Willow sat at the table enjoying her coffee. The hot Italian sun beat down on the square and the fountain gave off a lazy noise as it splashed over the figure of a dolphin. Coming to Rome to stay with Buffy and Spike after the hell of the battle with the senior partners had been a splendid idea.
Willow thought back to the moment when Giles had received the phone call from Lorne telling him about Angels plan to bring down the LA part of Wolf Ram and Hart.
Immediate action had alerted covens, slayers and what was left of the watchers all over the world. The coven had been in contact with all available slayers, then helped Willow to teleport them into the alley as the demons had rushed the two vampires. Over 100 slayers plus witches and known fighters had appeared from nowhere and had joined the raging battle. Even Riley had managed to get there with his men. Shamans from his black ops group bringing them in. Balance had been preserved and another small item on the news had told of a gangland battle with both groups high on PCB.
Now they could all rest. Angel was gone he went off with Nina, the wolf girl after seeing Buffy hold onto Spike so tightly obviously so much in love. She had been stroking and kissing his demon face and hadn’t even noticed when Angel turned and walked away.
Willow had accompanied Buffy and Spike back to Rome where Dawn was waiting. Tears were shed and old arguments made up. Dawn had spent the night just holding onto Spike crying.

Giles was busy setting up the new watchers council under Faith and Robin’s scrutiny. A fair deal for slayers had been the first priority. They even got wages. Large amounts of money had been found in numerous accounts, more than enough to ensure no slayer would have to work in a Burger bar to survive, much to Buffy’s relief and anger. The hardship of carrying all the responsibility for so long had made her almost glad that Travers was not around. She wasn’t supposed to kill humans!
Then Willow and Kennedy had split up and that had been bad, but even Spike had helped Red through it. Then Xander had come back. Fit tanned and gorgeous with a girl, um Slayer, on his arm. She was blonde and also very fit in all ways. That had caused a few problems to start jealousy and the like but then one drunken night the three of them had ended up sleeping it off in the same bad then one thing led to another and now they were together. The three of them and so very happy.

So there Willow sat and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her face and the taste of fresh coffee. Nothing could bother her here she thought. She could just be.

Rachael watched from the dress shop. She had been looking through some very naughty nighties and hoping that Willow and her other lover would like them as well. A tall broad shouldered man with athletic appearance was standing in the corner watching her as she looked through the scraps of silk. He appreciated a pretty girl fingering lingerie and spent his time picturing it on her or her friend across the square his one good eye appreciating the beauty around him. Xander had changed. A year or more in Africa had honed his body and rid him of all the puppy fat. He was now sculpted and got as many admiring glance as Spike did. Rid of the jealously of being the group clown he had grown into his manhood confidently. Caring for the new slayers had given him a place and to have Rachael and Willow both appreciate him was a dream come true. Part of his heart would always be Anya’s but he knew that of all beings she would appreciate the fact that he was giving happies to two ladies as they gave happies to him. Willow had finally got him, just not in the way he had imagined. His gift to the group was his vision. He could see right to the heart of a problem, or to the heart of someone’s motives and when he truly used his gift on Spike for the first time, the love that shone from the Vampire had nearly blinded him in his one good eye. As the darkness in Angel had always blinded, him he thought ruefully. Xander was a changed man and was grateful for the change. He turned to see a man approaching the redheaded witch’s table; there was something off about the way he walked. All predator, and if it wasn’t for the fact that it was broad daylight his senses would have screamed vampire.




A shadow crossed Willow’s book and made her look up. Despite being in the bright sunshine all her senses were screaming Vampire. But it couldn’t be could it? The ring of Amara had been destroyed. Willow checked his hands to look for the ring nonetheless. She took note of a ‘ tall dark and handsome’ type looking down at her. He was wearing a very expensive suit and very dark sunglasses and was a fine figure of a man even if not to Willow’s tastes
‘ Miss Rosenberg?’
Willow nodded. And started to draw in the magics to protect herself if necessary.
‘May I sit down’?
Who ever this was he certainly was well mannered. Wonderful she was about to become a midmorning snack for a very cute and well-mannered vampire. It was better than a rude one she supposed.
‘Firstly I mean you no harm I promise, I am a gentleman and keep my word; nor will I harm any of your friends.’ He looked about the square. ‘It is beautiful here isn’t it? I love coming to Rome; have you seen the Villa Faresina? It has some wonderful paintings you might enjoy. To see Rome fully you need a good guide, a local, ah but you have Miss Summers don’t you and Lady Carrington?’
That last name confused Willow
‘Who’
‘Lady Carrington, Lord Carrington’s wife; Buffy’ he explained. Seeing the look of confusion on Willow’s face. ‘William, Spike, which name does he use now?’
‘Lord Carrington? Spike never told us! We never knew!’ Willow though about Spike, still back at the apartment with Buffy, enjoying some alone time, thought about his rough speech, cockney accent and punk image. Spike a Lord, and she started giggling
‘Oh dear: I seem to have let slip a secret. I do so hope he’ll forgive me.’
The waiter appeared. The stranger signalled for more drinks, but Willow shook her head, ‘No more coffee for me, one is enough or I go all blah, and caffeine Willow is not a nice thing’
He pointed down at his own place and then gave a start. ‘How bad mannered of me I haven’t introduced myself. I give you my name.’ Knowing the power a name held Willow started to relax. ‘Charles Richards at your service, gave a little bow before pulling out a chair and, with Willow’s consent, sat down. A very strange vampire she thought, if a vampire at all.


Across in the shop Xander noticed the man sit down at Willow’s table.
‘Rachael, you better take a look here.’ Rachael turned round to her lover; his voice had gone low and growly as if trouble was coming.

Buffy and Spike were enjoying some well-earned privacy, the apartment was completely empty as Andrew was off doing watchery stuff, Dawn was at school; and Willow, Rachael and Xander had gone shopping.
Xander was the biggest shock of all for this new and improved world. Still a joker but no longer vicious. He had developed into what Giles called ‘a very nice young man.’ But the shouts and moans from his room at night rivalled even the noise coming from Buffy and Spike’s. They were all just so glad that the new Slayer School had such a huge, private and sound proofed apartment attached to it. They all needed the space.

Having spent most of the morning in bed Buffy and Spike were enjoying a cup of coffee before heading off to help train the new slayers when Willow, Rachael and Xander burst into the kitchen. They were flustered and Willow looked very shaken.
‘What’s up? Asked Buffy
‘Vampire, outside the café, in broad daylight!!’ Xander answered
‘Day walker, but I thought they were bloody stories’ blurted out Spike
‘Well it seems someone decided to walk around like normal folks do, in daylight pretending to be a happy meal one legs. Xander said adding ‘He gave Willow a message to pass onto you two.’ Willow handed Spike a paper napkin: it had an address, a date, and time, with a list of names and two drops of blood on it. The Vampire sniffed the blood and then gently tasted it.
‘Eww gross’ Said Xander, ‘back to bad habits, Dead Boy junior?’
‘Shut up whelp’
The old names broke the tension a little and allowed the humans to take a deep breath.
Spike looked at him as Buffy laid her hand on Xander’s ‘He can tell whose blood it is from that Xander,’
‘I know, I’m not stupid, just thought if we’re back to fighting the bad guys we’d better get back into practise’
‘I can tell you who’s blood it is: its mine and Charles Richards, least that was the name he gave me’ Willow said, speaking up for the first time since the group had arrived.
‘Tell us exactly what happened, Red’ instructed Spike, looking up from the piece of paper in his hand.

‘ I was sitting having coffee while Xander and Rachael were shopping when this man came up to my table and sat down. He was very polite and asked if he could join me.’ Willow smiled nervously towards the blond vampire, who still looking at the napkin in his hand. Buffy patted her on the shoulder
‘Go on’
‘He said his boss wanted to meet you and Buffy, and that was all’
‘Then what?
He went all fang face, in daylight, he’s not supposed to be able to do that. Then he bit the inside of his wrist and dropped blood onto two napkins.’
Willow stopped talking and tried to remember exactly what had happened next.
‘He said that his boss would need proof that we’d spoken, so would I mind bleeding onto both napkins. I was scared but he held my hand and very gently pricked my little finger and just dropped two drops of blood out: one onto each napkin. Then he wrote on one napkin and took the other himself. He said that safety was guaranteed, on his honour or some such, no, parley and truce that’s what he said. Parley and Truce.’
Buffy took the paper and looked at the names:-

Lord and Lady Carrington
Miss Willow Rosenberg
Miss Dawn Summers
Mr Alexander Harris
Miss Rachel Hunter
Mr Rupert Giles

‘Spike, who are Lord and Lady Carrington?’ asked Buffy
‘That’s us love, I’m Lord Carrington, at least I was when I was alive’
‘Seems they want the whole gang. At least if there is any trouble we will be able to defend ourselves,’ commented Xander.
Buffy then re-read the paper. And looked towards Spike.
Spike had the good grace to look a little embarrassed and ran his hand through his bleached hair. ‘Seems I can’t keep any bloody secrets round here. Not that I wanted to keep it from you,’ he added hastily, seeing the storm start to cloud the green eyes looking at him, ‘just haven’t thought about it in over a century, but suppose the title is still mine.’
‘You’re just lucky, Mister, that we have more important stuff to discuss right now, but don’t think I’ll forget.’
‘Never expected you to.’ He smirked.

‘Right, back to business. Why don’t we just go over and dust ‘em all? Why should we keep an appointment we didn’t make?’ Asked Buffy.
‘It’s the Truce and Parley bit, Pet. Its sort of Master Vampire speak for “I really want us to meet and talk and not kill each other when we do”. The group who are doing the asking are very powerful, this blood is from a master and he was just the messenger, so who ever wants to talk, is big. I feel we should go if only to find out what they want.’
‘Willow, with a name and a drop of blood you can control someone can’t you?’ asked Rachael, the first time the quietly- spoken girl had said anything since they had all arrived.
Willow nodded. ‘It’s a simple spell, but I don’t like doing them; magic nearly killed the world once. That way leads to dark roots and dark Willow.’
‘Can you tell if someone was telling the truth? If they had evil intent or anything?’
‘I felt him as he was speaking. He felt like he was telling the truth. He really wanted me to believe him, but then there’s the whole daylight thing. It was freaking me out.’ Willow added.

Spike looked wistful: his dream was to walk in the sun again. He’d not been able to see a sunrise since he’d had the Gem of Amara, and there were times he would have loved to walk Buffy along an avenue, simply enjoying the sunshine. But he was a vampire, and Daywalkers were supposed to be a myth. Supposed to be; but with what Willow was saying, perhaps there was a chance.
‘How much do you trust this parley and truce thing, Spike?’ asked Xander, ‘ I know you won’t bite but I don’t want to go around trusting vampires who just say that they’ll be good. Evil is what they do; no offence, but I’m not taking my ladies somewhere they might just be the first course of dinner, for all that they’re a nummy snack sometimes’ he added with a smile. Willow blushed and Rachael punched his arm, but gently. She was after all, a slayer, and didn’t want to hurt him.
‘Watch it, Mister’ said Willow.

‘Truce and parley is an ancient ritual. It means that they won’t attack us, but will defend themselves, and we promise not to attack, but again, can defend ourselves if needed. They will expect us to be armed and will expect more people than those mentioned on the list. That’s sort of a ‘minimum number’ type thing. They will expect us to go, then will discuss what they need the truce for, we leave after making arrangements to contact them again when we’ve talked about what ever it was they’ve told us. They really won’t hurt us. The truce and parley is too important to break. They’d have every demon and vampire in this world, and any other, after them.’ Spike explained.

‘Well, I suggest that Spike and I do some reconnaissance, then we call Giles and let him know what’s happening.’ Buffy said.
‘Ooh, goody, a research party,’ squealed Willow.
Xander started towards the door.
‘Just where do you think you’re going, mister?’ enquired Buffy far too quietly for any answer to be safe.
‘Well, if we’re, correction, you’re doing research, that leaves Spike to play the Watcher and me to do my old job of fetching the goodies. Doughnuts anyone?’ Xander said with a smile.
Buffy just burst out laughing; that was definitely a safe answer.
‘Doughnuts sound great. Thanks Xander’
‘I am not bleeding well playing Giles’ grinned Spike, ‘don’t look good in tweed,’ he mumbled. ‘Proved that when we went all Randy and Joan.’
The gloom that had been trying to settle over the group completely dissipated with all the laughter and frivolity.
Willow opened up her laptop and stated to search through the Internet, looking for the estate mentioned in the note. Buffy and Spike helped Rachael get out the books and started trawling through them. They needed to find out what ever they could about the situation they were heading into.
‘What clan are we looking for, Love? You did the taste test. Is it Coke or Pepsi?’ joked Buffy.
‘Marcasian, they are an old clan, nearly as old as the Aurlieus. Grew up in Europe around thirteenth century, haven’t heard much about them since the middle of the nineteenth. Angel would know, think he ran into them at some point; in France I think. I wasn’t around then, pet.’
Dawn arrived at the same time as Xander returned and the whole of the Scooby gang settled down to a true, old fashioned, research party.

Chapter Three.
The phone in her hand kept ringing and ringing. All Buffy wanted to do was to get on with the action part but someone had to call Giles and Angel and somehow she’d wound up with the job. The Italian morning sunshine was lighting up the balcony where she was sitting, enjoying the first cup of coffee of the day whilst waiting for someone to answer the phone. Spike was inside, trying to find any reference in the past one hundred years about the Clan Marcasia, but so far with no success. They seemed to have dropped off the face of the world. Maybe they had; Inter-dimensional travel was known.
He watched Buffy in the sunshine. Effulgent. She had always been his light, and now glowing as she was, she looked like an angel. Spike always felt blessed when he saw her; unless she was angry, then he tended to feel only pain. She still had a mean right hook, and from the way she was fiddling with the pencil she was starting to get mad.
‘Will no one answer their damn’ phone this morning?’ she complained. ‘It’s nearly 8 am; someone should be at the Watchers Council by now.’
‘It’s only 7 am in the UK, love, they’re an hour behind us, so maybe they haven’t got to work yet, pet.’ Spike pointed out.
‘ Don’t be reasonable. I don’t want to do reasonable at the moment. I want someone to answer this phone’
At that moment a sleepy Giles spoke ‘Hello?’
‘Good morning Giles, it’s me, Buffy.’
‘Buffy my dear, have you any idea what time it is? It must be important for you to be calling me this early. Come to think of it, it must be important for you to be up this early.’
‘Unfair, Giles; I’ve been awake for ages. Anyway, we’ve hit a research problem here. What do you know about the Vampire Clan Marcasia? Only they’ve contacted us and want to meet. One of them was walking around in daylight, like he had a pulse, which he didn’t.’
‘I think I must have misheard you, did you say walking around in daylight? Vampires walking around in daylight without bursting into flames? At least I assume they, he, didn’t catch fire?’
‘No, no poofy vampires here,’ replied Buffy.
Spike looked across and smirked at her. He would have gone closer, but the sun was shining directly into the room.
‘Did I really say that?’ Asked Buffy with embarrassment.
‘You did, luv,’ answered Spike.
‘Sorry, anyway, back to business. We were contacted by one of the clan, a Charles Richards, who offered Truce and Parley and they want to see the whole gang, including you. We haven’t managed to find out much about them. Spike and I are going to have a look around tonight after dark. But we were wondering if you could find out any other details. If any of the Councils’ books survived the explosion. He was very polite, from what Willow said. Anyway can you come over? Please?
They want to meet Dawn, Xander, Willow, Rachael and Lord and Lady Carrington as well.’
‘Who?’ Queried Giles.
‘Spike’s been keeping secrets. Seems he has, or had, a title,’ Buffy said, walking back into the room, closing the blinds behind her and carrying the phone with her.
Spike started growling, gently. Buffy waved her hand at him to shush.
‘But the more important bit, Giles, is that this clan want to meet and they want you there’
‘I’ll start looking into them immediately. We need all the information we can get before we enter what could be a trap. I just wish we had more of the council’s records. But so many were destroyed’.
‘I know, but do what you can. Must go now Giles, I have to ring America. Bye for now.’ Buffy finished her call and went over to Spike.
‘Don’t want to ring Angel; don’t want to speak to him after he kept us apart for so long. Using his Sire’s thrall over you to stop you from calling me’ Buffy complained.
‘It wasn’t just him love. I didn’t want to intrude: you know that.’
The sight of an unhappy Buffy always broke his heart. This tiny woman had got him completely whipped. He truly was love’s bitch. Spike nuzzled into the claim mark on her neck, purring as he did so. It always seemed to soothe Buffy and succeeded this time as well.
‘Do you want me to ring Peaches then, pet?’ Asked Spike.
‘No, no I’ll do it, you could fix me some pancakes though; don’t fancy setting fire to the kitchen again.’ Buffy and kitchens were definitely to be kept apart. She could eat, and had been known to prepare cereal, but the vampire had surprised everyone by taking over the cooking. He often complained about feeding ‘happy meals on legs’ but was a remarkably good cook for a Victorian Gentleman.
Buffy went to the phone and dialled LA. It was the middle of the night there, so both Nina and Angel would be awake.
‘Hi Nina, its Buffy.’ Spike left Buffy to her phone call and went to the kitchen.
The smell of breakfast soon woke the others up and the kitchen filled up quickly. When Willow and Rachael had started eating Xander joined them, his hair still wet from a shower. ‘I hope you didn’t steal all the hot water, buster,’ said Willow.
‘No love I didn’t, left plenty for you two.’ Xander kissed both Willow and Rachael and went towards Spike.
‘You’re not kissing me,’ Spike threatened the younger man with his spatula.
‘But your apron told me to,’ argued Xander, pointing to the ‘kiss the cook’ apron Spike was wearing.
‘That’s my job, Xander’ smiled Buffy as she came into the huge kitchen. She loved it when they all started goofing around. It always eased the tension in her shoulders. And now that Xander and Spike were friends, life was ‘of the good’.
‘Angel has some information,’ she continued, ‘but not much. Seems the Head of the Marcasian line, Marcus, took a dislike to Angel when they met about 1800; said he was a bog Irish peasant and an uneducated boor who shouldn’t be allowed in decent company. Seems they knew the Immortal as well. Marcus was interested in fine arts, was rich, and tended to live in mansions rather than crypts. Said he had a Mate who was as deadly as he. Not a lot else to know. Took some persuasion to tell me even that. I had to put up with ‘you should be with me, what do you want with him’ speeches before he’d tell me anything. Poor Nina was in the room; I could hear her in the background. God will he never learn, brooding poof is right.’
Spike smiled and let her rant for a while before asking, ‘Hair gel finally got to his brain then? Like the description. Fits Angel wonderfully.’ Spike smirked and curled his tongue behind his top lip, melting Buffy as he did.
‘Well, what do we know then,’ asked Xander with pancake in his mouth, ‘other than the fact that Marcus has taste enough to dislike Captain Forehead, and he’s married.’
‘Giles said he’d look up what he could and then fly in with it,’ added Buffy.
Willow started ‘oohh oohhing’. ‘I could open a portal, he could just pop in, save airfare and time,’ she offered.
‘Let’s keep the big gun for emergencies Willow. I think the last portal scared poor Giles out of a couple of years and I don’t have that much scotch here.’ Buffy added with a smile. She was going ‘war leader’ on them; the original Scoobies noticed all the signs. The Buffy they’d had at the end of Sunnydale was making a reappearance, but this time they were grateful. She’d kept them alive before and would again, no matter what the future held.
Rachael held onto Xander, cuddling in closer. She could feel the change in the atmosphere as the greatest slayer that had ever lived started to take charge of the situation.
Buffy looked up from the cup of coffee Spike had passed her. ‘There is one bit of juicy gossip; Faith and Robin won’t be joining us, no matter what. Seems Faith is pregnant and Robin is hovering like a proud, protective daddy.’ Buffy’s smile lit up her whole face but Spike knew her well enough to know that a small part of her heart was a little envious: not jealous, but wistful for something she would never have now that she was with him for life.
Buffy gave him another beaming smile and made a grab for the last pancake before Dawn entered the kitchen.
‘I smell goodness, any left for me?’
‘Sure Nibblet, I’ll knock up some more, you just sit yourself down and fight big sis off this pile.’ Spike brought over another plate of sticky goodies and everyone dived in.
Spike heated up a cup of blood in the microwave, pulling a face as he drank it. He really had to find something better than pig. He looked around the room. Here he was, one quarter of the Scourge of Europe, cooking breakfast for the Slayer and her mates, inside a school that taught slayers to be slayers. Life, or unlife, was a funny thing sometimes.

Chapter four

Buffy and Spike left the apartment just after dark. Buffy watched her lover, dressed head to toe in black, reach for his trusty duster as he shut the door. It was the third incarnation of the coat since she had known him. Wolfram and Hart had delivered a dozen of them to her door the day after they had arrived back in Rome, with a note telling Spike there would be no more.

Spike seemed pensive as they walked towards the bike they used for getting through the Roman traffic.

‘What’s up love, you seem quiet?’ asked Buffy. There had been no snarky comments for a couple of hours.

‘Nothing, love,’ came the reply.

‘Bollocks.’ Buffy stole one of Spikes own expletives, making him smile.

‘It’s OK, luv, I was just thinking, … it would be really nice to walk with you under the sun, to see the blue of the ocean, to see a sunrise, you know, all that stuff I’ve missed for 120 years. I was thinking about the day walker, whether it was a spell or a gem; even if it only lasted for a day, it would be incredible. You gave up so much to be with me, I want to take you boating, or on a picnic, just to see you in daylight. I could have sat and have had breakfast with you this morning, or just had a cup of coffee at a café and watched the sunlight play on a fountain. Bugger, you brought the poet out in me again, Goldilocks. I wish you’d stop doing that, you turn me into a poncy wanker.’

‘I’ll not have you call the man I love a ponce or a wanker, and I don’t care about the other stuff, ever. I am with you because you’re one hell of a man. I’ve seen the best of you and the worst, I love your strength and you weakness, you’re the one William, demon and man I love YOU.’

Spike’s eyes filled with tears and he drew Buffy into his arms, wrapping her in his coat against the chill in the air. She could smell that wonderful mix of leather, smoke, whisky, and the pure masculine smell that was all Spike. She felt so at home in his arms and wondered, again, how she could have ever doubted his love for her. They were one soul. Then he kissed her gently, loving her with every bit of his soul and his demon, both happy just to be with her and bask in her presence, sniffing her hair, tasting the scent of vanilla and Buffy.

He led her towards the bike and handed over her helmet. They climbed aboard the bike, and were away; Buffy grabbed Spike’s waist and they sped off into the night, headed for the more affluent side of Rome, up in the hills where the Villa Rosa was located.

The villa was set in its own grounds; formal gardens laid out in a nineteenth century style. The high wall would have prevented anyone else from seeing in, but both Buffy and Spike jumped straight up onto it without a run.

They saw a brightly lit house on three floors. The sound of laughter could be heard and their senses told them that there were vampires inside. The top floor seemed darker, with smaller windows and lights being turned out. A dog could be heard barking from within the house, and Spike could follow its course through the building by the noise it was making; he could also hear a voice telling it to ‘hush’ and the barking stopped.

A door towards the back of the building caught their attention when it opened and a man and a woman left through it. They were illuminated from behind by the bright lights from the house, showing both were of average height and build; the woman had long hair caught up in a pony tail. The man was clean shaven and looked young, as did the woman. The man threw back his head in laughter at something the woman had said to him; he then offered her his arm and led the way towards the small garden gate that led to a park. Buffy’s senses were screaming vampire and Spike’s screamed slayer. Who ever this couple were, they were powerful. It oozed off of them like a thick fog, tainting the air with its charge.

Buffy and Spike followed at a short distance; not wanting to be seen, but to see.
They had only just entered the main part of the park when they both smelled demon. It cracked in the air, pungent and rancid. They heard the sounds of fighting and without thinking, or stopping to see what the other would do, they headed towards the sounds of trouble.

Four Arachnis demons had surrounded the couple from the villa. Large and spider like, a sickly red in colour; they had humanoid heads atop an eight foot high, eight-legged body. They were striking with their forelimbs, trying to stab at the couple from the villa. The woman was trying to fight off one pair whilst the man had the other, but it was a losing battle. Again without thinking, Buffy and Spike split apart. Spike made a leap for the creature closest to him whilst Buffy went to aid the woman. Coming from behind she took a leap and landed on the spider’s back. Buffy leaned forward and grabbed the head, twisting it right off. The creature fell to the ground with a dreadful groaning noise that seemed to come from its thorax. The noise distracted the others for the split second needed by the other three warriors. Spike leapt for the body of the spider nearest him. He punched through the thorax, ripping out internal organs with a squelching sound. The other couple took full advantage of the help. The man sprung onto the biggest of the remaining demons, stabbing into its head with a sword. The two women tag teamed with each other, distracting the last of the monsters while Spike jumped up onto its back and ran up to the head. He twisted the head clean off. Thanks to the aid that Buffy and Spike had given, all four of the creature were dead within minutes, their wretched odour poisoning the air and the corpses oozing into the ground.

The two couples then looked towards each other. The vampires started forwards, towards each other, sniffing the air, both recognising a Master when they smelled one. The women looked on, both with an identical smile on their faces, as the men circled one another. Then Buffy held out her hand.
‘Buffy Summers.’
‘Matilda du Pris.’
‘Shall we stop the testosterone war, or let them play?’ asked Buffy.
Matilda started laughing. ‘Charles,’ she called and the other Vampire looked back towards the women.
Spike let out a little territorial growl. ‘Mine,’
‘Spike,’ Buffy chastised with a smile.

‘I could say the same about the other one, old man. Charles Richards,’ he said, holding out his hand towards Spike.

Spike shook it and the two Master Vampires walked back to the ladies.
‘You’re English,’ Spike noted as they walked.

‘No, actually, I’m Macedonian, but spent twenty plus years in England some time ago. We’ll talk more, and answer all your questions, when you all come for dinner on Friday; shall we send the cars? Seven- thirty for eight? And I think our ladies would like an excuse to dress up, and I have found it safer to indulge them in the past.’
‘I know that one,’ replied Spike with a smirk.

Spike reached for a cigarette and lit it as they continued to evaluate one another. The two women were both slim and toned, but Matilda was older, around 35, with long, chestnut hair. Both were beautiful, they could turn heads wherever they were. The men were slimly built, but all muscle. They oozed sexuality and moved like jungle cats. They had an air of authority and power; Buffy had assumed that Spike was the only one to carry it, but Charles Richards had the same aura about him. It screamed ‘dangerous to know’ but controlled, tamed, constrained by the will of the vampire in front of her.

Buffy and Spike were escorted back to where they’d left the bike, and the other couple waved as they set off back into the night. Spike could hear them talking quietly to one another as they walked. It seemed that Matilda was scared of spiders; away from Buffy and himself she was allowing those fears to surface. Then the other vampire started growling, purring, soothing the woman in his arms; a noise familiar to Spike, Buffy liked it as well.

Buffy and Spike arrived back at the apartment just before midnight, falling through the door almost doubled up with laughter and disturbing Giles, who was already enjoying a nice brandy, having arrived on the last flight in from London only an hour before. Dawn had headed to bed early and Xander and the girls were recounting the ‘tale of the meeting’ when the blonds tumbled into the room.

‘Buffy, my dear, you look wonderful,’ Giles told her, as he gave her a hug and kissed her gently on the cheek, before holding out his hand to Spike. ‘And how are you doing, Spike, you seem well, as well.’

‘We’re both fine, just curious about what you’ve found out; and we’ve got a tale to tell.’ replied Buffy.

Spike went over to the drinks and poured himself a whisky, offering Giles a top up, which was gratefully accepted.

‘Ladies first,’ Giles said with a smile, accepting the rather large and extremely good brandy Spike passed him.

