Family Matters


First Impressions....

As she stood on the corner of one of Sunnydale's more crowded streets, Cara Morgan's icy blue eyes took in her first glimpse of the small town, and she could not help the small smirk that graced her lips.

' They say don't judge a book by its cover, but this is bloody ridiculous. Oh, well. Meet Mr. Giles first, then openly mock the small town that rests on the Hellmouth.'

Picking up her luggage once again Cara quickly made her way to the Magic Box. When she got there, she looked through the window before entering, and saw a bunch of misfits huddled around a round table, books open in front of them, and each one of them appearing to be bored out of their minds.

'Please tell me these aren't the children that have been helping the slayer? Great - I'm going to have to work with a group of ignorant barely-adults. Well, this should be fun.'

Squaring her shoulders and once again picking up her heavy luggage, Cara entered the Magic Box, the bell notifying the people in the store of her entrance.

"Welcome to the Magic Box, how can I take your money?"

Cara raised an eyebrow at the rather original greeting.

"Maybe some other time, luv, I'm looking for Mr. Rupert Giles."

"That would be me," Giles said as he approached the young woman, who looked to be about twenty-five. She had hair the color of warm honey, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. All in all, she was quite lovely.

'And by the sounds of things very British.'

"Well, the tweed is a bit of a let on...pity. Well, anyway, I'm Cara Morgan and the matter I wish to speak to you about is quite grave."

Cara noticed out of the corner of her eye the heads of the teens at the table shoot up, and she tried to keep from openly smirking when she saw Giles reach for his glasses and begin to polish them.

'Ah...and there it is - the classic watcher reaction. So bloody predictable.'

"Anya, would you please put the closed sign out? I think it's best if we have a bit of privacy for this conversation."

"But Giles - all the money!" Anya seemed horrified at the prospect of closing in the middle of the day, impending apocalypse or no.

"Ahn!"

Cara watched as the young man with floppy brown hair, in baggy pants and flannel, came up to the strange woman behind the counter and tried to talk her into closing the store.

' Wonders never cease...so Doughboy is with Her Highly Unusual...sure...she's strange, but she is pretty.'

Cara was able to pick up a few of the words that passed between the couple - words like "money"..."grave"..."apocalypse" and the like were thrown around, but what had biting her lip to keep from laughing was the final statement Anya made to her apparent significant other.

"If you make me close the store, Xander Harris, there will be no orgasms for you! I'll find someone else to provide my orgasms...I will!"

Cara shook her head at the statement, as the young man began to turn a bright shade of red. There were so many things she could have said, but at the moment she thought it best to stick to the matter at hand, and spare the boy any further embarrassment.

"Mr. Giles, there is no need for you to close the store. The world isn't ending just yet - but I have a feeling that if you close the store right now, it might as well end for both Xander and Anya. Maybe there is someplace we can go to speak privately?"

"Yes, of course, we can go into my office - of sorts," Giles suggested with a slightly self-conscious smile. "Would you care for a cup of tea?"

"That would be lovely."

As Giles guided the young woman to the round table, he shot the remaining Scoobies a look that said in no uncertain terms, "Get lost, now!"

Giles busied himself with making the tea - and trying to remember where he had heard the name Cara Morgan before.

' Think, you bloody old man, think - why does that name sound so familiar?'

Buffy, Willow and Tara were now standing where Anya and Xander had been having their little lovers' quarrel a few minutes before.

"Hey - who do you think she is?"

"Well she's pretty, and she has nice breasts. Men like nice breasts. And young. She's probably Giles' orgasm partner." Anya's manner spoke of absolute certainty.

"Ahn, I don't think she's his lady friend."

"Yeah, I mean she asked for ‘Mr. Rupert Giles' - she didn't say anything about finding her boyfriend, or really sound like she knew him personally - and anyhow, her and Giles? Way wigsome! She's young enough to be his daughter!" Buffy objected in a high, squeaky voice.

' I can't believe Anya would think that Giles could be having sex with someone that young! I mean, he's practically ancient! Eeeewwwwwwww - now I have a mental image ...blech...like seeing my mom and Giles wasn't enough! Now I have to have this going through my mind, too!'

Buffy shook her head and scrunched up her nose at the thoughts that were running through her mind, trying to focus enough to listen to what the others were talking about.

"We are talking about a British couple. The British are always very polite; it's always ‘yes, please' and ‘no, thank you' even when they're having wild monkey sex fifteen times a day - I should know." Once again, Anya's voice held the sound of authority born of experience.

"I seriously doubt that - not *while* they're having - I mean - it would slow things down quite a bit - wouldn't it?" Willow barely managed to get the barely coherent question out, turning a shade of red equal to her hair as she did.

Anya nodded her head up and down in disappointed way. Buffy noticed out of the corner of her eye that Xander was smirking a smirk that rivaled Spike's most evil smirks.

"Well I guess that nails it. Captain Peroxide isn't as hot as he thinks he is...oh wait. That doesn't nail it!"

"No, sweetie, I said polite British *couples* do that. I never said anything about Spike. I bet Spike would be quite the partner in bed - all that stamina."

Anya finished in a dreamy sort of way, causing Xander to scowl at the way her eyes glazed over. An uncomfortable silence surrounded the small group for a few moments, until they were brought out of it by Willow.

"Oh...oh...I can't believe we hadn't thought of this sooner! I mean, who else is British and would be looking for Giles, and be here to talk about ‘grave matters'?"

When all she got were blank looks and shrugs of shoulders, she answered her own rather obvious question.

"Duh! The Watcher's Council!"

"Okay, how is it that *that* gives me a more serious case of the wiggins then the idea of her being his girlfriend?"

"Probably has something to do with the fact that they never bring good news. They're such a doom and gloom kind of group," Xander replied in his most bored tone of voice.

"Is it just me, or does she not really look much like a watcher?" Willow asked, looking between Xander and Buffy.

"What, you mean her lack of geekdom and nerdiness, or the fact that she is Hollywood pretty, and also happens to be minus the usual glasses and tweed? Yeah. *She* looks like a watcher."

The group of young adults then turned their attention to the young woman who had gained their interest from the moment she had first addressed Giles. They took in her petite frame, nearly an equal to that of the slayer; her long, wavy, honey blond hair that reached the middle of her back; her milky white skin, pink lips and clear blue eyes.

There was only one word to describe Cara Morgan and that was beautiful. Unlike the watchers that they had met previously, Cara was dressed very fashionably, wearing low rise blue jeans teamed with a tank top and leather jacket, and four inch heels.

As they all openly examined her, Cara turned her head and looked at them. Instead of continuing to blatantly stare at her, the teens quickly turned their attention to the floor.

Cara smirked at this, said a few final words to Giles, and then stood up, Giles leading the way toward the counter.

They all looked at Giles expectantly as he neared them, wanting to know what was going on. He just ignored them and reached for the phone behind the counter, dialing a number they all could tell he knew by heart.

"Yes...hello...may I please speak with Quentin Travers? Rupert Giles." After a brief pause, he continued in a cool tone of voice, "Hello Quentin...I believe we may as well skip the standard pleasantries. Why didn't you notify me about the arrival of Cara Morgan? Yes, I know I no longer work for you, but this is serious business. You can't just expect us...yes she's here...just a minute..."

Giles put his hand over the phone and, turning to Cara, said, "He'd like to speak with you."

"Bloody shock," Cara remarked with a sarcastic roll of her eyes as she took the phone from Giles' hand.

"Travers...no, not yet..." She sighed wearily before continuing, "I know...listen here, Travers, I'm not incompetent. Last I checked I scored better than you in pretty much everything, so the next time you take that tone with me you might want to remember that I can bloody well make your life a living hell in - well, hell. I will do what I see is fit. I'm not your bloody puppet, and you'd best remember that...yes...no...maybe...got it...yeah...well then, all the best now, my love to Cynthia. Right, will do...bye."

Turning around to Giles, as she hung up the phone, Cara remarked with a smile, "Well that went better than expected ...so... you or me?"

"I think it would be best if it came from me. Anya, please lock up the store."

"But..."

"This is not to be discussed, Anya!"

Cara put her hand on Giles forearm, when the Watcher almost appeared ready to hurt Anya in his frustration.

"Anya...this is very important. You will be a big part of the discussion, and you can't watch over the money and do that at the same time, can you, luv?" Cara spoke in a logical, calming sort of way, which had Anya shaking her head sadly in resigned acceptance.

Anya went about quickly closing the store, and then joined the others at the research table.

Giles saw that all the people in the room were looking at him expectantly, and tried to get his thoughts together as he took off his glasses and began to wipe them.

"Cara Morgan is a watcher, and I'm sure you all have guessed that she is here because of a prophesy..."

"Uh oh, the end of the world is nigh!" Xander suddenly burst out in a shrill, very over-dramatic voice.

"Does he always do that?" Cara asked Giles, giving the boy a dubious look.

"Unfortunately, yes, usually."

Cara nodded her head and kept her opinion to herself, not wanting to say anything until she knew the people and the situation properly.

"As I was saying, Cara has found a prophecy which prophesies the coming of the Beast, and the First, unless..."

"We stop it. Got the memo the last couple of prophesies back, Giles. So where is this Beast and how do I kill it?"

"You don't," Cara informed her in a calm voice filled with authority.

