The nearness of the body behind her felt comforting in an odd way. Well odd considering that the last time she'd seen the vampire in question they were trying to kill each other.
There was something about her presence though that Buffy couldn't put her finger on. Something she was responding too.
Her hands lingered on her lower arms and Buffy felt her step closer so they were almost touching. Whatever it was she wasn't going to fight it. Relaxing she let her head rest against Dru's shoulder.
"Dru?"
"Spike you've been a bad puppy letting the Sunshine feel so sad."
Spike couldn't help the thought that he'd stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone. The two women in front of him were a study in contrasts between light and dark and it made him a little uncomfortable in the lower region. They were both extraordinarily beautiful and he couldn't help the downward spiral his thoughts were taking. He was only a man after all.
He was mesmerized by the sight of his former lover's hands gliding back up Buffy's arms and settling over her shoulders before reaching around her waist and pulling her tight against her body. Swallowing hard he tried to focus on what she was saying.
"Don't worry Sunshine Mummy's here to make the ugly clouds go away."
Buffy shuddered as the words past Dru's lips and her breath brushed against her ear. She had no idea what the older vamp was talking about, not that she was surprised really, the only person who ever seemed to understand her was Spike. Her questioning eyes focused on the man in front of her and waited.
"Something you want to share with the rest of us pet?" He stood up brushing the dust off of his dark jeans and took a step towards the two women.
"The stars are cross my Spike. Miss Edith told me that I had to make it better. This time my party will have new guests."
Well if she wasn't confused before she sure was now. Nothing in that statement made a lick of sense to her.
"So the guest list needs a little updating does it? Tell me why ducks." One more step towards the women and he tilted his head waiting for her answer. The only way he ever got Dru to explain things to him was with a whole lot of patience and trying to use her terminology. It wasn't like it was hard for him. Hell he'd been talking to her for a hundred and twenty years. It was old hat now.
He watched as huge smile lit up his Sire's face. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth as her hands tightened around the Slayer.
"Sunshine refused her gift. It was rude but the others want her to have it anyway."
His eyes focused on Buffy as she drew in a sharp breath and turned to study Dru's face. Whatever answers she was searching for were not to be found and as if she could sense his gaze her eyes turned to him again. The eyebrow he raised in silent question was the only prompt that she needed.
"The three men I saw when I went through the portal. They wanted to give me more power. I thought the price was too high."
"What kind of power pet?" He kept his tone low and gentle not knowing how long she was going to be willing to tell him anything. Especially in the presence of Dru.
"They wanted to give me more of the essence of the demon that made the first Slayer. I panicked and refused it." She turned her eyes away from his but he didn't need to see them to know the conflict raging in her mind.
"Little girl thought she knew better. The stars told me that it wasn't so."
"What did they tell you Dru?"
She gave a little giggle. The sound brought a bunch of memories of happier times with his dark princess to the forefront of his mind. Memories that also brought a fresh rush of pain and guilt for their bloody imagery.
"Nasty soul. Makes all the puppies unwilling to play. Even Daddy is beyond my touch now. Grand mummy showed me before she went away again." She dropped her head to the opposite side of Buffy letting it rest on her shoulder as she looked over at him. "Our family is all broken my Spike. Even you. I've gotten so lonely."
He couldn't help the anger that bled into his eyes. The deep seated pain was something he never thought he'd be able to get over.
"In case your memory isn't working right pet you were the one who sent me away remember?"
The tinkling laugh that came out of her didn't help the rage he felt in his gut.
"Oh my poor boy. Don't you understand? I had to set you free. Let you find what you've always searched for." She nuzzled Buffy's neck. "Had to let you find effulgent all on your own."
It took everything he had not to let his jaw drop open at her words.
"But now all the birdies have flown away and the nest is empty. The stars have told me to start a new nest."
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that pet?"
"The stars told me a secret but I'm not going to tell."
He was getting frustrated and had to tamp down the urge to begin yelling. He wondered how he had stranded her insane rambling for a century. Love or not he had been one patient bastard.
