean to ... I'm sorry." She covered her mouth with her hands.

"I know Dawnie ..." Tara sighed and then patted the bench next to her. "Miss Chase will be here soon enough."

"What if she doesn't believe us," Dawn fretted. "What if she and Angel try to take us away from Buffy and Spike?"

"Valerie promised to follow us in her car." Tara reminded Dawn of the plan they talked about. "We also have the signatures of our bracelets that they can track." She wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulder.

"Everything we do is a risk until Angel is gone and Willow's under control." Dawn sighed. "I wish we could say to heck with everyone else and their judgments."

"We could always leave Sunnydale, but the problems would follow us." Tara looked up in time to see a convertible car stop at the corner.

Cordelia spotted Dawn and who she assumed to be Tara at the bus stop. She parked the car on the curb and stepped out of the car. She walked over to the pair slowly, keeping her eyes open for anyone else that might try to attack.

"Hello, Cordy," Dawn greeted. Although she knew the monks faked her memories, she remembered Cordelia Chase.

"Hello, Miss Chase," Tara cordially greeted the old Scooby. She stood up. "I'm Tara McClay. I'm sure you remember Dawn Summers."

"Yes, though sometimes my recollections are foggy." Cordelia turned to look at Dawn again. "No offense, Dawn."

"None, taken. Most people are like that." Dawn giggled. "Maybe we can explain that to you some time."

Cordelia raised a brow in curiosity. She looked around the bus stop area. "Let's get out of here." She started back to her car.

Dawn looked up at Tara for her approval. Tara nodded. The two of them walked hand in hand to Cordy's car. Before Tara shut the door she glanced at the opposite corner where she knew Valerie was waiting in her tinted windowed car. Knowing Valerie was there put her at ease and made her feel more confident. Perhaps everything would work out after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Present Day

Cordelia shook her head back and forth. Connor felt the nervousness of the woman who held him. Cordy cooed and soothed Connor. "Sorry, Connor." She bounced Connor in her arms.

Everything Cordy heard from Tara and Dawn went along with what Spike and Buffy told her. It seemed like both of the girls were happy to be living with Spike and Buffy. Both of them seemed nervous about Angel and Willow, but other than that they just wanted to move forward with their lives without the interference of others.

Cordy wandered down the stairs into the living room. Willow and Amy were out of the house for the moment. She warmed up a bottle for Connor. She looked down at her phone. "Why is Valerie's phone still busy?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At the law offices of Wolfram and Hart, Valerie switched between several calls simultaneously. She had Buffy's bank on hold on one line while she spoke to several creditors and real estate agents on other lines.

Several pages were occupied in her notebook with notations and confirmation numbers for all of the transactions Buffy and Spike wanted her to take care of today. She picked up a stack of file folders, stuffed them into her briefcase, and left her office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawn paced back and forth in the main lobby. She was starting to wear a path in the carpet. She wrung her hands together. She had stayed home the last two days from school in case Willow or Angel tried to nab her from school.

Nothing happened between Dawn and Buffy to cause anyone concern. In fact both of them had gotten along better than they ever had before. Their relationship was becoming closer than just sisters. They were becoming close friends.

The only problem Dawn had with her living arrangements was that she felt Spike and Buffy were hiding something from her. Every now and then she'd catch them staring at her and talking about something. She never got close enough to hear what they were talking about. She was going to ask them about it soon if they didn't tell her something.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy arrived at the lower level garage for the Wolfram and Hart building. She parked the Taurus, after dropping Tara off at the college, and headed into the building from underground. She followed the directions Valerie gave her the night before to find the main conference lounge.

Buffy looked down at her watch. She was about ten minutes early. So, she figured Val would arrive soon. They had given her a lot to take care of: Buffy's bank accounts, the Summers' house, schooling, and trust funds to name a few.

'It's not like I have to worry about running out of time in the near future,' Buffy chuckled at the thought. The last two days with Spike, Tara, Dawn and Valerie had been some of the best in her life. Though she spent most of that time being tested for tolerances and endurances, she felt refreshed and reenergized.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie made it into the main lobby about the same time that the doors burst open to a smoking vampire. Dawn screamed and ran to Valerie. Valerie placed herself between Dawn and the intruder desperately hoping that the protective magic around her would prevent bloodshed.

Valerie felt the wards crackle but not before Angel's hand lashed out. She attempted to avoid the blow, but she ended up dazed as her cheek was sliced open. Her head snapped back from the force of the blow.

The blanket fell away and revealed a very ticked off vampire. "Get away from the lawyer, Dawn." A furious Angel growled at Dawn. "She's evil. I'm here to protect you from her."

"I don't need protection from her. Valerie saved me from the only person I needed protection from ... Willow." Dawn moved and firmly stood her ground in front of the bleeding woman. Angel would have to go through her to get to Valerie.

Buffy, who moved from the conference room to the main room when she heard the commotion, vamped and growled threateningly at the danger to her family and friends. She launched herself at Angel's back, kicking him to the floor with a blow to the middle of his back. She flipped Angel over while she punched and beat on him.

All at once the vampire surged off the floor. He bound Buffy's wrists in his hand. He growled dominantly, demanding her to submit.

Buffy snorted at the command. There was only one person she gave that control to, and that vampire was blonde, sexy, and her Sire. She counter-growled in refusal.

The dark haired vampire let go of one of Buffy's wrists long enough to open-handed slap Buffy across the face. The ring he wore on his hand cut into her cheek.

Pain radiated from the blow. She blinked at the stars swimming around her vision. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Dawn sneak Valerie down a hallway to another room. Happy that her sister was safe for the moment, she fought back again. Her boot connected with the vampire's groin, and he dropped her.

"Now Buff. Was that a nice thing to do?" Angelus cupped his aching family jewels. Seeing Buffy as a vampire called out to his demon. She was magnificent to behold. His demon forced its way to the surface in a lunge of desire, dominance, and a need to posses the woman, shoving the soul back into the background.

'Buff?' Buffy thought to herself. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Angelus?" She whimpered, 'Please no, not my dream!'

"Oh aren't we a smart little fledge." Angelus sneered. He straightened his back and walked closer to Buffy. He leaned down and sniffed at her neck. She felt like family. How was that possible? "SPIKE!!" He snarled in disgust and anger. He recognized his Childe's mark on Buffy's neck. Spike's scent was all around the woman.

Buffy couldn't help the step back she took away from Angelus' rage. She doubted that she'd seen him this mad the last time he was free.

"How dare he?" Angelus grabbed Buffy's arms. He pushed her up against a wall. "You were mine."

Now Buffy was peeved. There was no way she'd let Angelus get away with a remark like that. "I belong to Spike."

Angelus dropped Buffy to the floor, and he laughed. He laughed so hard that Buffy thought he was going insane. When Angelus stared at Buffy's eyes again, he glared at her in hatred. "If he touches you again, I will dust him. I brought him into this world, and I will take him from it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike raced through the sewers across town from his house to Wolfram and Hart. He felt the panic and fear in his Childe, and he forced himself to push his body past it's limits to reach her more quickly.

The cover over the tunnel entrance in the underground garage of the office building flew up and into a car with the force of Spike's punch. He was in full game face, and he stalked towards the entryway.

"William, she needs to face him alone." A feminine voice called from in front of him, a shadow blocked the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angelus held Buffy up by the throat against the wall. "Poor little Buffy. Where is your Sire now?" He taunted her.

Buffy scratched at the hand at her throat. She tried to pry Angelus' fingers apart, but she only succeeded in upsetting him more. She felt Spike's presence getting closer and closer. 'Sire ... Please help me.'

Angelus sneered, "He will never come for you. You aren't worth enough to him for him to face me. He isn't willing to die for you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"William you can't go in there," A familiar feminine voice repeated to Spike from the shadows. "She needs to face him by herself."

Spike's enhanced sight made out the form of what appeared to be a vengeance demon. "Who are you, and why did you call me that?"

The female demon stepped further into the garage area. "I am called Halfrek now, servant of D'Hoffryn and a vengeance demon."

"What would you know of what Buffy needs to face or not face. She is calling for me." Spike was angered that someone stood between him and Buffy. He felt the anger and pain that his Childe was feeling, and it tore at him not to be by her side. "She is my Childe. I have to protect her."

"There is a time to protect, and there is a time to let your Childe fight her own battles." Halfrek kept her place in front of the door leading into the building. "I know what is on her mind. I heard her cry for vengeance from her rest, and I helped you both to be able to achieve her wishes."

Spike's eyes widened. "The chip. You are the one that took the chip out!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, I am." Halfrek stepped closer to Spike.

"Why would you take out my chip when it was Buffy's vengeance?" Spike felt something towards the demon, but he wasn't able to place where he knew her. He had no recollection of meeting a Halfrek before.

"It would have hindered you from bringing her rapist and murderer to our form of justice," Halfrek explained. "You could also call it a down payment on an old debt." Her face shifted back to her human form.

"Cecily?" Spike gasped. "No! This is some sick trick of Angelus'."

Cecily reached out to touch Spike's arm. "No trick, William." She smiled softly. "I was recruited by D'Hoffryn shortly after the night I said those awful words to you."

Spike stepped away from Cecily. "You have no right to expect any kindness from me now. I should rip your throat out."

"I know, and I only ask that you let me apologize to you. Just hear what I have to say, please."

Cecily's voice was filled with honesty, and Spike's demon knew that. He nodded for her to continue. He forced himself to hold back the rage that built within him at seeing her again.

"Although I did not love you, William, I would not have said those awful words to you if it weren't for my parents." Cecily kept her gaze even with Spike's. "They wanted to arrange a marriage between myself and Roger. They found your attention on me embarrassing to them."

Spike snorted. "They would, pillocks."

"I quite agree." Cecily continued, "They told me that if I didn't find a way to keep you from coming around again, they would publicly embarrass you and your family. It seems that my father had some blackmail against your family from several generations past. It shouldn't have mattered, but you know how our society was. Your whole family would have been disgraced. Although I did not love you, I did not want to see your family destroyed."

"So you destroyed me instead. Is that right, pet?" Spike seethed.

"I'm sorry, William. If I had known ..." Cecily let her sentence trail off, "I don't know what I would have done."

"I suppose I should thank you." Spike stood up taller. Somehow hearing Cecily's original reasons for what she said made him feel a little better about his old poncy side. "If I hadn't been turned then I never would have met the true woman I was meant to be with."

Cecily nodded. "She is a very special woman, William, and I am happy for you."

Spike started to step around Cecily to go inside, but a hand on his arm stopped him. "You've faced your past, and now she needs to face her own. If you go in there now, she'll never know if she can do what needs to be done against Angelus."

"But ..."

"Have faith in her, William."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy felt the rage surging through her Sire, and it heightened her adrenaline enough for her to kick Angelus away from her. "Stay away from me, Angelus. I will never be yours."

Angelus laughed menacingly. "You will always be mine, Buff." He stood back up. His height towered over Buffy's, but she was stronger.

"I swear if you come near me and mine again, I will stake you." Buffy stared at Angelus with a flinty glare of determination in her eyes.

"You are just a fledgling. You're no real threat to me." Angelus laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Buffy grinned. She dropped low, swung her leg out, and knocked Angelus off his feet. When he bounced back up off the ground, she sent a flurry of punches and kicks to his head, face, and chest that had the elder vampire stumbling back in retreat.

"I've had a good teacher, and you have no idea the power that runs through my veins now, Angelus." Buffy taunted the tormentor that wore her ex-lover's face. The more time she spent around Spike the more she realized just how cohesive the demon was with the humanity. If Spike could love her demon and all, then all of Angel's excuses about Angelus were mere dust in the wind.

"I taught that boy most of what he knows. That won't stop me." Angelus slapped Buffy hard across the cheek, sending her through a panel of glass. He stomped over to her, and raised his foot to kick her in the stomach, but two hands on his foot pushed him back across the room and stopped his blow.

"He's killed two Slayers, three if you want to count the one he turned." Buffy advanced on Angelus. "You've taken down none. I'd say that he has an advantage over you." She countered Angelus' thrusts and punches.

Buffy knocked Angelus to the floor. She jumped on his chest and continually beat his face and chest until his skin bled and every inch was bruised.

Buffy grabbed a stake from her pants and drew her hand back for the final blow. Mid-swing the body beneath Buffy choked and spluttered, "Buffy ... Buffy stop ... It's me ..." The words were garbled, but the meaning was clear.

"Angel?" Buffy slid off Angel's chest.

Angel slowly nodded. "Yes. Oh Buffy what has he done to you." He looked up at Buffy's vampiric visage. He was just as upset with his demon side as he was Spike.

"Angelus did nothing I couldn't handle, but you aren't going to get off on the excuse that you are all that separate anymore, Angelus." Buffy's eyes narrowed.

"He pushed me back, and I couldn't get out." Angel shook his head. "I tried, but I couldn't stop him. You have your soul. I can see it. Surely you understand what it's like."

"You'd better learn to control Angelus because I'm not going anywhere but straight into the arms of the man I love, and that man isn't you. My soul and demon are quite content with each other." Buffy glared at Angel. "Maybe it is because I wasn't such a bastard before I was turned, like you."

"I don't know what lies Spike has been telling you, but you can't believe him. He's only going to exploit his hold over you as Sire."