‘Well, when we went out on patrol tonight we thought we’d swing past the villa where the Marcasians live. Which we did, and heard a commotion; went to investigate and found that they’d started fighting demons, when we turned up and joined in. She was older than me, Giles, but definitely a slayer, and he, the vampire, made no move towards us. We just slayed the demons, chatted for a moment and they said they’d answer all questions when we met up; gave us a salute and went back towards the Villa. When we watched ‘em, they went inside. Spike said he could hear about ten sets of heartbeats. Some were children, and there were children’s toys in the garden. Seems this lot fight the good fight as well.’

‘Either that love, or they don’t like Arachnis demons near their house,’ added Spike.

‘Well as far as we know there has been no increase in dead bodies, or fledglings. We can’t trace any kills made by the Marcasians since about 1800. They simply seemed to have vanished. So fighting the good seems to be one explanation,’ stated Giles. ‘However, one of the seers at the coven said she felt that this meeting was extremely important, but couldn’t get any danger vibes. In fact she said that on the day Willow encountered Charles Richards, she felt a sense of warmth and comfort, as if all were right with the world. It was very strong,’ he added.

Xander started laughing. ‘I, we, have slipped into some alternate reality. Vampires giving witches good feelings, Spike and Giles sharing a drink and I’m classing Spike as a friend who we’ve just found out was a Lord. Next visitation will be from the Easter bunny, accompanied by the tooth fairy.’

‘Xander, stop it,’ Buffy got the giggles as she pictured a fairy and rabbit running around the room.

‘About the title, Spike: Lord Carrington, I believe?’

‘Yes, Giles, Lord Carrington,’ replied Spike, wearily.

‘Eaton or Harrow? Oxford or Cambridge?’ enquired the watcher.

‘Harrow and Oxford. Before you ask, read Literature at Corpus Christi, came out with a first, so no more jokes about being uneducated.’ Spike’s voice had acquired the clipped tones of an upper class English Gentleman, with overtones of extreme boredom.

Xander looked puzzled. ‘Wha’?’

‘Seems our Spike went to some of the finest schools in England and had a first class education.’

‘Again, I ask: Wha’?’

‘Harrow Public School is not like an American public school. In Britain, Public Schools are the ones you pay for, and State Schools are the free ones. So Spike had the best that money could buy. Not only that but it seems he and I are related.
My Great Grandmother’s Brother was William, Lord Carrington. So that makes William my Great- Great Uncle.’ Giles started to wipe his glasses again.

‘Which is undoubtedly why he riles me so much; isn’t it nephew?’ Spike added with a grin. ‘The younger generation always seem to be a trial on their elders.’

Xander and the others just burst out laughing at the look of indignation on Giles’ face.

Buffy started to yawn at the same time. ‘Bed for me; Giles, have you been shown to your room?’

Giles nodded ‘Yes Dawn got me all settled before she went off to bed.’

‘In that case I will wish you good night and see you tomorrow.’

Chapter 5
Friday night came round all too soon. There had been no real information found out about the Villa Rosa and its occupants, except for the fact that it hadn’t changed hands for about 150 years. The Du Pris family had bought it in 1850 and had lived there ever since.

The men-folk were waiting in the hall for the ladies to join them. Giles and Xander had worn dinner jacket and black tie for the occasion. Spike had dressed up in a dark suit with a blue silk shirt. All three looked incredibly handsome. All three had also checked the clock at least four times.
Xander checked his weapons again. A stake attached to his ankle and a water pistol with holy water in it. Giles was carrying a gun; Spike went into and out of game face, also practising.
Dawn led the way down the stairs, her hair up and dressed in an ankle length blue silk dress. She checked her purse for the small crossbow and bottle of holy water. Willow and Rachael came next, Willow in her favourite green and Rachael in russet. Both were also armed with stakes and Willow had added a couple of useful potions to her bag.
But it was Buffy who took what little breath Spike had away. She looked wonderful dressed in red silk with her blonde hair done up with silver covered, wooden spikes. Looked good and useful too; trust his Goldilocks to come up with something that clever. Although they went to dinner under the truce and parley, they weren’t stupid, and went in armed.

Buffy only had eyes for Spike; no matter how short a time they’d been apart, she needed him, needed to feel him close. Buffy still couldn’t believe that this beautiful man loved her so intently. Every woman loves the feeling of being cherished, and Spike did so cherish her.

The limousine arrived, all seven got in, and were driven off into the night by the human chauffer who refused to answer any questions.

When they arrived, Villa Rosa was lit up completely. Light shone from every window, illuminating the drive and gardens. They approached the portico and were driven under the arch. Matilda was waiting at the doors to welcome her guests into the house. Spike felt humans all over the place. He could only feel three vampires but they were masters; there were no childer or minions.

‘How many vamps can you feel, love?’

‘Not many,’ answered Buffy, ‘three.’

‘Please, come in, all of you,’ Matilda said, making sure the barrier was removed before Spike had even approached it. Spike could hear her heart beat from the bottom of the steps. Human, the power coming off her said Slayer, but older than Buffy; it didn’t make sense.

‘Welcome to my home all of you, I would imagine you have many questions, but first formalities.’

Matilda turned to Spike ‘William, I offer you truce and parley within my home, do you accept?’ she said as she offered Spike her wrist.

‘I accept.’ Spike replied, gently licking the inside of the woman’s wrist before switching into game face and sinking his fangs into her blood. A couple of small pulls and the crimson liquid soaked the back of his throat.

‘Peace between us,’ He said and offered his wrist to Matilda. She repeated the taking of the blood, hurting him slightly when her human teeth broke his skin.

‘Peace between yours and mine,’ Matilda completed the ritual.

Matilda stepped back and let them see into the large, well-lit marble hall. There were doors off right and left with a huge sweeping staircase rising up two more floors.

Giles looked around with interest as the girls took off their coats, pleased that they had judged the dress code correctly. Matilda was also dressed up in a silk evening dress.

Xander and Buffy starting appraising the situation: where the doors and windows were, and the quickest exits. Rachael stayed close to Dawn, and Willow started ‘sniffing out’ any spells that had been laid. Within a minute they looked at each other and gave a tiny nod, all clear.

Matilda seemed quite content with their behaviour. She waited patiently whilst they all reassured themselves that it was safe, before she spoke again ‘I’m afraid Charles is running a little late in joining us. It’s his turn to read the bedtime story and my daughter always seems to manage to persuade him into one more page. She really is a daddy’s girl.’

The evening was definitely getting stranger: a vampire with a ‘daughter’.

‘When did we fall down the rabbit hole; I feel like Alice in Wonderland?’ Dawn asked Giles.

‘I’m not sure, but I think it’s going to be a dinner party for the history books,’ Giles tried to reassure the young woman.

Dawn was still looking around her when she noticed a small figure at the top of the stairs running away from a man, a vampire in ‘game face’ who was chasing her. The child was laughing as she evaded capture but the vampire didn’t seem to be as fast as she knew Spike could be. Dawn looked towards the others in her party. They had walked ahead, unaware of the little drama unfolding upstairs. The vampire growled, alerting Buffy, Spike and Rachael to his presence. They looked around them, Dawn pointing upwards to the chase still going on upstairs. The child was laughing as she took a leap for the banister, and leaping on top of it she slid down towards the ground floor, picking up speed as she came. The vampire laughed and stepped off the top floor, seeming to fly to the ground. He went to the bottom of the stairs and was ready to catch the little girl as she flew off the end.

Matilda stood watching and, turning to Buffy said, ‘I send him up to read stories and calm her down and instead he winds her up so she won’t sleep. Do you have a stake handy, I may need it in a minute or two?’

Buffy watched as Matilda went to the bottom of the stairs and joined the vampire, Buffy recognising him as he came closer; it was Charles Richards. The vampire they had met in the park.

Matilda looked at Charles, ‘well?’ she asked.

Charles looked a little shamefaced. ‘She wanted to meet everyone.’ He looked at Matilda. ‘Sorry,’ he added.

‘Well seeing as you’re down, Issi, come and say hello; then straight to bed.’

The little girl walked across to the adults. She was about six years old with dark hair and eyes, eyes that seem to see into your very soul.

Unafraid of anything, she walked up to Spike first. ‘Lord Carrington, may I present my daughter Isabella. Isabella, this is Lord and Lady Carrington, Miss Dawn Summers, Mr Alexander Harris, Miss Willow Rosenberg, Miss Rachel Hunter and Mr Rupert Giles.’ She introduced her guests and the little girl shook hands with each in turn. Isabella went back to Spike. ‘Are you a vampire like Daddy?’ she asked with a child’s innocence.

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Can I see your bumpies?’ she asked. Spike looked towards Matilda, who nodded, so Spike slipped slowly into game face. ‘You look funny, like Daddy does,’ she said as she made her way back to the stairs. Spike watched as she left the gathering with her father and made her way to bed; with his preternatural senses he could smell the familial link between the little girl, the vampire and the Slayer.

‘She is your blood daughter; I thought she must have been adopted.’

‘No, she is really ours, one of the many miracles available to those of us in the Covenant. I will explain more at dinner.’ With that Matilda led the way into a formal dining room where a table was waiting for them.

Charles soon joined them and Giles watched him carefully.

‘Nicely staged,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’ asked Charles.

‘A man or vampire, doesn’t start a war with his child in the firing line. A nice way of showing the non-vampires amongst us that we really are safe.’

‘I really didn’t mean it that way, I was supposed to get her to sleep, but if you feel more secure I’m glad. We really do only wish to talk,’ he replied.

They all sat down to a sumptuous dinner. Five courses and Brandy. The vampires had glasses of blood served to them, not pig, but something tasty, Spike couldn’t quite work out what it was.

‘A mix of otter, deer and bear, we get it from a farm in Romania, they prepare it especially for us. We can send you over a couple of hundred pints or so, bagged and frozen of course.’

‘Most kind.’

The conversation roamed over many informal topics during the meal. The latest exhibitions, museums worth visiting, the best shopping centres, clubs worth visiting. Matilda and Charles seemed to be the perfect hosts.

It was Giles that broke the mood during brandy with the comment:
‘To business; there are questions.’

‘And we have answers,’ replied Charles, ‘but first let’s go into the drawing room for coffee where we can relax a little more.’

The guests rose from the table and Matilda led the way back across the hall.

Half way across the hall, Charles turned into game face again, heightening his senses whilst he listened for any noise from upstairs.

‘All asleep.’

He followed Matilda into the drawing room, where a fire had been lit in the ornate marble fireplace.

Buffy, Spike and the others sat around the low coffee table, taking up positions on the various sofas and chairs. Matilda handed around the coffee and offered brandy to those who wanted it. She looked towards Willow.

‘Would you prefer tea? I have some peppermint made. Most of the witches I know seem to prefer it.’

‘Many thanks,’ replied the redhead, accepting the cup of tea.

‘As Giles so succinctly put it, to business. You must all be wondering what we want, and what we have to offer. Well, now’s the time for secrets to be shared.’ Matilda started.

‘I was born in 1756, and I am a Slayer. When you get back, I suggest you check what records you have left, Giles; they can confirm a period around 1771 when the Council couldn’t track down the Slayer for about 15 years. Charles is a vampire, a Master, sired long before I was born. In fact he is one of the oldest masters still on earth. I have not been turned and am as human as I was when I was born. We belong to a group of people known as The Covenant, a group of vampires and slayers, helped by the Guardians to be what they truly should have been in the first place. I believe you met a Guardian in Sunnydale before its fall, didn’t you?’
Buffy just nodded. She was trying to take in what had been said about there being other slayers, with vampires.
‘But you haven’t aged much,’ pointed out Xander, ‘you don’t look that much older than us, and certainly not as old as the G-man.’
Giles snorted. ‘Would you please stop using that ridiculous nickname, Xander?’
‘Slayers are immortal, Xander: we’re born that way. We can be killed but we don’t die of old age. None of us.’
‘I thought I was the longest lived slayer ever,’ said Buffy. ‘The council seemed really annoyed about it.’
‘You are the longest- lived of the new council’s slayers; but I digress. I will give you some details, tell you what we want and why and then answer any questions you have, but before I start there are two others I want to introduce you to. She is like me, a slayer, and he is a vampire, but they are part of our Covenant and will not hurt you. I know you brought weapons here, and I understand your caution, but before she comes I would ask that Xander and Giles be especially careful. This lady has no love for watchers; when you hear her story you’ll understand, but I simply ask that you are gentle with your movements. Spike will confirm that the demon in a vampire will do anything to protect his mate and they are truly mated, so if she gets distressed we will get them both away as quickly as possible. If any of you must approach her, I suggest Buffy or Rachael, then Dawn and Willow. She won’t be scared of Spike but demons tend to get jealous and we don’t need that. It has taken a lot for her to even be in the same building as two watchers without doing something she’ll regret.’

Buffy looked towards Spike, ‘I thought we couldn’t mate; you said we couldn’t when I asked. I thought it was a vampires only thing.’

‘So did I luv, but it seems a lot of what we thought we knew is getting blown away here. Charles can walk in daylight, there is a child upstairs that is blood kin to both Charles and Matilda: she’s their true daughter.’

‘Impossible,’ spluttered Giles.

‘No, not impossible; she’s upstairs as we speak and then you add that vampires and slayers can mate fully. I’m lost,’ Spike replied.

The door opened and a young woman entered, accompanied by a ‘hottie’, as Dawn put it. She was slender, but with womanly curves, long true blond hair with sad grey eyes. It was obvious to all that she’d been crying. The man with her scanned the room, checking where everyone was. He growled when he saw Xander and Giles but Charles answered the growl before the tension could escalate. The woman sat down on a chair close to the door and the man- vampire- stood behind her with his hand on her shoulder. Growling very quietly, which seemed to relax her. She looked lost and scared, but Dawn went slowly towards her and knelt at her feet. Dawn reached towards her hand and gently took it.

‘It’s all right, we won’t hurt you, Giles and Xander won’t hurt you, I promise. We are here under truce and parley; we won’t hurt you.’

The woman relaxed even further and began to speak.

‘I’m sorry, I find this situation very difficult. My name is Rosamund and this is…’

The growling got louder, a warning.

‘As I said, I am Rosamund, I was called as a Slayer in 1435.’

The uproar was amazing. This woman was nearly 700 years old and she looked so frail and young.

‘I was one of the last Slayers called by the Old Council before it was changed. And it did change. I lived under that change and that was the information you need. Rupert Giles, you are rebuilding the council, trying your best but you are still a watcher, through and through.

‘You speak the words, the chosen one, you speak of her as the one in her generation to stand against the forces of darkness, but you really don’t think what that means.’

Giles looked stunned and looked around at the others. Rosamund’s words were striking home.

‘One in her generation; and yet you seem unsurprised when a slayer dies after only a year or two. When I was young a generation was at least fifteen years, the time between one becoming a mother and one becoming a grandmother, a generation; with the lengthening of lives, it grew to twenty-five years and yet you still expect the one in every generation to last only a few very short years. To die before she has a chance of a life of her own. The council tell her who her friends can be, who she can take as a lover, whether or not she can even tell her own mother what she is. But it was not always so. When I was young, and for the slayers before me, the Council was father to us but not mother. They protected, guided, sheltered, us. Cared for us when we were sick and when we were old enough looked around for a husband for us, one who would be our equal. Not human though, as no human can ever equal us physically. And before you argue about arranged marriages, they were the norm when I was a girl. This is what the cruciamentum was all about. A Master Vampire, preferably one who annoyed me but I couldn’t actually kill, would be approached. I was stripped, not of my powers but of my bloodlust, as was he, and we were shut into a house for as long as it took for us either to know that we were mates or to know that we never could be. If I were to ask you Buffy, if it had been Spike that you’d faced when you were eighteen, do you think you would have killed or kissed him, especially if you knew that your friends were happy about your choice?’

Buffy looked thoughtful. Rosamund’s words were making sense.

Rosamund continued ‘When the first slayer was chosen, she was offered a deal, an arrangement. It was agreed before that first council that she would take on the demon that made her the slayer, but in return she would be given all she needed to live in this world. Friends would surround her’ She said looking at Willow, ‘a true Guardian who would love her like a daughter.’ She looked straight at Giles.

‘A family to love her,’ pointing at Xander and Dawn, ‘and most of all a mate who was her equal, who would love her totally. The men didn’t understand why any of this was necessary, they thought only of duty, but the women made them promise, and so they accepted it.’ Rosamund looked at Spike and then at the Vampire behind her. She grasped his hand tightly as she asked, ‘any questions so far?’

Spike spoke up. ‘You are a Master, but who are you? You haven’t given us your name yet.’

‘I will when the time is appropriate; if I told you now, I doubt if you’d listen to everything we have to say, nor would you listen to what we want to ask of you. Patience young one.’

Buffy and Xander laughed out loud at Spike being called ‘young one’. The other Vampire, whoever he was, must be old.

Matilda and Charles hadn’t said a word during all of this, they just sipped their coffee and watched what was going on.

Giles was flabbergasted; everything he had ever been taught was being shot down in flames. He waited, along with the others, for the next revelation.

‘The next bit is going to be very hard on you all, especially on Giles, Willow and Xander, but I ask you to listen to everything I say before you shout at me.
Firstly, Giles, may I ask you a couple of questions?’

Giles nodded and so Rosamund continued.

‘Firstly you went to University, and I should imagine a very good one, so why, when one of the first things you are ever taught is to question every and all sources of information, do you think you accept what the Council tells you as though it were unassailable truth?

‘I hate the Council, I hate what they stand for now and what they have done, and I will tell you why. This will be very hard for me, for us, and I hope you let me get through it.

‘Secondly, you all trust Buffy with your lives, as she trusts you, that is obvious, so why, do you suppose, didn’t you trust her with her own? Time after time you disagreed with her choices, you took memories away from her, you tried to manipulate her; you wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t all been under a compulsion to do so.’

Uproar ensued, Willow denying everything, Giles angry, Dawn guilty about throwing Buffy out of her own house. Rosamund look scared and then angry. Charles and Matilda moved forward. The vampire behind Rosamund growled a warning, picked the woman up in his arms and ran out of the room. Spike could hear him in the hall trying to settle his mate. The blond made his way through the door quietly.

‘Why wasn’t I affected?’ he asked quietly, the question seemed to ease the tension a little.

‘No soul. The mage who cast the spell cast it on souls, so you fell under the radar, and when you got your soul you already loved her and trusted her completely,’ the vampire explained.

Rosamund looked up at the both of them. ‘I’m terrified of what I will do if I go back in there; but I must. Could you ask the watchers to calm down? It’s them I have the problems with and I will explain why, but to all of you.’

Spike nodded and went back in. The room was still very loud, everyone shouting at everyone, except poor Rachael who was trying to dig her way into the sofa by the looks of things.

Spike caught Buffy’s eye and gestured her over to him.

‘We need to quieten the rabble, pet. Seems we’ve only heard the first bit so far.’
Buffy stuck her fingers in her mouth, gave Spike a look to warn him to cover his ears, which Charles also took as a hint, then let out a shrill whistle that loosened the earwax of everyone in the room.

‘When you’ve all quietened down, we can ask the lady to rejoin us and continue her story.’

The fighters looked around themselves and the room, slightly ashamed of the way that they had behaved. They resumed their seats and Matilda went back to the hall to fetch Rosamund and her vampire.

Coffees were refilled and Rosamund started her tale again.

‘After we had been mated for about 15 years, I handed my powers over to the next slayer: I was officially retired. We travelled with my family and my watcher to some wonderful places. Did you know there is a temple complex at Karnak in Egypt that is dedicated to the slayer line? You have to be a slayer to enter it still. The slayer blood opens the door for you to go in. The archaeologists still haven’t found it nor will they, protected as it is by glamours and wards. But I digress. We had been travelling for three years when I found out I was pregnant. So we came back to Europe for me to await the birth of my first child. We settled here in Italy, high in the north and I gave birth to a beautiful little girl, who we named Sophia. When she was six years old there were vampire attacks in our local village, and my watcher asked us to help. We went out for the evening patrol, leaving my watcher to care for Sophia; half way round we both had this awful, dreadful feeling, and raced back to our house. To find out that my watcher had sacrificed my daughter in a ritual designed to give him immortality. He had killed our child as a first step. He then fled to Britain and took over the Council, said I had gone mad with grief because a vampire had killed my daughter. He then set about changing the Council’s teachings to what you knew.

‘Our price for giving you back all the original teachings and power, for helping Spike to become a day walker, for showing Buffy how to live as a true slayer with the chance of children and to give Willow access to the true and honest neutral power of the earth, for everything you want we need to ask your help to track down and kill the mage that has caused all of the slayers’ problems for more than 600 years. We need help to get Quentin Travers.’

‘What do you mean, get?’ Asked Buffy, ‘cause I don’t kill humans.’

‘If we can kill him, it would be fantastic, and as for killing humans, how many true humans do you know that are over 650 years old and have been killing, and helping to kill, slayers for most of that time?’

Buffy started to say something again, but of all the people there it was Xander that stopped her.

‘I think this lady’s story is far from over, I think that all we have ever wanted to know is inside her head, so why don’t we all sit down, think about what we’ve been told so far, and listen to the next chapter… This week’s thrilling instalment of Slayers and their mates?’ Xander said with a maturity that surprised the old Scoobies, again.

‘You’ve always seen to the heart of the problem, so I’ll sit here, accept another brandy if I may, and await this lady’s pleasure.’ Giles added.

‘Thank you Giles. I know it must seem I am lecturing, but there is simply so much to tell you if you are going to choose wisely your next course. There are twelve Vampire/ slayer couples, spread all over the world; the three couples in this house when you arrived volunteered to be the ones to approach you. We have the most knowledge of previous causes to the situation in which we now find ourselves.

‘It is not just revenge I want, although that is in my heart, but after Quentin had killed Sophia, he put a spell on the slayers’ line, on all those who followed me, so that for every three years short of their twenty fifth birthday they died, he would receive a full year’s extra life. So he would send out demons and vampires to kill the slayer. He would ensure that their training wasn’t quite up to standard, he would separate the slayers off from their families and any possible support. He would train watchers to put the council first and, most of all, he cursed the slayers so that although the friends that were left and even their watcher would trust them with their very lives, they didn’t trust the slayer with the slayer’s own life. Whenever they got the chance they would second guess her, reject any that she thought of as a possible mate, betray her if the could. Slayers just gave up and started looking for death. Most of the problems Buffy has ever had with you, from altering her memories, to throwing her out of the house just before the battle with the First were down to that curse. And here is the interesting bit: WE chose Buffy. The Covenant have hidden the women of her line for over five hundred years.
Remember how surprised the Council were when Buffy was called? We had hidden her, her mother, and grandmother and so on back to the fifteenth century. Joyce could have been a slayer,’ Rosamund added.

Spike smiled, remembering the time when Joyce had hit him on the back of the head with an axe.

‘Why, why would you hide them? Asked Giles.

Willow looked shocked: all the things that had happened since she knew Buffy were due to outside influences. She grasped the idea that it hadn’t been her fault, then looked at Rachael. ‘Don’t, Sweetie; accept what has happened and what you have done. It’s your strength now, no one can take that from you, but don’t look for a scape- goat,’ her lover told her.

Giles started to clean his glasses, a sign he was thinking.
‘You’ve asked us not to trust the council we were raised with, but you ask us to trust you completely.’

‘No. I would never ask you just to trust. Unlike Travers and his ilk, we can prove all we say independently. Not just with our own files, but in this city there is a library that has been guarded for over 1000 years, and in that library there are books and letters that will confirm everything we’ve told you. You need to get into the Vatican and ask to see their collections of books.’ Charles told them.

‘How did you protect me?’ asked Buffy.

‘There were twin girls; we hid one of the births and raised her as our own, with us. When she grew up and married she started a new dynasty. That line was cared for, protected, and hidden. Occasionally one of the line would be noticed; then they conveniently ‘died’ in a vampire attack. Staged, of course. Given money and glamours to hide them, and started their lives all over again somewhere else. It was a well-orchestrated system that kept your line hidden for centuries.

‘We researched all we could. Finding out how Travers had corrupted the council, trying to open some of the watchers minds to what were really old ideas. Then came Rupert Giles, who dabbled in the darker magic and opened a path we could use. While he was still Ripper, we planted the seeds in his subconscious that would lead him to think of the Slayer as a girl with needs of her own. Radical thoughts for the council at the time.

‘We had two chances before Buffy to put the line right,’ she continued. ‘There were two girls who would have been powerful enough, strong enough both physically and mentally for what was needed. One in eighteenth century Ireland, a girl killed by Liam Angelus before he was turned, and a gypsy girl about a hundred years ago in Romania killed by Vampire Angelus after he was turned. Our dislike of your grandsire, Spike, is monumental. The only reason he didn’t kill Buffy before she was called was because of his curse. Whistler, by the way, works for us. He kept you safe,’ Rosamund concluded. She was beginning to shake, and looked pale and sweaty.

Matilda spoke up. ‘I think that’s enough for tonight: you’re tired, Rosamund, and don’t deny it. Why don’t you go up to rest and I will answer any questions our guests have before we say goodnight.’

‘Before you leave, who are you?’ Spike asked the Vampire who had stood behind Rosamund’s chair, comforting her the whole time.

‘Marcus Angelus,’ came the reply.

Spike started shaking, and quickly left his chair and went down on one knee before the Vampire, tilting his head to one side to offer his neck. Buffy, Giles, and the others looked in bemusement at Spike’s reaction. Marcus just smiled, gently touched Spike’s sire mark on his neck with his hand, and led Rosamund out of the room.

Buffy turned to her lover. ‘OK what was that about? All that kowtowing in front of the vampire.’

Spike looked a little uncomfortable and a little awed. ‘He’s like the ultimate sire, Grand Master of the Marcasian and Aurlian lines of Vampires: Master of Masters. He’s so far above me as to make me look like a fledgling. And he’s working for the white hats. And I’ve met him. He’s a legend: the vampire other vampires tell tales about. A bit like Red meeting Morgan le Fey or Xander meeting Superman.’

‘Oh I can see why you’re wigged then, but are you sure that’s him, and not someone using his name?’ Buffy asked.

‘It’s him OK, luv, the touch was a benediction, I felt the line right the way back through Angel, Darla, the Master, the whole way to him. It was amazing,’ the blond answered.

Matilda looked around the room. ‘Any questions so far? I know this is a lot for you all to take in, especially in one go, but we are here to help.’

‘How do I find the stuff in the Vatican’s library? After all, I can’t go in and just ask…’

‘Getting in is your business, however you must take Buffy with you. Only she can get you into the hidden archive, but once in, you’ll get all the help you need. I don’t, however, recommend Lord Carrington going: it is very holy ground and doubly blessed. You’re likely to start smoking from the feet up before you’ve walked five paces.

‘I want to thank you all for your patience with Rosamund, it took about two hundred years for her mind to recover after finding her daughter dead, and it is still hard for her to talk to strangers. But her knowledge about this situation is unparalleled.’ Charles added.

‘I think we all need time to process what we’ve heard, and we need time to collect and correlate the other information. I think we should break for the night and meet up again next week.’ Suggested Giles.

‘Agreed; how about dinner next Friday. Your place or ours?’ Charles answered.

‘Ours; then we can use the library, and we have already been your guests,’ Dawn suggested. Buffy looked at her sister askance. It was unlike Dawn to be so forward, but obviously she had some thoughts.

‘That would be fine,’ answered Matilda, ‘we will come to you. I can’t guarantee Rosamund’s appearance, but we will certainly be there.’

They left soon after, talking about all they had seen and heard. Buffy and Spike seemed quiet, one thinking about walking in daylight and the other…?
Buffy was thinking only about the chance of carrying the child of the man who was her soul-mate.

Two days later Dawn and Giles, with the help of Willow and Xander, were unpacking what books had survived the explosion at the council’s headquarters. There weren’t many and most of the Codices were damaged. Buffy and Spike were warming up, ready for Buffy to explore the Vatican later on that night. She planned to enter with the other tourists and, hopefully, stay after closing.

Willow had given up lugging books around and had logged onto the web. She wanted to give Buffy as much help as she could so looked up the Vatican, and couldn’t believe it when she found that even the Secret Archives were online. True, not the books themselves, but full details of the building and its opening times. Unfortunately it was only open to scholars, but the room layouts were there, with a lot of other details.