"Dru what did they say about me?" It was the first time she had spoken her words quiet but sure startled both the others in the room.
A pleased smile broke out on Dru's face at her words.
"They told me the little Dolly would become very strong. Said you would fix my family all better."
"How would she do that then luv?" Spike had an uneasy feeling about where this was leading.
"Nope can't tell." She shook her head. Stopping she looked at him with the mirth returning to her eyes. "But I can show you."
The feeling in his gut intensified with the look in her eyes and he couldn't fight the urge to take one more step closer to them.
It wasn't enough though as he watched Dru vamp and bite into Buffy's pale neck.
Buffy didn't have any idea of what Dru meant but thought it couldn't be important. Not with the feeling of Dru's fangs in her throat. The gentle pulls of blood that she was taking were sending answering pulls into her lower abdomen. Her eyes fluttered closed with the sensation and she lifted her arm to place a hand to the back of Dru's neck to hold her in place.
In response she felt one of Dru's hands spread out over her stomach while the other trailed up and down the side of her body. She suppressed a moan as desire rocketed out of control through her heightened awareness. Reaching around with her free hand Buffy snaked it behind her to pull the other vampiress closer to her.
It only lasted a few moments but time seemed to freeze for Spike. He was unsure of what to do. Should he pull them apart? Should he leave them be? The erotic image of his Sire drinking from his love clashed with his confusion leaving him doing nothing but staring at the two of them.
As Dru took her last gulp of Buffy's rich blood she began to lick the bite closed. Closing her eyes she began chanting.
Buffy could barely make out the sound of Dru chanting over her harsh panting breaths. The intensity of the feeling of Dru drinking from her left her in a state of arousal that she couldn't control and she felt helpless to try and stop.
The words may have meant nothing to Buffy but Spike understood them. Latin flowed from his dark princess as she completed the ceremony by placing her wrist in front of Buffy's nose.
She didn't need to be told she just followed the actions finding her demon wanted this more then anything else. Vamping she sunk her fangs gently and reverently into Dru's pale wrist.
The taste of her blood sent chills running through her body and she pulled greedily on the heavenly elixir. It tasted like the sweetest thing she had ever known and at the same time screamed home and family to her all at once. One last pull and she let go making sure to lick the wounds tenderly so they would close.
Spike stood there knowing his mouth was gaping open. He thought the ceremony Dru performed had been a myth. Surely it was something long forgotten by others of his kind. How she knew of its existence was beyond him.
Buffy reluctantly let go of Dru's wrist and turned in her embrace looking her in the eyes for the first time since her arrival. The feeling of belonging that raced through her made tears shimmer in her eyes and she felt helpless to stop the urge to throw her arms around the taller woman.
Spike stared at the smile that was on his Sire's face. He didn't recall ever seeing her so happy as she did with Buffy holding onto her tightly. He didn't understand what led to this moment but the intensity of it brought home all the loneliness he had felt in the last few years being away from his family and his rejection by all the scoobies Buffy included. In that moment he understood everything that had been missing in his existence. His knees buckled and he slid to the floor.
"How? Why?" His words were a whispered plea for understanding his swirling emotions taking him past the point of comprehension.
"Such a lost little lamb." With Dru's words Buffy turned around and took in Spike as he sat there in a heap on the floor pain flooding his blue eyes. The feeling tugged at her still heart and with Dru she moved to kneel beside him. They both wrapped their arms around him holding his shaking form tightly as he struggled to regain control of his emotions.
He gladly took the comfort offered by both women too lost in his own feelings to be able to pull away. Unsure of how long they were wrapped up in each other he let the security and warmth of being cared for by these two strong women wash over him.
"Spike?" Buffy questioned softly unsure what had brought about this sudden emotional moment.
He shook his head slightly and buried his face near her neck. Not knowing what to say she began to use her hand to gently stroke his hair trying to offer him a little comfort.
It was all just too much and he didn't know how to deal with it. All the emotions of the last three years screamed at him all the pain and loss the humiliation and anger the betrayal and guilt it was overwhelming and it played on his tortured soul. Maybe all of that wouldn't have been so bad if Buffy hadn't been turned and he wasn't sitting here in front of his Sire knowing what she just did.