"He's done nothing but give me time to adjust." Buffy sighed. "Do you have any idea what happened to me?" She looked down at the broken and bruised form of her first love. "A human hired a hit man to kill me. Said hit man decided to get his jollies by having his way with me before he shot me."

"Oh my God." Angel gasped in horror. "That would explain all the blood in the crypt I found."

"Yes, and your evil Spike turned me, but he fully expected me to stake him when I awoke." Buffy got close to Angel's face. "He figured that I'd keep my soul, and he was willing to face the stake to make sure that I lived. Do you know why?"

Angel shook his head back and forth. Buffy got close enough to Angel's ear to whisper into it. "Because he loves me in a way that you never did and never will." She sat back on her heels. "Get out of Sunnydale, Angel, and don't come back."

Buffy pushed herself up off the floor and stood up. She turned around to see Dawn, Valerie and Spike all staring at her.

Dawn ran into Buffy's arms. She wept as the two of them walked until they reached Spike.

Spike opened his arms for both of his girls, and he hugged them tightly. He watched over Buffy's head while the guards loaded the broken vampire onto a cart and escorted him down through the tunnels. "Let's go home."

Valerie limped forward. "Before you go, we really should take care of that paperwork. I know we're all tired, but it won't take too long."

Buffy nodded. Wrapped in Spike's embrace, she followed Valerie into the conference room to take care of business.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Anya slammed her hand down on the counter. "Are you quite through with your tantrum because you are starting to scare the customers away, Giles."

Giles looked up over the edge of his tumbler from where he sat at the research table. After a couple hours of slamming through files in his office, he'd moved into the main room with his drink. "This is not the time for your blunt observations, Anya."

"Now is a better time than last night when you kicked Angel out of the Magic Box for asking questions." Anya set the receipt pad down on the counter. "You didn't even ask him why he was here."

"Frankly I don't give a damn what Angel wants or wants to know," Giles retorted angrily.

"Did it ever dawn on you that maybe Angel was here for a purpose?" Anya was tired of seeing a side of Giles that she only recently knew existed. Where was the stuffy Watcher that always had an eye out for danger? "He doesn't usually come off his perch in L.A. to visit us. Maybe it had something do with Buffy?"

Giles perked up at the mention of Buffy's name. "Dawn said that Buffy wanted to get away for a few days. She wouldn't even tell me where she went."

"Have you seen Dawn lately either?" Anya looked over Giles' shoulder to lock gazes with Xander. She wasn't trying to give away Buffy's secret, but she had to get Giles out of this stupor. The only thing that might still affect him would be if he thought Buffy was in trouble.

Xander kept the place in the book he was reading with his finger. He closed the book on his finger and watched the two interact.

"I assumed that Willow and Tara were taking care of Dawn's care while Buffy was away." Giles set his drink down on the research table.

"From what I heard, Tara moved out of Buffy's house." Of course Anya hadn't heard about it necessarily. It was more an observation she'd made after visiting Willow the other day. There was no way Tara would let Willow hang all over Amy like she was if she was still living there.

"And Dawn was taken by social services." Xander stepped into the conversation. He and Anya went to Buffy's house together the day before to see if they could find any information on Buffy. "Willow said she's been gone for several days already."

"Good Lord!" Giles stood up too quickly for his semi-inebriated mind to allow. He promptly collapsed to the floor.

Xander and Anya rushed to Giles' side to help him up to the chair again. "You okay there, G-man?"

Giles was too shocked to correct Xander use of the horrid nickname, "Why didn't Willow tell anyone about this?"

"Something tells me that she's occupied with other things, like her new girlfriend Amy," Xander offered in explanation. He recognized Amy the night Willow grabbed him. She was still at the house when he and Anya visited as well. "They seemed awful chummy."

"That can not be good." Giles rubbed his head. "Amy was starting to become dangerous with her bumbling magic. Willow does not need that kind of influence right now."

"What Willow needs is to be sent away to be trained or restrained," Anya stated bluntly. "The house reeked of continual magic usage. It was unnerving."

"Did Angel leave a number where we could contact him at?" Giles rested his elbows on the research table and leaned forward in his seat.

"I'll go check." Anya headed back over to the register. She searched through a tiny box of business cards.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A knock at the front door caught Willow's attention from the movie she was watching with Amy. She headed to the door and opened it. She was surprised to see an older bald man on the Summers' front porch. "Hello. May I help you?"

The banker cleared his throat before he spoke, "My name is Mr. Saunders. I'm here on behalf of the First Bank of Sunnydale about this house."

"Oh, you must need the mortgage payment. I have that right here." Willow ran to get the recently located checkbook out of the desk. She ran back to the door with the checkbook in hand. "If you just tell me the current payment owed, I can write you a check to take care of it."

The banker leaned over to look at the checkbook. "That account belongs to a Miss Buffy Summers, correct?"

"Yes, it does. Buffy filled out papers for me to have authorization to write checks though. I'm Willow Rosenberg."

"I'm sure you are, but there isn't any money in that account for you to draw upon. I'm afraid that account has been closed."

"What are you saying?" Willow stared at the tiny bald man.

"I'm sorry Miss Rosenberg, but that account has been closed," The older banker repeated. "All funds have been transferred from the account, and the account has been terminated."

Willow collapsed against the doorframe. Her body shook with the anger. "You can't do that. I was a co-signer on the account. You had to have my permission as well."

"No, we did not," The older man crisply informed Willow. "You merely had access to the funds, but you were not the primary or joint holder of the account. Miss Summers' attorneys arranged for everything, and that was all that we required." He shoved a sealed envelope into Willow's hands.

"What's this?" Willow turned the envelope around in her hands a few times.

"It is notice from the new owner of this house. It is their wish for you to vacate the premises in the next 10 days." The banker was ready to bolt. He had the assurances of his bosses that he would be protected from any harm, but this woman made him nervous. He really hated this town.

Willow stuttered and cursed. "No one can make me leave my home!"

"The home belonged to Joyce Summers and then to her daughter Miss Buffy Summers. You were merely a guest. Therefore you have no legal rights of ownership."

Willow's eyes darkened for a moment before they returned to her natural color. 'So someone wants the Slayer's house? Fine, but they won't get much out of it by the time I'm through with it.'

The banker watched the wheels turn in Willow's head. He decided to put in one last comment before he left. "The new owner has taken over carte blanche, and she wishes everything intact. So, I would suggest you only remove your personal belongings. She will know what has been removed as she was a friend of the previous owner."

Willow slammed the door of the house and threw the checkbook across the living room. 'We'll just see about that.'

Amy walked up behind Willow. She wrapped her arms around Willow's waist. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Nothing that I can't take care of." Willow leaned back into Amy's embrace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (13) Wheels in Motion
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Previous Chapter Summary: Big time confrontations happened in Chapter 12 between Buffy and Angelus. Spike also came face to face with a woman from his past, Cecily. Now Halfrek, a vengeance demon, he found out that she was the one who removed the chip. Willow was given notice that she and Amy were to vacate the house to "new" owners.

Current Chapter Summary: Giles, in his overprotective and misguided fashion, tries to make things "easier" on Buffy. He's really trying to do it make his own life easier because he's frustrated with everything. Spike and Buffy come to separate realizations about their lives and each other. Angel is unaccounted for, probably licking his wounds somewhere.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Giles ran his hand through his hair. He couldn't believe that he allowed the Council to manipulate him like this. Only one day remained until he was supposed to be out of this god-forsaken country, and the Council pulled enough strings to rearrange his travel. He was quietly informed that he must remain long enough to get Faith settled in Sunnydale. Then he would be allowed to return to Council headquarters. They offered him a new position doing research in the Council libraries and a first class ticket to England that left in another eight days.

To be fair, it was an excellent deal. Faith would be released tomorrow, and he was expected to pick her up and bring her back to Sunnydale. The remaining time would allow him to investigate Anya's anxiety about Willow's magic usage. Willow's lack of control, or care for the consequences, was clearly escalating if the former vengeance demon was concerned.

There was also the whole issue of Dawn being taken into protective services by the state. Clearly that wasn't acceptable. Dawn was still a magical key, and the state could hardly be expected to protect her adequately. Either Dawn had to be retuned to Buffy ... or perhaps the Council could take custody.

Giles wouldn't tell the Council that Dawn was the key. Perhaps if he mentioned that the Slayer would be more effective without a younger sibling to look after, they would agree to his terms.

Dawn could be quite useful in the Council. She was already becoming proficient in a variety of demon and foreign languages. She seemed to be a natural linguist. If they encouraged her to undergo Watcher training it would be advantageous to both Dawn and the Council's future. Who knew what powers the key might have?

Giles picked up the phone, after he crossed the room, to start some preliminary research. He needed to find out where Dawn was located. Then he needed to know if child services would be willing to release her to "family", as long as it was not Buffy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike awoke as the sun began its downward turn for the evening. This was quickly becoming his favorite part of the day. As the sun was setting he would linger in bed. The treated glass allowed him to enjoy the fleeting remnants of the sun as they played on Buffy's face.

Spike never thought he would experience the feel of the sun on his face, and it was one of his worries about Buffy transition into her new life as a vampire. Yet, it seemed that every fear he held about Buffy's turning was disappearing as time passed. Even his dismay at taking the sun away from her seemed to be inconsequential. While they could never sunbathe on the beach, they could on the porch.

As time passed, and Buffy ingested more Sire and human blood, she would grow stronger. Her abilities to withstand the sun, the desire for night hours, and raging hunger would pass. Already she had a sense of control that surpassed a level that many fledges took years to accomplish. She made a beautiful demon and a magnificent Childe. It was only right that once she was past the fledgling stages, she would adjust her hours to suit her own personal desires.

Buffy's ability to become a Master Vampire was rapidly becoming apparent, and he was proud. Her successful battle against Angelus, and her iron-clad control around Dawn and Tara contributed to this theory.

All of the issues he worried about: the sun, her soul, her demon, and most importantly her happiness, seemed to be disappearing. Buffy had adjusted to her life as a vampire, and she seemed to have mostly recovered from the horrible events that surrounded her death. The only true worries that remained all revolved around her friend's reactions to her death and the trauma of her death. 'I wonder if Val knows of any demon counselors?'

As Spike drifted back to sleep, he pondered what the next few days would bring. Now that Angelus had discovered Buffy's vampiric nature, the remaining Scoobies would know quickly. He needed to check with Valerie about strengthening the general protective wards around the family. He wouldn't surprised if the Scoobies were already sharpening their stakes and preparing for battle.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Giles slammed down the phone. "How dare that haughty woman use that tone with me?" He ground out bitterly. Invoking confidentiality laws and privacy concerns she refused to give out any information regarding Dawn Summers. He hadn't even made it passed his introduction when she had so rudely interrupted him.

Giles wanted to obtain the necessary information from social services. He knew of one way that he could get it. Reluctantly he picked up the phone and made another call to London, England.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy awoke and stretched out. She enjoyed the last few rays of sunshine that danced across her body. She never would have believed that she would feel this content or happy again, especially as a vampire. Being pulled out of heaven had broken her. It left her feeling lost, and she felt as if her soul had been battered and torn.

Death had caught up with her in the form of a vile human who never deserved the consideration of humanity. She still remembered the feeling of helplessness that had overtaken her. She shivered at the moment of realization that her only survival would be to submit and then escape when the man, no when the creature, who held her lowered his guard.

Buffy never thought that her only true escape would come from death. She never imagined that her salvation would come from a blond vampire who refused to let her leave this world again. Spike was such an enigma, a puzzle to solve that would take her an unlifetime to completely figure out.

Buffy laid in bed, and she mused how the trauma from the previous night had helped her heal in some ways. Angelus had always been her biggest fear. The former love of her life losing his soul and turning against her was a reoccurring nightmare for the young Slayer. Always in her dreams he came, they fought, and she was helpless as her life was drained away from her.

Facing Angelus, and winning, liberated her. Buffy was a powerful Slayer and a vampire as well. More than that she was a strong woman. She had faced one of her biggest fears alone, with no back up, and emerged gloriously triumphant. She finally defeated the bastard who first took her innocence. It was almost as satisfying as draining the person who ended her life. 'Almost, but not quite.'

For the first time since her return from heaven, Buffy felt like she was in control of her destiny. She felt complete, and knew she would survive the harsh world she had been thrust back into. She was reborn as a vampire, but she was also a Slayer. Although she originally had no choice in her death, Fate would no longer bend her to its will. She chose to walk back to Spike from the ether.

Yes, Buffy had been reborn a fighter for the cause of good, but nothing was as important to her as the realizations that occurred to her with perfect clarity. 'I am no longer just a weapon, a warrior or a friend.' She smiled. 'I am Buffy, a strong woman who has overcome all of the obstacles through my way, and now I have a chance at a new life. I am going to live it how I want to this time around.'

Buffy knew she had not been turned because she still had some mystical powers or an unfulfilled destiny. Spike simply loved who she was. He didn't turn the Slayer, as some would do, in order to gloat to other demons. He turned her because he loved her, all of her.

'No one will control me ever again,' Buffy thought to herself. As her Sire, Spike was able to control her in ways that no one else could before, but she knew that he wouldn't do that. Already, he'd proven that fact to their little family. He wanted her just as she was. There would be times they'd disagree on the right direction to go or what to do, but he wouldn't try to make all her decisions for her because he "knew best for her own good".