‘Giles, could you come here please?’ Willow asked.

‘Certainly. How can I help you Willow?’
‘Seems the secret archive is open to the public, well scholars anyway can you arrange for a scholar to visit the Secret Archive? We could attach you and Buffy as staff and get you into the building. It would save the breaking and entering bit, and you might even get a look around for hidden doors or even more secret bits.’

‘Good idea, I’ll make the call.’

Willow kept looking at the maps and frescoes, searching for any clue she could find. There were paintings on every ceiling and the Tower of the Winds was lovely, but nothing leapt out and grabbed her attention.

Xander wandered over to join her, handing over a cup of tea. Willow was not nice when coffeed up, she got hyper and Xander knew it.

‘What’s that there?’ asked Xander.

‘What?’ replied Willow.

‘That, the statue there, it looks like a girl with a stake in her hand.’

‘It does, but only from this angle; perhaps its some sort of sign. We’ll, sorry, I’ll keep looking and see what else I can find. Thanks for the tea.’

‘You’re welcome, poppet, I’ll go check in on Rachael, see if she needs anything. If you’re ok here?’ Xander replied.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she mumbled as she turned back to the computer screen. A small spell to highlight any important information wouldn’t hurt, but as Willow started to chant she felt barriers around the Vatican rise. ‘OK then, no witchcraft,’ she thought, ‘definitely the old fashioned way.’ -and started hacking into the system.


Two days later, Prof. Rupert Giles of Corpus Christi College, Oxford and his personal assistant, a Miss Elizabeth Summers, met Brother Stephen, a Jesuit serving in the Vatican. He was a middle- aged man with a hawk like face and eyes that seemed to look into Buffy’s very soul. As carefully as she had dressed in pants and a blouse she felt half naked under his staring eyes. There was no lust in them, just a higher being searching for a soul or the colour of the soul he saw. The monk gave a little nod as if a question had been answered and turned to Giles.

‘This way please. I understand you want to see the archive about the eleventh century excursion into Moorish Spain.’

‘Yes; I believe there is a copy of the letters from Abdul Ben Hamid to his Lord regarding the medicines and doctoring he was using. I am trying to prove the use of Blue lotus as a painkiller. I have information about it being used in Egypt and I believe there is a reference in these letters. If so, I can trace exactly which plant it was and we can look into its modern uses.’

‘Very interesting. If you’ll come through here, you may find what you’re after, Mr. Giles.’

Willow had tried to come with them, but as they approached closer and closer to the Holy See the witch felt more and more nauseous. It took a good ten minutes before she realised that wards had been placed around the buildings to prevent witches from entering. The stronger the witch the stronger the reaction it seemed to be.

The monk gave off an aura of dislike and distaste. He kept throwing what could only be described as ‘looks’ at Buffy, as though she didn’t belong in his library. Giles was as oblivious as always to such subtleties.

The monk and Giles started going through all the shelves, looking for the volumes needed.

Buffy followed, into a large room filled with wooden book cases, all screened behind wrought iron screens There were frescoes on every wall. The paintings were bright, vibrant; showing scenes of heroes battling demons and the forces of hell.

‘The letters and books you want are in this room,’ Brother Stephen told them, taking a large key and opening the door. There was shelf upon shelf of documents, sheaves of paper held together by ribbons and books galore.

‘Many thanks,’ said Giles, ‘We’ll start looking through these.’ Giles pulled on a pair of gloves he had thought to put in his pocket earlier.

Brother Stephen left Giles to go through the volume on the table. Buffy looked around the room and out of the window, trying to see if there was anywhere she could hide after closing.

Giles called her across.

‘Could you take notes on these texts here please, Miss Summers?’ He asked, pointing at a small pile of sorted letters.

Brother Stephen handed Buffy a pair of cotton gloves.

‘We need to protect the paper,’ he explained coldly. Buffy nodded and accepted the gloves.

A bell started to toll somewhere in the building.

‘I must go, prayers are about to start. I will be back in an hour, but I will have to lock the door behind me,’ he added.

Giles nodded and returned to his studying when the monk left the room.

She had only just begun to examine the paperwork when she started to get a ‘spider sense’ tingle. Trying to work out where it was coming from she walked back towards the window. Giles looked up at her.

‘Are you alright?’ He asked.

‘A slight headache. The room is a little stuffy, just need a breath of fresh air.’ She replied, as she took a deep breath, enjoying the breeze that was coming through the open window. She took a good look at the locking mechanism. It looked very secure and the courtyard was completely enclosed. No way in.

The tingling was getting stronger, but where was it coming from? Buffy looked around the room and noticed, as if it had only just appeared, a second door, standing slightly ajar. She made her way towards it.

‘Is there a book you’ve seen on the shelf there, my dear?’ Giles inquired.

‘Door,’ came the reply.

Giles was confused. He couldn’t see any door, just more shelves.

Buffy took another step forward, curious about the ‘invisible’ door. She felt like Alice about to head through the looking glass.

Looking through the door, she could see another room. Sitting at the table in it was another monk. One who was a lot older than Br. Stephen. He looked up with sparkling eyes and smiled at Buffy.

‘Do come in, my dear. I have waited a long time to meet you.’

‘Hello,’ answered Buffy, reaching behind her to check that her stake was still in its hidey hole in her trousers.

‘My name is Br. Roberto, I am an archivist here, with an interest in demonolgy, but I am no demon.’

‘Giles? Could you come here please?’

Giles looked up and panicked. He couldn’t see Buffy, but could hear her voice. There was no way out of the room.

‘Buffy, where are you? I can’t see you anywhere.’

Buffy put her head back through the door, frightening Giles as she seemed to appear ghostlike through the wall of books.

She held out her hand and grabbed Giles, pulling him into the new room with her.

‘Meet Br. Roberto, he says he’s not a demon, but my senses are going haywire. Feels like a thousand vampires are tap dancing in my brain.’

‘It’s the slayer spell,’ explained the monk. ‘This room follows slayers around the Vatican, and if she wants to find the codices if that’s what she’s here for, the room will open for her. If, of course, she is the true slayer, and not a council lackey. I was trying to keep the room shut, because HE was with you, but it wouldn’t let me. Seems you really do need to be in here.’

‘Why didn’t you want me in here?’ asked Giles, a little hurt at the thought that he could have been the reason the task would have failed.

‘We tried to help the Council, back in the 1700’s and again in the early twentieth century. We were turned away every time; all we wanted in return for all our kept knowledge was the slayers to be cared for with the respect due any Angel, but it wasn’t going to happen. Any slayer that tried to break free was killed, their God- chosen mates were killed, tortured just to send them mad, and through them to send the slayer mad as well. Worked as well, so no, we don’t trust, like or respect any one that has anything to do with your council and no, I didn’t want you to know where this archive was or even that it existed.’

‘You know about their mates. I thought you were supposed to destroy demons, not encourage girls to marry them?’

‘How many times have you tried to kill this Woman’s lover, how many times have you conspired with others to see him dead, and yet he lives and so do you. If you had tried to kill anyone else it would damage your soul, yet you tried to kill an ensouled being and felt no remorse at all. Don’t even think about lying here.’ The monk was warming to his subject.

‘I would imagine that this holy woman has forgiven you by now, and through her I believe, in fact I know, that the vampire has forgiven as well.

‘If the Powers That Be put two souls together, who are you and I to try to part them? Do you think that you are so wise, so well read, so insightful as to know the will of the Great Powers? Arrogance, that is all it is, pure arrogance. The smallest flower, smallest insect sees more than you do. There are repositories like this one all over the world, guarded by holy men and women of many religions. All here for the benefit of those few chosen ones who make the transition from slayer to Beloved Slayer, a true chosen one.’

The old monk was getting red in the face and although part of Buffy felt she should protect Giles she was enjoying seeing him bested by a man who obviously was as well read and knowledgeable as the Watcher was.

‘And to answer your question, yes we know about slayers, vampires, ensouled vampires, demons, everything. We know, or at least have knowledge of what is required, to allow a chosen one to become the bride of a champion. What he is required to do, what she is required to do, we even have the words to the human half of the ceremony.

‘Do you realise that marriage was based on the relationship of a mated pair of champions, that total trust and devotion that they share, the total love they have for one another? It was decided by cleverer men than us how to help those who keep the balance on this world between good and evil. Those of us here at The Holy See and those in Mecca, India, Nepal and other places where the Great Knowledge is kept have been instructed by messengers we simply could not ignore.’

Giles tried to speak three or four times, his mouth kept opening and closing but no sound came out.

‘Now, my dear, you will forgive an old man his ranting, I hope, but the care of the Chosen one is a sacred duty and this man here is responsible for rebuilding the council; and unfortunately for me I have been told to put him on the right path. Now as to the records you wanted, it is up to Miss Summers to find them. I am not allowed to help you, and I don’t suppose there is a chance of Mr. Giles finding them.’

Br. Roberto looked at Giles, who was still trying to process all he had been told. It had never occurred to him that he could have been so wrong. Even after proof after proof had been presented to him, he had kept to the way of thinking taught to him by the Council of Watchers. Then it hit him, whom should he have trusted? Travers, whom he had always had a strong dislike of, or Buffy, who had been chosen by a higher power to do a job? He was thunder struck.

‘So much for my ranting at you, now to more pleasant topics. I think the things you are really after are under lock and key in here. If you can see them, and open the door,’ Br. Roberto told them. He started to stare at Buffy.

‘I’m not sure what you mean,’ Giles spoke up. ‘There are no books here.

Buffy looked surprised. ‘Giles, stop messing, the walls are full of books and files.’

Giles shook his head.

‘No, I can’t see anything.’

‘Nothing at all?’ Buffy asked.

‘Nothing but wood panelling.’ Answered Giles.

The monk looked slightly amused and signalled to Buffy to take a book.
As she walked forward, Buffy looked at the wrought iron. There were huge locks incorporated into the designs. She tested the first one for its strength and even with her slayer powers couldn’t bend it. Looking around for a lever of some sort, she saw the statue that Willow had pointed out to them. It was of a girl with what looked like a stake in her hand. Buffy walked over and grabbed the stake, which easily slid out of the marble girl’s grip. Buffy then went back to the wrought iron work and tried to fit the stake into it somehow. All this time Giles looked on in amazement as Buffy kept heading for what was to him a blank wall.

Nothing happened and Brother Roberto still looked faintly amused. Buffy started looking around more carefully. There was nothing that looked like it could help.

‘Are you just going to sit there?’ She asked the monk.

‘To open the lock takes three steps:
‘The seeing,
‘The finding,
‘And the opening of the lock. A lock only those chosen will see and find. You have completed two parts of the riddle; now for the third.’

Buffy looked at Giles.
‘I can see books, and files, hundreds of them. Enough to keep you and Willow happy for years. They are behind wrought iron screens, which are locked. This seems to be the only slayer orientated thing in the room, so I thought it might have been the key, but I can’t see where to shove it.’

‘Where do you normally put a stake, Buffy?’ Giles asked gently, still trying to digest all he had been told.

‘In a vampire’s chest… oohh.’

Buffy started searching all the frescoes. One of them had to be of a vampire in need of staking, and there he was: high up on the wall. Buffy took a leap and jumped as high as she could, aiming the stone stake for the vampire’s heart. She hit it dead centre, the stake sliding into the wall and all the screens opening up before Giles’ surprised eyes. As Buffy had said, hundreds of books. All appearing as if by magic in front of the astonished watcher.

Chapter 7

Giles looked like a child lost in a sweet shop. All those books. There were copies of every book on demonology that had ever been written in this dimension or any other.
Even the catalogue ran into ten volumes.

Br. Roberto smiled at the watcher’s face.

‘Well it seems my dear,’ he said to Buffy, ‘he is well occupied for a couple of hours,’ watching as Giles buried himself under more and more books. ‘Is there anything you would like to ask me? About your sister, your witch friend, your lover, your new acquaintances?’

‘I don’t know where to start,’ came her answer.

‘The beginning always seems a good idea to me,’ the old monk answered.
‘Maybe this will help’ He handed Buffy an envelope. In it was a letter in her mother’s handwriting.


Darling Buffy,
Firstly let me say I am so proud of you, you have grown into the most wonderful woman that any mother would be proud of and you’re mine. I think I will bask in your reflected glory for a while.

Secondly, I didn’t really understand your calling when I was with you. I do now. The wonderful people here have made me open my eyes and see, and so I am sorry for treating it as though it were a teenage fad that you would eventually give up.

Thirdly I have met Br. Roberto, there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. Don’t be fooled by him, my dear. He can NOT lie; he can avoid, he can ignore your questions and lead you astray, but will not lie. If he says a thing is true, it is true.

I was only allowed a short note. Know that I am always near you and love you and Dawn so much. Give my love to Spike as well, and tell him that I still think fondly about our hot chocolate evenings.

My love now and always,

Mommy



Buffy started crying, tears falling down her cheeks in silence as she clutched the note to her heart. Looking towards Giles she expected him to notice, but he seemed oblivious to everything but his books.

‘I cast a small charm over him, I thought you’d like your privacy; now where were we?’ Br. Roberto added after handing Buffy a tissue and giving her time to get herself together.

‘OK: Dawn, my sister, but she’s not, you know. Those Monks made her out of me.’

‘And another,’ added the monk.

‘Another? What do you mean?’

‘Are you really ready for the truth, the whole truth, Buffy?’ Br. Roberto asked in all seriousness.

Buffy nodded slowly. She knew in her deepest heart of hearts that this man held many answers, to many questions.

‘I think it’s amusing that an old man of the church has to teach a grown woman the facts of life,’ he said with a smile.

‘I’m lost here,’ Buffy said. ‘The facts of life?’

‘Dawn is a wonderful woman. I have been privileged to watch her grow since she was put in your care. You really are her mother, you know; she was born of your flesh, but her father, that is something else. Dawn had to be strong enough to cope with her gifts and powers, strong physically and mentally. Her mother gave her some of that strength, but her father gave her the rest, her loyalty, her compassion, her belief in you, and despite the arguments you had with her when she was a teenager, she really does believe totally in your infallibility.’

‘Who, who is her father?’ Buffy wasn’t quite sure whether to be scared with the answer or not, but she had to know.

Buffy looked towards Giles. ‘Ah no, not Giles, I mean I love him, but not like that.’

‘Neither Giles, nor Xander, not even Riley. Her father is the strongest, most loving man we could find for you. In fact, in about 10 years you are going to help us arrange the last of the magic needed to make Dawn and she is going to send it back in time to be found by the monks just when they needed it. It is one of her gifts, to manipulate time. She can also travel between dimensions.’

‘I’m starting to get annoyed, who is her father?’

‘I think you know in your heart, he is the only man you could conceive, if you’ll pardon the pun, fathering any child of yours.’

‘Spike.’

‘Spike,’ he confirmed. ‘Where did you think Dawn got her blue eyes from, my dear? Would you prefer we chose Riley or Angel?’ He added with a smile.

Giles looked up from his place behind the mountain of books piled up in front of him.
‘Are you telling me that Spike is Dawn’s father?’

‘Yes: why do you think, aside from his great sense of honour, he cared for her so conscientiously that dreadful summer? She is his, part of his soul knows it, and part of hers is aware of the fact as well. Does she not obey him more often than argue with him?’

Buffy nodded, shocked. Spike and she had a child. It made Dawn even more precious, if that were at all possible. Spike’s child, Spike, William the Bloody was a Dad. The thoughts kept running through her mind.

Br. Roberto looked towards Giles, who seemed to be back with them again. ‘I suppose I had better guide you to your goal if we are to get you out of here before the Vatican shuts its doors for the evening. This is the first book you require and these,’ handing up a box of books, ‘are the watcher’s diaries written before the break in the council.

‘If you come back tomorrow I will meet you at the gate at 11 am. It is right by the catacomb entrance, Buffy, and your witch friend is more than welcome to accompany you. I will lower the wards for her at 10.45 am, giving her time to walk to the gate; then I will bring you here so you may continue your research.’

‘Thanks,’ Buffy said, putting her precious letter into her pocket.

‘Yes, well thank you very much for your assistance,’ added Giles.

Brother Stephen’s voice could be heard in the corridor as Buffy and Giles went back through the secret door into the main room. Giles put the volumes he had been given into his soft leather briefcase, and Buffy picked up her note pad. They looked, again, like a pair of researchers tired after a long day in the library.

Br. Stephen led them to their taxi with little talk and both Giles and Buffy were grateful for the quiet. They got in and set off home.

‘Are you going to tell him?’ Asked Giles. Buffy looked at him.

‘Sorry, stupid question. I should have asked, when are you going to tell him?’ he rephrased his original enquiry.

‘As soon as we are alone. He has every right to know.’ Buffy sounded defensive, as if expecting Giles to argue with her.

‘Buffy, my dear, you have been as close to a daughter to me as I’ve ever had the privilege to have. I know I didn’t treat you with the respect you deserved, and I made some dreadful mistakes, but I think you’ll find all parents do. But I have had my telling off, and I am sincerely grateful that Br. Roberto wasn’t strong enough or young enough to put me over his knee and paddle my rear or I think I wouldn’t have been sitting down for a week! I promise I will always remember what he said and of course your lover, your friend, must know he’s a father. I honestly believe that all men should know when they have been blessed with a child and Spike is no different. I just meant time wise, when are you going to tell him, before or after you tell Dawn, or do you want to tell them together?’

‘Together: I don’t think I could go through one of them knowing and not the other.’

‘In that case I will distract the others with research on these books we’ve been given, and you can tell Spike and Dawn of today’s adventures.’

Rachael and Spike were starting to prepare supper before Dawn finally got home from college. She had stayed late to work on a project for history and was looking forward to grabbing Spike as a ‘major resource’ for the project. Sometime, ok most of the time, it was really cool having a friend who had lived through everything she was learning about.

Buffy was getting more and more nervous as the afternoon wore on. Spike had taken refuge in the kitchen rather than face her in that sort of mood. He had sniffed the air to see if there was a smell of blood. Much as he hated to blame ‘that time of the month’, with all the stress Buffy had been going through, it would explain her anxious behaviour.

Giles was head deep in his new books, with both Willow and Xander helping him. The whelp was turning into quite the watcher these days.

Buffy couldn’t wait any longer, she called Spike and Dawn and led them into the small bedroom that no-one used.

‘What’s this all about, pet? You’ve been on edge since you got back from the field trip.’ Spike asked gently, stroking the inside of Buffy’s wrist. He could hear her heart thumping in her chest, going far too fast. She had been calmer when fighting a nest of vampires! What ever it was, it is a biggy, he thought to himself.

‘When we were, Giles and I were at the library this afternoon, we met a monk.’ Buffy started.

‘He knew things, all about us, and I know he was telling the truth, and…’ Buffy fell silent, reaching for Dawn.

‘Buffy, you’re starting to frighten me, pet.’ Spike said.

Dawn looked towards the blond Vampire then back to her sister. ‘It’s me isn’t it? I’m dying or something?’

That shook Buffy back to some semblance of normal. ‘No, nothing like that, yes its you, but I think it’s nice, nothing about dying, nothing bad.’

‘Well come on pet, tell us then,’ Spike joined in.

‘Here goes, deep breath Buffy’ she said out loud. ‘Well, you know when the monks made you they used my blood, making me sort of “mum”,’ she said. Dawn nodded.

‘Seems they needed to give you a daddy as well.’ She looked first at Dawn then at Spike.

‘Who?’ came the single word from the brunette.

‘Seems they chose the strongest person around who fitted the bill, or we did. I’m not quite sure how it works, but you can send stuff through time, or will be able to, and you will send the “genetic material” back to the monks.’

‘Who, Buffy?’ Dawn asked again.

‘Spike,’ the name was whispered.


There was silence in the room. Both Dawn and Spike looked like they’d both been hit by a 2x4. Then they grabbed hold of each other in a hug, opening it up to include Buffy. ‘We’re a real family!’ Dawn squeaked.

‘I’m a dad,’ the wonder and awe in Spike’s voice couldn’t be mistaken. ‘Are you sure pet, I don’t want to get our hopes up, without being sure…’

Buffy handed him the note she had been given.

‘I can smell Joyce on this, her scent is all over it. How?’ he seemed confused.

‘Br. Roberto, he wants to meet Willow, I get the feeling he will meet all of us before this is all over. Read what it says, he can’t lie, she’s yours, ours, we have a daughter.’

Spike and Buffy just held onto Dawn. They were complete in their happiness.

‘Hey: if I’m your Dad, you really are not seeing that wanker any more, in fact no more boys for you ‘til you’re 50!!’
Dawn kissed him gently on the cheek and stood up.
‘Never goin’ to happen Dad’ she said as she left the room.
Spike put his hand to his cheek, touching the kissed spot gently.
‘She called me dad,’ he said in awe.



.

Willow and Giles were still in research mode so Rachael started laying the table, and collecting everything needed to feed the group. She knew that if no-one hassled them, they could forget to eat for days.

When, eventually, everyone had gathered for dinner, Giles still had his head in the book that Br. Roberto had given him. The watchers’ diaries had shown him a different side of the Slayer and her life. A woman protected by the love that surrounded her. Those diaries had gone back millennia, stopping in the fourteen hundreds; but the book had spells in it that had created the slayer, spells that showed the original slayer as a willing volunteer, who had taken on the strengths of a demon with the balance of an angel’s soul, to protect her people from the evil in the night. The original council had only done a part of the spell, even though they believed they had done the whole. The other part had come from the Guardians. A secretive group, culminating in the woman who had tried to help Buffy with the First. If the book was right it confirmed everything they had been told by Rosamund and Matilda. That Slayers were meant to have a mate to stand by their side, a mate as strong as they were. That they were meant to have a group of friends to back them up. They were not meant to be alone, and nor were they meant to die so very young, but live forever. Now to find a reputable source to confirm both book and story.

‘We need someone or something that we can rely on to confirm everything we’ve been told so far,’ stated Giles.

‘How about Mom?’ answered Buffy, handing over the precious letter to Giles. ‘It’s her writing, and Spike says it smells of her.’

Giles took the precious missive and read it carefully. ‘Well, it looks like we’re trusting Br. Roberto for now. So he has confirmed everything we were told? And what do we do next?’

‘Next for me,’ said Buffy, ‘is to trace Quentin Travers. Willow and Xander can go with you tomorrow; I’m going to train slayers tonight. I feel the need to hit something but before I go, we promised no secrets between any of us. So with Dawn’s permission I’m telling you all this. You know that Dawn was made from my DNA, she carries my blood? Well, seems that The Powers That Be chose Spike to be the daddy.’ She gave her lover a wonderful smile. After the initial explosion of sound from the gathered Scoobies, Xander slapped Spike on the back and offered him a congratulations and an invisible cigar.

For the rest of the meal the conversation concentrated on more mundane topics.
Spike still carried a soppy grin on his face every time he looked at Dawn.

It was a very subdued group that returned from the library the following evening. Xander and Willow had been given ‘the Talk’ from Br. Roberto, made to face the truths about the way they had behaved towards Buffy in the past. Their own petty jealousies and insecurities looked even worse when the old monk had pulled them into daylight and made the two friends have a good look at their actions. He had a way of really making one see what the true reason behind an action was, and neither of them had been able to lie any more. Willow had seen that she had been jealous of Buffy’s strength and power, not trusting Buffy with her own life. And Willow had also been made to realise that she couldn’t manipulate everyone around her.

Xander couldn’t even look Buffy in the face. Having been made to look at the callow youth he had been, he had been made to see his attempted Rape of Buffy when possessed by the hyena for what it really was, the expression of his lust, and his interference with her love life as nothing more than a petty jealousy, even his final betrayal of her just before the battle with the First was examined, and his anger at Buffy not saving his eye was analysed. He had also been forced to see his behaviour with Anya for what it was, manipulative and cruel. He just hoped that wherever Anya was she forgave him. He really did feel sorry for what had happened.

Giles knew how they felt. He had already been through it with Br. Roberto. The monk could have made a fortune as a counsellor. Nothing was hidden from him, no secret too dark or obscure for him to find. But they, like he, would survive and be better for the so-called interference from the monk, and so would the others.

Giles started to look through the titles of books that they had brought home with them, some written in English but the majority in ancient languages, long forgotten by most scholars. There were grimoires, encyclopedias on demons, vampire law and vampire lore and right at the bottom, as though it had been the first book placed in the pile, was an atlas of the dimensions; from the lowest Hell dimension, through the neutral ones like the one they were in to the heavenly dimensions that hopefully Jenny inhabited.

‘Of course that’s where I normally am, Rupert,’ a familiar voice said behind him. Giles turned to see a vibrant Jenny standing there, a huge smile on her face. Giles couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked towards the apparition in front of him, then at the others gathered in the sitting room.

‘They won’t see me until I want them to,’ Jenny explained. ‘I wanted to talk to you first. You said you needed proof that what you had been told here and with the vampires was true; well it is, but more than my words, listen to your own heart. You know that the old council didn’t always do the best for the slayers, you know that there were secrets and plots. They even had teams dedicated to wiping out uncooperative slayers. Hardly the behaviour of guardians. Well was it?’

‘Jenny,’ Giles managed in a voice racked with emotion. ‘Are you really here?’

‘Yes Rupert, I’m really here. Think of this as a really good telephone link.’ She answered with a smile.

‘God it’s good to see you; fantastic!’ Giles was losing his normal reserve. ‘Do you need something from me, us, if so what do you need?’ Giles was getting over awed again. The last few days were getting a bit much, even for someone trained in witchcraft and magic.

‘I need to speak to you. I think as soon as we are all together business will go out the window. Anyway, what we want from you is for you set up the Council as it should have been, protecting, nurturing the slayers, allowing them a life of their own when the time comes, giving them all they need. The training for watchers will be hard, harder than it has ever been, and the slayers you get will be more like Buffy than Kendra, they won’t do as they are told but will allow their own natures to dictate behaviour. Oh, but the rewards you have in front of you! You are just 15 generations from closing every hell mouth in this plane, of banishing the first evil from Earth for ever, being left with Vampires like Spike and demons like Clem, a world free from outside dark influences, free to choose its own path. Are you ready for the challenge? I’ve had to pay for what my people did, for lying to you. And I need you to forgive Angelus, not just Angel, but the demon as well. Don’t let the hate and anger blind you to another vampire’s good points. It can eat you up: he won’t suffer, just you, and I don’t want that for you, Rupert Giles.’

Giles just nodded and walked towards Jenny, into her outstretched arms and felt at peace, in the arms of the woman he really could have loved if he’d allowed himself. Ripper growled gently into her neck.

Jenny started to fade, turning into a phantom in his arms. ‘You never know, I might be able to find a pair of handcuffs again, Ripper,’ she said as she left him. Giles went bright red.

‘Are you OK, G-Man?’ asked Xander.
‘Would you please refrain from calling me by that ridiculous name?’ Giles said exasperatedly, secretly pleased that Xander had given him something to help get the balance in his mind restored.

‘Back to the books; what have you found out?’

‘So far it seems everything we were told is true, even has mention of a marriage ceremony here for Vampire and Slayer.’ Xander said, holding up one of the books. ‘So, looks like we can get Buffy to make an honest man of the undead one; and this one was written in 1327, way before Travers started twisting things,’ he added, holding up a second book. ‘It seems to be sort of a slayer handbook, describes the privileges a slayer can expect when she retires. A house, servants, money, all sorts.’
‘Retires? I never thought about Buffy retiring, ever,’ Giles spoke up. ‘That book will be really useful. Give us a lot of information on the way things were done BT.’

‘BT?’

‘Before Travers.’

Willow had gone very quiet; Rachael put a hand on her shoulder. ‘What is it love?’
‘All this, Buffy and the slayers have had it far harder than they should. Kendra died before she ever had a life, Faith only just survived and poor Buffy had to fight everything including keeping a roof over her head, over all of our heads when her Mom died. We were supposed to help her and she was on her own.’

‘It’s OK; we can fix this, make the future better for everyone. I think you’re still upset by Br. Roberto; I could have hit him.’