"Okay, this is how it works: watchers do the paper work, and I save the world by killing the latest big bad." Buffy ended with a dramatic eye roll, after using her most patronizing tone of voice.

Instead of making an outraged reply, Cara just reached into her purse, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo gold and silver lighter, and made a dramatic show of lighting up and taking a long drag. She then began to drum her perfectly manicured black enameled nails on the round table before she began to speak.

"Right. Are you quite finished, because if I've got to explain this bloody mess, I don't want a word out of you while I do it." Cara raised an eyebrow at Buffy.

Buffy blinked in surprise, but shook her head, indicating that she had nothing more to say at the moment.

"Now if you all could bloody well keep your mouths closed for more than a second you would know why you bloody well can't kill the Beast. And that is because its host is human."

"Uh...what do you mean by host?" Willow asked in a timid manner.

Cara gave her a small smile. "Now that is the sort of interruption we can work with. Simple, luv - think of every cliché sci-fi or horror movie, comic, or T.V. show you've ever seen. The host is the human whose body's been nicked."

"But wouldn't that mean you could kill it, because this Beast would have to hollow out his host? It wouldn't be human anymore - it'd be a monster."

"Normally you'd be right, luv, but not all hosts lose themselves completely, or die. Look at vampires, for example. Still a good bit of humanity in them..."

"Vampires are evil. The person they were before they were turned dies and that's that." Buffy stated in a tone of firm conviction of her own correctness.

"Well aren't you a bloody savant! What was I thinking when I wrote my thesis? I should have come here and asked you all about it! Oh, wait - the fact that you were ten when I wrote my thesis doesn't give you much credibility, now, does it? As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, not all hosts lose their human qualities. Vampires for instance. The host's body dies, and parts of the soul vacate the body, but not enough to lose the essence of the person before they were turned. But according to the prophesy, it seems that the human the Beast has inhabited is completely human, with the odd occasion of its being taken over by the beast, when it takes on its true form."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Couldn't you do better that?"

"Actually, *Betty*, that's the best anyone has done in 2000 years. Unless you can contribute anything useful, then just sod off!"

"I think it would be best if we discuss this tomorrow - maybe after you recover from your jet lag?" Giles said, trying to diffuse the situation between the two blonds.

"You might want to check your info. I don't sleep. As for discussion, it's not me with the problem. Miss Carol over there can't keep her trap shut for more than a bleedin' second to get the full story, now, can she?" Cara said, throwing Buffy an annoyed glare, which came off more sinister than she intended it, due to the smoke that came out of her flared nostrils.

"Why don't you say what you came here to say then?" Buffy demanded huffily.

"You'll keep you gob shut?"

When Buffy nodded her head Cara took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Right then. The prophesy so far talks of the twice chosen slayer...which would be you considerin' the fact that you died and lived -- and were effectively called -- twice. You are to face the Beast with the help of some champion or the like; you are meant to protect the dawn or the world will be sucked into a rather nasty form of hell. There's more and that's why I'm here. Travers and I figured if anyone can help translate a prophesy, it would be Rupert and Wes. So here I am in America."

"That's all you wanted to say?" Buffy asked incredulously.

Cara looked at Giles and tilted her head, as the Scoobies watched the silent discussion that passed between the two. Giles was the first to break eye contact, and with a weary sigh took off his glasses and began to wipe them.

"You didn't by any chance hear the other name she mentioned?"

"Yeah, Wes, what of it? Some other watcher will be in Sunnydale. As long as he stays out of my way and doesn't tell me what to do, we'll be good. I mean, he couldn't be any worse than Mr. Stick-Up-the-Ass Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and Cara smirked.

"You can't honestly be that blond, luv? Wes is short for Wesley. Guess you lot can all play catch up. I think his being here would mean his boss would be here as well? Oh well...what kind of watcher would I be if I passed up a chance to get up close and personal with the vampire with a soul? I'll be seeing you all soon."

Cara picked up her bags and blew Buffy a kiss as she walked out the door, unable to suppress her laugh at the fish out of water look Buffy was now wearing.

'Suddenly, the Hellmouth seems a lot more interesting. Now to find the real fun...'

To Be Continued...

Family Matters

Not so much fun....


Buffy and Willow sat by themselves waiting for Riley and Xander to bring them their drinks.

"Can you believe Giles? He was all ‘must you embarrass me so, Buffy? Do you have any idea who she is? Why can't you stay quiet for one bloody second? Now you will never know the whole story.' Ugh...what's the big? She's a freaking watcher for God's sake! Plus she was so annoying. I don't know what it was but I felt like I wanted to stake her...grrrr!!!" Buffy said, adding in a growl at the end that could have matched any vampire.

"Maybe it was the smoking...or the smirking...or maybe it was that she knew so much." Willow said with a small shrug of her shoulders

"Who are you lovely ladies talking about?" Xander asked as he placed the drinks he had in his hand on the table.

"Cara Morgan," Buffy muttered through gritted teeth

"Xander mentioned something about her... who is she exactly?" Riley asked as he moved his chair to sit closer to Buffy, putting his arm across her shoulders; he then placed her drink in front of her.

"Some watcher with a prophecy that has something to do with the end of the world," Buffy revealed with an eye roll.

"So why don't you like her?" Riley asked, confused at the obvious distaste in his girlfriend's tone in regard to the watcher.

"You should have seen her, Riley, with the smirking and the smoking...she was so totally annoying."

"You know, I figured out who she might remind you of," Willow said, sipping her soda.

"Yeah...who?" Buffy was curious as to who the blonde watcher could remind her of.

"Spike!" Willow nodded her head up and down at the simplicity of the matter. She had no trouble now, looking back on the way Cara had lit her cigarette, her black nail polish, the way she spoke and addressed people and finally the confident sexuality she showed in her every movement and gesture.

Riley stiffened at the mention of the vampire. He didn't understand it; the group were way to easy going when in came to that vampire. As far as he was concerned, they should have staked the pain in the ass vampire a long time ago.

"So Xander, where's Anya?" Riley asked. He didn't care much for the outspoken little shopkeeper/former demon, but he preferred to talk about her than Spike.
'She should be put in her place... she isn't good enough to be around humans. I don't know why they keep them around.'

"Oh! She's helping Giles with the books and whatnot... plus he wanted someone to help turn the Magic Box into research center for the new watcher. I think the G-man has a crush," Xander finished in a sing-song voice. Buffy shuddered in an over the top way.

"Please, Xan, never ever mention Giles and crush in the same sentence again or I'll...I'll think of something equally of the bad to say to you."

The brunette smiled at the slayer and nodded his head.

"So now that we know where Xander's significant other is...where's Tara, Wills?" the blond asked her friend, for the first time feeling a little smug that she wasn't the one sitting without a date as was the norm.

"She has a paper she needs to hand in tomorrow; she said she'd be here as soon as she finishes with the final editing."

After that, the conversation turned to matters of college and courses, Xander feeling left out, and not having Anya around as a diversion to head towards the dance floor, Xander began to look at the other people at the Bronze.

He recognized a familiar bleach blond head, and noticed that his head was tilted downwards almost as if he was speaking to someone. When Spike moved he saw who it was and he let out the most unmanly of shrieks.

"Will... pinch me... this has got to be a dream that has taken a horrible turn for the worst."

A few second later..."OW! Why did you do that?"

"You asked me to?" the redhead answered as if it was the most natural of things.

Xander blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I can't believe it... I just can't believe it."

Riley looked at Xander and tried to repress the urge to roll his eyes.
‘Why do they put up with him? He's worse than Dawn...all he does is get injured...he does more harm than good.'

"Okay, please tell me I'm not the only one who is seeing ...that!" Xander begged as he pointed at the direction of the pool tables; all three heads turned.
Riley saw Spike playing a game of pool but what caught is attention was the beautiful petite blond standing next to him. He watched as the two interacted; he saw the woman smile at Spike and pat him on the back, and then she said something that had Spike throwing his head back and laughing.
He watched as Spike turned to the woman and pulled her to him, his arm firmly around her waist. Riley began to sneer in disgust as it was obvious the turn the conversation was taking, but despite how sickening it all was, he continued to stare as Spike dipped his head down and placed a soft kiss on the woman's lips. Riley was flabbergasted as she eagerly kissed him back. He watched as they pulled away and she smiled a warm smile at the vampire.
'That's it, I'm going to dust him and her. He has no right to get looks like that...if Buffy can't look at me like that, he sure as hell can't get that look.'

"So Spike has a vampire girlfriend. We should stake her before she does anything to hurt Buffy or Dawn."

"That's not a vampire," Xander and Willow both said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Fine, she's not a vampire, so that means shes a demon ...still... means let's end her before things get out of hand."

"What they mean is, she's human...that over there...is Cara Morgan," Buffy said with a sneer and a violent point in the direction of the two British blonds.

"Xander, you didn't get me a drink. You knew I was going to come, why didn't you bring me a drink?" Anya said as she unceremoniously sat down on Xander's lap. Tara, who wasn't as outspoken as Anya when she arrived, pulled out a seat and sat down next to Willow.

"Why do you all look like some imitation of a fish?" Anya asked, perplexed that her boyfriend hadn't kissed her or situated her into a different position, or that Willow hadn't taken the hand of the shy witch.