'My destiny is my own.' Buffy wept openly. She was her own person now. She had responsibilities, but she would fulfill them out of love not necessity. She was finally free. She hoped her old friends accepted that because if they didn't, she would leave them behind. All she needed was Spike and Dawn. They were everything to her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Giles hummed happily as he picked up his bag and headed out the door. He would head up to L.A. tonight and get a motel. Faith was to be released at 8 am, and he wanted plenty of time to get organized. His first stop would be to Hank Summer's residence.

Quentin happily arranged a "meeting" with Mr. Hank Summers to discuss hid daughter's care. His goal was to have Hank sign over guardianship to his old "family friend" Rupert Giles. With his power of attorney he could then expedite the process of obtaining a visa for Dawn. At least that is what Quentin told Giles.

The Watcher thought that he would be taking Dawn with him when he left America in 8 days. Quentin Travers knew better. He'd waited years for a time when he could pull the Slayer and her Watcher apart, and Rupert Giles just handed him the means on a platter.

While Giles felt proud of being an instrument to greatly relieve Buffy of any stress she had concerning the former key, Quentin gloated in England. While Giles was pleased that he was removing Dawn from the social services system, Quentin grinned to himself smugly about the rude awakening Rupert Giles was about to receive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy gazed at her Sire. She watched him in his peaceful rest - unaware of the breakthroughs that Buffy had experienced. Her emotions were in turmoil, but over all there was a sense of happiness that she had cast aside the expectations of her former life. The realization that she didn't have to be the perfect Slayer, the perfect sister, or the perfect friend was liberating. She only had to be Buffy. She had fought her demons and won. Perhaps now she could heal from the trauma of everything she experienced right before her "death".

Buffy pondered a few other thoughts and conclusions. She wasn't positive that she was completely in love with Spike yet. She knew she cared deeply for him, and she thought she was falling the rest of the way in love with him. She told Angelus that she loved her Sire, but was she completely in love with Spike yet? She wanted to be.

Buffy swore to herself that she wouldn't tell Spike she loved him until she was absolutely positive of her feelings. She had no right to toy with his emotions, and she honestly loved him too much already to do that to him. Rubbing her head she decided that the semantics of the question were too much for her this early in the night. She knew that she was his, and he was hers. That would do for now.

Giving into her urges, Buffy reached across the bed. She slowly stroked the face of her now slumbering Sire. He was beautiful to behold. She leaned over gently, and her soft lips caressed his lips. She loved the feeling of him next to her, of his soft touches and reassuring smiles. She had never felt as safe as she did in her Sire's arms.

Unable to resist the temptation, Buffy bit Spike's lower lip. She sucked it into her mouth as she alternated between suckling and soft bites. She laughed quietly when Spike's arms automatically surrounded her, pulling her even closer as he groaned her name. She had no doubts who and what he was dreaming about.

With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Buffy pulled back and decorated his chest with a series of soft kisses and gentle nips. She ran her tongue lazily around his nipples, and gently bit one then sucked on the other.

Buffy lost track of time as she explored her Sire's body. Hands and lips caressed Spike. With every touch she discovered how powerful she was. She took control of her life, her body, and her destiny with every slight movement.

A soft rumble stilled her hand, and Buffy looked up and met her Sire's gaze. His eyes communicated everything she needed to know. She felt his passion for her, his love, and his fear that he would push her too far. She laid one finger against his lips. "Shhhh, please Sire. Let me do this?"

Spike nodded his consent, and he struggled to keep his demon in control. The sensations Buffy created with her gentle touch were almost too much. He watched as she traced her tongue across his frame: licking him, tasting him, and devouring him with her tongue. This was only the second time they'd touched like this, but this time she was the one in control.

As Buffy's mouth engulfed Spike's cock, all thoughts fled their minds but one, "This is glorious".

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (14) Life In L.A.
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Athenewolfe)

Previous Chapter Summary: Giles, in his overprotective and misguided fashion, took steps to make things "easier" on Buffy. He's really trying to do it make his own life easier because he's frustrated with everything. Spike and Buffy come to separate realizations about their lives and each other. Angel was unaccounted for, probably licking his wounds somewhere.

Author's Note/Summary: The story flowed better to break it into two parts. In part one, Giles goes to LA to talk with Hank and pick up Faith. In part two (Chapter 15), you will find out what has transpired in Sunnydale while Giles was away including some delicious Spuffy.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Giles double checked the address as he pulled up in front of the stately home. Although not as grand as a British manor house, Mr. Summers home was, nonetheless, an impressive structure. Its two stories held an impressive girth even for the Bel-Air address, and Giles felt a twinge of anger at the concept that this man couldn't bother to take care of his children. He obviously was not lacking in wealth.

Even considering the frequent trips with his mistress to their Spanish residence, Hank should have been able to clear his schedule long enough to come home for Joyce's funeral. The sheer callousness of the man's actions made Giles blood boil, regardless of the fact that Mr. Summers blamed the absence to lack of communication between his Californian and Spanish homes. Giles doubted that the man was even sorry about the incident. What kind of father would be out of contact for that long of a time period? Joyce's ordeal had taken months. Hank had not called, emailed or wrote to his children until a week after the funeral. It seemed too convenient of an excuse.

Then, there was the obvious issue of a lack of financial support. If the man would help with any of the expenses occurred during Joyce's hospital stay, or any of the funeral expenses, then Buffy would not be in such dire straights. Even if the man would just pay the child support that he owed, it would have greatly helped the girls keep it together.

In fact, Giles reflected, the majority of Buffy's problems could probably be laid at Hank Summers' feet. If Hank had shown more support to his daughters then Giles wouldn't have to leave for Buffy's own good. Dawn wouldn't have been taken away by social services either. Hell, Buffy herself probably would have been stronger and more content to follow Giles direction. His slayer would have been better prepared for everyday life. It was Hank's fault that she was so selfish that she continuously ran away from her problems and that the only way to make her responsibility for her actions would be for Giles to leave the country. It would be for her own good, and she would finally have to be responsible for her life.

As Giles continued to work up a righteous anger towards Hank, he began to fantasize about the reaction he would get by exerting the Council's influence. Hank would try to bluff his way out signing the papers because it wouldn't look good to his law firm. Giles would insist, and then he'd mention the power and influence that the Council welded. It would be a glorious battle of wit and will, but like all intellectual challenges, Giles would emerge triumphant. Before this night was over, Hank Summers would sign away custody of his youngest daughter.

The meeting initially seemed to be going well. Hank welcomed Giles into his home and led him past a beautiful solarium complete with a baby grand piano, and up a winding staircase designed to impress. The staircase naturally flowed into Hank's home office, giving Giles a momentary twinge of envy. It was completely unfair that Hank had a home office that was this beautiful. The man represented some of the worst scum found in California. It was almost as bad, if not worse, then working for Wolfram and Hart. The man was an intellectual properties attorney at a big-name firm. Demons would be almost preferable to the likes of Spielberg or Lucas. Seriously - how many lawsuits could one man file?

When the subject had turned from polite pleasantries to the subject of Joyce and her daughters, the man's eyes had grown cold and calculating. Barely constrained fury flashed across his face, and Giles began to doubt that this meeting would continue to go as smoothly as it had been. He was not, however, afraid of the upcoming battle. He would be taking Dawn back to England, and nothing Hank Summers could say would be changing that fact.

Giles began his carefully worded speech, "I will be honest with you Mr. Summers. I want you to relinquish all custody of Dawn Summers to myself and terminate your parental rights. I am prepared to take over all financial burdens, including educational and housing concerns. She would receive one of the finest educations in the world at a private institution in England. I am also prepared to overlook any outstanding debts you may owe to your daughter Buffy for the care of Dawn."

Giles eyes hardened as he stared down at the man, "However, should you try to fight this, I will see you in court for every penny that you failed to pay. Not only am I prepared to sue you for back child support and lawyers' fees, but also for the pain and suffering that your negligence caused. You would also be ordered take care of very expensive educations that both Buffy and Dawn will need to complete their studies up to any and all postgraduate degrees. There are legal precedents for this, and I am quite sure you are aware of them."

"I am also quite sure that your fellow partners at the firm will be very unhappy at the negative attention that I will draw to you. There is a one time offer that I will extend to you. Should you sign this document granting me custody and terminating your rights, then I will not pursue your lack of support in court. I'll also overlook the compensation that you should be obligated to pay Buffy."

Giles tirade was interrupted when Hank Summers proceeded to laugh in his face. The gall of the man! Did he not think that Giles was capable of carrying out his threats? "I say sir, your humor is highly inappropriate. I assure you I am fully prepared to back all my threats."

Hank stood up and walked over to a looming filing cabinet. Removing one slim file from the middle drawer, he threw it at Giles.

"As I told Mr. Travers on the phone" Hank sneered at Giles, "it would be my pleasure to give you all the documents that I was sent at Joyce's death.

Giles looked confused and began to leaf through the contents of the file. The top form was a medical test on Dawn and Joyce. As he flipped through more legal documents, none which made any sense, he finally came to a penned note.

Dear Hank,

I am resorting to an old cliché; if you have received this letter then I have passed away. I was afraid of this; the doctors said that only one in three patients recovered from this type of surgery - and since I have never been the lucky sort, I knew that I might not survive.

I have some information to share with you that I know you won't take well. Whatever you do, please don't tell the girls.

Dawn is not your biological daughter. I have enclosed the blood tests that prove this. Dawn's blood type is type A, where as I am type O. In case you are not sure what this means, check your own medical records. You are type B. This means that it is physically impossible that you are her father.

I promise you that I did not cheat on you. I was always faithful during our marriage. I do not know how, or why, this has occurred. I'd blame mystical forces, but you probably wouldn't believe that. Comfort yourself that perhaps she was switched at birth. The important thing is that both Buffy and Dawn believe that you are Dawn's father.

I would not have told you, but I know how your mind works. I know that you sent an investigator here and that you have been looking at ways to obtain custody of Dawn. I wouldn't have minded so much, if you had wanted her for herself, but I know how your firm views its lawyers.

You want Dawn for the illusion she would give you, respectability as a family man. However, Dawn deserves so much more than that. Despite what you may think it is not as you say, that it's, 'the intention that matters.' It is what you do, and you don't want Dawn. You want a mantle piece to show off at parties.

Dawn belongs with Buffy. If you commit any act that would remove Dawn from her sister's custody, my lawyer will contact Buffy and give her all the documentation she would need to fight you. I have never lied to you. I only found out this information after I went into the hospital.

Please don't cause problems, despite the arguments and fights that we were prone to; they have always loved you and believed in you. Buffy is your daughter and Dawn knows no differently. Please take care of them for me, both of them. They will need your support, now more then ever. At the very least do it for Buffy. She has always worshiped the ground you walked on and loves you like no other.

I am placing my faith in you to do the right thing.

Farewell,
Joyce

Giles looked up from the letter, his mouth agape with shock. He couldn't believe what he just read. Gathering up the files he nodded to Hank, "You said I could take this file?"

Hank smirked, "I told Mr. Travers that you could have all the information that I have received. The blood tests are all compiled in there - including mine. While Buffy might be my daughter, and over 18 I might add, Dawn is not. I will not take responsibility for that child. I just wish I knew that Joyce had cheated on me and that Dawn was not my daughter. I paid twice the child support for years for no reason. How selfish of her! Like anyone would believe either story - switched at birth or strange mystical forces? How stupid does she think I am?"

Hank stood up and stormed out of the room. Clutching the thin folder, Giles followed. His head was spinning. If the Key was not a genetic copy of Buffy, then what would this indicate? And why hadn't Quentin Travers told him this from them beginning instead of allowing Giles to make himself look like an ass?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later That Night

Giles cleaned his glasses while he contemplated everything that had been revealed to him. He still couldn't believe that Dawn was not the genetic daughter of Joyce and Hank. With all the fine detail that went into planning the key's insertion into their lives and memories, you would think that such an important detail would not be overlooked. He had to notify Buffy immediately and begin the research. He doubted that she would allow Dawn to go to England with him, but perhaps he could persuade her. After all, if she wasn't really her sister, then who said that Dawn should have to stay in Sunnydale. Surely his custody would be better then the State of California's.

Cheered up, he settled down for the night. The hotel room was lacking the spacious accommodations he was use to when traveling. However, the mini-bar would more then make up for it. Tomorrow would be soon enough to ponder these new revelations.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Next Morning

Faith shielded her eyes from the bright glare of sunshine. It seemed strange to her that she was walking out of the prison a free woman. She had been prepared to serve her time, even though she knew she could have easily escaped at any time.

Catching sight of Giles, she wondered what could possible be going on in Sunnydale that they felt the need to spring her from prison. Not that she was complaining, but it just felt strange, "Hey there, what's up?"

Faith turned her face upwards to catch the sun while she listened. She knew that she hadn't been deprived of the sun. All inmates had access to the yard where they could work out and have some recreational time. However, it felt different. She felt different.

An exasperated voice broke into her musings; "Faith are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry G. How about we go get some breakfast, your treat, and you fill me in on the sitch?"

Giles shook his head at the Council's solution. He couldn't wait to get home. One Slayer who didn't listen was bad enough. Now there were two.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Faith froze with the fork halfway to her mouth, "You're kidding me G?" "She was in heaven? And you're leaving?"