‘No, he was right, we needed to know what he said. I did manipulate people when they didn’t do what I wanted; when they upset me I tried to alter their thoughts. I was wrong and I don’t think I realised how wrong until he talked to me.’ Willow held onto her lover tightly. Thinking about all she had done in the past. She really needed to ask Buffy’s forgiveness, they all did.

‘What you got there, Giles?’ she asked, wiping the tears away from her face.

‘A map, an atlas really, of all the dimensions. It shows both heaven and hell and the neutral planes; seems there’s not just our world but hundreds like it. It has even got the spells we need to travel anywhere. It seems you need a key to do the actual opening up of the doorways, and for that we have Dawn.’

‘So now we know why they chose us to help. With this information and Dawn’s help there is nowhere for Travers to hide from us; we can go in and get him anytime we’re ready.’ Willow said.

‘I think he would have enough bad dreams about the last time he crossed Buffy. I remember her throwing that sword, do you think it would be polite to warn him?’ Xander asked with a grin.

‘Nah, lets surprise him like he used to do with us,’ he said, answering his own question.

Rachael smiled at the group around her, she felt so much at home with them all. So glad she had volunteered to be with them and to help them through the transition.

Dinner was going to interesting, thought Xander. His gift of seeing what was really going on had come to him slowly over the years, but now he could often pierce the veils that people hid behind. He trusted Spike in ways the younger Xander could never have believed.

And now, in this house, full of slayers only two doors away, dinner was being prepared for vampires and their ladies. Giles, already smartly dressed, was pacing the library going slightly mad. Having that many Vampires in his house was making him decidedly edgy.

Buffy and Spike were working out in the training room. No holds barred. It had scared the life out of him, seeing his beloved Buffy being thrown from one end of the room to the other, but she gave as good as she got. When things got tough Buffy got tougher. Faith always said she had another gear, over and above the other slayers, one she could pull when it was needed and no-one or nothing could stand in her way. Thinking of Faith made Giles smile. The thought of Faith Leherne as a mother was slightly amusing. Robin was fussing over her the whole time and she wasn’t allowed to patrol at all, but between Robin, who was turning into an incredible watcher, and the slayers she had with her, no nasties were surviving the slayer’s pregnancy. Though Faith had said if Robin wanted any more, he could have them.

The sound of a knock at the door brought him out of his reverie. Thinking it was their guests, Giles hurried to open it only to find a young man standing on the door step.
‘Bonjorno, is Dawn in?’ he asked in accented English. ‘I am Carlos, we go to college together.’

Giles nodded and called for Dawn, just as Buffy and Spike made their way back into the main hall. They were already dressed for dinner.

‘Can we help?’ asked Buffy.

‘Si, I am waiting for Dawn, I go to school with her.’

‘Hi Carlos, I didn’t expect you here; is something wrong?’ Dawn said, approaching the Italian man/boy. He greeted Dawn with a kiss on the cheek and Buffy had to lay a hand on Spike’s arm to stop the growling.

‘You have a dog?’ Carlos asked, looking around.

‘No,’ answered Dawn, ‘that’s just my Dad getting protective.’

‘Dad,’ she continued, ‘Mum, this is Carlos from college. What do you want, Carlos? I can’t come out tonight, we have guests.’Giving the boy a lovely smile. It was then that Spike realised that for the second time, she’d called him Dad.

‘No, no, mama wanted to invite you over tomorrow afternoon, to meet the family and use our pool, I can pick you up about 2pm, yes?’

Dawn looked at Spike and smiled.

‘I would love to come; see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Carlos.’

‘Good night Dawn, Mr and Mrs Summers.’ The young man held out his hand to Spike. ‘I will take good care of Dawn, my parents will be there, and my sisters, she will be alright.’ He thought that Dawn’s parents looked very young, and was a little nervous about the way the man was looking at him.

As he left, the limousine pulled up, saving Dawn any more questioning. The guests stepped out and made their way up to the door; Spike moved forward.

‘Charles, I offer Truce and Parley within my home; do you accept?’ Spike said as he offered the vampire his wrist.

‘I accept,’ Charles said, and sank his fangs into the proffered wrist.

‘Peace between us,’ he continued, and offered his wrist to Spike, who repeated the taking of the blood.

‘Peace between yours and mine,’ Spike completed the ritual.

And stood aside to let the guests into the house.

Rosamund and Matilda followed their menfolk (vampirefolk) into the house to see about 40 slayers hanging over the banisters to see the new arrivals. All the trainees wanted to see the dinner guests; although they were used to Spike this was the closest they had ever been to a vampire without trying to stake him.

Matilda pointed towards the watching crowd.

‘We have an audience,’ she said with a smile. ‘I hope you won’t have as much trouble getting them to bed as I do Issy.’

Buffy smiled, remembering the last dinner party. ‘No; if they are too difficult I send Giles up,’ she said with a grin.

She turned as she heard the doorknocker go again and opened the door to Br. Roberto.

‘I’m not late, am I?’ he asked. ‘I had to attend chapel before I came.’

‘Not at all; please, come in.’ Buffy smiled at the old monk and led her guests through to the dining room.

Conversation flowed happily during the meal. Even Rosamund seemed to relax a little. Buffy had sat her between her own mate, Marcus, and Dawn. The discussion at that end of the table seemed to be about paintings and the history of art. Marcus was giving Dawn a list of galleries that she really should see, and promising to get her into some of the private ones. Dawn was delighted, she was doing a project about the renaissance painters at college and had not been able to track down one of the paintings she had wanted to see.

‘Its so neat having vampires for friends when it comes to history,’ she gushed. ‘They actually lived through all the stuff our professors keep going on about. Makes it all real somehow.’

‘Well, when you need anything on Roman history from about 50BC you let me know, and I’ll help,’ Marcus told her. ‘My Latin, Greek and Aramaic are still excellent, so if you need help with languages, I’m your vampire.’

‘Are you flirting with me?’ she giggled.

‘Oh no, young lady, I value my unlife far too much. If your father or mother didn’t get me, Rosamund was a slayer in her time, and she certainly would. I never could best her in a fight unless I cheated.’ He added with a grin.

‘How did you meet each other?’ she asked Rosamund who was laughing at her mate’s comments.

‘I patrolled a hell mouth, like Buffy, one that had opened in Zagreb. And I kept coming across this annoying Master Vampire, who seemed determined to thoroughly annoy me at any and all opportunities. We fought, regularly, but for some reason I just couldn’t kill him, and believe me when I say it wasn’t for want of trying.’

‘And the amount of times I went to bed at dawn dreaming of my fangs in her neck, she drove me demented. I was well over 1350 years old at this point, and I couldn’t kill one 17 year old girl. I gave orders to my minions that she was mine, no-one else was to take her out; even when she burnt down the house we all stayed in, killing about 20 of said minions, she was mine.’

Rosamund smiled at Marcus, a loving and gentle smile that lit up the room. ‘Well, go on,’ Dawn asked with her normal impatience.

Rosamund gave her an indulgent smile. ‘I was called home to a small village in the North of Italy. My sister was getting married and I really wanted to be at the wedding. It was in late autumn and I really shouldn’t have left the village after the wedding, but I couldn’t leave the Hellmouth and Zagreb to my watcher and helpers. So I set out but I was caught out by the weather and became lost. I thought I had really breathed my last and fell asleep in the snow.’

‘That’s where I found her, unconscious and vulnerable; oh, I was tempted by that slayer blood.’ Marcus looked at Spike and Buffy.

‘I bet you can understand what happened next. I have never had a soul, never needed one other than Rosamund’s, but I couldn’t just kill her. If she was going to die by my hand it was going to be in a fair fight and not because the winter had got her, much as I wanted another slayer on my hands, and yes I had killed a couple before I met her; it wouldn’t have been right.

‘So I picked her up and carried her to a woodsman’s cottage that I knew had been abandoned. I’d seen it earlier when I had been tracking Rosamund. I made up the fire and tried to help as best as I could.’

‘When I came round,’ Rosamund continued, ‘I found that Marcus was there, and I was terrified. I was on a rough bed with a blazing fire warming me through and trapped with one of the most dangerous vampires of all time. The snow had completely blocked the chances of either of escaping the mountains until the spring and there was literally no way out. Then Marcus offers me a deal, seems there was only live chickens in the barn, and much as he loves fresh blood it has to be mammal. So, if he could feed from me occasionally, enough to stay alive, he would keep the woodpile topped up and I could keep eating the supplies of wheat and vegetables in the house. It was far too cold for me chance going out, so I agreed, providing he only fed from my wrist and I had a stake in my hand as he did it. The truce was to last two days after our leaving the mountains to give us both a chance to escape the other.

‘Well you can imagine what Buffy and Spike would be like if they had been trapped together all that time. 4 months, alone with nothing but chickens and carrots to keep us company. By the end of the first month we were ready to rip each others’ throats out, but by the time the snows melted we were mated.’

‘Rosamund’s watcher’s face was priceless when we arrived back in Zagreb, he had assumed that she was dead, or worse, and to see the pair of us wrapped in each other’s hearts was hard on Travers. I helped them out when I had to and when Rosamund turned 18 and went through the Cruciamentum, it was another Master Vampire locked in with her. The council would not believe we had mated and wouldn’t listen to the watcher: or so I thought. I wasn’t happy and I let it show. I broke into the building, to kill the other Vampire, and found Rosamund and he just talking, not fighting, not doing anything, just talking. The Vampire had even built her a fire to keep warm. When he saw me he backed off long enough for my demon to ensure that Rosamund was safe. He hadn’t even touched her, there was no scent off him anywhere, then he explained about the Covenant and how Master Vampires and their Slayer Mates were asked to join, he was there to offer us a place, when Rosamund retired from her duties, and we had as long as we wanted to think about. We knew that slayers were immortal, and he put no pressure on us. When we were ready, he said, and just left, after giving us his name: Lucius. It was Lucius that you felt at the Villa, he was upstairs guarding the families, just in case things went bad. Anyway, we continued as a family: Travers, Rosamund and I, until the time of the next slayer. She was chosen by the council, and spells were used to open her up to her powers. Travers did those spells. They didn’t strip Rosamund of her gifts but like the spell Willow used on all the potentials, allowed the next one to come.

‘Then we started to travel and see the world. The rest you know. Seems Travers had hoped to become a strong enough Warlock to take Rosamund for his own, so that he could live forever as well. It was all he wanted, power and life. So when she rejected him it started eating him up on the inside, turning him against the slayers and their line; then she met me and he was devastated. The rest you know.’

‘Why Buffy, and why now?’ Asked Xander, cutting to the heart of questions.

‘Why Buffy? Because she is the closest there has been to a real slayer in centuries, and why now, because of the rest of you.

‘A watcher who has dabbled in black magic and was adept in its use, taking the life of a friend; a witch who has tasted the dark side and killed; a vampire lover and a human friend who has not only been possessed, but has tried to commit heinous crimes: rape, abandoning his bride. And the key to the universe.’ It was Br. Roberto that answered.

And the volume grew louder and louder with the Scoobies trying to deny what had been said. ‘You have all stepped onto the dark side and chosen to return. Dawn was just born with her dreadful, wonderful power,’ he continued. ‘That gives you incredible strength; you have also all worked together before. When you took down Adam at the Initiative, you used a spell that combined your strengths and fed them straight into Buffy. The enabling spell. It’s that sort of power we need to find and destroy Travers. The man is so arrogant that he centred all his spells on himself. As soon as he is dead his spells will dissipate immediately, and all slayers will be free.’

‘And my daughter’s soul will be free to travel where it is supposed to be,’ added Marcus, ‘free to go to heaven.’

It was the last words that struck the chord. Here was a man willing to give anything so that his daughter could be free. They could all appreciate that sentiment.

Buffy looked at her friends. They all were thinking hard, you could see it in their eyes.

‘Is there any time limit on our answer?’ asked Giles.

‘Unfortunately for us, no; if you said yes now or in 30 years, it would be the same. We just don’t want Travers to get any stronger and with all the new slayers around he can tap into their powers, corrupting them to himself. He will grow in power. You already have a minion of his in your new council, and more will come.’

‘We have a mole already?’ Giles was angry. He had tried so hard to be fair to the slayers and he was not having Travers influence this new council in any way.

‘You do, but we won’t tell you who; a simple uncloaking spell will show them up and I’m sure you would prefer to do that yourself.’

Giles nodded. He would have appreciated the help but could understand Charles letting him find out for himself.


The dinner party broke up soon afterwards, and everyone went to their beds with a lot to think about.

Next morning at breakfast, Buffy looked around the table. The people sitting round it were her family, blood or not. They fought, they argued, but in the end they would kill or die for one another. No-one was more important.

‘Time to count the votes. Everything we have been told by The Covenant has proven to be true. I’m in for helping them; joining them, I’m not so sure yet, but whether we do or not, I want to get rid of Travers. Spike what about you?’

‘Well luv, I must say the thought of walking in sunlight appeals, over 100 years in the darkness, and I’d love a bigger family if you’re willing, not something I ever thought I’d be blessed with; but whatever we decide, we help them take Travers out. I’m in.’

‘So am I,’ answered Giles. ‘He has destroyed everything the council was meant to be. He has abused the position of trust that was given him, and cruelly stripped young girls of their future. What ever else is decided, I’m in.’

Willow and Rachael looked at one another, then reached over to Xander.

‘Buffy was meant to be loved. Although Rachael wasn’t an original Scoobie, she is now, and we have already decided we’re in. All the way. If you want to take them up on any other offer, we’ll help in any way we can.’

‘I owe you, Buffster, you and dead boy junior had enough of my anger, now feel the love of the Xanman.’

‘I’m not feeling you, how ever much you ask, whelp.’

Xander tried to sulk but couldn’t keep a straight face. ‘Oh go on, dead boy, just a little feel?’

Giles started to clean his glasses but everyone else burst into laughter. Old taunts becoming jokes just made it the more wonderful. Buffy looked around and felt so much love, tears came to her eyes. Spike reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, planting a kiss on her knuckles; then they all looked at Dawn, she hadn’t spoken yet.

‘The key is what I am, not who I am, but this is a family fight, and Travers hurt my Mom and Dad, he tried to keep them apart. He gets all my hate; of course I’m in.’

‘Then we contact Charles and Marcus and organise the first stage. I’ll go over there this evening,’ Spike said.

‘No need,’ Dawn got out her mobile phone and scrolled down the address book.

‘There you go Dad, I asked for the number when we were over there.’ Spike was still grinning at being called dad; he hadn’t heard the rest, despite vampiric hearing. ‘Earth to Spike,’ Buffy waved a hand in front of his eyes. ‘Earth to Spike, phone…’

‘What? Oh yeah, right; thanks, Niblet.’

‘This is great,’ Dawn said with a huge smile on her face, ‘If I want him to space out I just call him Dad and he’s mush.’

‘I am not, I’m the big bad. And and; and; and everything,’ Spike said with a growl, which just started the laughter off again.

‘Good job we love you,’ Buffy said with a goofy smile that lit up her eyes. Spike could drown in those green pools, and was, until Dawn hit him with the phone again.

‘Got to go, Carlos is picking me up in a hour.’

‘Make sure you’re back early, daughter, or I WILL eat the boyfriend!’ Spike called out as Dawn left the room.

‘Aahh Dad,’


It was arranged. They would all meet at the Villa Rosa on the Saturday night and start tracking down Travers. Willow had searched through the books and maps they had been given and reckoned a locating spell would follow Travers wherever he went. All she needed was something of his to act as the beacon. Giles knew just the thing. He went to one of the boxes of papers he’d sent out of Sunnydale before the collapse and found the letter firing him from the council. On the back was a sketch that Spike had done of Joyce and Buffy laughing in the kitchen of Revello drive. The reason he’d kept it in the first place. Spike often pilfered waste paper to doodle on, but unlike most peoples, his doodles were delightful.

‘Will this do?’ he asked.

Willow looked at the signature. Travers was so elated at being able to fire Giles that he had signed the letter himself. The only time in memory he had left any trace of himself anywhere.

‘There was a time when it wouldn’t have been enough but now, no problem. He even handled the paper, so I have DNA as well,’ The witch answered. ‘The spell’s all set but if we do it Friday, I can add a portal spell in with Dawn’s help, well blood actually, and send the snatch team into wherever Travers is at that moment. We can grab him and bring him straight back to the mansion. Who goes in?’

‘Spike of course, Giles, me and Rachael, we’ll need two slayers. If he’s in daylight then Xander goes in instead of Spike, with Spike taking Xander’s place with Charles and Marcus, holding the portal open and acting as protection for those left behind.’ It was the slayer who spoke, the woman who had defeated the master and the mayor, the one who had averted apocalypse after apocalypse and by whom even the first was defeated. And she was taking charge again. That extra gear Faith talked about was kicking in. Spike sat back and folded his arms behind his head. He loved it when Buffy went all slayer, nothing could beat the sight of her taking command.

Giles looked at Buffy. ‘I can’t go through the portal, humans don’t do so well without a lot of power being added, and to get back you’ll need to speak Sumerian and be able to cast a spell, you’ll also need Dawn’s blood.’

Buffy thought about it for a moment. Her slaying brain taking over.

‘The enjoining spell, we were told we would need it, you can add those powers in.’

‘And the blood?’

‘Spike can have a quick snack before we leave, he can have Dawn’s blood in him, we go through and I do the spell, using Spike as the key.’

‘No way, I am not snacking on Niblet, think of something else, fast.’

‘Dawn won’t mind, and it’s not as if you haven’t bitten her before, you put the familial claim on her to protect her, and its only a sip.’ Buffy couldn’t understand why Spike was so upset, she was totally confused as he stormed out of the room.

Buffy followed. ‘Come on love, tell me what’s really wrong?’

‘If I can be used like that, means you needn’t have died; the tower, Glory, all I had to do was drink from you and I could have taken the dive and lived, broken yes, but not dust…everything else would have mended, you didn’t have to die.’ Spike was nearly in tears. Buffy pulled the blond head onto her chest.

‘Shuush, its alright, what’s done is done, and I’m here and so is Dawn, we’re safe, you kept her safe all that summer, and I love you; now no more, you’ll take a quick drink then we can keep Dawn pissed off but safe here, while we collect the prisoner.’ She added with a smile, ‘you know she’s going to be really mad she can’t come too.’

‘God I’m a right bloody ponce.’

‘No you’re not, you’re a wonderful man who has just realised he could have done something to stop me getting hurt.’

‘You wouldn’t have had to die, to be pulled out of heaven, the first wouldn’t have made an appearance, nothing, Sunnyhell would still be there.’

‘See, its not all bad,’ Buffy said with a smile.

Spike smiled back, how he loved Buffy, she was his world. ‘She hung his moon’, as Niblet put it.

‘I’m alright now pet, I’ll come and listen to the rest of the plan without snivelling on you.’

Giles was waiting quietly in the sitting room; he pretended not to notice the red around the Vampire’s eyes but looked at Buffy.

‘I’ll explain later,’ she mouthed.

Giles just nodded and carried on.

‘We have to have a circle ready to control Travers, then one of us must kill him. The only way to do that is beheading. Then burning all the remains, in two separate bonfires. Then the ashes scattered far and wide. He’s a powerful warlock and it’s the only way we can be sure he’s gone.’

There was a knock at the door and Rachael poked her head round the corner. ‘Can I come in?’

‘Of course, sweetie, it’s not a secret meeting or anything.’

Rachael made her way into the room. She seemed a little shy about speaking out, not her normal self at all.

‘What is it lover?’ asked Xander.

‘I don’t want you to get mad with me, but we, the other slayers, were talking and we all know that this is going to be one hell of a fight and we want to help.’

‘We’d love to have volunteers as back up, maybe at Villa Rosa, protecting the others there.’

‘Yes, that would be great, but we also thought, what with Spike and the other vampires fighting on our side, we’d donate the food for the next week until the big fight, have all the good vampires hyped up on slayer blood.’

Xander fell off his chair but jumped up pretending he’d meant it all the time. ‘He’s not snacking on your neck!’

‘We thought we’d donate it like a blood donation, then bagged, you’d have it to take with you, and before any of you ask, quite a few of us thought of this at the same time, we don’t want Spike hurt and if he’s that powerful, maybe he’ll make sure you all come back,’ Rachael stammered out.

‘Really kind of you, pet, thank the girls for me. We’ll give it some serious thought; that much slayer blood in the system would really make a difference on my strength and speed.’

‘Never thought you getting Slayer blood would be a good idea, but I wish we’d thought about it before the battle with the first, you on Super leaded would have really helped,’ said Xander with a smile. ‘It’s a real good idea, Rach.’

‘Back to the matters at hand,’ Giles started. ‘Whether or not we permanently join with The Covenant, we need to get organised. Buffy and Spike will be heading over to Villa Rosa tonight…’ He was interrupted by the sound of visitors.
Buffy looked up, slayer sense tingling, and Spike sniffed the air. ‘Vampire, Peaches and dog girl.’

Buffy didn’t need vampiric hearing to hear the shouting in the hall. Angel was demanding to be let into the house.

‘I’m here to rescue my poor Buffy.’

Buffy and Spike looked at one another and burst out laughing, ‘where does he get the balls for that one, I am so going to hit him one day!’

‘I think I would hold your coat, my dear,’ added Giles. All those who knew Angel were grimacing and pulling faces. Giles had never really forgiven the Brunette vampire for torturing him when he’d lost his soul.

‘I suppose I better go and invite him in before he disturbs the whole neighbourhood.’ Buffy got up from her comfortable seat on her man’s lap and followed the sound of shouting.

‘Come in, Angel.’ Her words brought down the invisible barrier at the door. Buffy then walked past her first, and long forgotten, love, and greeted Nina warmly. ‘It’s lovely to see you again, Nina, how are you?’

‘Tired, he’s been ranting all the way from LA that you’re under a spell and he needs to save you. I’ve officially finished with him, but the watcher there thought he needed an escort; but I am so fed up of playing second to his very false memories of you.’

‘That’s OK, I quite understand. We’ll get you separate rooms and again, I really understand. How are you coping other than that? Full moon still a problem? If so, there is a good solid cage in the basement for full moons, we use it when Oz visits. Not so much for him but a couple of his pack still need protection sometimes.’

‘The perfect hostess, no frets over unexpected guests, and all their foibles are catered for!’ Nina laughed.

Angel grabbed hold of Buffy only to hear a warning growl from Spike, ‘you don’t get to touch her peaches…’

‘I’m here to save you, Buffy. These people you’ve been talking to are very dangerous, Master vampires, they are just setting you up. They need something from you and won’t stop till they get it.’

Buffy looked down at where Angel still had a hold of her arm.

‘Let go Angel, if you want to keep your arm, that is. What you seemed to have forgotten again, Angel, is that I’m an adult, and well capable of caring for myself. And I will make any decisions about my future. Now are you going to actually come in and be sociable, or have you come all this way to stand in a hall and yell at me?’

Her voice was as cold as ice, and there was no warmth in her eyes as she stared right at the Elder Vampire.

Angel looked round and realised that they had an audience. Slayerettes had come out of the door from the training school just to see what all the noise was about. Their ‘spider sense’ tingling at the presence of a Master Vampire.

‘We have to discuss this in private, you have no idea who you’re dealing with; the Immortal and his kind are demons.’

‘The Immortal?’ Spike joined in, ‘what does that wanker have to do with all this?’

‘He’s a friend of Charles Richards and his circle, met up with them in the 1930’s in Paris, while I was keeping away from Darla and Dru.’

‘Nina,’ Buffy diverted the conversation, ‘shall we go into the sitting room, I’m sure you could do with a drink after your journey.’

‘Thank you, I for one could do with a coffee.’

Buffy and Nina led the way back into the sitting room where the rest of the Scoobies were talking.

‘Oh look who it is: Dead Boy Senior,’ growled Xander. Willow reached over and stroked her lover’s arm, and pointed towards Buffy. ‘She’s having a hard enough time. Looks like she wants to kill someone at the moment.’

Buffy scowled at Xander; she was having a hard enough time keeping her temper.

‘Thanks Sugar, you’ve saved me from being slayered; have I told you today what a great girlfriend you make?’ Xander whispered. He knew Buffy wasn’t actually mad at him, but only at the loud mouthed idiot who was causing a scene.

Willow giggled. It was obvious that the brooding vampire no longer intimidated anyone in the room, in fact most people seemed almost bored with his ranting, raving and dictating.

‘Angel, would you please do us all a favour and sit down before my slayer gets stake happy? She does not now, nor has she ever needed your advice, so I suggest, strongly, that you sit down and shut up.’ Giles spoke harshly. He had never forgiven the vampire for killing Jenny either when he’d turned into Angelus. Long association with Spike had finally taught him that the soul had little control over the kindness of the man, just over his motives, and Angel or Angelus just liked to cause trouble.


‘I heard about your run- in with Richards and wanted to make sure you were all right, you never know with his sort.’ Buffy couldn’t believe how petulant Angel sounded, it was though he were five and not over two hundred.

‘Angel, that was kind, but I live with a Master Vampire and a very powerful witch in a house full of slayers and watchers, what exactly did you think might happen? I might chip a nail? I’m not some stupid child who runs off without a thought of the consequences,’ Buffy continued. ‘That’s more your custom.’

Nina giggled, Buffy obviously wasn’t falling for the puppy eyes routine. Angel grabbed hold of The Slayer again. ‘You’re mine and you always will be…’

‘No, Angel, I’m not, I’m mine and I suggest you let go of me. Whatever I felt when I was sixteen wasn’t true love, you tried to control me too much for it to have been. It was adoration and infatuation, but not love. I know what love feels like now, no mistakes, I carry the marks of only one vampire, he put a familial claim on me, so if anyone owns me it’s him.’ Buffy pulled down her shirt collar to show off the mark. She then looked towards Spike with such tenderness in her eyes the Blond Vampire felt like crying. Angel, on the other hand felt like murdering someone.

‘You never did leave my things alone, did you, boy?’ and lunged for the younger vampire.

Xander pulled Willow and Giles out the way, whilst Buffy pushed Nina into another corner. Buffy just watched the two vampires in game face start circling one another for the fight, picked up a vase of flowers and threw the water all over the posturing males.

‘When you have quite finished with the testosterone poisoning, sit or I will put you both in the hospital!’ She glared at Angel who slunk into a chair, tulips falling from his head and his silk shirt wet through. Turning to Spike she glared at him for a second before smiling her best and most beaming smile at him as he sat in a chair away from the brooding bulk of the older vampire.

‘There will be no fighting in this house. We keep it for outside or in the training room. If you two want to go three rounds with one another, fine, buts it’s not in my sitting room, do I make myself clear?’

‘Yes Buffy.’

‘He started it,’ said the blond.

‘Oh, and you’re what? Five?’

‘Nina’ she continued, ‘you are more than welcome to stay as long as you want, but I’ll brook no interference; we have a job to do and you don’t know all the facts.’ Buffy aimed that straight at Angel who was still dripping in his chair. Somehow he had received the brunt of the water, Spike was only mildly damp. Buffy’s aim was good no matter what the weapon.

‘Now what do you know about Charles Richards and his crew?’ asked the Watcher of the wet vampire.

‘Had a woman with him that wasn’t a vampire or demon, no one was quite sure what she was. Turned up with children sometimes, claimed they were his own, but we all know what a lie that is.’

‘Says the man with a son,’ interrupted Spike. Angel had the good grace to look abashed.

Giles cleared his throat. ‘If you’ve all done, can we please get back to business?

‘We are due to meet up with The Covanant tonight and give them an answer. And we’re all agreed, next week we go after Travers. Then it’s up to Buffy and Spike what they do next, but I for one, would welcome their input into the council, and we still need to find the mole in the new council.’

‘Willow will use the maps we’ve been given to do a location spell on him, Rachael will lead the second group of slayers with Dawn on standby to open the portal. Spike and I will go in with Charles and his crew.’ For some reason Buffy didn’t name the second vampire they’d met.

‘Xander, I want you with Spike and Buffy at the house. Keep your eyes peeled and use that sense of yours to keep an eye on everything.’