Xander mutely pointed in the direction of the pool tables and both Tara and Anya looked in the direction he was pointing at. They saw Cara leaning over the pool table trying to line a shot with Spike draped over her in lieu of showing her how to take the shot.
They both saw as Cara said something, smirking in Spike's direction. They watched as he curled his tongue behind his teeth, they saw as both laughed, with Spike removing himself from the young woman and slapping her on the bottom.

Both Anya and Tara looked at each other, neither one of them getting what the big deal was.

"Cara is a beautiful woman, she's probably looking for an orgasm partner and seeing as how you made such big deal about Giles...Spike would be the next logical choice; both of them are British," Anya said as she took a sip of Xander's drink. Riley scowled at Anya, who just flipped her hair at him.

‘Why does Buffy keep him around? He doesn't give her the sexual release she needs or she wouldn't always be so bitchy.'

"I doubt that a watcher would even date a vampire, let alone Spike. Do you think he may have used thrall on her?" Riley asked, clearly ignoring everyone else at the table. Anya rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the man, and once again shared a look with Tara. Both of them saw many faults with the former soldier but thought it best not to say anything, considering there tentative position with the Slayer and her friends.

"Maybe...I mean, he is a vampire and pretty pathetic when it comes to relationships," Buffy said, her lips pursed together in a thin line of annoyance. No one at the table noticed how Anya and Tara's eyes bulged at the comment, all were too busy discussing the best way to remove Cara from the thrall Spike had put her under. Anya wanted to shout at them for their stupidity.

‘Honestly, if he had thrall don't they think they would all have been dead way before I got here? Hell, they would have been dead before Angel was footloose and soul free.'