Giles gave a small sigh, and he explained once more how it was for Buffy's own good that he leave. He told Faith how he felt this was the best way to assist Buffy into becoming the strong adult that he always knew that she could be. However, his explanation was cut short by Faith's mocking laugh.

"Okay once more from the top. Buffy died to fulfill her duty to the world. She committed the ultimate sacrifice that a Slayer can make. Then her friends," Faith spat out the word, "yanked her straight out of heaven. Meanwhile, you ran off to merry old England to rebuild your life, and you LEFT the hell mouth unguarded except for a robot, a fledgling witch, a neutered vampire and Xander? After years of making Buffy guard it, and then insisting that I stay so she could go to college, everyone thought 'oh well let the civilians do it'. When Buffy and I wanted to leave it wasn't okay, but you get to run away and leave it to the demons?"

Giles began to interrupt, when Faith cut him off again, "No I want to make sure I have this right. So Slayer's have this short life span right? They hardly EVER make it past their 18th birthday. Yet, Buffy and I are the oldest Slayers in history. That is mainly because Buffy died twice, and I have been locked away in prison. So because we are ancient in comparison to the other Slayers - we don't get a traditional support unit?"

Giles stared at Faith in bewilderment. What should he say to such an accusation? He wasn't given a chance to say much while Faith continued with her tirade.

"Don't bullshit me here, G. Wes explained to me that Slayers were traditionally raised by the Watchers Council and not their families. So, if you are so used to yanking the Slayers away from their families and taking care of them, why do Buffy and I have to struggle?"

"Why will you raise Kendra and other slayers, but Buffy and I aren't good enough? Hell I understand not taking Buffy away from her family, but as soon as you discovered me on my own no one ever offered to help. Oh no, Buffy and Faith can take care of themselves. So you have Buffy ready to crack, with no money and no support, and you are just going to hightail it back to England. You'll just forget that she will have to get a job, take care of her sister, slay demons and do research in her spare time?"

Faith slammed her fist onto the top of the table. "Gee how long are you expecting her to live like that? Oh I am sure you will come back for her funeral, or one of her friends, but what about day to day support. She needs her Watcher. Hell she needs you, but you are too selfish to see it."

Faith was livid. "What the fuck am I suppose to do? Get a job? Oh that will work great. Sorry I can't come in tonight. I have a vampire's nest to take care of. Are you really an idiot? I suppose you think I should move into Buffy's house and let her take care of me too or stay in a hotel, which by the way I have no money for. What the hell are you thinking?"

Faith stood up and continued her rant at Giles. "The only people who had bothered to come see her in jail were Wesley and Angel, but she still had plenty of fuel. "Obviously your stupid Council needs me in Sunnydale, but I can guarantee you this. Either get off your pompous asses and make provisions for Buffy and I so we can actually do our jobs, or I am not going. I am damn sick of being a toy. So you want me back in Sunnydale? Then make arrangements. I need a stipend and a place to live, and then I will be the best damn Slayer that there ever was. Otherwise I am staying in LA and seeing if Wes needs some help. If you don't want to stay in Sunnydale that is fine, but we need to have research support there. So, send another stogy Watcher. I WILL NOT take orders from them, but I will let them assist me and advise me. Funny thing I learned in prison, to stay alive you need to watch your back. I don't want to die because no one bothered to tell me the details about a demon.

Faith stormed out of the restaurant leaving Giles sitting at the booth. Slowly he lowered his head onto his hands. His head was pounding from too much drinking the night before, but even through that Faith's words echoed loudly. Was she right? Was he being selfish? He loved his Slayer. He just wanted her to be strong. As his English reserve began to crumble his shoulders shook. He would not cry. Couldn't anyone understand that he couldn't stay? He couldn't bear to see his beautiful Slayer die again, and with that last thought his reserve crumbled. Silent tears coursed down his cheek. He knew he had a problem. He was finally willing to admit he needed help.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Twists Of Fate - (15) Life In Sunnydale
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Both)

Author's Note/Summary: Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 coincide in the timeline. While Chapter 14 concentrates on the events occurring in Los Angelus with Giles, Hank and Faith; Chapter 15 deals with the Sunnydale issues. There may be liberties taken with a supernatural creature that appeared on Angel. If there are any questions, then just assume that Wesley and Angel were confused, as they often were, or failed to research the creature in question beyond their immediate needs.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

Spike and Buffy's home (While Giles drove to L.A which is an hour before sunset.)

Previously: Buffy lost track of time as she explored her Sire's body. Hands and lips caressed Spike. With every touch she discovered how powerful she was. She took control of her life, her body, and her destiny with every slight movement.

A soft rumble stilled her hand, and Buffy looked up and met her Sire's gaze. His eyes communicated everything she needed to know. She felt his passion for her, his love, and his fear that he would push her too far. She laid one finger against his lips. "Shhhh, please Sire. Let me do this?"

Spike nodded his consent, and he struggled to keep his demon in control. The sensations Buffy created with her gentle touch were almost too much. He watched as she traced her tongue across his frame: licking him, tasting him, and devouring him with her tongue. This was only the second time they'd touched like this, but this time she was the one in control.

As Buffy's mouth engulfed Spike's cock, all thoughts fled their minds but one, "This is glorious."

Buffy was lost in a sensation of feeling. Her mind was clouded with love, lust and longing. Her hands roamed across Spike's chest. Her mouth engulfed his cock while her tongue swirled around it: licking, tasting and touching. She moaned as a ragged desire built inside her, taunting her with the promise of release and fulfillment.

Buffy needed more. She needed to possess Spike, to devour him and to lose herself in his embrace. As she tasted him, taunted him, and teased him with her tongue he grew bigger. He expanded in her mouth, filling her with a feminine pride and a moist dampness beneath her mound's curls.

Buffy wanted him. She needed him, but she was still afraid. Could she do this? Could she go through with this? Buffy stopped her explorations and sat up. Looking down, she drunk in the sight of her Sire, sprawled over the bed. His cock was glorious to behold as it bobbed back and forth as it begged for attention. His eyes were smoldering. Yet, he still looked concerned.

Spike felt Buffy's hesitation, and he started to speak.

Buffy knew he didn't want to push her into anything, but he wasn't. Yes she was afraid, but she refused to let that fear stop her from claiming her mate. She would never again allow that scum to intrude into her life, to control her through her fears. He was dead, and she was alive, well undead. She shook her head at Spike, silently communicating that he should not talk.

Smiling seductively, Buffy made eye contact and opened her mind to him as much as she could, instinctively knowing that they were linked to each other. With one hand she touched his cock, sliding her thumb over the glistening tip. Positioning him and herself as best as she could, she eased herself onto Spike's shaft. Watching as his smoky gaze burned even more brightly, she slowly impaled herself until he was fully sheathed inside of her. He filled her completely. Only then did she close her eyes, amazed at how good it felt to be on top of him, taking control, taking him, and feeling like she had come home.

Buffy was amazed at the sensations she felt. Rocking back and forth she experimented with the angles, exploring this strange link in her mind that connected her to her Sire. She wasn't sure what had happened or why the link seemed to be so strong, but she could feel his pleasure and desire. Her first assumption was that the Sire/Childe boned was growing stronger with each sharing of blood between them.

As Buffy slowly moved, she enjoyed grinding her clit against Spike. Her limited experience with men had never brought her this much pleasure. She'd never been allowed this much leeway for exploration. A heady thrill coursed through her as she found a new angle that was slowly driving her crazy.

"Please Buffy," Spike groaned, "Luv..." Buffy nodded and Spike placed his hands on her hips. He moved her faster and faster, increasing the speed and the friction that she had previously set.

Pleasure coursed through Buffy's body as everything continued to build. Driving her insane with lust, desire, and need, she bit back a moan, "Please Sire... Spike... I need..."

Spike pulled Buffy closer to him, thrusting his hips upwards, and he bit her neck. Unable to control herself Buffy came violently. Her orgasm crashed into her, and Spike's orgasm swiftly followed.

Exhausted Buffy collapsed on Spike's chest. Her eyes fluttered shut as Spike whispered the instinctual words to complete their powerful connection. "Mine, always mine"

A whispered, "Yours," drifted past Buffy's lips as sleep claimed her once more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

1630 Revello Drive (At the same time Giles pulled up to Hank Summers' home after dark)

Willow eyed the house with a distasteful sneer. How dare they sell her home out from under her feet? She earned the right to live here! All of the hours she spent taking care of Dawn, the time and money spent to bring Buffy back from the dead, the endless research through the years on the latest big bads, and this was how Buffy repaid her?

The air filled with magical energy, crackling like lighting as it rolled over Willow's skin. Her black eyes penetrated the room; her power expanding to fill the space around her. She was not willing to just accept this, to act like the meek mouse they always expected her to be. She was not willing to play second fiddle to the Slayer anymore. If they didn't want her help, didn't want her in their home, then she would show them who they were disrespecting. They would come back to her, begging her to help sort out their lives.

Willow's eyes flashed once more. Her mouth curled up in a vicious smirk. It was time to have a "talk" with Buffy.

Willow enjoyed the feeling of power that caressed her skin. She didn't want to put off this confrontation any longer. She drifted towards her former bedroom. The hallway seemed to darken as if the house had reacted to her unwanted presence. She was thankful that everyone had left the house. She hadn't bothered to notice where - perhaps a hotel, or maybe they went home. It didn't matter to Willow anymore. It only mattered that she was alone.

Scanning a critical eye across the room, Willow decided it was time to remove all her belongings. With a wave of her hand, everything in the room disappeared with the exception of the drapes and a lone dresser. Was it her fault that she had redecorated while everyone was away? Buffy had never told her that she couldn't change the room, and who really wanted to live with that depressing interior. If they would have given her more notice she would have kept more of Joyce's things.

Willow quickly conjured the appropriate materials for a spell and sat down. Enjoying the feeling of calling upon the earth's energies, she slowly created her power circle. It pulsated with energy, and as the power crackled around her face she knew that it would hold against all outside forces.

Willow would not accept failure in the quest to find Buffy this time. This was no longer about Buffy's selfish actions or her self-centered slayer personality. This was personal. Everything was going just fine until Buffy came back from the dead. You would think that she would have been grateful. Yes, she was pulled from Heaven, but it wasn't like she wasn't going to get back there eventually. Until then she could experience so much - friendship, love, and family. Yet what did she do? She whined, complained and alienated everyone around her.

If Buffy hadn't returned with an attitude, then Tara would not have gotten upset or moved out. Giles would never have started drinking, and Xander would have kept trusting in her. She could have deratted Amy, and everyone would have been happy. All Buffy had to do was realize what an amazing gift that Willow had given her and been contented to get a job and raise Dawn. The Slayer couldn't even do that properly. She had to ruin everything and make Willow's life difficult.

Eyes flashing, Willow started her chant. "I summon thee Dinza, goddess of the lost. Come before me. Leave your tomb, your sacred cave, and enter the mortal world of light and life. I grant you safe passage, of blood and death, to enter this realm and remain for a period of one moon. Taste of this innocent blood, accept this sacrifice and appear before me bound to your task."

Time seemed suspended as Willow cut a gash in her arm and began to mix it with the innocent blood of the dove whose throat she had cut. She was briefly plagued with guilt, momentarily wondering if she had now gone too far, or if the dry cleaners could get the stain out of her dress. She pushed those thoughts away knowing that Buffy would eventually thank her.

Buffy had come back wrong. Willow knew this even as she used her own blood to bind the demon to her task. The dove symbolized innocence, but true power was needed to fetch a goddess who could only be visited by the dead. Her own blood, her power, could force the demon to remain long enough to complete the task, while at the same time making the goddess able to take form and be visible to the mortal whose blood she was linked to. It was perfect. No living creature could perceive Dinza. Buffy would be unable to defend herself from this goddess of the lost.

Willow smiled as the power and blood loss was making her giddy. She would have the chance to correct her wrongs, to make everything as it should be. First she had to find Buffy. She would then have a chance to fix everything. They would all be happy, and life would return to normal. No matter what she had to do to fix things.

Outside the circle, a vague shape began to take form. Becoming more solid, she hissed in a snakelike manner, "Foolish mortal, why have you summoned me. You violate the rules of nature; I seek death, not life."

Willow looked triumphant as the blood magic began to take hold... "I summoned thee Dinza to find what is mine. I lost the Slayer. Fetch her for me, and you shall have your reward."

Dinza slithered around the circle, trying to take another taste of the power that summoned her. "And what my pretty shall be my reward? What will you give you up in order to fulfill your desires? What can you offer me that I will take?"

Willow smiled a mischievous grin, "I give you her memories. A taste of a life you will never have. Once stolen, they are never to be returned. You can guard them in your cave. She has memories of heaven and paradise lost."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Sometime after 11 pm in Sunnydale at Spike, Tara, Dawn, and Buffy's house)

Dawn and Tara walked in the house together. They continued their animated talk from the entryway all the way into the kitchen. After the little love fest started upstairs, Tara decided it would be a good idea to take Dawn out for a little movie and ice cream time together. After they watched a cute little romantic comedy at the cinema, Tara treated them both to a scoop of their favorite ice cream.