Angel spoke up. ‘You expect the whelp to be able to help? You’re mad. He’s mortal and stupid, a clown.’

Xander started to feel insecure, his younger self was making its way to the surface. But of all the beings in the room it was Spike that spoke up first.

‘That Clown, as you call him, faced down the First and the Torukan, he has fought and destroyed more vampires than any other human, he has faced demons and won and his heart and bravery saved this planet on more than one occasion. You don’t speak so disrespectfully about my friend unless you want to meet William the Bloody. And unlike you, I have kept fit.’ Spike looked straight at the older Vampire’s portly shape.

Rachael came into the room, with two mugs of blood, tea and coffee. She handed Spike the ‘bite the librarian’ mug that Giles had given him for Christmas the year before.

Angel started growling. He could smell that blood and it wasn’t animal. It was human, and slayer blood at that.

‘What are you doing, Willie, that’s not animal.’

‘No, it’s a gift from my girls, they wanted me on full lead, super before the big fight.’

‘We all donated, so back off,’ Rachael added.

Angel looked at the young girl in front of him, then realised that she, like most of the others here, was a slayer. He went back into his chair, complaining under his breath. His blood was pig and nothing else, not even a trace of otter or bear.

‘Would you like me to show your to your rooms? I’m sure you must be tired after your long flight.’ Rachael offered. She wanted the brooding Vampire away from both Willow and Xander.

Nina stood up. ‘That would be lovely, many thanks, I could do with a lie down and a shower.’ Rachael led the way out of the room and up the stairs.

The conversation started to slip into everyday things and the group soon relaxed.

‘You alright, seeing the poofter again pet?’ asked Spike, worried that Angel’s appearance may have affected Buffy. The insecure William showed his face again.

‘Yes, oh, yes, just wondering about my dreadful taste when I was sixteen.’

‘Well at least your taste in vampires got better,’ and he started to nuzzle into her neck.

‘I would suggest one thing, If you want to add to the protection of the people in this room’ said Spike quietly. ‘If I do a claiming bite, just for protection, on you it will prevent any other vamp taking a bite. It would mark whoever I bit as my property; wouldn’t do it unless you asked though.’ He looked straight at Giles. ‘Wouldn’t dare around here.’

‘I knew it, 10 years and he still wants to eat me,’ Xander started to joke; but went over to Spike and bared his neck.

‘Good idea fang face, if only to keep the great broody one from getting ideas.’

He knew that Spike wouldn’t have offered unless it was important.

‘You sure about this Xander, you realise I actually have to bite you.’

‘I always knew I was going to be Vamp food. No tickling. No kissing, just bite,’ added Xander, mumbling to himself.

Spike slid gently into game face, and because he was still the ‘Big Bad’ and had to have fun, he nuzzled and gently licked Xander’s neck, producing results that were beginning to embarrass the man. At just the right point he slid his fangs into Xander’s neck. ‘Mine, my property,’ he whispered. Xander felt weak kneed and not from loss of blood. ‘If that’s what being bitten feels like why didn’t I let it happen before?’

Spike just grinned.

‘You all right, sweetie?’ Willow was worried about the effect the bite seemed to have had.

‘Uh huh, I just feel a little wired you could say, that was some experience. Can see why some humans keep looking for it now, never could before.’ Xander chattered on. The marks tingled and he could feel where Spike was in the room.

‘Never thought any of you would trust me enough for that.’ Spike had tears in his eyes and rushed out of the room.

Buffy followed him out to find Spike sitting in the library. ‘ I haven’t felt that much acceptance since I was a kid, to have Xander, of all people, trust me, it was too much for the ponce in me. I couldn’t let ‘em see me cry, sorry love, I’ll be OK, just a bit much, that much trust.’

Buffy just held him and nuzzled into his neck.

There they stayed for a while, revelling in the peace and each other’s company.

It was not going to be a normal week. Buffy came out of the bedroom she shared with Spike to find Angel waiting for her in the corridor.

‘Buffy darling, I know that he’s controlling you with the claim, if you just let me take it over, I’ll protect you from him.’

‘There is no controlling and you’re not taking anything over.’

‘I’ll challenge him for it, I’ll fight for you Buffy, set you free, then we can be together.’

Spike was listening from the other side of the door, he wanted to interrupt but with the waves of anger coming from the slayer, he knew that it was safer to let her sort this out by herself. He hadn’t lived to nearly 150 years as vampire by being stupid.

‘Challenge him Angel and you face me. I will take you out without a second thought, especially if you keep this nonsense up. Spike is my friend,’ Spike’s heart fell at that but Buffy continued, ‘my lover and if he ever asked me, my husband. I loved you once, but you cared so little for me you gave me up not once but twice and your arrogance nearly cost us another apocalypse, trying to take out the Black Thorn, where do you get off with that over bearing pompous behaviour? You can come out Spike, we have slayers to train and I really need some violence at the moment.’

Nina had also overheard the conversation and clapped Buffy as Spike joined her, and the three of them headed off to the training rooms, leaving Angel speechless at the attack. He was only trying to help.

Buffy led the way to where a group of the senior Slayerettes were waiting for a lesson in hunting. Spike had offered to help, he really needed some violence. The presence of his grand sire was driving him crazy.

‘No staking the vampire, no staking the vampire, no staking the vampire, was all Buffy could say as she stomped into the room. All the younger girls took one look and gave her a wide berth.

‘Right: we’re heading off into the city tonight for a little bit of practise. There’s a nest of Vampires, just near a convent- cum- orphanage and they are waiting ‘til they get the chance to get in and cause mayhem.’ Spike remembered what it had been like as part of the scourge of Europe, the damage he’d done in such places along with his sire and grand sire.
‘We’re not going to let ‘em get so much as a sniff at the residents.
I want you girls really concentrating on what you’re doing, no messing, no day dreaming’. Spike threw a piece of chalk at Nora who was drooling over him as usual. It caught her on the head, waking her back up to the room and the lecture. Vi giggled. She remembered the early days when Spike trained with them in the graveyard back in Sunnydale, she and Rona had come off worse regularly until they learnt to concentrate. Now here she was one of the teachers. Life was weird.

The next few hours were spent in the workout room, Spike putting all the girls through their paces. The Necrotising glass ensured that he could run classes no matter what time of day. Angel joined him and putting aside their differences the two master vampires started fighting as a team. They had been a team for nearly a century and their familiarity with each other soon showed. The slayerettes were well out classed. Buffy heard the shouts and became intrigued. Spike and Angel rarely fought as a team and when Vi told her what was happening she had to see it. They were fast, scarily fast. Her fists itched to join in, to test herself against two of the best. Grabbing one of the plastic stakes from the rack, well she didn’t want to hurt them, she called the slayerettes off and to head for the benches running along one side of the room. Spike and Angel looked around as the girls melted to the sides to leave the main area clear.
‘I know you’re cross Buffy, but is the stake really necessary?’ Angel asked, a little scared.

‘Plastic, it stings but won’t kill you. Are you ready, boys?’ and with that she leapt up on to the balcony and the fight started in earnest.
Word soon spread around the school: everyone from everywhere ran toward the training room where the two blonds and the brunette were fighting no holds barred. They were very evenly matched; fist and foot flew as blows were traded. Buffy had a cut to her lip, but Angel and Spike were already sporting black eyes and bruises. Willow and Giles arrived to see Angel grab Buffy from behind and put her into a neck hold: in full game face he bent to take a bite when Buffy kicked straight over her head and hit him full in the face. Angel staggered back and shook his head to try and regain his senses. Then leapt in for the kill again and Buffy lifted the stake and he ran straight onto it, the stake hitting him in the heart.

‘Ow, that hurt!’

‘You’re dust, officially.’

Buffy turned to Spike and hit him in the back with the stake, gently, just to make the point.

‘I win. Now if I hear another word about Spike controlling me, or using me, or any other disrespectful comment, you and I will be back in here, and next time I’ll have a wooden stake dipped in holy water, do I make myself clear?’

‘Quite clear.’

‘Good. Now Giles, have any of my skills slipped?’

‘No, you are still a formidable opponent my dear, and against two formidable Master Vampires. I for one am glad that you are on my side,’ Giles noted. Then seeing the bruises and damage done to the vampires, he turned to Vi. ‘Could you get the losers a mug of the good stuff each? That should speed up the healing and ensure that they are fit for tonight.’

Vi ran off to get the blood and Willow helped heal Buffy of the scrapes and bruises she had acquired.




The raiding party left the house at sunset, heading straight for the orphanage.

They approached the building quietly, looking, feeling, searching for the familiar tingle of vampires. Buffy could feel two masters, and they both felt familiar, Spike and Angel. Buffy led the group of Slayerettes forward and signalled them to creep up slowly. She signalled for quiet and then gave the girls their surprise…

‘All yours, we’re sitting this one out.’ The girls looked at one another and then as one went forward.

It wasn’t a great fight, there were twenty or so vampires, none of them over fifty years old. Xander just sat on a wall and watched,
Spike remembered back to training the girls back in Sunnydale. There always comes a time when the trainee has to stand on her own legs, and this was the time for this lot. Graduation. Buffy sat on a high wall with Xander, just watching the girls. Angel wanted to get involved but was made to wait by a hard stare from Buffy.

‘We can’t always be there to protect them, they have to grow up sometime,’ she said.

‘Talking about me?’ he asked.

‘Not really Angel, you always see me as sixteen and in need of protection. I’m not that little girl any more, I’ve seen things and done things that no-one should ever have to do. I’ve had to send the man I loved to hell, I had to watch another one die, I’ve killed and plotted and planned, I’ve faced down the first evil and Dawn in a bad mood, I was given a sister, who I later find out is my daughter… my life has been mixed up from the time I was called, and one of the few constants has been Spike. He loves narky Buffy, slayer Buffy, bitchy Buffy and loving Buffy, and I love him.’

‘Time for me to let you grow up then, isn’t it?’

‘I think so. You will always be a dear friend but I love Spike, he is my present and my future.’

‘I think I’m beginning to understand that.’

Buffy turned back to watch the girls fight. ‘Julie’s dropping her shoulder a bit luv, we’ll have on work on that when we get back,’ Spike remarked. With his vampire hearing he’d heard every word spoken between Buffy and Angel, and felt content.

Buffy loaded every weapon she could think of into the trunk of the car, including her precious scythe. They were later than planned having been delayed by a phone call from Faith: her first scan had shown she was having a boy and Robin was delighted, telling everyone he could think of, hence the phone call to Rome. Mama and Baby were doing great. The picture would be on its way the very next day. Buffy was just glad at how happy Faith sounded. It was great to think that she was finally settled somewhere. The slaying school was doing great and Robin was a good man.

The sun was truly set as the car was filled with weapons and the overflow was being added to the minibus. Although it might have been thought sensible to use the slaying school it had neighbours and the Villa Rosa was very secluded in its own grounds, so it was a case of loading everything they needed into the minibus and car.

Nina had agreed to stay with the younger slayers and keep an eye on them. She was no fighter and it was nowhere near full moon, so she had felt that she would just get in the way during any fight. Nina had planned to have food and first aid kits ready for the return.

Spike was wired: he looked as though someone had been feeding him drugs for months and for a vampire, they had. Fresh slayer blood every day, bagged or straight from the source. He couldn’t sit still for more than a couple of minutes and the aphrodisiac qualities of the slayer blood were definitely having an affect on him.

Dawn had laughed out loud earlier when she had caught Spike chasing Buffy around the house. The Master Vampire at full strength was fast, faster than anything she’d ever seen; Dawn was glad they’d never faced him when he was that strong. Spike had literally flown up from the ground two floors up to Buffy’s bedroom door with a dozen roses in his hand. No run, just a standing jump straight up. Buffy had been laughing all the time. And laughed as she shut the door behind Spike. The rest of them hid at the far end of the building for a few hours. It was good to see her so happy. She deserved it.

Dawn looked around at the crew gathering. Willow and Giles were talking quietly about the different magics they would have to perform, the various slayers were preparing weapons and chatting quietly. Nina was watching everything and Angel was brooding. He looked completely devoid of any of the joy in life the rest of the crowd were showing. A dark cloud hung over his head, darkening every time anyone laughed; even more so every time Buffy and Spike showed their closeness. The mere brush of a hand was enough to set up a growl.

Br. Roberto had turned up earlier saying that he had fought the devil for nearly sixty years and he’d quite like to see one now. He chortled as Spike slipped into game face. ‘That doesn’t scare me in the least young man, I’ve looked after novices.’

Spike grinned and picked up the trunk containing the supplies for Willow as Dawn came down the stairs, dressed ready for battle. Combat trousers and shirt. Pockets filled with small weapons, water pistols, crosses; she was every inch the warrior her parents, her real parents, were.

Brother Roberto went over to the young lady and as a true Italian, kissed her hand.

‘You look more and more beautiful every time we meet.’ Even though the old monk was hardly boyfriend material, Spike still growled.

‘Now papa, there is no need for that. I have a little gift for your bambina.’ And with that he pulled out a small knife, a white athame and handed it to her hilt first.

‘This has been blessed by the holiest of men. If you spill blood with it the blood cannot be used for evil, only good, so I thought it might help. It’s made from gold and silver mixed and it’s sharp, so you should be able to open the portal quickly. It is the original athame, its twin is in the hands of Travers. Only one witch is powerful enough to hold both, so whatever happens don’t pick up the black knife if you are holding this one .

‘Thank you so much Brother Roberto, it really will help and I’ll keep a very close eye on what else I pick up.’

‘We’ve made a scabbard for it, covered in silk; it will protect it from being scanned and protect you from being cut. Two layers of wood, wool and silk. Perfect.’

The crowd of slayers approached and started loading into the minibus. Br. Roberto thought how young they all looked: mere children, far too young to carry such a load. But they were the chosen and it was not up to him to second- guess The Boss. He listened to their chatter and thought about it. They were young and carefree, but the fate of the world rested on their shoulders time and time again. He watched Buffy, her eyes shining with love for something that he had originally been taught was the epitomy of evil and he watched that love returned. The vampire’s eyes shone with nothing but adoration for the young woman who had not yet reached her thirtieth year and had saved this world so many times. A woman who had stood in heaven and who he knew in his heart was guaranteed a place to go back to.

He watched as Spike made sure that Dawn was safely in the car before getting into the driving seat himself. All loaded up, Br. Roberto got into the minibus with the girls and Xander and they headed off into the growing night.

Buffy and Spike were glad of the peace and quiet. Dawn and Willow who were in the car with them were talking quietly about some boyband or other that Dawn wanted to see next time she was in London. They were relaxed, almost serene, as though a true peace had descended on them. Willow knew she was more than capable of doing the spells needed. Dawn knew how to open up the portal and now, thanks to all the books Bro. Roberto had supplied, knew how to close it again. She had been practising with Willow, tiny little portals, under very strict conditions, just so she was confident in the process. Giles had prepared them well. Dark roots Willow was nowhere to be seen. Now Willow was so very careful to use magic only when absolutely necessary. She knew that it was her gift and couldn’t reject it, but also knew the terrible price she had paid for its use. There would always be a place for Tara in her heart. And Willow had vowed no more risks. Xander kept her anchored, Rachael made her feel whole, and they were both here tonight.

It wasn’t long before they were all pulling up at the Villa Rosa. Matilda was waiting at the door to welcome everyone in. ‘We’ve sent the children away for the night, the main room is cleared and we’re ready when you are.’

Angel tried to enter the house but bounced back from the invisible barrier.

‘Come in, Angel,’ said the vampire on the stairs. Every nerve was screaming to Angel that this was a powerful vampire, a Master of Masters.

Spike stepped forward and without his normal cockiness, he went over to the vampire and bowed.

‘Marcus, may I present my grandsire? Angel, may I present our sire of sires, Marcus Aurleous.’ The formality with which Spike did the introductions should have warned Angel, but it didn’t.

Angel didn’t want to believe it: the head of his house, his master, standing there in front of him. Angel wouldn’t believe it: no one was more important than Angel, he was the chosen one’s champion.

‘Still not listening Angel, or should I say Angelus? You really don’t want to believe do you?’ Growled the older vampire. He looked at Angel then at Spike. Buffy had chosen the better vampire by far. Marcus could see the weakness and self- pity in Angel’s soul: it stood out like a cancer. The soul was tarnished and dull; no wonder there had been problems.

William’s soul was pure before he was turned and when it was returned to him that purity shone through, but before Marcus now was the soul of a rapist and killer. Liam Angelus O’Connor was not a nice person. He could never be a true champion. He’d have to work hard just to get a chance at the lowest of the heavenly realms. Oh well, not his job or responsibility; that was Br. Roberto’s job.

It was, however, his job to make sure that Angel didn’t mess up anything.

Marcus centred himself quietly then used his full masters gifts to control his errant great, great, great grand childe.

‘You will obey or challenge,’ Angel heard in his head. No one else heard a thing.

Angel could feel the power radiating off of this Master, he knew that if he were so stupid as to challenge he would lose, and sank down onto one knee.

‘Master,’ he whispered. Buffy was amazed; all she had seen or heard was Spike introducing them, Marcus looking at Angel for a couple of moments and then Angel kneeling. Well, if he wasn’t going to cause trouble, Buffy was glad.

The Circle was formed, and Dawn stepped to the gap between Buffy and Spike. The athame was ready in her right hand and she clung onto Spike with her left. Dawn was nervous: Spike could smell it. He squeezed her hand and shot her a smirk as Buffy and the other slayers came to stand behind them. As soon as the enjoining spell was started Dawn would open up the portal using the map Br. Roberto had given them. Willow was busy with another location spell. The bright light whipped through the pages of the atlas and soon settled on one particular page.

‘Hethron, a couple of steps closer to hell than we are,’ she told Dawn and Buffy, ‘human based but vampire and demon run. I suggest all the white hats don their flags.’ It had been Xander’s idea: everyone going through the portal would wear a white armband, just in case they met doppelgangers the other side. He remembered the vampire Willow who had come to Sunnydale and didn’t want to make a mistake again.


Willow looked around the circle she had formed on the floor. It was big, it had to be, it would be Travers’ prison once he was returned to their world, his prison and his death cell. Giles would strip him of all his powers, and free of the magic it was assumed that hopefully, he would simply age to 800+ in a matter of seconds. If not, once stripped of his powers Charles or Marcus would simply kill him. They had plenty of reason and no soul to prevent it.

Xander, Giles and Rachael took their places: North, South, and West. Willow took the East point for herself. Br. Roberto stood to one side armed with holy water, bell, book and candle. He could bless the whole area and make it deadly to the forces of darkness if he had to. They were reluctant to use his skills though, in case it hurt Spike or any other friendly vampire instead of the nasties coming through the gate. A simple door had been set up in the middle of the room. It led nowhere… yet… it simply was.

‘We thought it useful as it will control the size of the gateway Dawn opens,’ explained Marcus.

‘Thank you. When Glory did this she simply opened the portal and it spread out every which way,’ Dawn remembered.

‘Yes; well, we have no intention of bringing about Armageddon.’

All was ready. The Enjoining spell would empower Buffy as it had before. She would then be able to use Giles’ linguistic abilities to speak Sumerian, to do the paralysing spell on Travers. Spike and Marcus would act as bodyguards through the gate: Spike on Dawn and Marcus on Buffy, not that anyone really thought she’d need it.

The slayers with them would protect the magic wielders inside the first circle. Willow didn’t want to have to do too many spells: that led to dark roots and darker eyes.

Dawn kept saying the name ‘Hethron’ out loud as she made ready to open the doorway. Willow started the enjoining spell. She had done it before when they defeated Adam and this time was even easier.

Angel took his place at the head of the slayers who were going in with them. Xander looked across at Buffy.

‘Don’t like you going in there alone.’

‘I’m not,’ she replied.

Dawn made a small cut on her wrist and, as the blood touched the door jamb, she called out, ‘HETHRON!’ A wind appeared from nowhere, causing the door to fly open. Behind it Buffy and Spike could see a room, lined with shelves.

‘Looks like Dumbledore’s study,’ grinned Dawn. Buffy and Marcus leapt for the doorway, weapons ready. Spike and Dawn followed. Then Angel led the slayers through. As they went through the doorway Spike gently licked his daughter’s wound, sealing it. Stopping the portal from opening further. Marcus, Angel and Spike had vamped out as soon as they went through the doorway. Golden eyes scanned the room. Travers was there, caressing glowing globes; he hadn’t noticed his visitors.

Willow started the chanting:


‘Power of the Slayer and all who wield it,
Last to ancient first,
Grant us thy domain and primal strength,
Accept us and the powers we possess.
Because mind and heart and spirit join,
Let the hand encompass us,
Do thy will…’

She placed a tarot card in front of herself.

‘Spiritus: spirit,’

She handed Xander the next.

‘Animus: heart,’

The last went to Giles.

‘Sophus: the mind.’

They all said, ‘Manus: the hand.’

Willow’s eyes started glowing white, so bright it burnt any who looked at her; her hair turned white and a gentle wind ruffled and played with it.

‘We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel, the hand, daughter of Sineya, first of the ones,
‘We implore thee, bring us to the vessel. Take us now.’

The golden light shot out from the centre of the circle straight for the door and into Buffy.

That was when Travers noticed the invaders. He started to reach out a hand and chant. He aimed at Dawn, the key, but Buffy smiled and held out a hand towards the blast. It turned into a rainbow.

‘Pretty,’ commented Dawn. She felt totally at peace.

Travers watched in astonishment. One of his most powerful spells negated that quickly. He made a movement over his own body and twenty Travers’ appeared in the room. They moved around, weaving in and out. They even smelled the same. Spike felt helpless but Buffy just laughed. Xander could see through most things, right to the heart of the matter and he was with her, he was in her. Buffy just pointed at one of the Travers’.

‘You can’t hide from me; you will never hide from me.’

She started to chant.

‘See clear, see straight, see what is true and what is false.’

Twenty Travers’ vanished, leaving only one. The real one.

Spike growled and leapt for the wizard but found himself moving slowly, as if time was lethargic.

Buffy smiled and moved her hand again.

‘You can’t stop me. You have no power over me, little girl.’ gloated Travers.

Buffy started on the paralysing spell:

‘Shame en den,
‘Gesh to me en den,
‘Ze me en den,
‘Oh cush to me a tala,
‘I am un shan dal!’

As the spell took effect Travers became helpless. He couldn’t move any of his limbs. His spine seemed to turn to iron, unwieldy and immobile.

‘I’ll kill you, slayer, you have no power over me.’

‘You never did understand the powers of the slayer. We are forever.’

Buffy waved her hand again and his arms were pinned to his sides. Two vampires moved forward and picked him up, Spike at the head and Angel grabbing the feet.

Marcus and the Slayerettes started looking around the room. He went towards the shelves and shelves lined with globes. Orbs of Thesula. Soul holders, hundreds of them and each occupied.

Marcus started to collect them together, gently placing them into large Hessian sacks he’d found. Each of the girls helped pack. Those that knew what they were, were shocked. So many orbs, so many souls. They moved them to the doorway that hung in midair. One of the girls went through and started taking the bags off of Marcus and the other slayers. The pile grew and grew. Travers stopped throwing insults and grew quieter as the pile grew higher.

Anti-climatically, Spike and Angel simply went back through the portal and dropped the body into the circle. Travers was their prisoner.

‘You bitches, you don’t understand, you can’t touch me.’

‘We have no intention of touching you,’ replied Giles, ‘and if you have any sense of self-preservation at all, you’ll stop calling these young ladies such names.’ Giles waved his hand in the direction of Travers. ‘Silence.’

Spike held out his hand and helped Dawn through the doorway. Willow collapsed as Buffy came through the entrance. Xander couldn’t breathe. His chest felt tight and it hurt. But it was over. They were safe.

Buffy looked at her friends. Again when it really counted, they were there. In her mind, lending their strength to her. She realised how much she loved Willow, Xander and Giles.

As Willow started to get her breath back, she looked at Spike and Buffy holding hands. For some reason Kennedy’s face kept crossing her mind.
‘Kennedy,’ blurted out Xander.

‘I was just thinking about her as well,’ said Giles.

‘Me too,’ added Willow, ‘me too.’

‘I was thinking about when we betrayed Buffy - and we did betray her, all of us throwing her out of her house, except Spike of course,’ Xander said.

‘I think we all underestimated Spike from the beginning.’ Giles added.

‘Why are we talking like this? I did the spell right, I know I did.’ Willow was beginning to panic.

‘There is no problem with your spell, Willow. I did one to open up our eyes to find Travers; seems it opened up our eyes to other things as well.’ Buffy explained.

‘Seems we know who our mole is: Kennedy. It seems your spell freed our memories of the last weeks from before Sunnydale fell. Travers had put Kennedy into his employ with promises of money and power and she had accepted.’ Giles explained

‘I am so sorry all of you,’ Buffy said. ‘It must be horrid to find out like this.’

‘I really think it should be us who apologise.’ Xander interrupted. ‘We were the ones that turned on you and now we know why, but that is no excuse. Little miss magic put the mojo on us to use our fears and turned all those hidden thoughts into nasty, cruel actions. We should have known better.’ Xander looked so ashamed that Buffy looked at her friends and they all started crying together They went into a big hug. Xander had a lovely smile on his face, his arms full of Buffy and Willow. Giles had his arms around Willow and pulled Dawn into the hug. The five of them just stood there in front of everyone holding onto each other.

Four hours. Four bloody hours and Giles, Willow and the other magic users still hadn’t managed to break Travers.

Giles threw the book he’d been looking through across the table in exasperation. He felt more Ripper that Rupert at that moment and was desperately trying to control it.

‘Having a little trouble are we Rupert? Comes of working with children. I’m sure Ethan would have been able to deal with what ever it was you wanted by now,’ taunted Travers.

Giles growled and turned his back on the old head of the council.

‘You need to learn to control yourself. Perhaps if I told you how I did it, you might live as long as I have, and then you may be old enough to learn a little control,’ Quentin Travers continued. Giles pointedly ignored him and reached for another Grimoire. There must be a spell somewhere to strip the warlock of his powers. There had to be. But what ever they found Travers simply brushed aside. You couldn’t strip the powers until you could breach his defences, you couldn’t breach the defences until the powers were stripped. It was a vicious circle. And if Willow failed they would all die. Giles knew it, so did Spike and Buffy.

Buffy had started looking into escape roots for Rachael, Xander and Dawn and whoever else they could get through the gate. Marcus had asked that Isabel and Matilda be amongst the squad and Buffy had agreed. They had to protect the children. They had set up a second doorway in the ballroom and had made ready the defences they would need to protect the escapees should the situation arise. Dawn was far from happy. She wanted to stay but she was the only one that could open a second door if it were needed.

Travers kept taunting them. All you could hear was his voice calling them names. His comments about the girls had cleared the room: no one likes being referred to as a bitch or a whore. Rachael ran crying from the taunts when he called her a tramp for sleeping with both Xander and Willow.

Willow wanted to muffle the sounds coming from him, but nothing was working. He seemed to be able to counter all their spells. But the circle held. It wouldn’t forever. They had about fifteen hours more at most.

‘How’s that bitch Rosalind, Marcus, I haven’t seen her in far too long. Does she still scream when she hears my name? I’ll never forget how Sophia screamed so nicely when I slit her stomach open. You would have enjoyed the blood, it spurted everywhere. Her pleas and cries for Mummy were delicious.’

Marcus lost his temper. He jumped into the prison circle and tried to break Travers’ neck, but couldn’t. The thought of his daughter crying and begging like that sent him into his demon face. He bit at Travers but his blows and bites were useless. Not one of them succeeded. Travers had laughed, simply laughed at them all and, reaching up his hands, straightened his spine as if there were nothing wrong.

The paralysing spell Buffy had used had worn off after two hours, leaving Travers wandering around the circle. He couldn’t break it, but keeping it strong was starting to tire Willow out completely. The coven in England had linked on to Willow feeding her energy; Giles had used every fortification and strengthening spell he could find. They had even handed over her breathing and heart functions to Rachael in an attempt to allow her to use what power she had to keep the circle intact. They hadn’t expected this bit to take so long. Releasing his powers should have taken minutes, not hours. But hours it had been.