"Okay, let's go and figure out what we're going to do when we get there," Buffy said as she led the way to the pool tables.

~~~~~~~~~~~~`~`~~`

"Just like that." Spike said as he turned to catch the eye of the watcher, and noticed she had an amused twinkle in her eye, Spike felt a swell of pride at the fact that he had this beautiful woman's undivided attention, it had been sometime since he had the attention of a beautiful young woman and it felt good.

"I've heard tale that you've offed more than two slayers," Cara said with an excited smile.

"Nah...pet, you know how it is...demons like to talk big and all that."

"Yeah, I know, but I ‘eard the story from someone else. Nineteen Twenty-Two, Madrid, you killed her."

"Fought her, yeah...had my one good day...no."
Any further conversation between the two was cut off by a loud cough from the slayer, who had her arms crossed over her chest and was tapping her foot in annoyance.

"Ohhh...it's the slayer, feeling a mite sickly...you might want that cough looked at, Slayer, or it will be Woodstock on the Hellmouth...and frankly been there done that...don't need to see the less-than-pleasant rerun," Spike said, smirking and knocking back the rest of his drink.

"Oh...you were at Woodstock?" Anya asked excitedly. "So was I... there was a lot of vengeance to be had. Why didn't I see you?"

"Don't know. Could have been the drugs...or the sex...now that was a good year."

Anya nodded her head wistfully at the comment.
"Refill," Cara asked pointing to Spike's empty drink.

"You buying?" Spike drawled.

Cara smiled and signaled to a waitress.

It was then that the Scoobies got a good look at Cara. She was wearing low rise blue jeans, matched with a royal blue top, cut low just below her collar bone, and ending seductively short to just above the waist of her jeans, with cap sleeves. The color of the top highlighted her creamy white skin and light blue eyes that were more pronounced due to the black kohl liner. Her honey blond hair was tied back in a low pony tale, but what had the Scoobies' mouths hitting the floor was the fact that Cara's entire back was exposed.

"Nice top...a mix between a nun and a tramp...where did you get it?" Anya asked, clearly liking the young woman's sense of style.

"Yorkshire." Cara said with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders.

Anya pouted at the fact.

"Do you look good in pink?" Cara asked giving Anya the once over.

"Who me?" Anya's face screwed up in confusion.

"Yes you...Anya right."

"Well it used to be Anyanka, but yes."

"Well do you?"

"I would say yes...I have this really pretty bra and thong set in pale pink and when I wear it, Xander can't wait to get it off of me."

Both Cara and Spike raised their eyebrows at this revealing piece of information while Xander turned a very interesting shade of pink himself.

"Ahn...what have I said about inappropriate topics?"

"But she asked if I looked good in pink," the ex-demon pouted.

"I have another one of these in pink, that's why I asked...do you want it?"

"Yes...I do."

"Ahn!"

"What?" Anya asked, irritated by the interruption. Here was someone giving her something, and by the sounds of it giving it to her for free, and Xander was giving her his disapproving voice. Any further discussion was halted by the arrival of a buxom brunette, holding a tray. The Scoobies watched as Cara gave the woman the once over; her gaze traveled up the length of the woman, stilled for a while on her generous cleavage and finally stopped to look at her face. Cara gave the waitress a smile that could only be defined as seductive. Both Riley and Xander cursed the fact that they could never achieve the same smile if their lives depended on it.

"Hello." Cara drew out the word just as seductively as she had smiled.

The entire group were stunned by the girlish giggle that came from the waitress.

"I'll have a gin and tonic...Billy here will have a Jack...the prudish blond a diet coke...the redhead an orange juice...the shy one a Lime margarita...the two hall monitors what ever you've got on tap...and the cute blond a screaming orgasm." Cara said giving Anya a wink, Buffy clenched her jaw at being called prudish, the last thing she wanted to do was pout.

"Oh...and one of those flowering onion things...if your going to be staying in Sunnyhell, pet, might as well enjoy the only good thing they've got." The waitress smiled and left.

"So now that I've ordered drinks for everyone, what brings you lot here? Billy and I were enjoying a friendly game of pool -- with the occasional tale of bloodshed and mayhem."

"Don't know why I let you get away with those Billy cracks. For the last time, the blighter stole the look from me." Spike said throwing Cara an annoyed glare.

"Oh...I believe you, mate...if people knew how often the demonic world played a part in fashion they'd be walking around in grass skirts." Cara replied her apology would have been more believable if she had managed to keep the impish smile of her face.

"It's nice to finally meet a watcher that knows what she's talking about. I mean, really. Like Prada could be anything besides the devil's workshop," Anya said, nodding her head up and down, glad to finally be a part of a conversation that was wasn't so anti-demon.

‘I mean honestly, a person's feelings can't be anything but hurt the way they talk about demons...I used to be a demon-still am on the inside.'

Cara leaned over the pool table, once again easily hitting her mark.

"As for the Billy cracks, mate...I get away with it because..." Cara said as she slowly walked towards Spike and stopped dead in front of him, trailing the tip of her finger across his collar down his chest, till she reached his belt and just above it ran her finger slowly across his stomach. "I'm paying for your drinks."

Both Cara and Spike laughed at her comment. Anya smiled at them glad to finally meet someone who wasn't such a prude about sex or sensuality, without the fear that she was going to tear out her throat. Tara was also feeling the same way but for a different reason. She watched the way Cara talked and acted with Spike and it gave her hope that when her secret was revealed, there would be someone who wouldn't be so quick to place the death sentence, maybe even someone who could help her better understand her demonic roots, without prejudice.

"And as to why we're here, it should be obvious the way you're acting. I know very little about watchers but I imagine it's not common practice for them to play nice with vampires." Riley said, as he sneered at the young woman, thoroughly disgusted by the way she was acting.

Cara just raised an eyebrow at the young man. In the few seconds she had seen him, and now hearing him speak, she filed him under *disposable*. Cara knew no matter what the giant lummox of a man thought he was, he wasn't going to be a part of the slayer's merry band of cohorts for long. Cara walked over to the table nearest to the pool table and picked up her purse. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lighter. Putting a cigarette to her lips, she offered one to Spike and the rest of the Scoobies. Anya happily took one. Casually she lit her cigarette and that of the blond vampire and the former demon. Cara let out a puff of smoke directed at Riley.

"I'm not your typical watcher," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "And I don't know anyone who would be willin' to pass up good company."

When the waitress returned with the drinks and food ordered by Spike, Cara tipped the woman and went about handing everyone their drinks.

Buffy had had enough. Here she was trying to save the annoying watcher, and she wasn't even trying to be rescued. Taking matters into her own hands, Buffy went up to Spike and punched him the nose.

"What the bloody hell was that for, you bloody bint?" Spike bellowed as he tried to stop the bleeding from his nose.

"You've put her under thrall, now take her out of it."
Spike looked at Buffy as if she had grown a second head. Cara let out a very unlady-like snort.

"You mean you lot came over and interrupted a very nice game of pool--because you think he used *thrall* on *me*? What form of twit are you, slayer? Firstly, I'm not some airhead little chit that could be thralled...and secondly, if he had thrall and could use it, you lot would all be dead...and thirdly, he doesn't bloody well need it...I was here because I wanted to be here....and seeing as you were arse over tit for Angelus, the most evil of evil vampires out there, you can't bloody well tell me who I should and should not be associating with. If Travis and his lot of wankers can't get me to do what they want, no blond who doesn't even begin to comprehend her powers is going to stop me. Final point, if you so much as look at Spike wrong again, I will show you the reason Travis lets me be...savvy?"
Cara's tone the whole time had not changed from a calm, somewhat sweet voice, but there was no mistaking the threat that was behind it. But one thing stood out clearer than anything else in the speech to Buffy.

"What do you mean by ‘doesn't comprehend her powers?'" Buffy asked, frowning. "I do fine! Find demon, slay demon."

At this, Cara smiled a small smile and said, "Where do you think that power comes from?"

"The Powers that Be," Buffy said, certain of her answer.

"But why?"

"To save people from demons."

"Why?"

"Because demons need to be stopped."

"Why?"

"They are evil, that's why."

Cara tried her best suppress her urge to roll her eyes the first few seconds of this conversation and all she could think was.

'I feel like a bloody tot if I have to say why one more time!'

"Why are they evil? Are they all evil? If you are meant to slay evil, why haven't you killed human?"

"Because demons are evil and humans are good."

Cara let out an exasperated sigh and scowled at Buffy. "Why's that?"

"Humans have a soul and demons don't."

"And that makes a difference?"

"Yes! I mean, its simple. Look at Angel-with a soul, good... without a soul, Angelus, who is evil... ergo...soul equal good, no soul evil."

"Angel is more guilt ridden then good...you forget I know Wes poppet....what about rape?" Cara asked taking a sip of her drink in an attempt to curb her desire to throttle the petite blond in front of her.

"What does that have to do anything?" Buffy said, outraged that the young watcher had changed the subject. Especially since she was making perfect logic with her answers.

"Everything...bear with me. Anya, you said you used to be called Anyanka, as in the avenger of wronged women?"

"Yes, that was me," the ex-demon confirmed proudly.

"Did you ever have a woman who was raped ask for vengeance?" Cara had a twinkle of superiority flash in her eyes, already looking smug while she waited for Anya to answer her.

"All the time." Anya nodded eagerly.

"The attacker human or demon?"

"Mostly human, sometimes a vampire, but very rarely. Most vampires make their victims their dinner or whatever meal they were on. Other types of demons don't find the human form sexually appealing. Tasty, yes...for sex, no. Only vampires that's because they were human. So naturally their ideal sexual partner would be human you know the same parts." Anya said with a happy nod of her head.

Cara then looked at Buffy and said, "Anya, pet, can you remember any woman that stood out for you?"

"Yes! There was this woman who was raped repeatedly by this one man and his friends; it was during the 1800's. When was it...think brain ...think...oh yes, now I remember, it was 1880. She was pretty... Well anyway, the men where quite horrible...I enjoy the kinkier side of sex but what these men did...it was sickening. I didn't have sex a whole week after I came to her and she told me what they did...she was sixteen...a ward at some fancy house or something. I think she had a crush on the son of the woman she was meant to be a companion for...his name was William something, I can't remember...well any way, when Robert Ashbery-Thomas the third found out, he was livid. It seems he thought he was better then him or something...so he convinced his mother she needed a companion and that she should ask for her...after living in the new home for a few days, he took her out of her bed and into his study-his friends were there waiting..."
Anya stopped and it was the first time the Scoobies had ever seen her show any discomfort in talking about her demonic past. Xander put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ahn...you don't need to say more if you don't want to?"

"I have to, Xander...Cara is trying to make a point I couldn't by myself."

If anyone had cared to look they would have seen that Spike wasn't faring much better than the ex-demon. He had a far away look that indicated he was lost in some memory. After taking a deep breath, Anya took a big gulp of the drink and continued her story.