Tara was going to have to talk with Buffy and Spike about a soundproofing spell for their rooms. She chuckled to herself at the thought of how embarrassed Buffy would be to know that Tara heard every single detail of the couple's lovemaking earlier even though she tried not to listen.

"I didn't see Willow, Xander or Giles at school today." Dawn bit into a nicely tart Granny Smith apple. "I figured the Scoobies would be all over me today. Do you think Angel actually left Sunnydale instead?"

"I doubt it." Tara sighed. "I think Spike and Buffy would have been able to tell if he left." She set a knife and a small bowl of heated caramel on the island counter in front of Dawn.

Dawn carefully sliced off a sliver of her apple, and she swiped the sliver through the sticky substance. "Did anything attack the wards today?"

"Not that I've noticed, and that worries me." Tara picked up her own apple. She cored and peeled hers before she sliced it. "The bank called with verification about Buffy's house yesterday. Willow would never just let something go like that without a fight."

"I can't see Willow being happy about it either." Dawn frowned. "The calm before the storm?" She questioned.

"I'm afraid so. We need to keep our eyes open."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spike opened his eyes. He shivered at the realization that his cock was still buried deep within Buffy. The feel of her currently suckling the blood from his neck had him hard as a rock instantly. 'I could enjoy this kind of a wake up everyday,' He thought to himself. He tried not to dislodge Buffy's fangs from his neck when he shifted a little underneath her.

Buffy purred in her sleep. She felt very safe and comforted in her lover's embrace. His blood infused her with the power and strength of her Sire, a master vampire of the Aurelian Clan.

Spike ran his fingers through Buffy's long golden mane. When he lightly scratched her scalp, he was rewarded with the sounds of her stronger purring. Awake or asleep, he loved watching Buffy. 'I can see traces of Joyce in Buffy's face. I miss Mum.' He sighed sadly. He considered all of the Summers' women his family to love and protect.

Buffy hugged Spike more tightly in her sleep. She sensed the grief and melancholy he was experiencing. Even in her slumber she wanted to comfort him. "Family," she muttered in the first stages of wakefulness.

She was a bit startled by Buffy's muttered response. "Yes, pet. You and the Nibblet are my family now." He wasn't sure if she really heard him or what prompted the declaration from her.

"Mmmm ... family ..." Buffy continued to pull Spike's blood slowly from his neck. "... Dawn ... Sire ..." She jerked away from Spike's neck fully awake. "Dawn!" She exclaimed loudly.

"Whoa, Buffy. What's wrong, kitten?" Spike wrapped his arm around Buffy to keep her from falling off the bed. "Bit's safely downstairs with Glinda right now." He'd known the moment Tara and Dawn returned to the house.

"Dawn ..." Buffy panted, "... I can't believe I didn't realize it before." She licked the remaining blood off her lips. "Those monks were twisted."

"Pet, you aren't making any sense at all." Spike looked up at Buffy in confusion.

"Remember when I said that I thought I tasted Slayer blood in Dawn's when we tested my control around her?" Buffy waited for Spike's nod before she continued talking. "It's nagged at me off and on since then about it."

"It makes some sense that you would." Spike sat up a little bit. He rested back on his elbows. "The monks created the Nibblet as your sister. Maybe being the key made her pick up a few things from your Slayer side?" He tried to reason out the information.

"I wish it were that simple, Spike." Buffy inhaled deeply even though it wasn't necessary. It was one of the control and calming techniques Spike taught her. What was she afraid of? Was she afraid that she was right, or was she just scared that Spike might not believe her? 'I'd have to have another taste of Dawn to be sure.'

"I can see the gears turning in your head, Slayer." Spike waved a finger in a circle in front of Buffy's face. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"

"Get dressed." Buffy slid off Spike's lap. They both sighed from the loss of their joining. Buffy was tempted to climb right back on top of her lover, but she needed to be sure about her assumption. "We have to go down to see Dawn."

Spike groaned, and he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep himself calm. He knew if he watched Buffy's naked body wriggle around the room he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from ravishing her.

"Come on, silly goose. Get that gorgeous ass out of bed, and get dressed." Buffy slapped Spike's bare thigh.

Spike growled. "You keep doing that, and the only thing that is going to be happening is my cock pummeling that sweet pussy of yours."

Buffy blushed and turned away from Spike to hide it. She quivered with arousal, but she figured it wouldn't be a good idea for Spike to see just how hard his words made her nipples.

Spike misread the action as having hurt Buffy's feelings. He mentally kicked himself, slid out of bed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry, luv. I didn't mean to be so crude or insensitive. I know you are just finding your pleasure again, but you stir me to distraction and insanity with your beauty and spirit." His hardened cock nestled itself against the softness of Buffy's cheeks, even though he tried to will his erection away.

"I'm not upset, Spike." Buffy turned around in Spike's arms. Her damp curls coated Spike's cock with their joint spendings and her arousal. "I want you as much as you want me, but we need to check on Dawn."

Spike nodded his head in agreement. He smiled in awe at the look on Buffy's face that had to mirror his own heated one. "Then you'd best get to your closet, and I'll get to mine." He kissed the top of Buffy's head. "I'll meet you down there."

"All right." Buffy sauntered over to the closet in her room and her dresser. She heard the door to Spike's room open and close a couple minutes later when she was only half dressed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spike walked into the kitchen to face two nervous females. Dawn ran over to Spike. "Is everything okay?" She hugged Spike. "I heard Buffy call my name."

"I wouldn't let her go up there," Tara offered as an explanation for Dawn's presence still in the kitchen instead of upstairs. "I thought Buffy might be having another nightmare."

"Thanks, Tara." Spike ran his hand down the back of Dawn's head and back. "Buffy will be down in a little bit. She's getting dressed."

"Was it a nightmare?" Tara questioned.

"More like a revelation it seems." Spike pulled back a little bit to look at Dawn. "I'm afraid that Buffy and I are going to have you to do something for us."

Dawn stared up at Spike with a worried frown. "You know I'd do anything I could for you and Buffy."

Buffy stepped into the kitchen. She stood next to Spike, but her eyes never left Dawn's face. "I need to sample your blood again, and Spike needs to have a taste too."

Tara watched Spike, Buffy and Dawn. Their auras were twisted around in a mingled set of colors. She wondered what was going on. Occasionally she'd noticed the similarities in their auras, but that happened sometimes with other mystical beings as well. She assumed that it was because Dawn was Buffy's sister, and Spike cared so much for Dawn. 'Why would they need to taste Dawn's blood?'

"I ... I guess so." Dawn lifted her wrist towards Buffy. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't think so, but it all depends on how you look at it." Buffy looked down at the offered wrist. If she was right, everything between them all was going to be changed as a result.

Spike took Buffy's hesitation as concern over having to bite Dawn again. He rubbed Buffy's back.

Buffy smiled up at Spike, and then she turned back to look at Dawn. She closed her eyes, brought Dawn's wrist up to her mouth and bit down as gently as she could. She cringed at the slight tensing from Dawn, but she continued to pull three more sips from the vein until she was sure that she was right about the blood. She offered the still bleeding wrist to Spike.

Spike took the wrist cautiously. He knew that it was best if he suckled the blood from Dawn before the wound healed to avoid a second bite, but he was still leery of tasting Dawn's blood. His Nibblet wasn't food.

"Hurry, Spike." Buffy urged.

"It's okay, Spike." Dawn encouraged. She smiled weakly at her friend and protector.

Spike lowered his lips to Dawn's wrist. The first pull of Dawn's blood sung in his body. There was strength and power in it. On the second pull he tasted the Slayer blood that coursed through Dawn's veins. With the third pull he nearly hit the floor. 'There is no way that tasted like I think it did.'

Buffy watched Spike's face. She knew the moment he tasted what she'd just realized was in Dawn's blood. "I didn't realize it at first because I was still overwhelmed with the whole Sire/Childe thing."

Spike gulped nervously. He drew a fourth pull of Dawn's blood into his mouth to be sure that he wasn't going crazy. There was no doubting what he tasted within Dawn's blood. It wasn't the Slayer blood, Summers blood or even magical strength that flowed through Dawn's body that concerned him. What shocked him was the taste of Aurelian blood that underlined it all. He licked the wounds on Dawn's wrist closed, and he dropped Dawn's arm back to her side. "I'm going to rip every one of those wankers heads off if I ever see any of them." He said angrily.

"You aren't happy?" Buffy nearly wept at the anger she felt from her Sire.

"Why would I be happy that those wankers made the Nibblet out of the poofter's and your blood?" Spike snarled. Did she enjoy taunting him with her previous relationship in his family?

"Ewww!" Dawn squealed. "No way!"

Tara's eyes widened in shock and fear. 'We don't need to deal with that on top of everything else right now.'

"You are an idiot, Spike." Buffy rolled her eyes and clipped Spike upside the head. "Do you really think they'd use Angelus' blood when that idiot would have killed Dawn the moment he lost his soul again?"

"That was Aurelian blood, pet. I doubt they used Dru or Darla."

Dawn blinked in realization of what Buffy was implying. "You mean it?" She asked Buffy.

Buffy nodded to Dawn. Then, she held Spike's face in her hands. She stared directly at him to show him how serious she was about what she was going to say to him. "I don't taste Angelus in him. I am assuming each Aurelian taste a little different because the bit of Angelus I caught during our fight is different from the blood of my Sire."

"Yeah, each generation is a little bit different because of the human that was turned to start with but," Spike paused and then began again, "You're saying ..."

"Yes, Spike. That's exactly what I'm saying." Buffy grinned. "The more you fed me, the more fine tuned your specific taste became to me. When I sampled you this afternoon, it finally sunk in."

Spike hugged Buffy and Dawn to him tightly. "Those bloody monks have a twisted sense of humor, but that's fine with me."

"How are we going to know for sure?" Dawn asked with concern. She would be ecstatic to have Buffy and Spike for her parents, but she was worried about what would happen to everyone if they were. "I don't think Social Services will believe the "I tasted it in her blood" theory. We have to have a way to prove it legally."

"Valerie's group should be able to handle the tests." Tara offered as a suggestion. She finally got the gist of what Buffy was saying about Dawn.

"That's a great idea." Buffy beamed. "They handle high end demon things. What gets more demony than the genetic testing of a Slayer and a vampire being the parents to a mystical key?" She laughed.

"You seem right cheerful about this, pet," Spike stated.

"And you aren't?" For a moment Buffy feared that Spike was upset about the development.

"I'd be right proud to be the Nibblet's papa," Spike said to ease any fears Buffy had. "I never thought I'd have a little nipper after I was turned. That she would be our child makes me even happier."

"Then what is wrong?" Buffy asked with concern.

"I'm afraid of what the others will do to Dawn when they find out. I'm not letting anyone harm my girls, and with this chip out I'd have to be very careful if the Watcher or the Whelp tried to hurt her."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Buffy squeezed her hand on Spike's arm reassuringly.

"I think we are going to be all right with Xander and Anya," Tara spoke up. "I talked to Cordelia Chase earlier this afternoon, and she told me that Xander and Anya asked her to stop by the Magic Box. They said that they'd seen something the other night in the cemetery, and they had a feeling that she'd be able to let someone know that they supported her."

Spike raised his scarred eyebrow. "I don't know if I should be glad or scared."

"Cordy knows how important our safety is to us. If she can keep our secret from Angel, she won't give it away unless she is positive that it's safe to do so." Buffy nibbled on her lower lip as she spoke.

"The Whelp saying he still supported a vamped Slayer?" Spike nearly choked the words out. "Hell has now frozen over."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few hours before dawn in Sunnydale (Giles and Faith are asleep in their respective locations in L.A.)

Buffy and Spike strolled towards Restfield cemetery, their hands linked and a comfortable silence surrounding them. They were both lost in their thoughts, wondering what the next day would bring, how this would affect their relationships with each other, and with the sister who might be more. They'd placed the call to Valerie before they left for patrol, and the efficient woman would be there first thing in the morning.

Buffy's thoughts centered on her mother, and she wondered how much the wise woman had guessed before her death. She wondered how the news affected her ailing mother and what her mother would say to her about Dawn and Spike.

It could be centuries before Buffy would be able to rest her head on her mother's shoulders in Heaven. In the meantime she would go on trying to live an unlife that would make her mother proud. Buffy's eyes teared up at the thought that one day she would lose Dawn as well. She'd thought of her as her sister, and now it seemed she was her daughter. Either way, Dawn was her reason for dying and for living again.

One day Dawn would die. Everyone would die. She was destined to outlive them all, to protect them, to cherish them, but she'd lose them to things she could not fight. There was so much in the world that could happen to them. Old age, disease or possibly even an accident could take their lives, not to mention the violence of a mugging, murder or a rape like what killed her the third time.

Buffy would fight evil still. She knew that. She may not be the Slayer anymore, but she was a Champion. Spike had shown her that it was possible to lose everything and keep going; to try against all odds, to survive, to fight, and to love. Perhaps he hadn't meant to, but she understood now anyway. He had fought her demon to help the White Hats. It might have started because of the chip, but that wouldn't have stopped the demon for long. She felt it's constant longing for blood, death and destruction. She knew that Spike would have felt that way and, he had chosen to stay and help rather than flee or create further mayhem.

Unconsciously Buffy snuggled closer into Spike's wiry frame. She found it ironic that a single man had cost her the unfailing belief in humanity and souls that she had clung to, but a single demon could restore her hope and belief in good.