He didn't look up from his place in Buffy's neck and brought on of his hands to hold her free one seeking reassurance in her presence. If she was here holding him while he held her back she wasn't really dead and all this didn't mean anything anyway.
For some reason Buffy knew that he was pulling in on himself trying to hide from whatever pain he was feeling. She couldn't let him do that. Neither of them had the time to play in the land of denial and she knew that was where he was heading. Taking her hand from his hair she gently placed a finger under his chin and lifted it to look into his eyes.
"Talk to me Spike. Help me understand." If she could get him to focus on her then he would be able to tear himself away from whatever internal turmoil he was going through.
He wanted to tell her. She needed to understand the signifigance of the moment but the words were lodged in his throat. Pain and grief kept them from escaping and even though he felt like a sodding git he couldn't fight it yet. He took a shaky breath hoping the recalled action would have a calming influence on him.
Taking her hand from his chin Buffy carefully trailed it along the sharp plane of his cheekbone.
Another shaky breath passed his lips as he gazed into her deep green eyes. The concern that shined there covered him like a blanket enveloping him with a warmth he thought he would never feel again. He just wished it would soothe the ache in his heart.
Inhaling one last time he forced his mind to relax so he could talk to her. But he didn't think he had the answers she needed.
"What Dru did? Thought that was a bloody myth. Somethin' to comfort abandoned fledges in the middle of the day." He sighed feeling the slight weight of his Sire's head against his back. "Doesn't tell me why you did it though."
The laugh that sounded from behind him was slipping the last of his control away. He wasn't known for his patience or for thinking through his actions and for good reason. And right now he was at the end of his bloody rope.
"My poor Spike. I would have thought the answer would be obvious by now. Maybe Miss Edith was right. I should have told you a long time ago."
The presence behind him moved and he watched as she began to twirl slowly through the room, her hands swaying above her head.
"Um right. Dru could you maybe kind of spell it out for us it’s been a really long day and I don't think I can puzzle out what you're trying to tell us." She moved a hand to begin rubbing her temples knowing the slight discomfort she felt was going to be a full blown headache before long.
The spinning woman stopped suddenly and gave a glare to Buffy.
"Just like my Spike you are. Rash and impatient. You mustn't speak to Mummy so it makes her very cross." She spun around once more.
"Spike answers now would be of the good." She turned helpless eyes towards the blond who was still holding on to her. Normally it would bother her to have him so close but now well after the last few days there probably wasn't much the souled vamp could do to upset her. Within reason of course.
And truth be told she had always found something comforting about being held by him. Maybe it was his size relative to hers, the way they fit together instead of him smothering her with a much larger form or maybe it was because she knew instinctively that he wouldn't hurt her and he needed the comfort just as much as she did. It was probably the latter.
A deep sigh escaped him. Like he knew how to make sense of all this. He didn't have any more idea of what was really going on here then she did. And yet looking into her tired green eyes he couldn't help the fact that he wanted to be able to answer her.
"It's like this pet. By leaving you out for the sun your Sire basically abandoned you yeah? So Dru here well somehow she managed to find a ritual that was supposed to be a myth that let her become your new Sire."
"And you're saying what that now I'm part of your bloodline?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. She brought you into our family. I just don't understand why."
"Don't you hear the whispers? The stars told me about the sun being blocked by the moon. But underneath the sun is still shining." She stepped in front of the seated couple her eyes raking over the both of them. "Don't you feel it humming under your skin pulling on you?" She trailed a finger down his cheek. "Or has spending so much time with humans made you weak?"
"Dru you're really starting to piss me off luv. What the hell are you talking about?"
"Power of course. It hums all around our little dolly. Can almost reach out and touch it." Her hand snaked out and grasped the air close to Buffy. "Been to long since anyone took care of our family. Daddy and his nasty soul couldn't do it. And now you have yours too. Great granddaddy would be soo disappointed."