"Grabbing her he closed the door and locked it. He must have been planning it for days because he had everything set up to tie her down and gag her. He ripped open her nightgown and put her on display for all his friend there... she was spread eagle for all to see...she said she wanted to die then and there...sh...she had been a virgin...her dream had been that William would have fallen in love with her and marry her...and that....but Robert destroyed any hope of that dream ever coming true...he raped her then in front of his friends and they sneered and jeered, groping her...she couldn't scream...couldn't move...they proceeded to ejaculate on her... It got worse. The first days it had been your normal gang bang...if there is anything normal about that. He told his mother that she most have run away. That's why no one looked for her... You know what, I can't. If you want to know what happened, read any Watcher's dairy about Angelus then multiple that by ten... and that's what happened to her...then one day he let her go, gave her a few pennies and sent her on her way. She later found out she was pregnant. She was going to go to William. She said that even though he wouldn't marry her, he would take care of her... It turned out he had died. I think she believed it was Robert because they were seen fighting and then no more William... That's when she called me. I was going to seek vengeance for her. I had decided that a simple wish was too good for him...I personally was going to hurt him... When I finally found him, he was dead. He got away with it...no vengeance...no justice...nothing." By this point Anya's voice had taken on a depressed tone unlike her usual peppy tone.

"There was vengeance--I did it--he was the first I took a railroad spike to. Angelus was with me, telling me what to do to make it more painful and drawn out. The girl...her name was Lucy. She was...she...I failed her. I was meant to protect her and I failed."

By now Anya was on the verge of tears, Willow and Tara not far behind. Spike gave a hesitant nod of his head, stopping her from getting up from her seat, in a moment their eyes meet and it told him that the one secret he had tried to protect was out and in the open, but he knew she wouldn't tell anyone.

"You weren't the only one. I failed her too. After her...Lucy...I never waited to be called. I felt their pain and I went...thank-you for giving her justice." Anya said giving him a watery smile

Spike gave her a quick nod, downed his drink in one gulp and left the Bronze.

Cara then spoke up.
"So Buffy, do you still believe that the soul is what makes you good?"

TBC

---

Chapter Three

Again...Huh?




Cara watched out of the corner of her eye as Spike walked out of the Bronze, his duster moving in a way that would have any caped hero green with envy.

'Right,William needs a little *me* time -- let's just hope the slayer doesn't keep me here too long, or there will be no talking to the man.'


Cara watched as Buffy's frowned at what she had just heard.

"Well Buffy? Do you still believe that it is a soul that defines good and evil?" Cara asked again.

Buffy opened her mouth to answer, but Riley cut her off.

"Of course!*One* evil man does not change the fact that *all* demons are evil."

"Oh, you poor boy...gender issues are so hard to get over...my ‘eart bleeds for you...you think you're Buffy 'ere...it's such a shame, it's always the big ones that are slightly touched in the 'ead." Cara's face was filled with mocking sincerity.

Xander tried not to laugh, he really did, but the woman just was too much. The thing that made the situation hilarious wasn't what she said but the fact that she sounded so sincere when she said it.

He had his arms around a trembling Anya; he didn't know what she hadn't told them, but whatever it was it was enough to have the woman who had gladly granted all form of vengeful wishes in the most vicious of ways a nervous wreck, and it had obviously stayed with her for a hundred plus years. He also couldn't deny Spike's reaction; he wasn't stupid or as blind to the obvious as the rest thought he was. The vampire was clearly shaken and guilt ridden about what happened to the young girl.

'Now that's nothing I ever thought I would have put together -- Spike and guilt in one sentence. What's next, I'm going to start buying drinks for the guy?'

Tara watched with bated breath as Cara once again asked Buffy the question. A part of her prayed that the watcher would be able to get through to the group now, in the hope that it might make it possible for them to accept her when her own heritage came into play.

"Listen, *Bessie*, I don't ‘ave all night...I've place to be and calls to make so out with it already," Cara said, her irritation visible in both her stance and voice.

"I don't know," Buffy said meekly, her earlier pride having disappeared in light of the tale Anya had just told.

"Yes you do know...I'm not your watcher...I don't care a fig about you either ruddy way...so just answer the bloody question," Cara said, clearly irritated. A part of her felt compassion for the young woman in front of her, having gone through a similar experience herself, though she had no desire to show it at the moment.


'Try to calm down, it's not easy when your world get thrown off its axis. Take a deep breath and give the chit a chance.'

"Yes, the soul makes a difference -- we'd all be evil without it," Buffy said finally, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin in defiance.

Willow, who had said nothing until now, frowned at her friend's reply. She too had been thinking during the telling of Anya's tale, and the questions asked afterwards, and couldn't help but wonder if their view of morality and right and wrong was just as misguided as the belief others held that life in Sunnydale was normal.

"I...I don't thinks that's true," Willow said in a quiet voice. She ducked her head down, having caught Buffy's look of betrayal and Cara's smile. It embarrassed her, the way the watcher had looked at her; it almost felt as if she was on reading her every thought.

"Wills," Buffy hissed, but Cara cut her off, raising her hand.

"Let her speak, Slayer...go on, explain yourself, there no one 'ere that bites," Cara said, her voice once again taking on a calming quality. Paired with her encouraging smile, it helped to encourage Willow, who took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"It's...it's just what Anya said...I mean, the man did things to that poor girl and threw her out like she was garbage! A vampire kills, it's what they do--they need blood to survive so they kill--and in a way it kinda makes it okay--I mean when a lion eats a baby gazelle we don't say, ‘Oh evil lion!' We say ‘survival of the fittest.' This doesn't mean I like vampires; I just get it. But, what he did...he was human, which means he had a *soul* and knew right from wrong -- yet he still did it anyway. If he wanted to sleep with her, he could have tried to seduce her or *marry her*, but he didn't have to *rape her* and turn her into a party favor! And soul or no soul, that is evil. I don't think the soul makes us good or bad...come to think of it, what is a soul?" Willow asked.

Her face was scrunched up in confusion. In all the years she had been living on the Hellmouth, and their encounter with Angel and Angelus, Willow had always wondered what a soul was that it made such an obvious difference between the two.

"The soul is the breath of God. It's what gives us life...that spark in someone's eyes, that's the soul--that's why when you look into the eyes of a dead person their eyes are dull. That spark leaves the body after death," Cara said, trying to answer Willow's question.

"Huh?" Xander asked, confused.

Cara smiled kindly at him. "People don't read holy script any more," she remarked with a disappointed shake of her head.

"Okay, broken record much...but again...huh? And what does the Bible have to do with anything?" Xander asked, his confusion marring his eyebrows.

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul...Genesis 2:7...King James Bible ...it's in all religions, the creation of the first man is always the same...life is breathed into the human form by a divine bein' and hey, presto! Alive and kickin'. That is what makes up the soul," Cara said. As she had been speaking, she didn't realize that she had stopped using the cockney accent she had adopted many years ago but was back to using her more comfortable tone, making her sound more like a heroine from a Jane Austen novel.

"Okay now that makes a little sense but not much...but why are demons evil and humans generally not so much?" Xander asked, still confused.

"Now you ask the right question, Xander my boy...simple. Two things -- one, that little Jiminy cricket in us all...and two, social expectations...humans are basically pack animals; we do as the alpha male and female do...they do good... we do good...lead by example and all that rot," Cara said smiling fondly at the young carpenter. She suddenly realized that she was turning into her former self and thought,

'Bugger it...I feel more like me like this. Though I do prefer the swearing from the other much better.'

"Okay, that's not true! Humans are good, demons are evil!" Riley stressed the word evil, as you would do for a young child wanting to know the spelling of a word.

Cara let out a sigh. "I can see why you were in the army; you can't bloody well think...this is how it is, *mate*...humans aren't good or evil...they're in between... they swing both ways...depends on them and the people around them...humans have one thing demons don't -- free will. Which you seem to have a shortage of," she said, her frustration with the man evident in both her voice and the scowl now marring her beautiful face. "Listen, Slayer, I've got to go...think about what I said yeah? Right -- Anya, ‘twas a pleasure...Xander...witches...I'll be seeing ya." Cara nodded in the direction of each mentioned person.

"Wait! What about Angel, why was he so different?" Xander asked, wanting the answers that Cara seemed to have.

"How about we open that box tomorrow, Pandora," Cara said with a wink. She grabbed her coat and purse and was out the door. If they had been watching they would have seen the brunette waitress follow her out, but as it was they were all too lost in thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~`~`~~

"Cara! Where do you think your going?" The waitress shouted from behind the fleeing watcher.
Cara stopped in the ally behind the Bronze, her back rigid as she heard the woman‘s voice, and the command in it.

"I don't have time for this." Frustration was clear in the watcher's voice.

"Yes you do--remember who you work for." The woman's voice held a note of smug superiority.

"Like I could forget, mate--I'm doing my job," Cara spat back as she turned around to face the woman.

"Really? Because it looked to me like you were walking out on your job." The woman sneered at the watcher, but there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She knew how much taking on her current tone would anger the young watcher.

'And she's a vision when she's livid.'

Cara glared at the brunette. "No I'm not; I'm doing my job--you forgot to mention that I would be working with a group of closed minded pillocks barely out of their nappies," she replied through gritted teeth.

"I never said it would be easy," the brunette said, smirking.

"No you didn't, and I didn't think it would be...but to do what I've been asked to do will take time." Cara was now ready to hit her. It wouldn't matter if she couldn't inflict any serious pain. Anything would do.

"Time is the one thing you don't have." The brunette was now invading the blonde watcher's personal space; they were nose to nose.

"Listen, this isn't the time. I have someone I have to stop from getting pissed out of his mind," Cara replied as she took a step back. She had fought many times with the beauty in front of her, and knew that she was trying to get a rise out of her.

'Yeah, and that's not all that happens.'

"The vampire isn't that important in the big picture, Cara-- try and remember that, no matter what you find, and know they would never stand for it. I personally couldn't give a fuck either way, but the others aren't so forgiving." The brunette said, reminding Cara once again that the people she worked for weren't known for their understanding.

"Well then it looks like I have my work cut out for me." Cara said, lifting her head in defiance.

"That you do." With a laugh that held no mirth, the brunette disappeared from view.

"I hate it when you do that...bloody pillock," Cara muttered under her breath.

Shaking her head, Cara went on her way to Willie's Alibi Club.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cara approached the demon bar. Standing outside the doors, she took a breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Walking in shoulders squared and head held high, Cara easily spotted Spike sitting on a stool, knocking back a drink and setting it down, adding it to a long line of empty glasses.

As she walked up to him and sat down on the stool next to him, she signaled to Willy to get her what Spike was having.

"Why...tell me that Cara... why did you do it?" Spike asked, his voice slightly slurred, though there was nothing that could mask the obvious pain in his voice.

"Because it's time you remembered who you were, William," Cara replied quietly, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"A lot of bloody good its doin' me," Spike retorted, knocking back yet another drink.

"I'm sorry...but I need your help." There was no mistaking the guilt she felt; it was plain to see and hear.