Buffy sighed when they reached the entrance to the cemetery. Now that she had an eternity stretched in front of her, time seemed shorter then ever. She needed to contact Xander and Giles. She owed it to her friends to let them know what is going on. Perhaps they could help Willow sort out her problems. Of course, they also could try to stake her.

The air around them seemed to thicken, and the hairs on Buffy's arms stood at attention. Something was off, and her world went black

Spike wasn't quite sure what happened. One moment he was walking with Buffy to perform a quick patrol of the cemeteries. The next thing he knew Buffy had lost consciousness, and this strange bat like lady was fluttering around him. It was the oddest sensation. He knew he should fight, take his mate and run. He was furious and scared. Yet, he seemed to be transfixed. The air felt heavy, and he forced himself to move, to try and fight, "Who are you?"

The old bat woman laughed. She seemed to hiss her words as she slithered around him. "I am Dinza, demi-goddess of the lost; I have been summoned to take the blond girl to the witch, but the game has changed. Yes it has changed. She was lost, alive and lost, but now she is dead, dead and I found her. No more for the witch, not for the witch. I shall take her as mine."

Spike stared transfixed, paralyzed. What was this creature that held him in such a thrall? Shaking off the strange magical effects she seemed to be having on him, he began to throw a series of slow motion kicks and punches. Dinza just laughed and continued her quirky movements and the endless flutter of wings.

He heard movement behind him, but couldn't process it. The world started to fade into blackness when he saw Harris and the demon-bint swinging both swinging a tree branch in opposite directions.

The whelp's branch made contact and Dinza was knocked unconscious. Spike nodded a thanks, "Call Tara..." and he too passed out.

Xander reached down and began to go through Spike's pockets. At Anya's confused look he motioned for her to do the same to Buffy. "You think Cordy's vision could have come with a bit more instructions than cemetery and danger. Like, a phone number to call for Tara, or the lotto numbers for the week. We better hurry; who knows how long whatever I hit will be unconscious.

Anya held up Buffy's cell phone triumphantly while Xander rolled his eyes in frustration, "Looking for a number, Ahn."

"Like Buffy wouldn't have all the numbers programmed in." Scrolling down the entries, Anya got to Tara's and pressed call.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning in Sunnydale (While Giles picked up Faith from prison in L.A.)

Valerie rang the doorbell and nervously ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. She was quickly coming to love this close-knit group, but she especially enjoyed her interactions with Tara. She didn't want anything to interfere with the friendships she was forming, but she wanted so much more than that with Tara. She couldn't help it. Every time she was around the younger blonde her heart seemed to melt a little more. She couldn't wait to see her today...

Valerie was startled out of her musings by the site of a large brunette opening the door. She had never met this boy and couldn't help but to stare since it was obvious he had spent the night. "Hello, Spike asked me to stop by this morning..." Valerie trailed off dismayed. Who was this man and why had he slept there? Was she too late? Had Tara moved on to someone new? 'I thought she liked women?'

At that moment, Tara came jogging up to the open door, brushing past Xander and engulfed Valerie in a huge hug, "Thank goodness you are here Val! Spike and Buffy got attacked last night in the cemetery and Xander and Anya rescued them. They have been in and out of consciousness, and I don't know what to do. We don't know why the charms didn't protect them, and why they were affected so badly. Can you come look at them, maybe you can help me figure it out?"

Valerie briefly enjoyed the feeling of Tara in her arms and then turned to the large man still halfway blocking the door. "Xander and Anya?"

Tara looked chagrined that she hadn't introduced them, "Sorry - this is Xander, an old friend of Buffy's. His fiancée Anya is the other room. Come on in. I will introduce you and then take you up to see Spike. He has been unconscious for a few hours now, but he has been restless for a while. I hope that means he is waking up."

Xander finally stood aside and offered a goofy grin to the woman. "Ahn's in the living room with coffee," yawning he continued, "Why don't we join her there? They have this brilliant coffee maker that makes one cup at a time. So, we have different flavors available."

The group proceeded towards the living room to conclude the introductions and try to brainstorm what could be wrong with the two vampires when Valerie's shocked voice filled the air. "Anyanka? Is that you?"

Anya looked surprised at the new houseguest and a bit nervous as she tried to place her. She looked familiar. "Yes, and you are...." She hoped it wasn't one of her old wishers coming back to haunt her.

Valerie broke into a huge grin, "Sorry you probably don't remember me, and I was a bit younger the last time we met. Valerie Logan from the Logan Station of the Underground. I think it was 'bout 16 years ago. You got called out on a case in St. Louis and stopped by the house for dinner with the Draculli refugees.

Anya's face lit up at the remembrance, and she threw her arms around Valerie. "I remember you! You followed me around for three days straight. I couldn't get a decent wish with you there. So, we went to the mall."

Valerie nodded, "and you ended up granting the wish to the lady with the French poodle. You turned her boyfriend into a poodle to match the one she already had; something about how he was such a dog anyways..."

Both girls giggled at the memory. "So sweetie - how are your parents? I haven't seen them in forever! Are they still running the underground, or have they retired yet? I remember they were going to try and visit the world without shrimp and then head over to Europe for a river cruise."

Valerie froze as she felt a wall of grief rise up. Trying to stop the prickling of tears, she quietly muttered, "They were killed about ten years ago in a Council attack."

Tara placed a comforting arm around Valerie and guided her to sit down. Anya simply looked stunned. She remembered the Logan's very well. A tight-knit and extremely loving family, she had been confident that this was one group who would never need her services. Everyone loved them, from the demons they rescued to the humans who lived around them.

Xander looked shocked at the proceedings. "What?" He panicked. The Council only attacked demons, right? "What are you? You look human."

Before Valerie could answer, Anya snapped at him, taking out her grief on the confused man. "She's human, Xander. Her entire family is ... was ... some of the best and most loyal humans I have ever met. How dare the Council do that to you ..." Anya trailed off, and her lips started to tremble.

Xander pulled Anya close and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Ahn. I'm still having trouble with those whole humans good, demons bad they fed me." He took a deep breath, and he turned towards Valerie. "My apologies to you too. I have foot in mouth disease. As in my foot lives there and only comes out to cause problems. So any idea about what is going on here?"

A weak voice called out from the doorway, 'That's what I would like to know". Spike moved towards the couch, indicating he would like to sit, "Do you mind luvs? I'm feeling a bit knackered."

Jumping up to give Spike her spot, Tara settled him unto the couch, "Buffy woke up, but I let her go back to sleep. The poor thing is exhausted." He sent a friendly nod to Xander and Anya. "I'm glad you both showed up. Never thought I'd say that to you Harris. Meanwhile, that thing said she was supposed to bring Buffy to the witch. I'd say we have a serious problem in the form of a redheaded witch and some very scary mojo."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (16) A Growing Family
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Mostly Tasha)

Author's Note/Summary: Picks up right after the end of Chapter 15. The “new Scoobies” try to work through what happened to Spike and Buffy at the cemetery. They try to figure out what and who attacked them. Joyce makes an appearance to try to help Buffy shake off the lingering effects of her contact with Dinza.

Note about Collaboration: Athenewolfe had input, ideas, and/or writing for part of this chapter and chapter 17. After that it will be solely written by Tasha. There have been several years in-between when Chapter 15 was posted and the rest of the story. So, not everyone was available anymore to collaborate.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

(Spike and Buffy's Home)

Previously: Xander pulled Anya close and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Ahn. I'm still having trouble with those whole humans good, demons bad they fed me." He took a deep breath, and he turned towards Valerie. "My apologies to you too. I have foot in mouth disease. As in my foot lives there and only comes out to cause problems. So any idea about what is going on here?"

A weak voice called out from the doorway, “That's what I would like to know". Spike moved towards the couch, indicating he would like to sit, "Do you mind luvs? I'm feeling a bit knackered."

Jumping up to give Spike her spot, Tara settled him onto the couch. "Buffy woke up, but I let her go back to sleep. The poor thing is exhausted." He sent a friendly nod to Xander and Anya. "I'm glad you both showed up. Never thought I'd say that to you Harris. Meanwhile, that thing said she was supposed to bring Buffy to the witch. I'd say we have a serious problem in the form of a redheaded witch and some very scary mojo."

Xander pondered Spike’s comment. He frowned when the realization of who he meant filtered through his brain. “Willow was responsible for that thing?” He shuddered. Whatever attacked Buffy and Spike was no fluffy bunny. Even the night seemed darker around it. “I couldn’t see anything solid there, but the shadows were moving. That’s what I swung at, the shadows.”

“That’s all I saw too. Everything was dark, but it was moving against Spike,” Anya added in her thoughts. “Are you sure it was Willow?”

“I’m afraid so,” Tara spoke softly with a voice laced with pain. “She’s repeatedly tried to come after us with spells since I left the house a few days ago.” She looked at Spike. “Do you think she found out about Buffy’s new status and sent a demon spirit after her?”

“I don’t’ think so, Glinda,” Spike answered. “Whatever it was, it wasn’t expecting Buffy’s new life. In fact it seemed rather thrilled that Buffy was technically dead.”

“That’s not life, it’s …” Xander interrupted. “Damn,” He slapped one hand over his mouth and raised the other in a surrender motion while he shook his head. With everything he’d learned over the last week, he really had to nip his gut reactions and prejudices in the bud.

“It’s all right, Xander.” Anya patted Xander’s knee in support. She stuck up for Xander with the others, especially after his earlier blunder with Valerie. “He did a lot of research the last few days. It’s taking a little bit to sink in fully though. He is getting better, if we can get his mouth off of autopilot mode that is.”

“Thanks Ahn,” Xander sighed and shook his head back and forth still. He really didn't need Spike even more upset with him at the moment. He had a feeling that Buffy would not protect him from Spike either.

Spike nodded in understanding. He hadn’t rushed to anger because he figured it was more of an automatic response to anyone's vampiric status. The fact that Xander hadn’t staked him while he was unconscious went a long way towards convincing Spike of Xander’s change of heart. “Hard to change years of training in a week, Whelp.”

Xander visibly relaxed. He rested his hands back on his legs. He covered one of Anya’s hands with his. “I am working on it, man. I swear I am.”

“It will mean a lot to Buffy,” Spike said. “She’s seen the worst the human world has to offer, and it almost killed her again. She needs to know exactly who her true friends are. Your support will mean more to her now than ever before.”

“It wasn’t a demon that she fought?” Xander asked. Cordelia hadn’t told them what happened before Spike turned Buffy. She’d said it was something Buffy needed to decide who she would tell or not. In fact, Cordelia let Xander and Anya do most of the talking before she ever uttered a word to confirm or deny what they assumed.

“No.” Spike growled at the memory of how proud the murderer had been of his deeds. “The bloke was fully human. He was a hired assassin who decided to shoot her in the chest.”

“A human? But why would a human…” Xander trailed out, trying to process the information and the group’s grave faces. He wondered what they were not saying but left the question unasked. He was afraid of the answer.

Spike slowly nodded his head and looked like he was going to say more. Changing his mind he continued, “Don’t go pressing Buffy for details. I don’t want her having to talk about anything that might upset her.”

Tara covered Spike’s shoulder with her hand, and she squeezed it a little. “It’ll be okay Spike.”

Like a chain reaction of support and comfort, Valerie squeezed Tara’s knee. She was coming to understand that something major happened to Buffy and Spike since they’d asked her to stop by the day before.

Xander’s eyes widened at the new woman touching Tara. “I guess I know why Willow’s hanging around with Amy now,” He said still staring at Valerie and Tara. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the woman, but he wasn’t used to seeing Tara with anyone but Willow. Willow was freaking him out, but he hated to see his best friend and girlfriend split up.

Valerie quickly snatched her hand back. She smiled a bit in embarrassment over her natural reaction to touch someone she cared about.

Tara’s eyes flashed in anger. “Whatever Willow is doing with Amy has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t going to stand by any longer while she tried to manipulate me, rape my mind, and abuse magic. Anything I do now is none of her concern. Valerie has already proven herself a dear friend to us. She saved Dawn from Willow and all of us from most of Willow's manipulations.”

“Red couldn’t accept Glinda’s choice to leave, and she’s been trying to control us ever since.” Spike jumped into the conversation before it got ugly. Tara may be a quieter person, but he saw the potential power that the white wicca had. “Without Valerie’s help, we could have easily become her automatons. We figure Willow is the one who called the Poof.”

“Angel’s seen Buffy? Is he dust? I guess that he didn’t get too happy about it.” A part of Xander was worried about Buffy facing Angel or Angelus so soon. Another part of him danced a little jig over the possibility that Angel was gone for good. He knew that it would have to raise Angel’s ire to realize that Spike was Buffy’s Sire. He knew the vampire would be jealous of the bond that relationship would cause between Buffy and Spike even if nothing further developed.

“Yes they fought, but the Wanker isn’t dust yet.” Spike frowned. “What’s worse is it seems that he somehow managed to produce a little sprog, and he brought the boy with him to Sunnyhell. What kind of father purposely brings his son to the mouth of Hell?” He shook his head back and forth in disbelief.

“No clue man. It doesn’t make sense to me, but then again half of what he did never made sense to me.” Xander’s mind was still trying to process the information about a vampire having a child in the first place. “How …”

“Prophecy,” Spike said before Xander uttered more than the one word of his question.