Willow was forgiven every miscast spell and bad choice she had ever made as her hair went whiter and whiter and she tapped into the Great Mother in an effort to defeat the Warlock they had captured.

Angel and the Slayerettes had examined every inch of the room he had been in. Looking out of the window they saw that it was part of a modern looking castle: all straight lines and sheer walls. There didn’t seem to be any one around. The whole place had been deserted. No demons, no humans, just empty rooms everywhere.

The dust on some of the floors indicated that no-one had been in some of the spaces for years. All they could find was in that original room. Orb after Orb. Book after book and financial records going back hundreds of years. The new Council would really be rich.

Buffy headed across to the table where the first bag of Orbs of Thesula had been unloaded. She was curious. The coloured lights shone and sparkled inside the globe. She picked it up for a closer look and saw a girl’s face inside the smoke. It looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it at the moment. She tried not to listen to the filth coming out of Travers’ mouth. She was getting a little fed up at being called a whore, and they’d had to ban Spike and Angel from the room. Travers had annoyed the two vampires so much that they were both threatening to eat him. But Willow had told them that they couldn’t. He wouldn’t die, just give them indigestion!!

Spike and Angel wanted to keep guard. They needed to do something positive, and that was all they could think of. Buffy got fed up with them both brooding and sent them off on patrol. Evening had come and no-one had noticed.

Xander made drinks, got pastries and tried to keep everyone focused. Buffy was tired, bone weary. She had come back buzzing from the energy flowing through her, but now she just wanted to sleep.

Br. Roberto came up to her where she lay on the couch and pulled a blanket over her.

‘Sleep, little one. There is nothing you can do to help and we will need your strength later if the witch fails. It seems strange to me that I should be praying for a witch to remain strong. Our church has been trying to wipe them out for centuries, but at this moment I am really glad we failed.’ He added with a smile.

‘I don’t know if I can sleep Roberto, every time I close my eyes I think of the hundreds of slayers that man has helped kill: Kendra, Louise, the one before me, Nikki Wood, I mean he drew their essence off of them and used those he was supposed to protect just to extend his life. It’s not as if we don’t go anywhere afterwards. I mean: been there, seen the gates, felt the love. We carry on until the next adventure, but he couldn’t, could he. He wanted power and that’s only available here. He’s killed hundreds, or at least had them killed. He would have had me killed as well. Left me for the master, but Xander brought me back. Didn’t get to heaven that time.’

‘I wonder why not?’

‘Wasn’t dead for long enough, I suppose. Was the second time, when I jumped off the tower. They didn’t see that one coming. Giles said I should have killed Dawn rather than let Glory win, but I found the third way. Hurt Spike though. He really missed me, said he would have dusted himself if I hadn’t made him promise to look after Dawnie.’

‘And I would have, sweetheart.’ The blond Vampire added as he came into the room. ‘I would have but Dawn made me live and you came back. 147 days later, but you came back.’

Buffy could feel the pain radiating off Spike as he remembered those dark days.

‘Hey: I’m here and I love you, you bagged your third slayer anyway didn’t you, just not the way you meant.’

Spike lifted her hand and kissed it. Buffy started to melt then sat straight up and shouted, ‘Nikki Wood!’

‘Don’t mean to break the moment love, but she was a girl…’

‘I know,’ Buffy said as she pushed the blanket clear of her legs and ran back to the room with the Orbs of Thesula, shouting for Giles as she went. Brother Roberto and Spike followed, puzzled at her behaviour.

‘The orbs, they hold Souls. We used it for the re-souling spell we used on Angel. What if that’s where the slayers are, all of them? In the Orbs. I thought I recognised the face. I saw a picture of Nikki Wood on Robin’s desk once,’ she explained breathlessly and started searching through the hundreds of Orbs that they had collected.

‘Here it is. No, not that one.’

‘What’s going on?’ Giles asked as he watched Buffy running around the tables that had been set up.

‘Buffy thinks the Orbs contain the souls of the slayers that have died.
I wasn’t dead long enough first time, thanks to Xander, so didn’t get caught. The second time you weren’t expecting ME to die, Giles, you told me to kill Dawn. Who told you that?’

‘Travers: oh my God, he didn’t expect your death, he wasn’t ready for it.’

‘So I made it to heaven. First slayer to do so in hundreds of years.
His power supply, the reason Willow can’t break him, it’s the Orbs.’

Buffy knew it was the answer. The Orbs of Thesula that Travers had gathered around him had to contain the essence of the slayers. They just had to. Buffy ran from the room to where all the Orbs they had retrieved had been set up. She started searching through them: there were hundreds. All full of the dancing smoke that she had first seen. If you held them just so you could make out a face, a girl’s face, in each one. Buffy kept searching.

‘What is it love, explain to us and maybe we can help?’

‘When we brought Angel back from being Angelus, we used one of these Orb things to hold his soul while Willow did her witch stuff. I know I saw a face in one earlier and I thought I recognised it. But didn’t know who. Now I remember who, it was Nikki Wood, the slayer you killed in New York.’

Spike immediately felt the weight of his deed on his own soul and looked upset. Buffy caught that bit.

‘I’m not trying to make you feel bad, honest, I was just trying to say who I saw. I’m sure it was Nikki.’ She kept searching through each Orb.

‘Brother Roberto, could you get Giles please, and Marcus? This is going to take magic to free them and that’s their job, not mine.’

The elderly monk scurried off to find the vampire and the watcher. It was the least he could do and just watching Buffy run around the room was making him feel tired.

Buffy kept on searching through the piles of Orbs, and now he knew who they were looking for, Spike helped…he could remember the beautiful woman he’d killed in New York all those years before.

Buffy just kept looking. Amongst all the Orbs there had to be the one she first picked up. Giles watched in wonder as the slayer speed was being used for something other than fighting.

‘Giles, have you ever met another slayer? Other than Faith and me, I mean?’ Buffy asked then shouted, ‘Kendra! If I’m right Kendra should be here as well.

‘Xander, look for Kendra: Spike, do you remember her? Well look for her as well, you too Giles, keep searching.’ Buffy picked up Orbs at random.
‘This won’t work,’ Giles said, but before Buffy could lose what little temper she had left he carried on, ‘we’re searching the same pile again and again. Buffy, start at the far end. Spike: check that table over there.’ He pointed at a second table filled with Orbs sitting on their ornate stands. ‘And I’ll begin here. We’re looking for either Nikki Wood or Kendra? Yes?’

‘Perhaps he kept records? We’ve brought over hundreds of books, some magic, some seemed just diaries and things.’ Angel commented.

‘Right, get the other slayers in here, we need them searching the library he had. Have you brought everything through?’ Giles asked Angel and Spike, ‘and where’s Marcus and Charles?’

‘They’re upstairs. The women were getting a little fed up of the name-calling and their vamps went to comfort them.’ Spike smirked. He could hear exactly what sort of comfort the women were getting. He traded looks with Angel. Preternatural hearing had its downside sometimes.

‘Well will someone go and get them: we need all the help we can get.’ Giles was getting exasperated.

‘I’ll go,’ volunteered Rachael. And she left quickly, to fetch extra pairs of hands.

Xander kept searching, as did Buffy. ‘There must be nearly a thousand Orbs here. I didn’t realise there were so many in the world,’ Xander commented.

‘There weren’t. When we looked for one for Angel, I could only find reference to about five,’ Giles explained.

‘That’s because the others had all been taken from this realm.’ said a dark voice from the door.

‘Morty!’ yelled Dawn from behind him and threw herself into his arms.

‘My sweet Aurora, how are you, quite the young lady. If you grow this beautiful every time I leave you, I must stay close or you will drive all the young men wild with desire.’

‘The Immortal,’ growled both Angel and Spike. Here was one thing they could agree on. He was the bane of both their lives. They hadn’t forgiven him for what he’d done with Dru and Darla and doubted they ever would.

‘What do you want?’ snarled Spike. He felt a hand on his arm but shook it off. Giles didn’t need a fight here and now.

‘To see my dear friends’ he said with a grin. ‘Buffy you look radiant. I’m delighted to see you again, Cara,’ he added, kissing her hand. Spike growled again.

‘My dear Lord Carrington. I have no intention of muscling in on your wife or daughter, I am merely here to see if I might be of service. I have a little knowledge of the things with which you are dealing.’

‘Still talks like a bleeding poofter.’

‘Spike,’ hissed Buffy, ‘he was a good friend to us.’

‘I bet,’ said Spike and stormed out of the room, nearly slamming the door off its hinges. There was no way he was going to watch Buffy all over one of his greatest enemies. He nearly ran to the kitchen, tears blinding him as he went.

‘Now what was all that about?’ Asked Buffy as she followed him.

‘Why don’t you go back to your beloved Morty?’ He growled.

‘Because I’m here with you,’ she answered, ‘and I know all about your insecurities, but we don’t have time to deal with them now. You are mine and I truly am yours, you great idiot.’

Spike started to smile. Only Buffy could make him feel better by insulting him. ‘I saw you with him, you know. Angel and I came to Rome on business and came to see you, but you were out with him. We saw you in the club.’

‘I didn’t know and neither did Morty, or he would have told me. He found me crying one day in a church. I must have lit about fifty candles, for you, Spike, and I was crying as though my heart was breaking. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I was patrolling and desperately trying to find a vamp strong enough to kill me, but there was nothing. I died on the inside. I had finally told you I loved you and you didn’t believe me. I just wanted to follow you and tell you again.

‘Dawn was really worried. She had Andrew guard me during the day and at night she didn’t let me out of her sight for months. My soul was dead and I wanted my body to follow. The only one that understood was Xander, and he’d left.

‘Then I met Morty. He talked to me about you; every one else was terrified to mention your name. But he told me something about you every day. Told me that you’d met before. Said he stopped you and Angel from going on a rampage by kidnapping you both and tying you up in a barn whilst he had his way with Dru and Darla. He’d wanted to kill you but hadn’t been allowed. Seems you both had work to do and the time spent trying to pay him back kept those alive who needed to be.

‘He made me laugh again, he made me realise that it was worth living again, for you. He was my friend: nothing more. I know his reputation. He told me all about it himself, but he didn’t even so much as try and kiss me. That was all he was, a friend, a really good friend who helped me when no one else would or could.

‘He knew who I was and had set body-guards on me for the first few months, until I was strong enough to protect myself. He protected me and Dawn when I couldn’t.

‘We didn’t know you were the assistant that had come with Angel, we just knew that Wolfram and Hart had sent a couple of people. If I’d known it was you I would have been waiting for you as the plane landed.
We found out later, when Morty got some paperwork through. I nearly killed Andrew when I found out he’d lied to me, only by omission, he just hadn’t told me you were in Rome alive, but it was a lie. Morty stopped me after I’d gotten in a couple of slaps. I was broken all over again. You were gone for over a year: 378 days, 14 hours and 17 minutes; would you like to know how many seconds?’

Spike shook his head. He’d never really realised how his death had affected Buffy. He’d just seen her dancing with The Immortal and got jealous and to see the same man here, now friends with his darling Buffy and his Dawn, Oh my God Dawn, he’d left her there with that snake.
Buffy could feel him tense again.

‘Dawn will be fine. Morty treats her like an indulgent Uncle. Gets her tickets to concerts, takes her shopping, chases away all the boys and Dawn loves it, she missed you so much as well and I couldn’t keep it together to help her. If it hadn’t been for him we would have both followed you where ever you went.’

‘Bit of a waste of time me dying if you two stupid Bints did something silly like that,’ he mumbled into her hair.

‘I’ll stop being friends with him if you like? I won’t do anything to upset you, ever. I love you and nothing is more important than that.’

‘If he was that good to you I suppose I owe him some thanks, but if he ever lays so much as a finger on you I don’t know what I’ll do to him.’

‘Try and play nice?’ Buffy asked.

‘Anything for you and the Nibblet, love. Hey, he called Dawn my daughter: he knew.’

‘I’ll hit him for that, OK?’

‘OK Buffy. I do love you. I know I get jealous but I’m still waiting for the fates to snatch you away from me, keep thinking I’m so far below you.’

‘As if, you world saver, you. Now come and play nice, we have work to do.’

‘I never want to lose you pet.’

‘Never going to happen, and when this is all over and we get some time, you and I can see about extending this claim to a full mating claim, if you want?’ Buffy added shyly.

‘If I want!!! Nothing would make me happier, if that’s what you want. Its forever pet: no divorce, no dying to get away from each other, one mate can’t live without the other.’

‘I know, and if it’s what you want I’d be the happiest woman in the world.’

‘You’d make me the happiest man if you said yes.’

‘Yes, yes, yes a thousand times yes!’

‘Tomorrow I’m getting you a proper ring.’

‘That’s for tomorrow, and whatever you choose I’m going to love, but don’t you think we should return to the work now, before they send a search party after us?’ And holding hands Spike and Buffy made their way back to the Orb room.

Spike wrapped his arm closely around Buffy’s waist and nuzzled into her hair again. He would never get enough of the smell. That soft mixture of vanilla and jasmine could drive him crazy anytime. He needed her: both William and the demon needed her in ways he could never explain. She was his world.

Buffy looked up and smiled at her one true love. It had taken her years to admit it to herself and she had never been happier or more content. The lovers made their way slowly back to the Orb room as it had become known, to find Xander and Giles each cradling an Orb with others lined up on the table between them. The Immortal was going through the rest, seemingly putting them in order.

‘We’ve found them, Nikki and Kendra, and others with girls who died at Sunnydale. Morty is sorting out those he knows. Xander and I recognised some and put them in order,’ Giles explained quietly, pointing at a line of Orbs on a separate table between the two men.

Every one of the Orbs had the soul of a slayer in it. Each and every girl who had given her life to protect the world from untold evil, had been betrayed by the very people who were supposed to help and protect her. Now at least they knew. Buffy felt her heart harden even more against Travers and his evil.

‘We’ve only got a couple of hours until Travers breaks out of his confinement,’ Xander commented. ‘And we really don’t want a vindictive, revenge seeking warlock wandering around the place, now do we?’

‘Willow: is there any way of using magic to communicate with the souls, or find out who they all are, when they died or anything?’ Buffy asked the witch as she came into the room.

Willow thought about it for a couple of moments.

‘I don’t really want to go throwing magic at the Orbs until we’ve worked out what Travers has done. I’m not that stupid anymore.’ She shuddered at the memory of some of the more idiotic mistakes she’d made back in Sunnydale.

‘What we really need is a powerful medium or something, but I’ll look up spells to see if there’s any gentle ones we can use that won’t interfere or react with Travers,’ she added as she turned on her heels and went back out of the door.

Brother Roberto passed her on his way in carrying a huge tray filled with mugs of coffee and blood and a stack of pastries.

‘I thought you could all do with some sustenance; we have been working for hours. I use the term we very loosely as all I seem to have done is sit around and pass books to that lovely young witch. Not exactly what I expected when I think about fighting demons.’

‘It was always my job, but I’ve been promoted,’ laughed Xander. ‘I get to move books and actually look in them,’ he continued to explain as he helped himself to a doughnut and coffee and went back to looking through the Orbs.

Giles passed a cup of blood to Spike.

‘Roberto, how do you free souls in the church? Don’t you have some sort of ceremony?’

‘Exorcism. When we free souls lost to heaven, we can bless an area and perform an exorcism. But I don’t think that will help in this case. These souls aren’t lost in the traditional meaning, they have been stolen, hijacked, kidnapped and need to be freed.’

‘And led to safety,’ added a voice at the door. Marcus had arrived. ‘Someone has to lead them through to the next realm.’

‘That would be me,’ answered Dawn.

Buffy and Spike leapt to their feet at the same moment. The looks on their faces mirrored one another, both remembering Glory and the Tower.

‘No way, Niblet.’

‘I’m not losing you,’ added Buffy.

‘You two are doofeses…I don’t die when I open portals, that’s my job, what I was born for. We free the souls, I open the portal to a heavenly realm, we pass them onto a guide and Travers is no longer running on batteries. Then we let those demons with a slight problem with him discuss his behaviour all they want.’

Buffy looked at her younger sister/ daughter. ‘Discuss his behaviour?’ she questioned.

‘You prefer me to say rip him to bits and spit out the pieces? We’re talking master vampires here, master vampires whose mates have been upset. You won’t be able to clean up the pieces with a mop, and having met Charles and Marcus, I can just hear them asking me to open a gate to whatever hell dimension he gets sent to just so they can start again. He’s going to be like that Greek, tied to a rock and having his liver ripped out every day.’

‘Prometheus, luv,’ said Spike with a smile, showing off his classical education again. ‘His name was Prometheus and it was his punishment for stealing fire.’

‘Well whatever, but he’d be considered lucky compared to what our resident evil will do to him when they get the chance.’ Dawn added.

‘Too right.’ Spike added.

Buffy looked at the pair of them and then around the room. Giles felt sorry for her. Buffy was all fight but she had a gentle and loving heart. The thought of someone suffering forever in hell again because of her must be crippling Buffy.

‘It’s not up to us where he goes or what happens to him when he leaves this realm. He’ll stand before a higher judge, and have to answer for his crimes. All we’re going to do is remove the spell that keeps him here and free an ancient soul to return where it should be. It will NOT be your responsibility, Buffy, if he goes to hell.’

‘It wasn’t your fault last time Buffy, it won’t be this.’ Giles added.

‘Last time?’ whispered Xander to Spike. Spike was grateful that Buffy hadn’t heard him and mouthed ‘Angel’ in answer to the implied question.

‘Oh, right.’

Buffy looked around at her friends and tried to pull herself together. Banishing people to hell came with the territory.

‘Right,’ she said, changing the subject, ‘where are we with finding out how to free slayers souls from globes?’

‘No further, we thought that if they were in order we could free them either in the order they were taken or backwards, but neither seems to have worked. We can’t exorcise them because they aren’t lost, and when we do free them we need to open the doorway and let them into the heavenly realm. That’s Dawn’s job, but freeing them from the Orbs seems impossible.’

‘How did Willow free Angel’s soul when she caught it?’ Asked Spike.

‘I sent it to Angel’s body.’ Came the answer from the doorway as the red haired witch rejoined them.

‘So can’t you just let these souls out and then send them through the doorway to heaven?’

‘I never thought of something that simple. I could, we were all looking for something complicated and it could be that simple, just let them go free instead of aiming them for a host.’

Willow quickly gathered together the supplies she needed. Rachael and Xander helped and within minutes they had formed the circle. Giles placed Kendra’s Orb into the centre as Dawn used her athame to open a portal.

‘Heaven,’ she said and a bright light shone out across the room. It caught Spike and Marcus, causing Spike to start smouldering.

Marcus just smiled.

‘An advantage of being in The Covenant, we don’t burn in light.’ He explained to Spike again. ‘Not even heavenly light.’

Spike looked in awe at a master vampire bathed in heaven’s own light.
He hadn’t noticed a figure appear from the portal. Joyce had walked through the minute the gate opened. He caught a slight change in the air, could smell perfume that triggered his memory.

‘Hi baby, I see you got my letter,’ said a long remembered voice.

‘Mommy,’ whispered Buffy then screamed, ‘Mommy!’

Giles and Spike looked up in amazement to see the Slayer use her speed and strength to cover the distance between them as Joyce held open her arms to her eldest daughter and hugged her hard in front of everyone.
Dawn hurried across and the three of them became oblivious to everything else.

Willow hadn’t noticed a thing. She was using the last of her energy to free the soul from the Orb, calling Kendra by name, and suddenly she was standing before them inside the circle. Kendra, as proud as she had been in life.

All Willow had to do was call by them by name. The slayers couldn’t be freed by just any spell, but their names, their names had the power.

‘Tank you,’ she said to Willow in her gentle voice, ‘I have been in there for so long. I just want to get away. Tell Buffy she was right to doubt the council. We see all in those globes and I have learnt so much.’ She smiled at Xander. ‘I will always be glad I met you, and sir, you look very dashing now.’ Kendra blushed.

She turned to the blond vampire.

‘Spike: take care of Buffy, and Mr. Giles you may want to take notes with some of these slayers, they know a great deal.’ And with that she looked at Willow and nodded as the witch opened the circle she was working in and Kendra simply walked out and into the light.

‘One down, nine hundred and ninety nine to go; named ones first, then we work on the others.’ smiled Willow as she reached for the next globe.

Rachael burst through the half opened doorway. Her face flushed with excitement.

‘I know you guys said you didn’t want to be disturbed but I thought you might like to know that Travers sort of went faint and white for a second or two. We, and I use the word loosely, seem to be draining him.’

Xander watched as Willow made her way though the stacks of Orbs, reaching for those she could name. Giles and Morty were sticking post-it notes onto the Orbs with the names of the girls they knew, but it was so few. Buffy, Dawn and Joyce had gone off for a quiet chat and Spike and Angel were both brooding over the fact that Morty seemed to be a good guy now.

‘You sure we can’t try and kill him?’ asked Spike. Angel growled. ‘I think both Buffy and Dawn would have us if we tried. I don’t like the idea of him around any more than you do William, but he’s the Slayer’s friend and I for one don’t want my ass whooping in public. It gets embarrassing when a slip of a girl shoves a stake through you and you know the only reason you’re not dust is that she chose to use a plastic one rather than a wooden one.’

‘Know how you feel; but- The Immortal, and you sure we can’t just sort of accidentally break his neck?’

‘It wouldn’t do any good, wouldn’t kill me anyway,’ the man in question told them. ‘The name isn’t just for show, it’s real. There is no way to kill me until my job is done.’

‘And what’s that?’ Asked Spike hopefully.

‘None of your business.’ The Immortal One answered with a smile. ‘Now come and help, you might recognise some of these poor souls.’

Charles was trying to talk to the Orbs and listen if there was a reply. But even with preternatural hearing there was nothing he could make out.

‘What should we do, guess at the names and hope that all the ‘Janes’ step forward together?’

‘I don’t think that would work,’ said Giles. ‘It’s a great pity that all those records held by the council were destroyed. They had all the old watcher’s diaries, they would have had the slayer’s names in them.’

‘Well we know some. Those that fought at Sunnyhell,’ Spike pointed out.

‘Those are the ones that Willow is working through at the moment. Amy, Emma and anyone else we can think of.’ Xander told him. ‘But it still leaves about seven hundred plus that we simply have no idea of, and we don’t have much time. Travers can only be held for another two hours at most. Willow says the freeing spell is simple and quick and she’s belting through them as fast as she can, but we need names.’

‘I know one,’ said Buffy, coming back into the room. ‘I know the name of the slayer before me; what if she knew the slayer before her, we could follow the line that way, slayer to slayer.’

Dawn had followed her in. ‘Joyce had to leave for a while, said we were needed here’ she explained.

‘Who was the slayer before you?’ Spike asked quietly.

‘Her name was Louise and she was from France,’ Buffy replied.

Rachael tried something. ‘Louise’s Orb, come to me,’ as she concentrated hard on the piles of orbs in front of her. One started moving by itself. Xander lunged for it before it fell from the table and rushed it across to Willow in the circle.

‘I didn’t know you knew magic.’ Giles said to Rachael.

‘Willow taught me a few party tricks that’s all, nothing big.’

‘Well, well done.’ Giles told her.

Xander hurried back to them. ‘It worked, and the next slayer is Maryanne from America,’ he said panting. ‘This is going to keep us fit if we have to run back and forward the whole time.’

Spike looked up at Giles. ‘I suggest we get everyone in here, give them a group of Orbs and share the running around.’

‘Good thought,’ Giles said and went off, calling for the slayerettes as he did so. It didn’t take long for the room to become full of willing help. Dawn, Giles and Marcus went into the Circle Room with Willow, taking notes on anything the slayerettes wanted to tell them before the girls went through the portal Dawn had opened. The Tapes were becoming full of notes on demons, and just what Travers had been up to for all those years. The girls he had sold into slavery, the deals he’d made with Wolfram and Hart, the slayers he had betrayed, the people he’d killed on the watchers’ council when they’d gotten too close to the truth. It would take them months to sort through it all.

Meanwhile Rachael called again. This time Marcus was closest and took the orb through. And so it continued for a good five minutes: Rachael would call the name and one of the slayerettes would grab the Orb and take it to Willow. It was then that Nikki Woods’ name was called. Xander took that one through. He looked at the Orb. It hit him worse with this one, the cruelty of Travers to hold Slayers Souls captive for all the years just to use as an energy source for his magic. He handed the Orb across to Willow. She held on to Nikki Wood’s for a couple of seconds before starting to chant.

‘Stop!’ Yelled Xander. Willow looked at him in surprise.

‘Why, Xander?’

‘Robin Wood, could you get him here fast? So he can say goodbye to his Mum?’

‘I could,’ Dawn pointed out. ‘I could open a doorway here and now straight to where he was and bring him back.’

‘Do it,’ said Buffy’s voice from the door, ‘do it to him and Faith. Nikki deserves to meet her daughter -in -law as well. I’ll go with you and explain; the rest of you can take a break. I’m sure Willow needs one by now.

‘Xander, can you see they are all fed and watered?’

‘Yes Ma’am!’ he snapped off a perfect salute and did an about turn to the kitchens.

Dawn reached for her athame and made a small cut on the inside of her wrist and held the blood to the doorway into a cupboard.

Spike smiled. His Niblet was a crafty one. No-one could go through there by mistake.

‘Faith,’ she said, hoping that a name would mean as much to the magic as a place would. The glowing doorway suggested it had worked. Buffy stuck her head through the glow to be greeted by the sight of Faith and Robin sitting on a couch smooching.

‘Cut it out you two,’ she said, ‘you’ve got visitors.’

Faith jumped up stake in hand and turned to face the intruder. Robin grabbed a crossbow from the table with one smooth move and covered the glowing arch.

‘B?’ Faith managed to say as she recognised the head poking through the obviously magical doorway. ‘Way to go girl, you nearly lost your head scaring us like that.’

‘Sorry, but we thought that you and Robin might like to pop over to Rome for ten minutes. Dawn opens up these neat doorways and it makes travelling easier.’

‘Any reason we should?’ Robin asked. It wasn’t like Buffy to waste magic so something must be up.

Buffy looked at the powerful man. She suddenly realised that maybe her coming wasn’t a good idea. She was going to have to break the news of what Travers had done to Nikki: she hadn’t thought that far ahead. Damn.

‘Can I come in?’ she asked. Faith nodded as she lowered her weapon. Robin put the crossbow down on the table where he’d originally got it.
‘Coffee?’ he offered as Buffy sat down.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Why hadn’t she let Spike do this bit? Oh yes, he and Robin Wood were enemies, and she was the head slayer. She felt like giving that title up again.

Buffy took a deep breath for the second time. Faith knew that whatever had forced her to come to them was bad, she had never seen Buffy like this before.

‘Whatever it is B, spit it out, you’re not doing this pregnant lady’s blood pressure any good ,girl.’

Buffy gratefully took the coffee from Robin, took yet another deep breath and began to explain.

‘We met a group of immortal slayers and their mates, and their mates were all master vampires. They are called The Covenent. They work at maintaining the balance between good and evil in the world. They work at destroying demons who hurt others as well as helping demons like Clem- you remember Clem?- to live a safe life. They have been working for centuries to get rid of a powerful Warlock. One that has used Black magic of the most evil kind to lengthen his life and bring him power.’
She stopped and took a sip of her coffee and looked at Faith and Robin.

‘It’s Travers, head of council Travers. He is alive and well, and has been for about 700 years. He’s the warlock. He has been killing off Slayers early and using their spare life force to bolster his own. He then uses their souls trapped in Orbs of Thesula to power his magic. All the slayers that have died in the last 700 years have been captured.’ Buffy looked straight at Robin.

‘All of them, Robin.’

Before it could sink in she continued, ‘We’ve found a way to free them and are back as far as the 70’s. But before we freed the next one Xander, well we all thought, but Xander said, so we thought, if you wanted, but only if you wanted…’

‘B you’re sounding like Willow, spit it out!’