"Why?" Spike asked, curious as to what could have changed so much. A hundred plus years ago, the woman sitting next to him had felt it necessary to strip him of his memories, and replace them with falsified memories of situations and people he didn't know.

'Like I would ever fall in love with that bloody bitch Cecily.'

"Prophesy," Cara stated simply; there was no need to go any further.

"Apocalyptic?"

"Maybe."

"Language?"

"Multiple."

Spike nodded his head. "Don't know if I'm going to be much help," he replied quietly. It had been a while, but he found it interesting and comfortable that they were able to fall into their one worded conversations again so easily.

"‘Twas what you did best, William Teddington," she said as she gave him a warm smile and drank her drink.

"You are too kind, Cara Morgan-Giles. You're too kind," he replied, his accent seeming to take on the aristocratic airs of hers, as he finished his drink.

Together the two old friends sat in silence, dreading what was to come.

TBC

Family matters


Not the same....



Her blond head lay resting on his chest as she carelessly drew non- descript shapes on his stomach.

"We'll have to get dressed and out of bed before they come home, William," she said, her voice filled with regret.

"I know, luv...can't rightly move just now." His voice was quiet, barely a whisper, almost as if he feared that should he speak any louder, the spell that they had woven around them would come crashing down around them, thrusting them back into the real world.

"Mmm," was the only indication that she had heard what he said, and that she agreed both with his spoken and unspoken thoughts.

Her hand moved further down, resting on his hip. She didn't understand it; in all the years she had had sex it had never felt like this, nor had she ever truly enjoyed it. It had always been a tool to get what she wanted.

But this was new and different and she loved it; she loved the way his hand absently would run up and down her arm; she loved the way he would play with the ends of her hair as he drew her closer to him. But most importantly, she loved *him*.

Yeah...this whole afterglow thing is pretty nice. She let out a contented sigh.

"What's goin' on in that pretty head of yours?" he said as he dropped a kiss on the crown of her head.

She lifted her head, her blue eyes locking with his, and she gave him a small smile before leaning down and kissing his bottom lip. She took her time planting small kisses on his lips, nose, and eyelids.

She then ran her hand up from his hip to his head, gently cupped his cheek, and brought his head down to hers. The kissing started out slowly with light kisses; William moved until he was nearly on top of the petite blond, one hand in her hair, the other at her waist, and she let out a low moan at the feel of his weight on top of her. Tentatively she let out her tongue to run across his bottom lip, asking for entry, and he opened his mouth, his own tongue coming into play.

God, what is it about this man that makes me feel like a fucking virgin? I wonder what it would be like to be with him forever, was her only thought as she let out a breathless moan, when he cupped one breast and slightly pinched her nipple. That thought was like a bucket of cold water on her clouded mind; she knew that they didn't have forever. They barely had an hour to get back home and bathe; getting caught would seal their death warrant, and she couldn't let that happen. With all the strength of will that she possessed, she pushed at his shoulder, moving him away.

"We have to stop, William...we need to get back before they do...they can't know...we'll need to take a bath," she said, panting.

"I know...I just...I just wish you were mine...I hate to hide the fact that I love you."

"I know...I love you too, William."



Spike lurched up suddenly, trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. Judging by the way the metal of his zipper was now biting into his cock, he had a fairly good idea what kind of dream it had been.

Yeah, you git, we know what kind of dream -- but who was she?

All he could remember was blond hair and blue eyes.

It couldn't be...could it? She did wipe your memories one time, who's to say she wouldn't do it a second time?

Spike cleared his head of the thought that the woman starring in his wet dream had been Cara; they had been friends for many years before he was turned, but that didn't mean they had been lovers.

Especially not when I was with Dru; she would have torn her to bits-whoever it was, it was after Dru, that's for bloody sure--well at least it wasn't another dream about the slayer.

Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts of a certain blond slayer. Lately she had been plaguing his every waking moment, and when he tried to be rid of those thoughts in the few hours in his sleep, she would end up being the special guest star, or more like female lead, but he wasn't about to quibble about semantics at that moment.


He laid back down on the couch Cara had said he could sleep off his hangover on. He had argued against it at first, saying that he could take care of himself, but she reminded him that if he was drunk, there was little or no chance of his defending himself against any demon; whereas the place she was staying at had a nice protection spell that barred all unwanted guests from entering.

I might look into that for the crypt.

Closing his eyes, Spike tried to sort out all the new memories that had been unlocked. But one thing that kept coming back was a deep feeling of betrayal; with his memories came a life that seemed foreign to him. Cara was one of the many new yet old things back in his life; she had been his best friend and confidant, and yet she had felt the need to go into his mind and alter the memories of his life. He now remembered brothers and a sister, people she had stolen away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours earlier:

"Why did you do it, Cara?" Spike asked, his speech slightly slurred due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed before she got there, and the many he had had afterwards.

Cara didn't even try to pretend she didn't understand what he was talking about, knocking her drink back and letting out a sigh filled with both pain and acceptance.

"What would have happened to them if I hadn't? What would you have done with all the information you had locked in that head of yours? More importantly what would have Dru and Angelus done? They would have killed every bloody last watcher until there wasn't anyone left, then what? You know what, forget about the council of blithering idiots--what about your brothers and sister? What would you have done?" Cara ended with a glare which dared him to contradict her.

Spike looked at her with pained eyes; he couldn't believe that the one person he trusted the most could trust him so little.

"Don't you bloody well look at me like that -- you weren't the same, William, you just weren't."

He looked at the woman with an expression that said clearly that he wasn't the only one that wasn't the same.

"Just a little black, there, aren't you, pot?"

Cara let out a mirthless laugh.

"Understatement of the bloody year...a hundred plus years will do that to you. Will...you see more than you bloody well need to, that's for sure. I'm sorry I couldn't trust you, William-I couldn't take that risk-if I knew....lets just say if I knew then what I now, things wouldn't have played out the same," Cara said, giving him a smile that could only be described as broken.

~~`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lying on the couch Spike played over the conversation with Cara and wondered what she had meant by her last statement. Come to think of it, he didn't even know how it was possible for her to be alive one hundred years later, and looking the same as the last time he had seen her, or how she had broken the spell to begin with; or how she could cast something that strong.

It was all very confusing.

Deciding to ignore the issue until the next day, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.



He was in an alley.

He could hear the sounds of people talking as they walked down the street, but he paid them no mind. All that mattered was the woman in front of him, her creamy white thighs wrapped around his waist, layers upon layers of fabric bunched around her waist as he thrust into her, his rhythm punishing both him and her. Every thrust into her caused her back to rub against the rough wall behind her. If any of the people passing by had dared to look they would have easily seen them -- or rather, seen her, to be more exact.

She was bare for the entire world to see, the top of her once fine dress torn open in his haste to claim her. He had ripped it down to her waist, her breasts exposed for him to see; her rosy pink nipples had turned into hard points, both from the cold air and the attentions of her violent lover.

William watched as they bounced with every thrust he took, teasing him. Dipping down he flicked one nipple with his tongue, and she let out a breathless moan which in turn caused him to growl, sending shivers to her very core.

"Please...oh...god...William...so long...missed you...oh...oh."

She gasped between pants as she held his head to her breast, encouraging him to keep doing what he was doing; but he had no intention of stopping now. He too had missed her, as each day passed and he had to watch her with *him*; it felt as if a little piece of his heart got shattered day by day. Today they had been in luck, and they were alone for the first time in a long time. Suddenly it happened, and he let out a roar that signaled his release.

Only when he come back down to earth did he realize that his lover had been left behind. He felt her push him away.

"I knew it! You never loved me, did you, William? You were just using me to get back at him! Are you happy now that you've made a fool of me? Well now you've used me, let me go." She was hysterical by now both due to sexual frustration and her own insecurities.

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no, love...I love you...I'm sorry I didn't plan for that to happen I just...I've missed you so much," William pleaded, his voice and eyes showing pain at being separated for so long. She looked at him carefully.

"NO! You don't, you can't, none of you can-you're lying to me-just let me go." She ended with a sob, the once strong woman replaced by a scared, lonely girl.

"Shh," William muttered as he kissed her forehead, and pulled her into his arms and held her close as he rubbed small circles into her back.

"I love you. God, do you know what I'd like to do to the sods that did this to you? I love you so much-and nothing he said or did... changes how I feel about you," William said, his voice mixed with earnest desire for the woman in his arms to believe him, and loathing for the men that had damaged her.

"I love you too," she mumbled, her voice filled with love and fear. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed away the tear stains, pulling apart. Love-filled blue eyes looked up at him; leaning down he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and moved back just enough to speak.

"I love you."

Their breath mingled as they spoke of their feelings for each other. Love-filled blue eyes looked up at him, leaning down he kissed her slowly, moving his tongue against hers. His desire for this woman soon began its upward climb, and before they knew it they were rocking together, once again losing themselves in their passion.



"Oh bugger."

Once again waking up from his dream, sitting up, Spike felt a sticky mess and looked down at his crouch, noticing a wet spot.

"Double bugger. First blue eyes I can't seem to bloody well remember, and now I'm goin' to embarrass myself in front of my oldest friend."

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, Teddington," Cara stated, speaking up from behind him.

"Bugger off...Morgan." Spike's retort was paired with a scowl marring his handsome face.

"Charming," Cara replied, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Having seen this side of him many times in the years they had been friends, she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at his antics.

"You might want these," she said as she handed him a pair of black jeans. He looked up at her and saw for the first time that she wasn't wearing pajamas; in fact she was wearing a mint green silk wrap dress with short sleeves and a v-neck that showed enough cleavage without being trashy. Her slightly flared skirt ended just above her knees; she was also wearing a pair of ridiculously high strappy heels, and her hair was the way he always remembered it soft and wavy.

"Were are you off to, dressed like that this time of night?"

"More like time of day. Will, it's eight thirty and I told Rupert I'd be at the Magic Box at nine to work on the prophesy...you can swing by later if you want...just so you know, Wes is going to come and bring his boss with him around six...a boss who happens to be a family member of yours."

Spike frowned, not knowing anyone that worked with a Wes, let alone was his boss.