“Prophecy’s suck.” Xander frowned. “They never work out too well for Buffy.”

“Somehow I don’t think Buffy minds this time.” Tara smiled at Spike. “Dawn should be awake soon. I’m surprised she isn’t down here already with all this noise.”

“Nibblet sleeps like the dead, Glinda. She must get that from her parents,” Spike laughed at the inside joke.

Xander and Anya looked at the two blonds blankly. Tara and Spike seemed to be sharing in a bit of mirth, but Xander and Anya had no clue what was going on. “Care to share?” Xander asked.

“What do you think, Glinda?” Spike questioned. “Do they look on the up and up?”

Tara had been watching Xander and Anya’s auras since she found them with the unconscious Buffy and Spike. Despite her earlier worries, she couldn’t find any reason to doubt what they were telling her. Xander’s aura had even brightened into more rainbow like colors instead of the murky grays that she noticed before.

“We can trust them, Spike.” Tara smiled. “I don’t know how well they’ll handle it, but this is the brightest I’ve ever seen Xander’s aura. I think we’re okay.”

Spike raised a brow to ask if Tara was really sure about it. He trusted her judgment, but there couldn’t be any doubts about proceeding with the news about Dawn.

Tara nodded. “I’m sure.” She answered Spike’s unspoken question.

“All right then. No interrupting.” Spike leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. It started out a long time ago by some monks in a holy crypt.”

Xander snorted in mirth. The story had to be a big one. Spike was trying to add humor to the tale to help lessen the blow of whatever news he was about to impart.

At the end of the tale, Xander and Anya both sat unmoving and speechless. Xander blinked a few times and said, “I think that I need some more coffee before we go any further with this brainstorming session. I think my brain is going to explode if I don’t.”

“I can get it Xander,” Tara offered.

“No, I’ll get it Tara. Thanks, but I need some time to think.” Xander squeezed Anya’s hand when he stood up. “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just need some processing time, man.”

Spike nodded his understanding, and he watched Xander leave the room. He leaned back against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He tried to sense Buffy’s mood through their Sire/Childe link. She seemed to be in a bit of distress, but he figured it was a residual feeling after dealing with the creature in the cemetery.

Valerie, Tara and Anya talked about what the shadows looked like and if there were any sounds that Anya heard. Spike added in bits of information on what the form looked like to him, since he could actually see most of it. They started to brainstorm about what kinds of demons Willow might have summoned and what she might have used to summon them with. Spike tried to relax a little before Xander returned.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Upstairs at Spike and Buffy’s House)

Buffy tossed her head back and forth. Her dreams were plagued with the image of Dinza, the creature that attacked them in the cemetery. She’d already awakened once. Even if Spike hadn’t told her to get some more rest, she doubted that she could have stayed awake. Something kept pulling her back to slumber, something dark and sinister.

The image of Joyce Summers pushed its way through the darkness of Buffy’s dreams. It was as if she physically assaulted the beast that plagued her daughter’s memories. Her light emerged triumphant, and the blazing flames of the sword in the gentle woman’s hand dispersed into the ether again.

“Buffy, you have to stay awake sweetie. Fight this,” Joyce gently shook her daughter’s thoughts. She looked up heavenward. “Some help here would be nice,” She grumbled. “You’d think that the powers that be wouldn’t be so limited in what they can do.”

Buffy tried to keep fighting through the fog in her brain. It was easier now that she felt a presence with her, but she couldn’t shake it completely.

“Don’t even think of sending me to Willow with a message,” Joyce muttered angrily. “About the only thing I want to tell her is go to Hell.”

“Temper, temper Joyce.” A male voice entered the room followed by a very badly dressed messenger. “They don’t like it when people get too testy with them,” He said out loud. To himself he thought, ‘Must be a family trait.’

Joyce’s eyes narrowed on the little man. “Ethereal messenger here, Whistler. I heard that.”

Whistler gulped. Summers women were scary ladies to cross paths with.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

( 1630 Revello Drive )

Willow stretched out her arms. Her hand bumped against the back of Amy’s neck. She smiled and curled around her newest lover. Although she still wanted Tara back, she didn’t see any reason why her bed needed to be cold and empty until she found a way to get Tara to return.

Willow absentmindedly rubbed her thumb over the new ring on her index finger. The large deep blue jewel was encased in a band of silver. It wasn’t her usual style, but she wasn’t taking any chances on losing control over Dinza. So, she kept the talisman close at hand at all times. She thought she was pretty smart to create a talisman that was so easily able to be worn.

Willow hoped that everything would get back to normal soon, well the exact kind of normal that Willow wanted it to be. Hopefully Dinza would take care of Buffy’s memories of heaven, and the wayward Slayer would return home. Maybe it wasn’t too late to keep the house from being sold if Buffy told the bank she’d changed her mind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Spike and Buffy’s Home)

Dawn walked down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. She knew that Valerie would be there shortly, if she wasn’t already. She wanted to get some breakfast. Much like her genetic mother, she was not all that thrilled about mornings. True, she was bouncy at times, but that was usually due to being jazzed up on caffeine already or a burst of teenage joy.

Xander looked up from the coffee maker. He was just waiting on the last cup of coffee before he brought the drinks out to everyone. Their brainstorming session was in serious need of a kick. “Hey, Dawnie.” His heart had broken when Spike and Tara told him about how scared for Dawn they were after Willow’s attempt to control them.

Dawn’s eyes blinked wide open when she heard Xander’s voice. She shrieked, “Get away from me.” She grabbed the nearest utensil on the counter. A soup ladle wasn’t exactly the most threatening of utensils, but she was willing to slap the metal upside Xander’s head if he got too close to her. 'How was he able to get into the house? Valerie and Tara had it protected.'

“Dawn, calm down.” Xander tried to placate Dawn. He hadn’t seen her this erratic acting since Buffy’s leap off Glory’s tower.

“No, I won’t let you take me away from my home.” Dawn swatted the metal ladle in front of her at Xander. “I don’t know how you got in here, but I know how to get you out. SPIKE!” She yelled. “BUFFY!”

“I’m not trying to do anything, Dawn.” Xander covered his ears. ‘Damn, that is one shrill scream.’

Spike darted into the kitchen. His momentum sent him through the doorway, and he slid across the tile. He grabbed the island and whipped himself around in front of Dawn, ready for battle.

“Xander … he … he …” Dawn panicked. She couldn’t get a word out. She just kept waving her ladle in Xander’s direction.

Spike wrapped his arms around Dawn and rocked her back and forth. Tara, Valerie, and Anya all made it into the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. “It’s all right, Bit. You’re ours.” He continued to rock Dawn in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head. “No one is coming to take you away.”

Dawn cried into Spike’s chest. One of her worst fears since she found out about Buffy was that one of the Scoobies would try to take her away from her sister. Her whole body trembled as her adrenaline wore down. “Sp … Spike.” The ladle hit the ground, and she tightened her own grip on Spike.

“I’m sorry man.” Xander felt guilty, even though he hadn’t done anything this time. He had a feeling that his previous prejudices were the reason why Dawn was so freaked out. Naturally she would assume that he was there to stop Buffy and Spike or take her away from them. He felt ashamed of himself.

“It’s all right,” Tara spoke softly while Anya walked over to comfort her fiancé. “We’ve all been pretty stressed out here between Angelus, Buffy’s death, Willow’s magic, Dawn’s news, and last night’s attack.” She joined Spike and Dawn, hugging Dawn from behind.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was Dawn’s scream of her name that finally awakened all of Buffy’s senses. The fear in her sister’s, no - her genetic daughter’s, voice was enough to chase away anything that was trying to keep her from reality. She jolted upright in bed. She was out the door and down the stairs before her brain fully registered where the scream came from.

“Dawn!” Buffy ran into the kitchen in full vamp face. She started to attack Spike without realizing that he was the one comforting Dawn and not an attacker.

“Merciful Zeus,” Xander shouted. His mouth dropped to the ground. A very naked and angry vampire dashed in front of his eyes. He was half petrified of the fervor that Buffy was tearing into Spike with and half ready to faint over seeing the woman he obsessed about for years buck naked in front of him.

Spike pushed Dawn away from himself and into Tara’s arms. Buffy’s sharp nails dug into his back and shredded his shirt. He whipped around to face Buffy as he yelled, “Enough!” He was forced to block several more of Buffy’s blows before he growled out in a stern Sire’s voice, “STOP!”

Buffy’s arms immediately moved to her sides. Although she stopped moving, she was still growling in full game face in a language that only Spike and Buffy understood.

Spike slowly walked forward, ignoring everyone else around them. His yellow demon eyes flickered, and he snarled. The two demons squared off with each other verbally. Spike tried to calm Buffy down enough to realize that Dawn was safe. He gestured at the brunette in Tara’s arms.

Buffy’s chest heaved. Even though she didn’t need to breathe, air was being forced in and out of her dead lungs at a rapid rate. Her angry growl had lessened to a lower growl and finally a whimper. She looked over at Dawn and then around the room. When her eyes rested on Xander her whimpers turned to a full-fledged growl again.

“Whoa!” Xander backed up.

“Don’t move, Xander,” Anya cautioned. Buffy was always protective of her sister. Now that she was a vampire those protective familial instincts would be even greater. She had no desire to see her fiancé shredded to pieces. Spike was a strong Master vampire, but she didn’t want to test his control over his Childe. Buffy was a Slayer before becoming a vampire, and there was no telling how strong that would make her overall.

Spike turned Buffy’s head to face him again with one hand on each cheek. He held her in place, making her look directly into his eyes. He growled a few more phrases before he pulled her towards him and smashed his lips to hers. Fangs clashed with fangs and both of their blood was spilt and shared.

Buffy’s arms were free to move again, and she wrapped them around her Sire. Her growls no longer sounded of anger but of passion and want.

Spike wrapped his duster around Buffy’s naked form with one hand. The other hand waved at Tara and Dawn to get out of the kitchen.

Tara nodded over to Xander, Valerie and Anya, and all five of them vacated hastily to the living room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sounds of bodies smashing into walls, moaning, and cloth tearing hastened Tara to move everyone even further away from the vampires and out onto the porch.

A sniffling Dawn looked over at Xander. She could tell he was still in shock over what he saw. “I’m sorry. She’s not normally … Oh God, what happened?”

“Buffy must have heard you call for her,” Valerie attempted to explain. “She thought you were in danger. So, she attacked the first thing she saw holding you. I’m just glad it was Spike and not Tara.”

“She … She isn’t usually like this Xander,” Tara hoped that Xander wouldn’t run for the nearest stake once he got over his shock.

Xander nodded slowly. He hoped that he never had to see that side of Buffy's new state ever again. It was scary. In a way he felt comforted though to know that Buffy would protect those she loved that strongly. He only hoped that he would be considered in that category for her again soon.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(To Be Continued)

Twists Of Fate - (17) Prophecy's Children - Part 1
By Tasha and Athenewolfe
(Both)

Author's Note/Summary: Dinza and the PTB have a chat about Buffy and the ritual. Angel reacts to everything going on, and he confronts Willow at Buffy's house. The "new Scoobies" spend more time together.

WARNING: Major Character Death, not any of the "new Scoobies".

Note about Collaboration: Athenewolfe had input, ideas, and/or writing for part of chapter 16 and 17. After that it will be solely written by Tasha. There have been several years in-between when Chapter 15 was posted and the rest of the story. So, not everyone was available anymore to collaborate.

Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

(Spike and Buffy's Home)

Previously: Sounds of bodies smashing into walls, moaning, and cloth tearing hastened Tara to move everyone even further away from the vampires and out onto the porch.

A sniffling Dawn looked over at Xander. She could tell he was still in shock over what he saw. “I’m sorry. She’s not normally … Oh God, what happened?”

“Buffy must have heard you call for her,” Valerie attempted to explain. “She thought you were in danger. So, she attacked the first thing she saw holding you. I’m just glad it was Spike and not Tara.”

“She … She isn’t usually like this Xander,” Tara hoped that Xander wouldn’t run for the nearest stake once he got over his shock.

Xander nodded slowly. He hoped that he never had to see that side of Buffy's new state ever again. It was scary. In a way he felt comforted though to know that Buffy would protect those she loved that strongly. He only hoped that he would be considered in that category for her again soon.

It took 15 minutes before the snarling and crashing sounds lessened. Even then it was another 15 minutes before everything seemed calm and serene back in the house again.

About 45 minutes after the fight started, Buffy's head emerged around the front door frame of the house to talk to the people on the porch. "Um … sorry about that. Spike says it's safe to come back in."

One by one the "new Scoobies" filed in from the porch to the living room. Spike and Buffy sat next to each other on one of the couches. Dawn quickly joined them, hugging Buffy. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. I didn't know Xander was okay. I thought he was …"

"It's all right Dawn. Spike explained it to me." Buffy ran her fingers through Dawn's long brown hair in a soothing motion. "I was really out of it after the attack. All I thought was that you were being attacked, and I couldn't lose you."

Buffy turned to face Xander and Anya who took up half of another couch in her living room. "Spike also told me about you guys. Thanks for the rescue Anya and Xander. We owe you one for that. I didn't think I could believe Cordelia when she said you guys approached her. I'm glad I was wrong."