‘Your Mom, she’s next, you see we can talk to the spirits once they’re free, just for a minute or so, and we thought you’d like to say goodbye.’

Robin looked stunned, he couldn’t believe that the head of the council had been so evil, his mother had fought and died for them.

‘Are you coming, only we have to get the name of the next slayer from Nikki so we can keep freeing them. Travers will break out of the prison circle soon and we desperately need to control him. We’ve gone through over thirty slayers so far but there’s hundreds more to do.’

Faith grabbed Robin’s hand and led the way to the shining doorway. ‘Do we just walk through?’

‘Yep. Spike’s on the other side though, along with a couple of other vampires, and Xander,’ but Buffy found she was talking to thin air. Faith and Robin were gone.

Dawn was watching the cupboard, waiting for Buffy to return. She hated being apart from her sister. It was silly really considering she was supposed to be grown up, but after that long empty summer, she just hated not knowing where Buffy was at any time.

‘It’s alright Niblet, she’ll come back through, you wait and see.’

Spike put his arm around Dawn and started purring. Dawn rested her head on his shoulder and Spike could smell the salt tears as they trickled from her eyes. Willow looked over at them. She could feel Dawn’s sadness, her heartbreak, but couldn’t work out the cause. Nothing seemed to have changed in the last couple of minutes. Xander looked at the swirling mass of colours that defined the portal.

‘It’s OK Dawnie,’ he whispered, ‘she’ll come back from this one.’

Understanding dawned on Willow. Glory’s tower: of course Dawn would be upset. The colours in the doorway seemed to intensify as they watched and, without warning, out stepped Robin and Faith, followed a minute later by Buffy.

Dawn ran into her arms sobbing with relief. Buffy held on to her sister and tried to work out what was going on, to have both Xander and Spike mouth ‘portal, glory,’ at her at the same moment.
‘Oh Sweetie, I didn’t mean to scare you! I’m here, it’s OK, I’m here, nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m immortal remember, you’re never going to be rid of your big sister, never.’

Faith and Robin looked on in sufferance as Spike wrapped his arms around both his girls and held them, nuzzling into their hair. He started purring again. Faith had to smile. She whispered to Robin with a smile,
‘Big Bad Softie.’

Spike smiled up at them but continued to purr. He didn’t care who saw or heard. It had soothed Dawn during that horrific summer and he hoped it would soothe her this time. Thankfully it seemed to be working, the sobs were becoming hiccups and she started relaxing into Buffy’s arms.

‘Come on Niblet, its been quite a day; why don’t you sit on the sofa and let your Dad get you a drink,’ Spike said quietly to her.

Dawn smiled up at the blond vampire and let him lead her to the sofa and sit down. Buffy sat next to her, not letting go. The blond hair close to the brunettes’ as she soothed away the girl’s fears.
Spike poured Dawn a glass of wine and helped her take a small sip. ‘That’ll soon have you feeling better, kitten. Now sit quietly while the Americans all shout at me for giving an underage girl a pick-me-up.’

Dawn smiled at the joke. In Italy she was far from underage but from the frowns on the faces around her, Spike had judged the mood correctly again.

It was only then that Xander noticed the newcomers.

‘Faith, Robin, glad you could make it. This way please.’ He led the Other Slayer and her partner out of the room, Willow following, leaving Buffy and Spike to care for Dawn.

‘What about them?’ Robin gestured at the trio sitting huddled on the couch.

‘Spike and Buffy will take good care of her, poor Dawn, we never thought when Buffy went through the portal it would bring back the memories of Buffy’s jump off of the tower. It was too much of a shock for the girl.’

‘Looking at her, I think you had better stop calling her a girl, the girl’s all woman now,’ Faith pointed out with a smile.

‘Well yeah,’ Xander said, ‘but with a slayer for a mother and a vampire for a father, I prefer to think of her at about 12 years old and way too young. It’s a great deal safer and I think having only one eye is enough of a handicap. I don’t want to lose anything else.’


‘Mother?! Father?! Exclaimed both Robin and Faith together.

‘Seems those Monks made Dawn from bits of the both of them, bit like the little one you’re baking at the moment.’

‘Spike’s a dad, who’d have thought it.’ Robin mused.

‘Well, talking of parents, do you want me to explain what’s going on or Giles to do it? If you want I could get him.’ Xander noticed that he had lost Faith’s attention. She was staring at a figure coming through the hall. All her senses were ringing. Vampire. She drew a stake and moved closer to her husband. Robin felt the movement and followed her eyes to the figure walking in the hallway. He moved in front of his pregnant wife and started to draw the stake he never left home without. Xander watched quietly before calling out,

‘Charles, come and meet Faith and Robin. They were with us at Sunnydale.’

The vampire moved closer to them, and Faith watched as he placed the two mugs he had been carrying down on a small table.

‘Faith Lahern Wood and Robin Wood, may I present Charles Richards, a member of The Covenent who are helping us take down Travers. Charles: Faith and Robin. Faith was called after Kendra died and Robin is the son of Nikki Wood the Slayer.’

‘A pleasure to meet you,’ Charles said, bowing slightly at the couple. ‘You are the reason our Dear Lady Carrington went rushing off so quickly. We had just reached your mother’s Orb and Xander asked us to stop; I will round up the helpers and we can continue - with Willow’s permission of course.’

Willow nodded her head and Charles gave another half bow and continued down the hallway, collecting the mugs as he went.

‘That was surreal, I have just had a polite conversation with a vampire, who is helping us destroy the old head of the watchers council… and what was he drinking?’

‘Slayers blood, donated, the vampires here all get a boost before they go out on patrol, the girls have been donating regularly ever since we thought we were going to have to fight Travers,’ Willow explained. ‘Then we found out they were even quicker fighting and moving, could hear further and see better, as well as being stronger.’

‘And stronger vamps is a good thing?’

‘It is when they are on our side and taking the slayerettes out on training missions. It means if the girls get into trouble the home team vamps are quick enough to keep them safe and bring them home. Look, it’s all in the books we’ve been keeping: I’ll get you copies of everything. Seems that this is the way it was supposed to be for a slayer, to have a vamp working with her. But Travers stopped it, he twisted the Cruciamentum, so instead of it helping a slayer, he used it to kill her. He’s been alive for centuries, using the slayers life force to keep himself alive and to power his magic. He put the slayers’ souls into Orbs of Thesula: we’ve found over a thousand including your mothers, Robin. When we started freeing the girls they could tell us the name of the slayer before them, amongst other things. So we’ve been working our way back down the line, but we wanted to let you say goodbye to your mom. Only we have to hurry, we haven’t got long before Travers breaks out of the circle we’ve got him in and he’s threatened to kill us all, hence the vampires stocking up on slayer blood, just in case it comes to a fight.’

‘If it doesn’t?’ asked Faith, worried about super vamps wandering all over the city.

‘If we win and they are all “grrrr”, we’ll let them spar with each other and some of the senior girls with plastic stakes, we don’t want the vamps to get hurt.’

‘If you say so,’ Faith said sarcastically.

Willow smiled at her. Xander had gone to stand very close to Robin while the women folk had been discussing tactics.

‘It’s OK man, we understand. We’re sorry to hassle you but we really need your mom to give us the name of the next slayer. We have about 1¾ hours left before that bastard breaks free.’ He led the way into the circle room. Willow took her place in the circle and started the chant. Robin watched in awe as his mother appeared from a puff of smoke and walked towards him.

‘My baby boy, all grown up. And who’s this lady?’

‘Faith, she’s my wife - and we’re pregnant.’

‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but Nikki, we need the name of the slayer before you.’ Xander said, earning him a hard stare from Faith.

‘It’s always the mission first,’ Nikki replied. ‘Helga Njarlsson, from Lillehammer, she was only young when she was called.’

‘Thank you. I’ll leave you in peace.’ With that he left them talking quietly in the corner of the room and hurried back to the Orbs, gave the name to Rachael and the work of freeing the souls began once again.

Robin looked at his mother, he still couldn’t believe she was there.

‘It is you, isn’t it?’

‘Yes baby boy its me. You’ve grown so big and good looking, you look like your father; he was some man as well.’

Faith watched as mother and son walked over to a small couch and started talking. She felt like a spare wheel. She turned to see the vampire she had been introduced to bringing another Orb into the room and handing it to Willow.

Willow, who was still sitting inside the circle, said something in Latin, called a name and another girl appeared in a puff of smoke. Looked like some cheap Hollywood effect. But the girl was definitely there. Faith watched as the figure seemed to get more and more solid over a couple of seconds, Willow quietly murmuring something to the girl who answered just as quietly. Then Willow pointed at the shining doorway. The girl made her way towards the light as the vampire went back into the room with the Orbs, calling out a name as he went.

Willow stretched her back like a cat and reached for a bottle of water. ‘Hi Faith, long time no see,’ she said.

‘You got a moment to talk, Red? Robin’s having an open heart with his mom and its getting a bit sickly sweet for me.’

‘Yes, no problem, but just a couple of minutes though, they’ll be bringing me another Orb soon. We’re getting through about 50 an hour, but it’s taking too long. We need a way to speed up if we can: Travers will be out in about an hours time even with the progress we’re making.’

‘Progress?’

‘Yep, the Slayers all know the name of the slayer before them, so we can free them all but it’s taking too long. And all that time Travers is pulling energy from them like a battery, and with that he can just break free and then he says he’s going to kill us all.’

‘But you’re all still here?’

‘No, Marcus has taken the women and children somewhere safe. He’s one of the Covenant that first alerted us to the problem. These vampires have kids so you can see why Buffy wants to help them, and as an added bonus they were after Travers.’ Willow added with a grin, then headed back into position as Charles came back into the room with another Orb. Willow continued her work, and Charles left again shortly with another name. Giles had wandered in at some point and took over from Andrew, sitting in the corner asking questions of the spectres before they left through the doorway.

‘Can I ask you something? If you can’t stop Travers pulling energy off of the slayers in the Orbs, couldn’t you isolate the Orbs so they don’t leak energy, Giles?’ Faith asked.

Giles opened his mouth to talk, then closed it again, then opened it again. He continued to do an impression of a goldfish for a couple of minutes. Xander, bringing in the next Orb, laughed.

‘You’ve broken Giles! Why have you broken Giles?’ he asked Faith.

‘Oh dear Lord,’ said Giles, cleaning his glasses frantically. ‘Faith has just pointed out an obvious answer to our time problem. If we isolate all the Orbs inside a circle, and prevent them from leaking energy, Travers won’t be able to get them. Giving us all the time we need to free the slayers from their imprisonment and finish the job we came to do,’ Giles explained. ‘And she’s managed to make me feel a complete idiot in the process.’

‘Well I do live with a high school principal, it was bound to rub off eventually.’

‘I like it. Who’s going to do the magic though? Willow is dropping, although she’s trying to hide it, and I don’t know anyone else that can do her job. We only have about an hour.’ Xander reminded them.

‘Tell Willow to hold on and I’ll ring the coven in Devon, I’m sure they can send someone. Actually, we’ll have Dawn open the Doorway and whoever it is can walk straight here.’

With that he hurried off to use the phone leaving Faith and Xander alone.

Faith was called out of her daze by the sound of her name. Robin must have called two or three times from the look on his face. He signalled over to the two of them on the couch.
‘Mom, this is Faith and you’re going to be a gran,’ Robin said, with obvious pride, gently rubbing Faith’s stomach.

Nikki smiled at the dark haired beauty looking at her son with love in her eyes.

‘I’m glad that Robin has found someone to share his life with, and congratulations on the new arrival. I hope you’ll both be very happy in your life together. Now I need to tell you something. It’s about Spike. I know he’s here in the building.’

Robin tensed immediately. He didn’t want to have to kill Spike; neither did he want to have to explain to his mother why her murderer went unpunished. But he’d made peace with Spike after Sunnydale. Robin honestly felt that saving the world did sort of pay off a debt.

Nikki looked at her son. It was nice to know she could still read him, even if he was a man now.

‘No, not killing the vampire, that’s not what I want. I know he killed me but it wasn’t like you thought, Robin. I let him.’

Robin looked towards Faith, devastated. It was one thing that he’d lost his mother so young but to think that she’d abandoned him broke his heart all over again. He went to walk away but Faith stopped him.

‘Lets just hear what she has to say, shall we?’ The slayer suggested.

‘Thank you, Faith. I didn’t just choose to abandon you, baby boy; Travers had put a price on both our heads. We had been running for a couple of years. I don’t suppose you remember us all moving from place to place, but we did. Seedy motels and cheap apartments. My watcher found out that Travers was after you as well: slayers’ children have powerful magic in their blood, and he was getting closer and closer, seems he didn’t like slayers that had any hold on life either. He was going to have you killed, and not quickly. He had gotten so close, so very close and I couldn’t let you die: you were my world, my reason for being. The only light in my dark life, so I found a master vampire who could take me out, without it looking like a set-up. I pulled the fight. It wasn’t just him, he was a really good fighter. He killed me, yes, but it was quick and then I was trapped in the Orb. Didn’t know about that bit, didn’t plan on that bit, but most important thing to me was that you were safe.
‘You wait until that little one is born then you’ll understand you will do ANYTHING to keep them protected, anything at all.

‘And it wasn’t so high a price to pay. You lived. You lived,’ she repeated softly. Stroking his cheek. ‘You see, baby boy, you were and still are the most important thing in my world.’

Robin looked at her through new eyes. This woman was amazing in so many ways. To give up her very life to keep him safe. He knew then in his heart she had truly loved him and always would. Robin felt the tears on his face long before he realised that he was crying. His mom loved him more than anything else in the world.

‘Still have problems with the bleached wonder but I’m glad you don’t want him dead. He saved the world, killed himself, wiped out tourak kan and closed a hell mouth; really don’t think I’ll be forgiven if I try to put a stake through him now.’

‘Well I’m glad. I’m glad you’re not full of hate, it just eats you up from the inside. That’s what happened to Travers. He was just full of hate and jealousy. While we were in the Orbs we could hear what was going on but couldn’t influence it. One of the girls found a way for us to talk to one another when he wasn’t around, you see he was jealous of the strength of the slayers and jealous of the love his slayer had. It was, and is, her reward from heaven for doing her job; each of us was supposed to have a love like that. We’re supposed to meet someone who becomes our sun and moon and he was jealous. So he set about destroying the line. Did a good job of the destruction. He used to rant at us, blaming us for the ills in the world, the fact that demons were winning. He weakened the line and he blames us for not being strong enough. You my darling boy are a slayers’ reward - as is Spike.

‘Now I must go, but I’ll be back when that little one is born; you’ll feel me around.’

Nikki placed a ghostly kiss on Robin’s cheek and brushed Faith’s head and walked into the light.

The air shook as Althenea and the rest of the Coven from Devon appeared in the Foyer. Charles and Spike had been walking back into the Orb room with yet another name when the room was full of witches, some of whom reached for hidden stakes before remembering that anyone here would be a friend or at least a colleague. There was a yelp as Spike and Charles turned round in game face to confront the new arrivals, coupled with shouting and yells that brought Willow out to see what was going on.

‘Althenea, brilliant to see you!’

‘You too, young Willow.’ Althenea held Willow at arms length looking her up and down critically; the red head was as pale as Spike. Her eyes looked like someone had hit her, they were so dark. She had been working to the limits of her considerable strength and now that the relief column had turned up and she had been relieved, Willow was ready to collapse. Her long time friend and mentor held her for one minute in a loving embrace and then said one word. ‘Bed,’ loudly, pointing out that ‘Willow is exhausted’. She looked at two of the women who had arrived with her. ‘You two: take her to her room and put her to sleep, at least 12 hours; we’ll take over here.’

She swept past everyone and into the room Willow had vacated. Althenea looked around the room and made herself comfortable in the circle. ‘Next!’ she yelled, and the process started again.

Giles looked around and cleaned his glasses. ‘Well, we’ll make you ladies comfortable,’ he said to the rest of the coven.

‘No need Giles, we’re here to work. What’s next?’

‘We need to stop Travers pulling energy from the slayers in the Orbs. He’s getting too much and should be able to break out in about an hour if we don’t do something.’

‘That’s easy,’ one of the older women said. ‘You’ve all been using magic to stop him; what you need is to seal the room with witches’ bottles. He can’t pull power across a threshold sealed like that, but humans can still carry stuff in and out. So I’ll see to that bit. The rest of you take a break. Everyone here has been working flat out for hours and it’s obvious you cannot continue. Eat, sleep, rest; read a book, take a bath. Whatever you like: but you are relieved of duty.’

Xander felt like snapping a salute as he and the others were dismissed.
Riley would be proud of her he thought, as he escorted Rachael into the kitchen for some food before happily heading for bed.

He hadn’t been asleep for more than five minutes, he swore, when he was awoken by a soft knocking on the door. Rachael and Willow were still asleep, arms curled around one another. Xander tried to pretend he couldn’t hear that persistent noise but it continued. He untangled his arms from his girls and, grabbing a robe, made his way toward the noise, eye barely open.

The older woman, Hilda, stood in the corridor, looking slightly embarrassed.

‘Yeah?’ Xander managed to say.

‘Mr. Harris: sorry to wake you so quickly but we need your assistance in preparing the witches bottles.’

‘I’ll wake Willow, she’s good at that stuff.’

‘Uh no sir, it’s you we need.’

‘Oh, right - but I don’t do magic, I um’- yawn- ‘sort of do other stuff.’

‘Well we need, um, well we need, oh dear, this is embarrassing…’

‘Would you please tell me what you need before we wake the girls up? They’re even more tired than I am.’

Willow had woken though. The first Xander and Hilda knew about it was when she wriggled her way under Xander’s arm.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘We need Xander to finish off the witches’ bottles. He’s the only one qualified, and I, um, came up here to ask him if he would, well, you know.’

Despite being exhausted, Willow started giggling. Suddenly she knew more about Giles than she wanted or ever needed to know.

‘Right,’ she said still laughing. ‘Xander, go and pee in that bottle would you? As much as you can; would you please?’

Xander looked at the bottle as though it were a spitting cobra.
‘You want me to pee into the bottle?’

‘Yes please, its important honey, we need you to pee into the bottle.’ Willow felt like she was talking to a five year old. But it was an unusual request. He wandered off with the bottle in his hands. He had to pee into the bottle. Right, he could manage that.

Willow looked at Hilda. ‘So Giles couldn’t help?’

‘No…’

Willow caught Hilda’s eye and started laughing. ‘Did he fill you in on details?’

‘No, but he seemed very uncomfortable that Spike was in the room when we asked, and he had to refuse.’

‘I just bet he did. Oh I would just love to know!’

‘So would I.’

As Hilda started laughing again, Xander returned with a half full bottle and handed it over. Willow, still laughing, went back towards the bed.

Xander crawled back into bed and spooned in behind Rachael as Willow crawled in the other side of the slayer in the middle, a slayer that still hadn’t woken up.

‘Why did I have to pee in the bottle? Why couldn’t one of the girls or Giles do it?’

‘Has to be a pure man.’

‘Well Giles is pure…’

‘Not really, you see he has to be a true virgin.’

Xander spluttered, ‘I’ve got you and Rachael and there was Anya, I’m no virgin!’

‘In the old meaning: un-entered by a man virgin, not never had sex virgin…’

‘Oh, that’s all right then.’ Xander started to drift off to sleep as the words that Willow had said hit him. Giles was unqualified, that meant that….

Xander laughed as he fell deeper into the arms of Morphius. Sly old Ripper, unqualified to be a pure man…

The rest seemed almost an anti climax. Hilda had put witches bottles under the doorways, windows and fireplace in the Orb room. And they watched as Travers simply wilted. He seemed to age ten years before their eyes. The circle containing him flared into life as it was no longer under attack.

The pile of Orbs grew smaller and smaller until there was only one left. Sophia’s Marcus and Rosamund had returned to the mansion earlier, while the Scoobies had still been asleep. But now it was time for the last Orb to be opened and Marcus wanted Spike there when it happened. He had things to tell his ultimate childe and he knew this could possibly be his last chance.

Rosamund looked at the last Orb, hoping, knowing it contained the soul of her daughter. It had been so many years.

Willow and Althenea held hands as they spoke the words together. The final Orb flared and within the haze they saw a beautiful little girl appear and solidify. She smiled with an angel’s smile and ran into the arms of her mother. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Slayers, vampires, witches, the Immortal, all crying happy tears as mother and child were reunited. The gateway grew bigger and Joyce walked through with Jenny.

‘The angel is returned to her family,’ Jenny whispered, looking with love on the sight.

‘Sophie, come to us darling,’ Joyce called. Rosamund was distraught again.

‘No! No, I’m going with her. Marcus and I agreed: I’m leaving too.’

‘So am I,’ Marcus added. ‘I’ll not leave my mate, but I need an hour to talk to Spike. I’ll follow.’

Joyce burst out laughing. Buffy couldn’t believe that her mother would be so heartless.

‘Spike, hold Marcus, please; Buffy, hold Rosamund.’ she instructed. Not wanting to, in fact fighting the very urge, Buffy and Spike did as they were asked by the glowing figures. Marcus went into game face and tried to fight him off but it was useless: even sire strength didn’t work.

Behind the two women, others seemed to be walking through the doorway. Willow felt her heart stop as Tara appeared. Anya caused Xander to move forward, but they seemed unable to move properly.

‘Sophie, come here, child.’ Joyce asked again.

Sophie gave her mother another beaming smile and ran into Joyce’s arms.
The women formed a loose circle around the child.

‘We thought about a gift the Powers could bestow on all of you. To the Marcasean line, we gifted life many years ago, when he didn’t hurt the one he was sent to kill in Galilee. Now we give a true blessing. Child, your imprisonment is over, you are blessed, your life will be blessed. Human-ish, but blessed. Strength of spirit is yours already, but now we return your body.’

Jenny leant in and kissed the little girl, then Joyce spoke. ‘Love is yours but I give you luck in love.’

Tara’s gentle voice cut through. ‘Love is yours, but I give you wisdom.’

‘And I give you luck with money.’ The other women looked at her: Anya stared back.

‘What?? Money is good: she’s too young for orgasms, and lucky in love will sort that out when she’s older, so I give her luck with money. I was told I could give what was important and money is important…’

Xander just burst out laughing. He knew it was supposed to be some sort of solemn moment, but even in heaven Anya never changed.

The laughter was infectious. Soon all were laughing. Anya looked around her. ‘What? What?’

‘Nothing: we’ve just missed you Anya, and I am so glad you’re here.’

‘Hmmm.’

Joyce signalled Buffy. ‘I think a little girl needs her momma,’ she said with a smile.

Buffy smiled back as she and Spike released their captives, watching as the couple rushed to their daughter. She was solid, she was real. Spike could hear the pounding of her heart, a regular drum beat. He could smell her, the smell of a little girl fresh from her bath. It reminded him of Niblet, but most of all it was the noise of her heart beating. A sound missing from the slayers who had been freed.

The little girl ran quickly from Joyce and was scooped up into her daddy’s arms and spun around and around. Rosamund’s face broke into a huge grin and she wrapped her mate and her child in her arms, Rosamund laughing and crying all at the same time.

‘I think this family could do with a little alone time,’ Jenny said and led them all out of the door into the rest of the mansion.

‘Well that’s been quite a day hasn’t it,’ Joyce added, Buffy holding tight to her arm.

Buffy hung like a limpet to her mother’s arm, Dawn taking the other side as they headed into one of the sitting rooms. Brother Roberto was sitting quietly by the fire reading a book. He stood as the crowd entered the room and bowed towards Joyce and Jenny. Jenny gave a quick shake of her head and Joyce signalled for him to sit back down.

‘Hey this isn’t fair, don’t I get a hug?’ Spike asked Joyce. Buffy laughed and let go long enough for Spike to hold the woman who’d become a second mother to him. Joyce smelt well. It was the only way to put it. The lingering aroma of illness was gone and she smelt well.

Willow was looking at Tara, as though frightened to say anything, Anya had already grabbed Xander, rattling off information about the fact that although she was allowed to live in heaven she had to do without orgasms as a punishment for being a vengeance demon, but it was alright because she’d gotten a job working in one of the offices overseeing new arrivals.

‘Hello sweetie,’ Willow whispered.

‘H-hello Willow.’ Tara stuttered back.

‘I’ve missed you, baby.’

‘I was never away from you, I just had to leave for a while, but you did OK - eventually.’ She added with a smile. Willow remembered how bad things had been when Tara had first died; what she’d done.

‘It’s OK sweetie, I’m not mad at you,’ Tara spoke gently as if not to scare a child. ‘What’s happened has happened. We live with it. That’s all. I will always love you, but its OK to move on. I thought it would be Oz, but I’m glad about Rachael and Xander. If they make you happy, truly happy, that’s all that matters.’

Willow felt a huge weight lift off of her chest. Her heart felt free for the first time in years. She didn’t realise just how much guilt she’d been holding onto until Tara had started speaking. Willow reached forward and fell into Tara’s arms, crying as she did so. Everything was well in her world again. Tara smiled as she stroked the red head’s hair.

‘If it gets any more cloying in here, I think I’ll heave.’ Spike muttered. Joyce threw him a dirty look.

‘Why don’t you take a small sip of Dawn’s blood and dead as you are you can walk through those loose portals and start shutting them down. Make sure Faith and Robin have left before you close theirs,’ she added.

‘Yes mum.’ The blond vampire grinned at her. One arm around each of his girls she looked very happy. Spike gently took his daughter’s arm in his hands and lathering at her wrist went into game face and pulled her life’s blood into his mouth.

‘We missed you,’ Dawn said quietly after he’d gone.

‘I know baby, but things will be different here now. You are beginning to beat the evil back on this world, balance is being restored, and if you need me, you know where to find me don’t you. A little drop of blood and you can step through and come to me.’

‘How come Buffy and I can go through the portals, I meant to ask… Buffy closed Glory’s one but when she went to Cleveland and it didn’t shut down…’


‘That’s because she is alive, well, technically. It’s death going through them, a dead body with your blood in it that closes the door. Lifeblood opens it, death shuts it, so as Spike isn’t alive he shuts it. When Buffy jumped from the tower, she jumped to her death, hence the shutting of the portal.’

‘Oh well, I suppose that makes sense then…’

‘Well the three of you will always be a team, a very special team, so no getting jealous next year.’

‘Why would I get jealous?’

‘You’ll see.’

They carried on just sitting there, watching their friends. Buffy snuggled in one side, nearly asleep; Dawn happy that her family was together again, if only for a short time.

Xander looked at Anya, the woman he’d hurt so badly and whose death had hurt him, in fact nearly broken him. She just grinned back.

‘Are you getting good orgasms from Willow and Rachael? I like Rachael, she looks fit for anything!’

‘Anya!!’

‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ Xander said with a smile. This wasn’t the time or place and anyway that was Anya.

‘I’m glad you’re happy Xander, it’s important that you are happy. I am, I have a job I enjoy, and there are people who are friends. And I don’t get judged. They like me for me.’

‘I’m really sorry about that, I have learnt not to judge people, and I should never have been so hard on you; all I can say is I was a silly shallow youth and I’ve grown up. Spike and I are friends now.’

‘That’s good then. Can I have a hug please?’

Xander answered her by simply wrapping his arms around the ex demon and holding her close.

Brother Roberto looked at Joyce.

‘Great Lady, this is truly an honour.’

‘Come here you old fraud,’ Joyce laughed. ‘Well done on this one. We’ll have those hell mouths closed yet.’

‘I do hope so. I could do with the rest, me and my brother both. I’m getting far too old for all of this.’

‘Yes right, and if I were to offer you a nice safe desk job, you’d put a turn of speed on that could put a vampire to shame. Now get all the files over here and give them to Giles to play with. We’ve got a vampire to reward and a few other jobs to do.’

‘Come on ladies, time to leave!’ Jenny called.

The Angels all gave their loved ones one last hug and headed back towards the last doorway still open.

Angel appeared at the door just as Joyce vanished into the glowing light. Buffy could have sworn from the grin on her face that her mother had timed that perfectly.