Cara seeing his confusion rolled her eyes and said, "Angelus...listen if I'm going to be there on time I've got to go. Now there's blood in the fridge if your hungry, and tea in the pot." Cara pointed to the kitchenette and began to gather pieces of paper and put them in her purse.

"When did you have time to go to the butchers and get me blood, luv?"

"One of the perks of immortality, you don't need to sleep--I got it at dawn, best to avoid the more unsavory crowd." She gave him a pointed look and pointed to his forehead.

"You never did explain that, luv."

Cara bit her lip and in a quiet tone said, "Maybe someday but not anytime soon."

Spike looked up at her and caught her blue eyes, and the question he had asked himself earlier that night came back to him.

"Cara...luv...the spell you did about my memories -- you didn't...?" Spike asked ,clearing his voice, clearly embarrassed by what he was about to say.

"I didn't what?" Cara prompted, her voice encouraging him to ask her his question, curious as to what had him so tongue-tied. One thing that William had never been around her was shy.

"Were... were we ever lovers?" His voice sounded weak even to himself, almost as if he was unsure whether he wanted the answer.

Cara frowned at him, finding the question rather strange.

"Mate -- we've been a lot of things to each other but lovers is not one of them...why?" The look she was giving him made him cringe and wish just for once he would ignore his own impulse to speak before he had all the facts.

"Never mind...just a few strange dreams," Spike said in attempt to change the subject.

"Right...well...if you want to talk..." Cara's sentence stopped and started at many points making it obviously clear, he wasn't the only trying to readjust to the change in their relationship.

Spike nodded his head at the statement and knew a change of subject was needed, and needed desperately. No matter how close they had been at one time, that was now a long time ago, and it seemed that things weren't the same anymore.

Of course they aren't the same you bloody idiot, you're a vampire and she is immortal.

"You want me at the Magic Box at six. Right?"

"Yeah...I'm off." Cara decided now wasn't the best time to ask him questions he obviously didn't want to answer. Grabbing her purse, Cara was out the door.


Meanwhile at the Magic Box:


"Giles, she was all, ‘you don't know your own power.' And then she was all on how souls don't make people good or bad! And then was all caped hero-y and was out the door without an explanation!" Buffy ended with a huffy, whiny quality to her voice that was very annoying.

Giles let out an exasperated sigh. Since seven o'clock he had had to hear his slayer whine and moan, and he was at his wit's end. He loved Buffy like a daughter -- and like a daughter, he wanted to throttle her sometimes.

"Buffy, have you stopped to think about what Cara was trying to tell you?" Giles tried to not sound judgmental, having had this conversation with Cara earlier that day or later the night before, however you wanted to look at it. They had both thought it would be in the best interest of the slayer not to be pushed into changing her opinions of the world too quickly or aggressively .

"No," Buffy replied, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting. It upset her to think that the Giles was choosing Cara over her.

He was my watcher first, and she comes and is all ‘I have a prophesy', and it's bye bye Buffy...and hello, Cara Morgan.

"I don't get it, Giles, what's so special about Cara Morgan? Why is everyone acting as if she's some sort of guru or something? I mean, take last night -- both Wills and Xand were all with the ‘oh I can't believe I never thought of that' and the ‘I mean really if you think about it makes sense' blah ...blah...bloody... blah."

Giles raised his eyebrows at the obvious choice of words.

"Even Spike was all over her *Spike! Giles!* He was nice and making with the jokes and everything." Buffy's voice had risen several octaves, making her voice end in a high pitched shrill sound, which Giles believed could possibly only be heard by dogs and unfortunate parental figures.

"Really...they met."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the way Giles voice changed; it had taken on a high pitched quality.

"Yes, they did...so you shouldn't ask her out, she was a total ho bag with him."

Giles flushed at Buffy's implications.

If only she knew.

The bell above the door rang, signaling that they were no longer alone.

"Hello and welcome...oh Cara, it's you...how are you? You look lovely."

"Thanks Anya, so do you...how's the money?" Cara said, smiling warmly at the outspoken young woman. In the short amount of time she had spent with her she was quite sure that she was going to become close friends with the young woman.

"Very well, thank you for asking." Anya beamed at the watcher, pleased to have met someone who appreciated capitalism as much as she did.

"I've got something for you." Cara handed Anya a paper bag. Eagerly Anya opened it to pull out a pink top.

"Thank you! Do you expect a financial transaction in exchange for the top?"

"If I did...there would be a price tag," Cara stated with a causal shrug and a small smile. She then turned to Giles and saw that a very put out Buffy was standing in front of him.

"Rupert...Buffy," Cara said, acknowledging them both with a nod of her head.

"Would you like some tea before we start?" Giles asked, gesturing to the tea pot.

"Yes thank you, that would be lovely...a spot of tea might help clear the mind for the mind boggling text we're about to go through," Cara answered as she moved over to the research table and put down her purse.

"You're quite curtain it isn't in any known dialect?" Giles inquired as he busied himself with making the tea.

"Sorry, Rupert ...but yeah, I am...it's roughly ten different languages all thrown together to create a code...and the prophesy itself is the code of the code. Did you get a look at it? I left it with you for a purpose," Cara said, finishing with an impish smile taking the sting out of her last remark, which allowed Giles the room to gracefully bow out without losing face.


"No I didn't, but then I suppose that's why no one had even come as close as you have to understanding it in the past two thousand years." Giles smiled at the young woman who smiled back at him, accepting his compliment.

Cara noted the rigid stance Buffy had taken and rolled her eyes.

Honestly the girl is starting to bloody well piss me off...maybe she should look into getting the stake surgically removed from her arse.

"Buffy...how are you? Did you think about what we talked about?" Cara asked, trying to keep her tone pleasant and her own personal feelings hidden.

"Yes I did...and Riley is right," Buffy answered, her lips pressed together and her head held high.

"I'm sure you think so...and that is the answer to your question," Cara said; her tone did nothing to mask her irritation.

"What question?" Buffy asked, confused.

"You asked what I meant by ‘doesn't even begin to understand her powers'. And you just answered it for yourself," Cara replied, glaring at Buffy, and making no effort to mask her irritation, her anger, or her disappointment in the young blonde in front of her.

The two blondes were now locked together in a battle of the wills; that was how Xander and Willow found them.

"It seems the Magic Box moved to the Arctic...what's up with that, G-man?" Xander said in attempt to break the silence.

"You think I'm a dumb blonde that lets her boyfriend make all the decisions for her," Buffy said, accusation heavy in her words and voice.

"You said it, not me -- and not just your boyfriend, you let people lead you, it's easy to see--bloody hell, you interrupted a friendly game of pool because your friends had you convinced Spike had put me under thrall!" Cara retorted, her voice slightly raised, both her hands fisted on the table in front of her.

"So that makes me a bad slayer?" Buffy's reply did not lack in venom or anger.

"No, it makes you a slayer that is nowhere near her true potential. I've met you twice and I can see that." By now Cara was yelling; too many years of waiting for this particular slayer, only to find out she was a stubborn, narrow minded little girl did nothing to curb her resentment for the situation at hand or the turns her life had taken.

"I've stopped more apocalypses than you ever could and I plan on stopping the next one too," Buffy yelled back, livid that she was being told what to do by a watcher barely older than she was.

"Oh...I know what you've done, *we* all bloody well know what you've done! I don't think you can stop this one -- *you wouldn't make it*." The harsh tones used by both women was now replaced by the soft saddened voice. Cara was no longer glaring at Buffy, but looking at her with such sympathy and compassion that Buffy had to turn away.

"Wh-what do you mean wouldn't make it?" Willow cringed at the stutter in her voice; gone was the confidence that had been instilled in her due to college and her knowledge of magic, and in her place stood the scared little girl from Sunnydale High.

"The battle to come isn't anything like what any of you have faced before--The Beast as it is called is believed to be a god--we don't know which one as to the second it is evil itself--the First--to win against it, to come out alive, requires that you all learn more about your powers--not that you just have them...believe me when this is over your all going to be praying for the days when your biggest fear was Angelus," Cara answered in a deadly calm voice. The Scoobies paled at the conviction in the young watcher's voice.

Angelus had been their worst nightmare come to life -- that had stretched into the emotionally, mentally, and physically painful months of their young lives. The knowledge that what was to come paled in comparison to that had them fearing that maybe Cara's prediction was true.

Cara, seeing the distress on the young faces, couldn't help the overwhelming need to protect this foolishly brave group of friends.

They really are quite special.

Walking closer to Buffy, Cara placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy...I don't mean to make you feel that you can't or won't kick the arse of whatever evil is coming your way...I know you can...I want to help. You just have to learn to trust me...believe me when I say I can help you."

Buffy turned to look Cara in the eyes. She wasn't sure if the others had caught the little catch in Cara's voice; it indicated to Buffy that Cara didn't want to help Buffy the Slayer, but Buffy the girl.

The tone of voice mixed with the gentle hand on her shoulder and kind, sympathetic blue eyes let Buffy know that this woman would help her. Hesitantly nodding her head, Buffy accepted the help freely given.

Cara gave her a warm smile and a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder.

"Good-well do you have a class to attend or are you gracing us with your presence?" Cara asked, giving Buffy one of her warmer smiles

"Nah...I'm skipping today."

"So why aren't you following in the steps of one Ferris Bueller?" Cara couldn't help but wonder.

Xander's eyes popped.

"Did a watcher make with a pop culture reference?" he asked with a goofy smile on his face.

"Oi! I'm a watcher not bloody dead," Cara said, glaring at him -- though it would have been more effective if she hadn't been smiling.

"Please...we've met watchers, it's all tweed and doom and gloom," Buffy stated, channeling her valley girl persona.

"Hey now! I've never worn tweed. Do I look like a woman who would wear tweed, of all the bleeding fabrics in the world?"

"I know get why you and Spike were so cozy; you're the same. When someone says he isn't evil he get all grr...like." Willow spoke up as she noted the pout that had formed on Cara's lips was similar to the one Spike had worn on many occasions. Cara frowned at the comment but said nothing.

"Listen why don't you lot go out and do as Ferris did...Rupert and I need to work on the prophesy before Wes comes...he and his friends will be here around six," Cara suggested, wanting the teens gone so that she could talk more privately with the older man.

"Nah...we'll hang here...plus, I want you to answer a few questions, oh all knowledgeable Yoda," Xander said with a wiggle of his eyebrows

"Would that be about the box Pandora?" Cara asked in a bored tone raising her eyebrow at Xander.

"Maybe...what you said last night about souls...and stuff ...I wanted to know why vampires are so different without one. I mean Angel...and..." Xander let his sentence hang, not able to mention the name of his long lost friend.

Cara looked at the young man before her and knew without a doubt that there was a person he wasn't mentioning.

Probably the first vamp he ever came face to face with.

"Right, well...Angel is very strange. He wasn't known to be a good person before he was turned...a person who is turned says that being turned is the best thing that happened to them...there's freedom...you answer to a different set of rules...the conscience has to go as well as the soul to be replaced by that of the demon...can't have the body starvin' away because they won't eat...the demon is always a mix of who the person was before they were turned and the demon...creating a balance...the demon craves three things" Cara stopped to notice she had the attention of the room holding up her hand she began to count off, "One...blood...two...violence...three...sex...Angel before he was turned already had a taste for all three...whereas your friend..."