He felt the frown that furrowed his brow as he thought over her words. Yeah he could feel the power radiating from the blonde holding him but he always had. The feeling of her Slayerness had always rolled over him in waves when they were in close proximity to each other. Now was no different he could still feel that same vibe coming off of her. Closing his eyes he concentrated on her and now he could sense it almost as a deep undercurrent of the power he had always sensed in her. A deeper darker thread that pulled towards him. It was the pull of family.
Oh things were starting to make sense and it was rather frightening. He didn't react visibly but deep in his nonbeating heart he could feel the cold dawning of understanding.
"Buffy."
At the quiet and serious tone he used she gave a small start. He still rarely said her name. Blinking she looked deep into his blue eyes and wondered just how bad things were when he said her name like that.
"I think I understand what Dru's trying to say."
She took a deep breath. She had a feeling that things were going to get a lot more complicated.
"And?"
"I'm not sure. What I think and what Dru actually means?" He shrugged at her. "As far as I can figure she's talkin' about the hole left in the social structure of our order." Her blank look made him want to shake her. Didn't she pay any attention to what her Watcher had tried to teach her about vampires? "Look you killed the Master right pet?"
She gave him a nod not letting what she was feeling show in her eyes. Right now she was hoping to a God she didn't have that what she thought he was going to say wasn't what he was going to say.
"Well top spot in the Aureilian line hasn't been filled since Angelus got dusted during the whole Acaltha thing. He had taken over as master after his little happy. Next in line would be Dru here but her insanity makes it kind of difficult for anyone to follow her willingly. Only gonna get so much loyalty out of a bunch of evil doers. Now because Angel and I both have our souls-"
"The title would have to fall to the next available childe." She looked over at Dru as she slowly circled around and around. "And since you're the only childe Dru ever sired and you never sired one yourself that would now be me."
He blinked at her the surprise in his eyes not hidden.
"What? I paid attention and believe me when you first came to Sunnydale we studied everything we could in the watcher diaries. Mostly they were kind of crappy but they had the fact that you too weren't to willing to let any one else join your family."
"Not true pet. Well mostly. The fact is Angelus wouldn't let Dru turn anyone else after me said I turned wrong. And after he left I had my hands full takin' care of her. Didn't have time to take on a childe on top of everything else." He shook his head. "But yeah there wouldn't have been anyone else. There are a couple of Angelus' still out there but I don't know what happened to them. Penn was a sadistic bastard but I don't see him embracing the role and there was one more during ww2 that Angel did. Don't think he turned out right either."
"All of Daddy's children have been crossed out." Dru stated as she finally collapsed onto the couch. "Now only the Sunshine is left." She gave a slight huff.
"Let me get this straight. You want me to be the new master of the Aureilian line? But I'm barely even a fledge." She started to get up and back away from the two vamps in front of her. Oh how she longed to run straight into denial. Hell just to run away from this situation period. But no she was kind of between a rock and a hard place. It wasn't like she had anywhere to go. Not to mention the fact that now she indeed did have a Sire worthy of her. The insanity was a little hard to get over but mostly her demon was as pleased as punch to belong. There was nothing that was as bad as the sting of rejection.
Spike stood following her movements seeing the look in her eyes. The one that always told him that she was ready to flee tail tucked between her legs because she was at a point where she couldn't deal. And even though he was willing to join her in that idea he had to know what else was going on.
But even before he could cross the floor to her Dru was speaking.
"But you're not you see too many bright effulgent things planned for you." Dru stood once again slipping up behind of Spike. "The pixies whispered of where the Slayer got her strength. And now you have to have your own party. With lots of cake and balloons."
The headache that had been threatening started to really pound in her temples. It was a neat trick considering her lack of circulation.
"Actually pet that might not be true."
"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"
"Means if the original source of the Slayer's power was from a demon and that demon happened to be a vampire, well you've been controlling your demon for years now. Would explain your control over your bloodlust and your insight into your demon."
"Oh come on Spike. Say that was true that the original Slayer was fused with a vampire demon. I didn't have the original one just like the spirit of it. Not the same thing. And it would still make me newly turned."