‘Travers is still here, we have to deal with him,’ Angel said.

Nina had followed him in. She pointedly ignored the vampire.

‘Looks like wolf girl had had enough of sir-broods-a-lot,’ Spike whispered in Buffy’s ear. Buffy giggled but slapped her blond vampire gently. Angel didn’t look very happy. Vampiric hearing being what it was he had heard every word, but was pleased that she and Spike were obviously having problems. He threw Spike a filthy look but didn’t say anything. Buffy must have been pmt to spoil his best shirt like that, that was what it was, pmt, she’ll be fine soon. Angel settled himself with the thoughts that Buffy would always be his: he’d been promised.

Brother Roberto started laughing to himself. ‘What’s so funny?’ asked Dawn.

‘Oh this is priceless, but you’ll see,’ answered the monk.

Xander, Willow and Rachael were talking quietly in one corner, they seemed to be more relaxed. Old wounds healed, loose ends tied up and free to continue with their lives. Xander put his arms around both his girls and led them towards the door. He threw Angel a filthy look: he didn’t want Captain Forehead overhearing their conversations.

Anathema and the other coven members came face to face with Willow and her two life partners. The love was blinding to the older witch.

‘We’re going home to rest; all this saving the world has been a little tiring, but we’ll be back tomorrow to help sort out the last few bits and pieces.’

‘I would prefer, great lady, if you would stay,’ Brother Roberto said. ‘I know you are all exhausted, but the last couple of spells will only take about ten minutes. Then you can rest as long as you like, but I think you will enjoy the next few minutes: you will regret leaving early.’

‘You sound as though you know that as a sure thing…’

‘Maybe I do.’ The monk smiled. ‘Now if someone would be so kind as to fetch Giles, Marcus and Rosamund to Travers, I can get on with my duty.’

The head of the Marcasian and Auralius clans still had his daughter on his hip when he and his Lady joined the others crowded into the room where Travers sat imprisoned. They were all looking at the wizened old man in the circle of power. He looked lost and alone. But Buffy felt no pity for him. This man had single-handedly tried to destroy the Slayer line, weakening it to the point where Hell mouths could open, and Wolfram and Hart could have more than one office in their dimension.

‘Come to gloat have you?’ Travers growled.

‘No, we’ve come to see justice done.’

‘There’s none of you can judge me. I can only be judged by a truly pure heart, and you all have committed your crimes. The witch who killed, the vampires, the slayer whore who ran, the man who turned his back on his finacee… and Ripper, how many people have you killed with your bare hands, Giles?’

Brother Roberto looked at him and smiled. ‘You are right,’ he said simply. ‘They have all seen and done things they shouldn’t, they have all headed away from the light at some point: but they, unlike you, found their way back. So none of them get to judge, but I do. I am permitted to judge you, but I shall not. You shall judge yourself. I give you all your memories and their consequences. I give you the thoughts of what you could have been. Immortal, truly one of the greatest of all watchers, revered and loved. You will know what could have been and weep. You will live the rest of your natural life, no early death for you, insane with the thoughts and memories of how good it could have been and the good you could have done.’

Brother Roberto turned to Marcus and Morty. ‘Please find him a nice mental hospital somewhere, he’s going to need it.’ Marcus nodded and Morty reached for his mobile phone. ‘I know just the place,’ he said.

The rest all watched in horror as the first of the memories and thoughts hit Travers, watched as he screamed and wept, but there was no relief for the man. He begged Bother Roberto for mercy, begged the slayer to end his life, he even begged Spike to kill him but they all just watched as Travers fell to his knees and wept, wept for the man he could have been, wept for what should have been. Brother Roberto looked on in sorrow. He hated this bit of his job.

He waved a hand at Travers and the magic containing him vanished. As the circle failed Willow leapt forward but Brother Roberto stayed her. ‘No need, child. He is stripped not only of the magic but of the knowledge it exists. When he finally dies he will stand at the seat of judgement and still be found wanting. It will take many lifetimes for him to pay his dues.’

The enormity of the punishment began to hit home. Kill him and he goes to hell where there are a lot of beings that owe him favours. It wouldn’t be hell for Travers, but this was. Seeing himself as he could have been day in day out was a true punishment.

‘Well now that’s all over we have some long talks and choices to make. I suggest tea for the English and coffee for the rest of us,’ the monk said with a smile.

‘Never mind bloody stories, Roberto. Who on earth are you?’ Spike started out. Buffy looked at him in amusement. The monk had known an awful lot about them and hadn’t led them astray, but Spike was right: they knew nothing, well almost nothing about him.

‘I suppose I do owe you a few questions. I am a monk, well I was a long time ago. Worked in the Vatican library. And defended the place when demons attacked it. They were after the books you saw.’

Giles started to speak but before he could say a word Brother Roberto held up his hands. ‘Yes Rupert, you will get copies of everything you need. The ones you only want will be available, but not for another 100 years or so, plough through the first batch first. I mean the word NEED as well, so no nagging for any of the others.’

Giles nodded. He accepted a cup of tea from Buffy and waited for the old monk to continue. Before Roberto could say anything there was a knocking at the door. One of the younger slayers popped a head round.

‘A couple of men from a nursing home are here asking for you and Count Mortimer Grissini, Buffy.’

‘Thanks: we’ll be right out.’ Buffy and the Immortal followed her out into the hallway.

Bother Roberto began again.

‘I’m sure you’ll all fill Lady Carrington in when she gets back from disposing of Travers.’

There were general nods all round. Willow set up a laptop computer with a microphone attached. ‘It’s voice recognition software,’ she explained. ‘Saves us taking notes. The whole conversation will be stored on CD so if everyone could state their names it will also identify who said what.’

Giles looked at her in surprise.

‘Well I don’t just do magic and stuff, I was pretty good with computers and it was meant as a gift for you Giles, so that you could keep a track of us during board meetings.’ Willow seemed distressed that they didn’t trust her not to do everything with magic.

‘That’s your guilty conscience talking, young lady.’ Brother Roberto pointed out. ‘They are just thinking how thoughtful and kind you were. A completely trustworthy way of keeping minutes when the meetings have to be secret. You could make a fortune with that software.’

Willow blushed and Xander squeezed her hand. ‘S OK sweetie. I still love you even if you are goofy.’

Brother Roberto started again. ‘For the machine…Brother Roberto.’ He said.

Willow pressed a button and nodded at Giles. They continued around the room, Buffy and the Immortal returning in time to add their names to the list, doing as they were told before sitting down.

‘Right that’s it all programmed in, now we just talk and it types.’

‘It’s pretty freaky having a machine type what I’m saying,’ Xander said, watching in fascination as the words appeared on the screen in front of him.

‘Well I’m just glad those blasted things have some use.’ Giles added.

‘Well children, all sitting comfortably, shall I begin?’ Brother Roberto continued. ‘As I was saying, I worked at the Vatican during a demon attack. Fiends from hell trying to steal our documents. Marcus and The Immortal saved us. Demons saving us from demons. The Pope at the time was a wise man. He sat and talked with Marcus, listened to what he had to say and a form of truce was worked out. We would help the warriors of light. But it was impossible to let everyone know what was going on, so that Pope wrote a letter to all his successors, requesting that they honour the truce. Some have kept to it better than others. If they get really difficult we get one of the Angels to come and redeliver a copy. That normally sorts out the problems,’ he added with a smile.

‘So what will happen now?’ Asked Spike.

‘This hell mouth will never open. You will go through the books and close down the others, leaving only Gateways, well guarded of course, and Miss Dawn here, to act as roadways between earth and the hell dimensions. Many of the evil ones will leave, and the balance will be restored.’

‘And us?’ Asked Buffy, clinging onto Spike’s hand.

‘Well that’s up to you. I suggest you two stay together but other than that, choices are yours.’

‘Choices?’

‘Life is made up of choices. A single man caused the opening of most of the Hell mouths. You will close them. This beautiful young lady will allow you to travel whereever you want, heaven or hell; slayers will help keep the demon population under control. In just a couple of centuries, slayers will be the police that you call for your demon citizens, hell mouths will be closed and you will be voting for your first humanoid, not human, Mayor.’

‘We’ve already dealt with one of those, thankyou.’ Buffy said, remembering blowing up the high school at graduation.

‘Yes, but this one will be one of the good guys.’ Roberto added with a smile.

‘I won’t be there to see it,’ Xander stated. ‘Most of you in this room are immortal: I’m not. I wish that I could stay and help but…’

‘It’s a simple matter,’ Roberto interrupted, ‘have Willow cast a bonding spell on the three of you. Then you’ll all live as long as Rachael and when you are ready to move on, you can move on together.’

Willow, Rachael and Xander looked at each other, they’d never thought of that.

‘Now that’s out of the way, where was I?’

‘Telling us what was going to happen,’ Giles supplied.

‘Ah yes. I am allowed,’ he continued, ‘to give you a few hints, but not everything. That would spoil the surprise.

‘Firstly, Angel is to receive the Shanshu. I’m telling you this when he’s not here, so you can all shout now.’

Buffy was really angry. Those in the room who knew and loved her were making their way out of range as she built herself up into a storm.
Marcus looked at Spike and started sending soothing waves down the Sires Claim. Spike looked at him. The old vampire knew something and he winked at Spike.

‘How dare they! What’s that idiot ever done to deserve such a reward? |He never stopped an apocalypse, he never stayed, and now you’re giving him life? I don’t understand! Spike deserves it far more! If anyone should walk in the sun, have a good life, it’s my William, not that brooding, overgrown school bully who won’t let others live their life…’

‘Buffy my dear…’ Roberto seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was angry. ‘Buffy my dear,’ he repeated. ‘Let me get this straight: you want Spike to give up his strength and immortality for a pulse? When he becomes a true part of the Covenent he will walk in the sun, and be able, if he wishes, to have a family, so the only thing he will gain from Shanshu is, and I repeat this, a pulse. As a Covenented Vampire, master of his clan, he will be fast, strong, impervious to crosses, sunlight, holy water, bullets, and stakes, or anything else. He will burn like a human, so a spark won’t kill him; and you would ask him to give that up to be able to breathe, need air, be warm and have a pulse? Don’t you think we should ask him?’

Xander saw. ‘Shanshu isn’t a reward, is it?’

‘No, insightful one, it isn’t. It is a true curse. The promise of reward and it is a punishment. Liam Angelus O’Connor will go back to being human. He has done his task. You are all together. He will live and breathe and grow old and die. Then he will have to stand in judgement for all those dreadful crimes he committed when he had his soul. We care about the things he did as a soulless vampire but they are judged differently, with the nature of the demon in mind, but what he did as a human he will pay for. The rapes, the murders, even when he shut humans in the cellar to die. It will all be paid for. As he requested, it is his right. Any Vampire who wants the reward badly enough without putting in the work is offered Shanshu. That is why I told you about it in here. I don’t want you pestering your poor life mate into accepting such a poor deal. I think the Covenent is far better for him.’

‘What’s involved in this Covenent thing?’

‘A small trip into The Vatican, a signature, in blood I’m afraid. It is the most powerful ink we know of. And swearing an oath, on a parchment in a box, that you will uphold the balance, and you’re in. I believe they meet all together every hundred years or so for a rather good party, but other than that, and collecting your court around you, you just keep doing what you’re doing.’

‘My court?’

‘Yes. The Slayer, The Seer, the Witch, the Demon, and the Archivist.’

‘The slayer I get: that’s Buffy. The Witch is Willow, the Archivist would be Giles, but the Demon? The Seer? Who are they?’

‘Xander is the Seer, he could always see straight into the heart of every problem; he just refused to admit it. And the Demon…’ Roberto looked at Rachael. ‘You may tell them now if you wish.’

‘Thank goodness. I hated keeping this a secret from you guys, but hey guys: half slayer half Osept Demon, here.’

‘Osept Demon? What on earth is one of those?’

‘A sky demon, they brought about the legends of fairies and elves.’

‘So my court is complete?’

‘Yes, and so is my job. If there are any questions, you can contact me through the Immortal, but now I’m going to have a rest.’

Brother Roberto waved his hand in the air: a portal opened and through he stepped. Before the portal could close he put his head back through. It looked really strange, just a head floating in mid air.

‘May I suggest a Christmas party? Oz and Nina could both do with the break, and do sort out the Kennedy matter. She sold her soul to the Senior Partners at WRH, and to the First so that she didn’t die in the final battle. Selfish little girl really, but then her father had dealt with Wolfram and Hart for years. It will save you a huge problem later; bye.’ and with that he vanished.

Leaving the Scoobies plus guests with so much running through their
heads. More questions were about to start when they were disturbed by a manly scream and rushed out to see Angel pointing at the ornate mirror that hung in the hallway of the Villa. ‘Buhh, buhhh,’ he managed to get out.


He had a reflection, and a pulse. He could feel his pulse. He went to the door and carefully put his hand out into the light, waiting for the smell of burning flesh. When it didn’t he went into the light. And spun and spun round and round, revelling in the light. Spike felt a pang of jealousy.

Marcus put a hand on his shoulder. ‘It won’t be long childe, you will get more than you could ever dream.’

‘My dreams are pretty big,’ Spike smiled.

‘I know, but you need to believe you are truly worth it.’

Spike felt the tears in his eyes again. Marcus seemed to bring out the ponce in him every time.

Buffy watched indulgently as Spike and his ultimate sire bonded. Suddenly she was being whisked into the air.

‘Buffy darling, we can be together. You are my reward, I’m human, we can get married and everything!’ Angel gushed.

‘Oh Angel, congratulations on becoming human.’ She started to hug Angel, and hug him and hug him. Angel found that he couldn’t breathe, he was choking. Buffy kept squeezing, hugging harder and harder. He had nearly passed out when Buffy appeared to realise what she was doing to him and let go.

‘Oh I am sooo sorry Angel, I always forget how careful I have to be around mere humans, sometimes I make a mistake. Never mind: you are human now, so no more hugs. Come on love,’ she said turning to Spike. ‘Let’s go.’ She took one step, jumping to the top of the stairs with Spike following her.

‘I’ve lost her haven’t I? Can you turn me back? She obviously wants me as a vampire.’

‘You really don’t get it do you? She doesn’t want you at all. Go live your life Angel, go and try and make amends, your soul is all shiney and new, try not to damage this one.’ Xander just turned his back, not waiting for the reply. He led Willow and Rachael upstairs.

‘Good luck,’ said Giles as he too left Angel in the hall.

Nina watched in disgust. Angel really wasn’t worth it. ‘I’m going home to LA Angel, see you around some time.’

‘Perhaps you would allow me the privilege of offering you a lift? I could have my jet ready in about two hours and we could be in LA in just a short time longer, Cara,’ The Immortal said. ‘I need a few things from Rodeo Drive.’

‘That would be very kind.’ Nina answered. ‘I can be packed in an hour.’

‘I will have the car ready to pick you up, then.’

Morty looked at this young lady, his next project he thought. A young lady who needed her ego and self confidence rebuilding. A good project to keep him occupied for a few years while his beloved soulmate Sophie grew up. He looked at Marcus who smiled and nodded at his future son-in-law. Another great sinner whose reward was coming.

Marcus and Rosamund went back into the sitting room and played with their little girl for a few hours.

Three days later William Atherton, Lord Carrington, managed to corner Xander and Giles in the library.

‘I need to talk to you two,’ he snapped.

‘Have we done something wrong?’ Giles was puzzled. All their problems seemed over and yet the vampire seemed on edge. Interesting.

Spike went over to the drinks tray and poured three large scotches. Handing the other two theirs, he started to talk.

‘God this is hard. I was born in 1855, and turned in 1880, a real Victorian gentleman. In my day it was considered de rigeur to ask a girl’s family for her hand and you two are the nearest thing she’s got, her father and her brother. Would you allow me to ask Buffy to be my wife?’

Xander was touched, he knew how much Spike loved Buffy but to formally ask for her hand was lovely.

Giles smiled. ‘And how exactly do you intend to support my daughter?’

‘The treasure of Amara is almost untouched, and along with my stocks and shares, amounts to nearly 50 million.’

Xander choked on his drink. ‘50 million dollars!’ he spluttered.

‘Oh no,’ Spike said. Xander relaxed. Then Spike continued, ‘not dollars: pounds. About $100 million.’

‘Why scam off of us then?’

‘Cause it was fun?’

The men laughed out loud. And continued to share the drink.

‘Well, can I?’

‘What?’

‘Marry Buffy!’

‘Of course,’ Giles said. ‘About time you made an honest woman of her.’

Xander nodded his agreement as Spike showed them the beautiful solitaire diamond ring he’d bought.

‘Now I’m in trouble,’ Xander complained.

‘Why?’

‘Well look at that rock! It’s over 3 carats, and I’m going to have to buy two!!’

‘This collar is tight! Is it supposed to be this tight? I feel like I can’t breathe,’ Spike kept moaning. Giles and Xander grinned at each other and watched as Marcus took the bow tie from William Atherton’s trembling hands.

‘Why don’t I help you with that?’ He said, then looked pointedly at the other two. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be with the bride’s party?’

‘We got thrown out of the room for offering to help with the escape.
Buffy actually threatened us with bodily harm if we cracked any more jokes. Then she said she was going to get dressed. Anyway it’s more fun here watching the Big Bad have a nervous breakdown.’ Xander grinned as Giles poured Spike a small whisky.

‘This will help settle your nerves.’ Said Giles as he grabbed Xander. ‘We’ll just toddle off and leave you to it…’

Spike gratefully drank down the shot. At least his hands weren’t shaking now, well not as much anyway.

He looked in the mirror. He wasn’t vain, much, but the Covenant had given him back his reflection along with everything else. He looked OK. Tuxedo, tie, hair, all perfect. An orchid in his button hole. And shaking hands. Where were the rings, he’d forgotten the rings!

‘rings’ he managed to get out.

Marcus put a steadying hand on his shoulder. ‘Clem has the rings, remember? He’s waiting at the church for us.’ Oh yes, Clem had the rings. That’s right. Church? What church? He’d forgotten the way to the church. Cars, yes, the cars; they would know the way.

The Immortal stuck his head round the door.

‘Ready to go? We need you well away from here before Buffy makes her way down from the Slayer school.’

The various demons took one last look at themselves and proceeded to the cars. A whispered ‘prisoner and escort’ from Xander, as they came down the stairs, was not appreciated.

On the other side of the building it was calm. The girls were on their second bottle of champagne, but considering there were six of them in the room, that was only two glasses each. Buffy looked …radiant. It was the only word for it. Her dress had been designed by Dior: they owed Morty a favour and Buffy’s wedding dress was the favour he collected. They had even done the bridesmaids and flower girl’s dresses as well.
Buffy looked in the mirror. Her hair and makeup were flawless. They’d better be: she’d spent the last three hours making sure she looked good. Rosamund placed the last orchid into her hair, the ringlets curling down her neck and back, making her look like a figure from some fairy tale.

‘You look beautiful,’ she whispered and kissed Buffy softly before leaving the room to make her way to the church.

The strangest thing had been the week before. Willow had received a letter, signed by Wolfram and Hart themselves:

‘Dear Madam,
It has come to our attention that Buffy Anne Summers is to marry in Rome. We guarantee no trouble from any demon activity. We may be evil incarnate but we are not so stupid as to spoil the Slayer’s wedding day. We do not want to start a war.
Wolf, Ram and Hart.’

Magic had told Willow it was for real. Seems the bad guys were a little nervous of one pissed off slayer, and didn’t fancy every slayer in this world or the next after them. The Immortal had confirmed it. Every Clan head from every dimension had been made to swear that Buffy Summers’ wedding would go uninterrupted, as would her honeymoon and Claiming. Buffy picked up her bouquet, orchids and lilies trailed down towards the floor and, with Rachael, Dawn and Willow in tow, made her way down the stairs to the waiting cars. As they left the room Dawn retrieved the athame from its cabinet. Willow looked at her askance but Dawn just smiled and shook her head. ‘You’ll see,’ she mouthed.

The limousines took just a short twenty minutes to whisk them through the Roman Traffic. Police waited on the busy intersections. Orders had been given by some very powerful people. Nothing was to spoil this day.

Marcus, Charles and Spike made their way to the front of the little church. Clem was already there, talking quietly with the celebrant. It seemed very peculiar for a vampire to be marrying in a church but William wanted to marry Buffy properly and thanks again to the gifts he’d been given the Sacred Ground held no fear. The Vatican had opened up a special little church in Rome, one dedicated to Michael, the archangel that fought demons. It was a special place for Slayers and Buffy had fallen in love with it as soon as she’d seen it. But she hadn’t asked to be married there, knowing how Spike’s demon felt about churches. But there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his mate. She said she would have settled for a quick ceremony in Las Vegas, but Spike knew her better than that and anyway HE wanted to do things properly. In the eyes of God.

‘Happy Wedding Day,’ Dawn said, as she made a small nick in her hand.

‘What are you doing?’ Exclaimed Buffy, looking around the small anteroom they were all waiting in.

‘Just getting the last of the guests here,’ Dawn said with a smile.

Buffy watched as Tara, Anya and Jenny all stepped through a portal followed by Joyce All dressed up for the occasion and then a lady Buffy didn’t recognise. She was wearing a Victorian style dress.

‘Anne?’ Whispered Buffy. The lady nodded. She and Joyce gave Buffy a quick hug and kiss.

‘You look beautiful, my dear,’ said Anne.

‘We’ll talk later Buffy, but I am so very proud of you.’ Joyce added, and the two women went into the knave of the church.

Tara and Anya joined the procession of maids huddled around Buffy. Kisses and hugs were shared, along with warnings not to crease the dress. They all lined up ready for the March…

Then it was started. They were heading towards the altar. It was only then that Buffy realised they were in bridesmaids dresses. Gold to match the others. It had been the only colour that suited everyone.

Spike turned to see Joyce making her way down the aisle and taking her place in the front pew. His other mother was here. That made him smile. A little part of William wished that Anne, his own mum, could see him. Well, maybe she could. He cast his eyes up to heaven and hoped, wish you could meet her Mother, she’s everything you could have wanted for me.

‘I’ll meet her properly afterwards William,’ said a voice from behind him. ‘Now eyes front my lad and just think about the promises you’re about to make.’

Spike turned round to see his mother grinning back at him. ‘How, what, how?’ was all he managed.

‘I met Joyce and she explained that a doorway was to be opened, so here I am. Hope you don’t mind?’

‘Mind? How could I?’ He grabbed hold of her and kissed her soundly.

‘William, I don’t think you should be kissing another woman in Church on your wedding day, even if it is your mother.’ She laughed. Then the music started and there was movement from the back of the church.

Issi and Sophie looked wonderful as they made their way down the aisle, scattering rose petals as they went. The ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ reverberated around the church. Then Willow and Rachael walked down. Tara and Anya followed; before Buffy could moan to Dawn about being late, Faith came up and put a hand on Buffy. ‘Me next,’ she said, kissing her sister slayer. ‘What, you didn’t think I was going to miss this did you?’

‘How…?’

Faith nodded towards the back of the doorway where Dawn was standing, a small drop of blood falling from the knife she carried. Robin was standing next to her, holding the month old Nikki Elizabeth Woods, the scan being wrong and it had been a girl, not a boy.

Buffy smiled her thanks at her wonderful sister, she really was something special.

Dawn and Faith took their places in the procession, and headed towards the Altar. Giles took one lingering look at the girl his heart thought of as a daughter.

‘Ready?’ He asked. Buffy nodded and Giles gave her a small kiss on the cheek and covered her face with the veil. She looked incredible. A form fitting sheath dress in white silk made her seem like an Angel. And he was privileged to deliver her to her future. I’m one of the lucky ones, he thought. My slayer has given me everything. He looked around the church, packed with friends, family, slayers. They had flown in from everywhere to share the joy.

Giles offered Buffy his arm and took a step forward. Xander appeared on the other side.

‘I know I wasn’t always supportive of you and Spike at first: that was very wrong of me. I just wanted to show you I support you totally now. So we’re both giving you away to him.’

And, an arm on each of the two men that were the only ones that mattered family wise, surrounded by those who truly loved her, Buffy made her way to her future and her mate.
‘Effulgent,’ Spike told her, as they both turned to face the Bishop of Rome himself.

‘Dearly beloved….,’ he said as the old ceremony began.






Willow sat at the table enjoying her coffee. The hot Italian sun beat down on the square and the fountain gave off a lazy noise as it splashed over the figure of a dolphin. Coming to Rome to stay with Buffy and Spike after all the nonsense with Kennedy was wonderful.

Stupid little bitch, they’d found out that she’d had them all in thrall for the last few days in Sunnydale. That was why they’d turned on Buffy, the only one that had fought all the way. Willow tried to be forgiving, but found it so very hard. But she’d got her ‘just reward’. She wanted to live forever, would sell them all to do it: no problem. Meet a hell dimension, one she could never escape from. The senior partners had collected their debt. Before she’d left, Willow had cast a very small spell so that Kennedy had told the truth to everyone, exactly what she’d thought of them and their calling. No friends left after that. No lingering doubts about her either, seemed she’d sold out a couple of the newer potentials so that she hadn’t died, but they had.

Willow relaxed back in her chair and tried to think happier thoughts. The new life inside her gave a kick and Willow smiled and gently rubbed her growing stomach. Just three more months to go! She watched as Dawn, Buffy and Rachael went from shop to shop around the square; she was resting, as ordered, with one of Marcus’ staff keeping her company. The man was charming, and human. Willow thought back to the night before: it had been fun. A high stakes poker game. Boys versus girls. If the boys won, the girls had to be willing slaves for a week, cooking, cleaning, whatever. If the girls won, the bet was the same. Willing slaves. Spike had been so cocky with three queens and a pair of sevens, but Dawn had won. A royal flush. The one queen that Spike hadn’t had, Dawn did. So here they were shopping. And none of the men could moan or complain, they had to be willing slaves, willing cart horses more like. They were really loaded up with stuff, packages, bags, boxes. They all needed superhuman strength today, that and very flexible credit cards. The shops had been well raided.

Buffy headed back to the table: she was blooming as well. Four months to go for Buffy, and Spike was hovering over her the whole time. The first couple of months had been hilarious. Neither she nor Buffy had been allowed to do a thing. Still, it was nice to be cherished.

Rachael waved at her and held up yet another baby dress. Willow smiled. You’d think they were clothing a dozen children for years the way Rachael was shopping; oh well, she was having fun.

Buffy flopped down into a spare seat, Rosamund following her down.
The waiter came up and hovered until he had taken both orders. No upsetting these two, they tipped very well; then he went off to bring water and ice cream. Buffy couldn’t get enough ice cream at the moment.

‘Have you told him yet?’ Willow asked.

‘No, I’ll tell him tonight.’

‘How do you think he’ll take it?’

‘I hope he’s happy, twins are going to be such a handful.’ Buffy answered with a smile.

Spike trotted back across the Piazza. He looked up at Buffy: she looked radiant. Five months pregnant with his children. Buffy hadn’t told him it was twins, but hey, Vampire here, he could hear the beat of two tiny hearts every time he held his beloved mate. Maybe he should tell her tonight, yeh, good idea, tonight, before things went crazy.

Marcus was following on behind, hidden under the twenty bags he was carrying, all from designer shops.

‘Last time I play poker with Dawn. I thought she was bluffing,’ he complained, but the smile on his face said he was having fun. ‘How did you throw the game?’ He continued.

‘Dealt from the bottom,’ Spike answered. ‘The girls needed spoiling and this way, they feel that they’ve gotten one over on us.’ Both vampires stood in the blazing Italian sun, laughing.

‘You told me I’d get everything,’ Spike said, ‘well, you were right. All my dreams, right here.’

And the two of them made their way over to the women they loved, Xander, Rachael and Dawn heading for yet another shop.

‘I wish I had vampiric strength, or at least their credit cards,’ Xander moaned good-heartedly as he lifted up far too many bags. The girls around him grinned, and laughing, they sallied forth into the fray. Life was good for all of them. The fountain tinkled in the sunshine and all was well with their lives.