"No problem, Buffster. I'll admit that even a week ago I would have told someone they were nuts if they said I'd accept all of this." Xander wanted to hug his friend, but he wasn't sure how it would be accepted. "Just when I think I have a handle on it, I get more news. Spike told me about Dawn's origins. Have to say, that blew me away again."

"She's our precious surprise." Buffy hugged Dawn tighter. "That isn't to say that I still don't want to strangle those monks. The whole situation could have gone pear-shaped in so many ways. They should have told at least Spike and I. Maybe we could have protected Dawn better together from the beginning."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(A Dark Cave Somewhere in Sunnydale)

A representative for the PTB, Power That Be, materialized in front of Dinza. The Goddess was only mildly startled, but she continued her ritualistic preparations.

"You will not succeed, Dinza." The female representative stated the PTB position clearly. "She is no longer mortal. So, her mortal memories may not be stolen."

"I was promised a gift when I was called to this plane of existence. A gift is owed, and payment must be made."

The golden white figure sighed. "The Powers That Be acknowledge that right, but you will not receive any payment from Buffy Summers. She is no longer a part of a type you can control. Her memories of Heaven will remain hers."

"She and her Mate were not unaffected by my presence the last time. So, perhaps you are wrong."

"Their incapacitation came more from an overload to all the layers of protection on them. The next time they will not be as severely affected."

"You are merely a messenger. You can't stop me from trying again."

"Perhaps, and perhaps not," Joyce answered. She was ready to battle with the Goddess if necessary. She defeated her once on Buffy's dream plane. She was strong enough to do it again. "I can deliver the warning that if you attempt contact again, the backlash on you will be tenfold. Do you really want to test your hypothesis?"

Dinza growled. "I will not leave this plane without a precious gift, as I was promised." The Goddess disappeared from her corporeal form. "Magic has consequences," Dinza's voice echoed through the cave as her presence vanished.

Joyce's golden form faded from view. 'Buffy has her own prophecy and destiny to fulfill. She will not be taken from it now.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Floating Somewhere Over Sunnydale)

Dinza was not pleased. What right did any being have to limit her reach and power? She grew weary of finding herself at the beck and call of any frivolous being that learned enough about magic to summon her. Usually she was satisfied with her price though. This time she was being denied it.

Dinza let her power and consciousness search her current plane of existence for anyone attached to the red witch's spell. Only two separate pulses were connected with it. She could sense that the new vampire was protected at the moment, and it wasn't just by the PTB. That put Buffy further out of reach.

An evil grin alighted on Dinza's face when she realized that the other connection to the spell was very strong. Somehow the witch had secured the spell and connection to Dinza through a talisman. She could use that connection for her own purposes as well. 'Magic has consequences,' she thought to herself again. 'If I could somehow gain some of this one's power, maybe I won't have to be a slave to other's whims to return to this plane in the future.'

Dinza felt a large surge of power from Willow, and she latched onto it. When the power was being disbursed, it wasn't protected within Willow's magical core. It gave the Goddess an "in" to be able to access it. 'Foolish witch. She will learn not to use magic so frivolously." She started to wean bits of Willow's magical base into her own storage. She would bide her time to work slowly and not tip off the witch to what she was doing. She had a feeling she would have plenty of opportunities to steal greater amounts of power since the witch used her magic frequently.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(1630 Revello Drive)

Angel stumbled towards Revello Drive. He had been holed up in the Crawford mansion for the last 24 hours, with the occasional trip to Willie’s Bar for more blood and scotch, trying to determine what actions he should take concerning Buffy.

Angel still couldn’t believe that Spike had sired Buffy. He should have staked his Childe after Buffy’s funeral while he had the chance. If only he hadn't listened to everyone’s protests that they needed him to help watch Dawn and patrol. They refused to listen to him, and now he had to live with the fact that Spike had killed his only love.

Taking the Scotch out from his latest purchases, he took another drink. He couldn’t let Buffy to live. 'No, it is just the demon that inhabits her body,' he reminded himself. He would have to stake her himself. It was the right thing to do. With his mind made up, he noticed that he'd finally arrived at his intended destination and strove up to the door.

Angel's fists pounded on the door as his temper simmered just below the surface. He kept dwelling on her friends’ inaction over the whole situation. Their negligence caused this. They should have taken better care of Buffy and watched her more carefully. They should have called him if they were having problems with her – and Spike, of course. Now he would have to pay the price for their neglect. He would be forced to stake his love. It was what she would want after all.

After a few minutes of pounding on the front door, a disheveled Willow answered it. His nostrils flared with the overpowering scents that surrounded her: Dark magicks, sex, power and blood. Everything was all interwoven together and laced with anger, desire and something indefinable.

Whatever Willow had been up to, it wasn’t something that one normally associated with the powers of good. He could feel his demon struggling to emerge and a surge of desire shot through him. He could hear Angelus whisper to him that if he could corrupt Willow, take her and turn her, their power together would bring this world to its knees.

Shaking off the thoughts of the demon, Angel responded with self-righteous rage. “Willow – What the HELL have you been doing? You smell of sex and magic. While you are here,” he raked his eyes up and down her derogatorily, “playing your little games, Buffy has been turned by Spike. We have to save her from this existence.”

Willow looked over at Angel, and she practically felt her world realign. The slayer she had resurrected for the good guys team was dead. That was just the tip of the iceberg of their problems though. The watcher was a drunk, Xander a fool, and Tara and Anya – well they had their place, but it wasn’t as the core Scooby team. The good guys were no more. They had lost.

Willow felt her power roll over her skin. It felt almost warm, slightly tingly, and very comforting like home. Even as she felt the power, she couldn’t help but notice Angel’s reaction. She couldn’t stand the way he was looking at her. It seemed like a mix of a disgusted, but aroused, glare. It was a revelation to her.

The good guys always lost, and those who succeeded did so by using people with power, people like her. How many years had she stayed by the Slayer, assisting her with planning and magic? The slayer was brute force alone. If it hadn’t been for her, heck even for Xander, the slayer would have died years ago. Yet, here was another so-called Champion. He needed her help, but he was self-righteous about it at the same time.

Just as Tara and Buffy had turned against her, so would Angel. He would use her power to assist him and discard her when he was done. Willow could practically hear his thoughts. His dismissive tone said it all. He might want her help, but her power scared him. Therefore, he would try to tell her it that it was wrong.

As Willow stood there looking at him, her rage started to simmer, and she found herself digging even deeper into the darker magic. She wouldn’t be anyone’s whipping girl anymore. Her eyes flashed black as she embraced the magic she had only really toyed with before. She muttered only one word that would change several people's lives at once, “Incinerate.”

Angel or Angelus, whichever moniker you chose to use for the vampire, was no more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Spike and Buffy's Home)

Xander and Anya were catching up Spike, Buffy and Dawn on everything else happening in Sunnydale the last few days. Buffy was worried that Giles had disappeared, but Anya swore that she heard him talking on the phone about getting Faith out of jail.

"Like we need another loose cannon in the mix." Buffy rolled her eyes. "What is Giles thinking?"

"I don't think he is thinking clearly, Buffy," Anya piped in. "Giles seems to be drinking more than the first year you went to Sunny U. I don't know if he just can't handle everything or if he's regressing. I even thought I heard him yelling about returning to England."

"As much as I don't want to see Buffy lose a father figure that might be the best plan all around." Spike continued on when Buffy gasped, "If he won't accept you, love, it might be easier if he is across the pond instead."

Buffy nodded sadly. She hoped it wouldn't come to that. If Xander could come around, shouldn't Giles be easier to convince? She voiced those thoughts out loud. "Right?"

"We'll see, love. We'll see."

As the group continued to talk and catch up, Spike and Buffy jumped up off the couch and snarled. Their snarls turned into a pained whimper as they shared a look at one another.

Buffy and Spike felt the loss of their family member at the same time. Their faces shifted into game face, and both of them felt their demons mourn for the loss of Angelus.

The rage was too much for both of them. They needed to find out who had taken out the elder vampire. They both felt a dark presence around Angel seconds before the link was gone. That wasn't how it felt to Spike either time that Darla was dusted. This was something different happening.

"Angelus is gone." Spike had calmed down enough to verbalize his needs in English again instead of demonic growls. "Something wasn't right about it. Think you can get your people to find out how he died?" He directed his comment to Valerie.

Valerie nodded. "I'll head out to the porch to call the office. Maybe someone there knows …" She was interrupted by her phone going off. As soon as she answered the call, her faced turned ashen.


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(1630 Revello Drive)

Willow smiled as she stood over the small pile of dust. One simple word from her, and Angel was no more. She could feel the power dancing under her skin. She couldn’t believe she had wasted all those years toeing some good guy imaginary line. They had wanted her meek and obedient. Now, everything had changed. It was time for everyone to realize that there was a new big bad in Sunnydale. She would rule this town.

With a twist of her wrist the remnants of the dust disappeared, and Willow contemplated what she should do next. Obviously she would have to deal with the Spike and Buffy thing. On one hand, having a master vamp and his Childe at her beck and call would be lovely. All she had to do was figure out a way to make them obey her. Perhaps she could use the threat of a soul or even the threat of a quick disintegration to get them to toe the line.

Having Buffy turned actually made things easier for Willow. Spike could be easily controlled utilizing his desire for the slayer. Since Buffy was a vamp, it didn’t matter to Willow if she dusted her or not. Buffy was dead, and with it so was their old life and friendship.

The second question was what to do about Tara and Dawn. Obviously Willow couldn’t let Tara leave her. She needed her by her side. All she had to do was determine how Tara was being shielded from her magic and break it. Dawn was a brat, but she needed to force her to return as well.

Everyone was always so caring and concerned about the girl. Therefore, if she controlled Dawn, she should be able to get everyone else to fall in line. A sudden thought came to her and she smiled viscously. 'Maybe it is time to explore whether or not there is any residual Key energy. If I could channel that energy there would be no greater witch on the planet.'

The power seemed to shiver around her, settling like a thick cloak, as she headed upstairs to where she had left Amy in bed. She never noticed that her eyes and hair had permanently turned black or the fear in the other witches eyes when she crawled into bed. She ran her hand up Amy’s body before she dipped her head to steal a forceful kiss. It was good to be queen.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(A Hotel on the Outskirts of Sunnydale)

Cordy screamed in pain and dropped to her knees. The vision was overwhelming in intensity, as if the Powers That Be were angry and lashing out at the all those who were connected to them. Tears streaked down her face, not only due to the physical pain of the vision, but the emotional pain which accompanied it. All her hopes, and her dreams were shattered by the visions that pounded in her head.

Angel was dead. He was dusted by a Willow she no longer recognized. She didn’t know the entire back story available, but this was beyond what she would even have considered possible – but the vision …

Cordelia knew by the ache in her heart that this vision wasn't something she could help thwart. It was something that had already past, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her heart ached, and before she could stand back up she was assaulted with another vision.

This vision showed Buffy and Spike facing Willow, Amy and something else she couldn’t quite make out. It seemed like a blurry unfocused shadow. The three of them were fighting the two vampires. As the shadow and magic hit them the vamped two were faltering. She saw Buffy dust and Spike throw himself on the witches in a furious retribution. The last thing she saw was his pain before the vision ended.

Cordy felt that her world was ending: first Angel, then Buffy and Spike. What was she going to do? What was Connor to do? This couldn’t be happening. As she began to lose consciousness from the intensity of the migraine she felt a cool breeze, almost a caress, as one name seemed to echo through her mind. “Faith.” Maybe Faith could save them this time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Spike and Buffy's Home)

Valerie's end of the phone conversation consisted of several "Are you sure?" and "Oh my gosh", followed by "This is not good" before she ended the call.

Xander, Anya, Dawn, Tara, Buffy and Spike all sat stock still waiting for Valerie to get off the phone. Buffy and Spike stared at each other as their supernatural hearing picked up both ends of the conversation.

Buffy sighed, hung her head, and started to cry. Spike tried his best to console his Mate. He knew she was crying as much from the loss of her friend's goodness as she was for the loss of her first love.

"My operatives confirmed that Angelus is dust. I had several operatives watching Cordelia Chase, Angelus, and Willow Rosenberg. All four of them were at Buffy's former residence when Angelus was incinerated by a spell from Willow. I'm so sorry for your losses."

Valerie was smart enough to know that even if reconciliation wasn't possible between everyone here, Angelus was family to Buffy and Spike. He was Spike's Sire and Buffy's Grand-Sire. Blood was everything to vampires.

Cold fury welled up in Buffy and Spike's hearts. Even as an enemy, Angelus would have been theirs to discipline or theirs to destroy. It was the nature of vampiric families. As demons, Angel should have faced justice from his peers. As a fellow champion for the side of good, it was the Powers That Be who should have decided Angel's fate. They'd brought him back from Hell once already. He was obviously the key to something important. Was he simply needed to fulfill the prophecy for his son's birth, or was there something more that was being left unfulfilled now?

The rage inside Spike and Buffy was too much. Like one they turned and stalked to the front door, leaving a slightly confused group of people in their living room. Just as they reached the outer door from the front porch to the front yard, a bright light engulfed the room to block the way out.

"Not yet." The soft feminine voice said. "You need to stay protected here for now."

Dawn, having heard a voice she never thought she would again, ran out onto the porch. She nearly cried at the site before her. "Mommy …"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(To Be Continued)