"Don't you see pet that isn't what's happened. You are more in control then any fledge and Dru's right the power rolling off of you isn't like it was. It's older and darker. Like the demon in you is older then any vamp I've ever crossed. And trust me I've met a few."
"But it doesn't make any sense Spike! None of it does! What the hell am I supposed to do? What kind of sick twisted game are the Powers playing with me!" She began to pace her footsteps heavy in her agitation. "Sure if I became master of the line there'd be like power and sure it might be fun to begin ruling the Hellmouth but what am I supposed to do after that? How is this all going to work with the First still out there breathing down our necks? I mean what would be the point if the apocalypse is just going to happen any way?"
She stopped and looked hard at Dru.
"Look Sire I don't understand any of this. Please just tell me what I'm supposed to do here."
"Sunshine will need to use the power. Gonna need a lot of invitations to accommodate all of the guests."
"Dru." The warning tone in Spike's voice got him a disgruntled look from their Sire.
"Others will want to join you want the wicked one to go back to being in his deep hole. You-" Her finger lifted and pointed at Buffy. "are the guest of honor. Without you there wouldn't be a party. No cake for them."
She took a deep breath. Funny how she still wanted to do that when there was no reason too.
"Dru do you mean I should use the position of being Master to make my own army against the First?"
The dark vampiress giggled and clapped her hands in delight.
"Mmm and there will be lots of streamers and balloons." A frown marred her face. "But you won't want to see everything covered in red. No blood for Mummy."
"But-"
"Luv, I know it sounds crazy but that actually kind of makes sense."
Buffy just looked at him like he had grown a second head. Which on the Hellmouth was entirely possible.
"What you saw in your vision with all the uber vamps. The others weren't going to be able to stop them and you knew it."
"Gee you think? Could have been the reason I refused to leave my room for a couple of days. But I don't see how this is going to help."
"As Master you can summon everyone connected to our line and with a little muscle you could get the demons in the area to chip in. You'd have an unlimited resource instead of the thirty teenagers training in your backyard."
She just gaped at him. It was such a ridiculous notion that she was beyond the ability to even think it could make any sense.
"Um yeah that would be one possibility the other would be they all want the hellmouth to open and we're giving them the easy access pass they need to do it. Besides unleashing an army of demons on an unsuspecting town doesn't seem like something you should be in the cheering section for any more."
He just gave her a derisive snort.
"Unsuspecting town my ass. The only people left in this ghost town are living in your old house. All we need to do is get the wankers to leave town."
"Not everyone my Spike. Some of them still need to play with us."
The cryptic words settled into Buffy's consciousness and she had to fight the flutter of fear that she felt.
"Who exactly are we talking about Dru?"
A small frown seemed to appear on her pretty face.
"The true Slayer of course and the Witch others will come too in time."
"Great. Look as much fun as this has been I'm getting a little hungry and I'm extremely tired can we continue this later?" She had let her eyes slipped closed and she could feel the tug of sleep in the simple action. God did she need the rest.
Her acute hearing picked up the sound of a zipper being pulled and she opened her eyes at the feel of the cold plastic that was put into her hand. Looking up she smiled slightly at the shy face of her vampire.
"Didn't know how long I'd be gone. Should be enough to tide you over till tomorrow."
"Thanks look I know vampire and all I should be up till dawn but really sleep is something good right now."
"Actually pet I could use the rest myself. Bleedin' Andrew wouldn't stop talkin' the whole time. Been runnin' on fumes."
Now that he had something she could see the tiredness in his eyes and she nodded.
Both turned their eyes to Dru who just giggled in response.
"Mummy is not the least bit tired."
"Dru-" Spike started while taking a step closer to her.
"Don't worry my Spike I won't be bad. I remember that we need the players from the Slayers house."
Both of them watched her as she slipped through the doors to the atrium.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to everyone who is still reading this fic. Unlike my others the words don't flow all at once hence the great gaps in updates. Of course the chapters are longer if that helps any. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed I appreciate it a ton.