Xander was shocked to realize that Cara knew the truth.

"Was probably on a high of finding out he was stronger and faster than all the people that used to mock him and put him down...it was payback and he was the bitch...I'm sorry."

Xander nodded his head. Many people had told him that they were sorry for his loss, but Xander got the feeling that Cara knew what it was like to lose a friend; there was something in the way she had said it and was looking at him, that told him that this wasn't an empty sorry.

"Do you think he meant what he said?" Xander asked in a small voice.

"No I don't," Cara answered in a sure yet quiet voice; the silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it was contemplative, each lost in their own thoughts and memories.

"What did you mean by saying that Angel had a taste for blood, violence, and sex long before he was turned?" Buffy asked, outrage clear in her voice as she thought about what the watcher was saying about the love of her life.

Just when you think you've gotten it through her overly blond head she pulls the rug from under your feet...irritating chit.

"The life your boyfriend had before he was turned is very detailed...you might want to look it up...before you start using that tone with me. And it means what it means...he was a womanizing brawler long before he was turned...ask Spike." Cara let out a sigh knowing any headway she had made was lost due to Angel and the matter of his slippery soul, and the lies he had fed the girl before her.

Feels like the World War I. Gain an inch and lose a bloody mile. Fuck him, he couldn't have stayed in hell like a good little vamp?

"Perhaps we should save this discussion for a later date. Cara and I would like to work on the prophesy right now," Giles cut in before a second shouting match could begin.

"You don't know anything about Angel," Buffy said, jaw clenched through gritted teeth as she turned away, heading to the training room.

"It seems you're the one that doesn't know soul boy ...PRINCESS!" Cara shouted at Buffy's retreating back. When the door of the training room slammed, Cara couldn't suppress the irritated growl she let out.

"I swear Rupert someone needs to belt the bloody chit," Cara said with a shake of her head.

Giles looked amused. "I'm sure it was common practice back in the day, Cara, however people frown on corporal law nowadays," he replied with an amused smile. Cara laughed; with that said both watcher and former watcher turned their attention to the books on the table.

It was nearly six o' clock when Spike came into the Magic Box, using the door that opened into the training room. The sight that greeted him was that of a furious slayer pummeling the punching bag.

God she's bloody gorgeous...oh will you stop it...for fuck's sake just cause you have one soddin' dream does not mean you're in love with her. Plus we've got bigger issues, one being the other volatile blonde you know.

"I think you killed it, Slayer," Spike said, smirk firmly in place.

"What do you want, Spike?" Buffy asked, still furiously hitting the punching bag.

"Lots of thing...world peace...an end to world hunger...mostly to get this chip out of my head and to beat GI Joe over the head with his own arm."

Buffy gritted her teeth in irritation.

"More importantly what are you doing here in my training room?"

Spike just smirked. Buffy, not liking the smirk on his face, decided she would take care of it for him. Leaving the "dead" punching bag, she moved swiftly toward him and punched him in the nose. When her fist connected with his nose it let out a satisfying popping sound.

"Bloody hell, woman, why must you always go for the nose?" Spike shouted at the slip of a girl in front of him

Yeah, she's the love of my bloody unlife...not bloody likely if I have a say about it.

"I asked you a question. You didn't answer...why are you here?"

"Was invited."

"What?" Buffy asked, clearly shocked by his answer.

"Cara told me to come around...that my opinion might matter...said I should see the Grand-Poof seein' since he's family and all that rot." He couldn't help the satisfied smirk that spread across his lips; he may not be able to hurt her, but he still could get his kicks in, and seeing the little lost girl look on her face made up for it. Too bad, it didn't sit with him as well as he would have liked. Ignoring the slight twinge of guilt he felt, Spike put on as much swagger as he could as he walked into the store.

He saw Cara and Giles reading over many different books, and he felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips when he took in the messy bun Cara had tied her hair into, and the crooked reading glasses that were on the tip of her nose. It was strange, but looking at her this way remind him of better times when his world had had a sense of order.

As if she could feel his gaze on her, she looked up, and when she caught his eyes she gave him a warm smile.

Don't know why I thought she was the bleedin' woman in my dreams, her eyes are the wrong blue.

"Spike...thank you for coming, I really appreciate it," Cara said, giving him a warm smile, which he returned with a nod of his head.

"Oh...Spike didn't hear you come in...would you like a cup of tea?" Giles addressed the vampire as a long term friend.

All the Scoobies looked at Giles, shocked by his offer to the hated vampire. Spike himself raised an eyebrow at the question; he looked at Cara who nodded her head.

Ahhh...so the watcher knows the long and the short of it.

"Nah, thanks, mate...ask me again when Peaches gets here."

Once again the Scoobies were shocked, but this time it was because of Spike's civil reply.

"Wait a minute -- I thought Wesley and Dead Boy were coming...who the hell is Peaches?"
Spike gave Xander the most sinister of smirks.

"Peaches is the king of foreheads...whelp."

Xander frowned a little at that; then when he figured it out his mouth formed an ‘o' and he let out a cackle. "Oh man, the damage I could do with that." There was a manic sort of glee in his eyes as he rubbed his hands together and imagined all the taunts he could direct towards the souled vampire.

"If you two really want to rub him the wrong way, act like you're chums," Cara said in a sing-song voice, giving both Spike and Xander an impish smile. She watched as the light bulb went off and knew she had hit the nail on the head.

One obstacle easily removed...that's one team Cara and nil for evil incorporated.

"I'd like to be in on that... never liked the git before he lost the soul, liked him even less after." Giles addressed the two.

The women watched as the men all shared a smile, their minds plotting the most effective way to annoy Angel.

Anya had just finished closing the store and had heard Xander and his fellow conspirators and smiled a small smile, as she came and sat down next to Cara.

"It's very nice that you have given Xander a friend...I like Spike...I mean not like as in future orgasm partner like...I know he's yours." Anya was babbling; she liked the young woman next to her and the last thing she wanted to do was offend her.

"Anya he isn't mine and bloody well won't be...he's got his eye on another blonde," Cara said, cutting off any more of Anya's attempts to mend unbroken fences.

"Oh...I just thought with the flirting...oh well...thank you...I like knowing Xander has demon friends...it will keep him safe...so he can come home and be a good boyfriend to me," Anya explained with a relieved smile, glad she hadn't alienated the watcher.

"Pleasure is all mine ...but between you and me...that lot won't know they're friends until one of them nearly dies," Cara replied with a small wink and a gesture to the three men.

Anya nodded her head knowing that the watcher was right, but happy in the knowledge that Xander's reluctant truce with Spike would soon lead to better friendship, one that did not include Riley Finn.

When Tara came in through the doors of the Magic Box she couldn't believe her eyes. There was Xander, Spike, and Giles all sitting together discussing by the looks on their faces a very entertaining subject.

She walked over to Willow and gave her a quick peck and held her hand. "Wh...what's going on? I come in and I see that?" She asked gesturing to the group of men.

"It seems they all realized they don't like Angel, so instead of one of them torturing the guy they all are going to -- by pretending to be friends." Willow explained, giving her girlfriend a warm smile.

"T-that will work?" Tara asked, a frown marring her usually peaceful features.

"Maybe--I mean Angel never liked Spike and he always tried to be nice with Xander and Giles and they never were... so... yeah it might." Willow said with a shrug, not really caring either way.

Tara watched them for a little while, and then saw Cara talking with Anya and thought this would be the best time to ask Cara to meet her sometime so she could ask her the question that pressed heavily on her mind as her birthday drew closer and closer.

Letting go of Willow's hand and giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek Tara took a seat on the opposite side of Cara.

"Umm...h-h-hi!" Tara stuttered heavier than she had ever done since meeting Willow.

"Hey petal, didn't see you there...sorry I never got your name. I'm Cara Morgan?" Cara said, extending her hand to Tara with a warm smile.

"T-Tara Maclay."

The women shook hands. Just as Tara was going to ask Cara if they could meet later to talk about her problem, there was a loud tapping on the glass of the door.


"I'll get it!" Anya yelled as she went to open the door, with the closed sign firmly in place. Opening the door she saw standing in front of her a tall thin man in his mid twenties with brown hair and blue eyes. She easily recognized him as Wesley, though he looked different, more relaxed -- and Anya had no problem telling him so.

"You look different...better... less constipated."

Wesley looked at the young woman and with a smile said, "Why thank you, you look slightly less demonic and as lovely as ever."

Anya smiled brightly at the compliment and moved so that Wesley and the people with him could come in. She recognized Cordelia and Angel when she saw them, and the only person she didn't recognize was the tall, bald black man.

Is it black or African-American? I really don't know humans are so funny...why can't they pick one thing and stick with it? Oh well, he's good looking at least...I wonder if he's Cordelia's boyfriend?

When Wesley came into the Magic Box he easily spotted Cara, and in a strong voice the Scoobies never heard him use,

"Goddess, nymph, perfect, divine! To what, my love, shall I compare thine eyne?
Crystal is muddy. O, how ripe in show thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow! That pure congealed white, high Taurus' snow, Fann'd with the eastern wind, turns to a crow When thou hold'st up thy hand. O, let me kiss this princess of pure white, this seal of bliss!"

Cara turned to the former watcher and added with a smile,

"O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment.
If you were civil and knew courtesy, you would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do, but you must join in souls to mock me too? If you were men, as men you are in show, you would not use a gentle lady so: To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts, When I am sure you hate me with your hearts. You both are rivals, and love Hermia; And now both rivals, to mock Helena. A trim exploit, a manly enterprise, to conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes with your derision! None of noble sort would so offend a virgin, and extort a poor soul's patience, all to make you sport."

The two exchanged smiles as then Cara walked over to Wesley, pulling him into a deep hug, which he gladly returned. Spike, who had heard the interaction, couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of the times when he and Cara had done the same thing, but like all things time changes everything and nothing was the same.

Angel looked at Wesley as if he had lost his mind. For the life of him he couldn't remember who they were quoting, not that he would say anything of the sort. It was then he picked up on a scent he had hoped he would never have to smell again.

"You what are you doing here?" Angel said, glaring at Spike. Spike and Xander shared conspiring glances; Spike looked up at Angel from the place he had been sitting and smirked and said,

"Was invited."

"Unlike some people who just show up." Xander glared at Angel distastefully, turning to Spike and said, "Spike, man, you want something to drink, maybe some O neg? I know I got some fresh from Willy today."

The fact was true due to Cara having asked the young carpenter to go and get a pint or two, having expected the arrival of the two vampires.

"Yeah...I'm feelin' a mite puckish, thanks, mate."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Angel bellowed, anger clearly in his voice.

To which Giles answered in his usual monotone, "A prophesy."


TBC....