Author's Chapter Notes:
Please let me know what you think of this. Thank you all.
A/N: This is set sometime after Smashed and Wrecked (Yay for the Spuffy!) But before Hells Bells. In my world Giles never left and Willow and Tara are still together, basically I have changed everything about Vampire/Slayer history, I wrote this years ago after watching Smashed for the first time and I’ve recently came across it and thought I’d rewrite it to see what you guys think.

ADDITION: Please note that I never did finish this, the meeting with Jaaen was never written and it will be a while before anything else is added to this. But I am very grateful to everyone that has reviewed so far. You guys are great!

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Buffy sat with Xander at the table in the magic shop, Anya was at the till counting the money and Giles was frustrated because his books couldn’t help him.

“Giles, I’m serious something big is coming. There have never been so many vamps out there!”

He shook his head, “There are none of the signs that there should be and none of my books explain this mass migration. It’s not like vampires are birds, they go where they want when they want.” He sat, rubbing his eyes, “Buffy I can only suggest that you hit the local demons to see what they can tell you. I can’t do anything else without more details.”

“Should we call Willow?” Xander asked, concerned.

“No” Buffy replied “Leave her and Tara alone, they’ve earnt this time together.” She really didn’t need Willow around right now, she was far too perceptive for her own good and with her little problem with Spike she really needed Willow focused on something else. “I’ll go see what the demons are talking about.”

She went to get up when she heard the basement door open and Spike wandered out, “They won’t be able to tell you a thing luv, this is a vampire only sort of gig. But I’m surprised you can’t feel it.”

She was rankled by his words. “I’m not a vampire Spike, I’m human!”

Anya broke in to stop the impending fight. “Please if you’re going to damage the merchandise take it outside. Or I’ll start charging you for the things you break!”

Both Spike and Buffy stared at Anya incredulously. “Well, how am I supposed to make money if you two destroy the shop?” she huffed.

Chuckling slightly Spike stared at Giles, “She’s the slayer, and she doesn’t know where she came from?”

“The stories are confusing and we don’t really know the right one.” Giles replied, before “Why am I even answering you, if you know what’s going on tell us, otherwise leave. Now.”

“You damn Watchers, all the same with your precious slayers and refusing to acknowledge the truth!” He snorted, before turning to Buffy, “You really can’t feel it pet? You can’t feel her presence?”

“Whose?” she snapped, confused and not very happy about it.

“Mine.” Came a soft voice from the front of the shop.

They all turned to see an ethereal figure with skin the colour of creamy coffee and hair as black as night. She was wearing a plain white shift dress that floated to her ankles. She was beautiful and to everyone’s surprise Spike walked up to the stranger and knelt at her feet.

“Collette luv, I’ve missed you.” He spoke in a husky voice, as if this woman meant the world to him.

Buffy stiffened, jealousy flaring through her as the petite woman gently took his hands in hers and brought him to his feet, kissing him softly on the cheek.

“I’m never really gone William. I’m watching all of you.” She looked at Buffy pointedly, “You too my child.”

“What?” The woman’s eyes were full of love but Buffy really didn’t like the way she was looking at her Spike, wait when did she start thinking of Spike as hers?

“Hey Collette!” Anya spoke finally; eager to be noticed.

“Anyanka, it’s nice to see you again and you’ve given up vengeance. For love no less! That surprised many of us you know.”

“Well that and the orgasms!” The woman laughed.

Giles finally found his voice, “Anya, you know this woman?”

Anya rolled her eyes, “Giles she’s the Great Mother.” She spoke as if everyone should understand this.

Giles took a step back in shock and Buffy weighed in, “The great mother of what?”

“The vampires,” Giles mumbled

“And the slayers, we’re all connected,” Spike spoke from beside Collette; he seemed reluctant to leave her. “Through her.”

Buffy was looking from Collette to Spike trying to ignore the feeling in her gut that was telling her that this woman needed to get away from Spike before she got violent.

“Spike, please go stand over there.” Collette said quietly and Spike looked a little hurt, but did as he was asked.

“Buffy, I’m here to speak to you. The vampires always migrate where I am so I apologise for the extra work, but you are the first slayer in a century who has given up the council.”

Without the distraction of Spike, Buffy finally looked at Collette properly and was surprised to feel a bond to this woman and she began to believe Spike. “Why is it important that I have left the council?”

“Because she swore to leave the slayers to the council, didn’t you?” Giles spoke intently.

“Yes. I left the council because I didn’t approve of their methods, but I’m considered a little biased because I have never revealed the location of my son.” She paused a sad look on her face, “It wouldn’t do any good anyway, no slayer could defeat him.”

“I’m confused” Xander finally weighed in, “Ahn, do you know her? What kind of demon is she?”

Anya looked shocked, “Xander, she’s not a demon, she’s a God.”

Collette stepped forward, “This would go a lot better if I showed you and then I would like to speak to Buffy alone. I have some information that she needs.”

Buffy and Xander looked towards Giles awaiting his response. He had to admit he was curious, He had heard of the Goddess Collette, but the stories had never rang true to him. “If you can show us, go ahead.”

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The magic shop faded out and the group found themselves watching a young Collette streaking through dense jungle.

“When I was younger I was a warrior maid, this was before standardised religion, and the limitations that were placed on women. Within my tribe anyone male or female could do whatever they were good at. I was a great hunter and as I got older I stopped hunting for meat and started to hunt the last of the demons.”

They saw Collette pull an arrow and cock it to her bow, never slowing and losing the arrow into the dense undergrowth. It was impossible to see what she was shooting at. She slowed and moved towards her arrow; it was then that you could see the well camouflaged snake demon with an arrow in the eye.

“I was good and killed many demons that refused to leave. Mostly it was the lesser demons that stayed, the ones that weren’t strong enough to survive the hell dimensions they were going to. But there was a great demon, one of the demon lords, he wouldn’t leave and I took it upon myself to hunt for him, thinking in my naivety that I would be a match for him.”

The jungle scene faded out and was replaced with a cave that was dark and dank, water was dripping from somewhere and Buffy knew it was a demon haunt. This time Collette was walking slowly, keeping to the shadows stalking her prey.

Then they saw the demon, he looked almost human except for his eyes. They burned with red fire and lit the area around him a creepy burgundy. He looked at Collette with an evil look in his eyes.

“I was never going to be a match for him, he was one of the most powerful demons ever spawned and the world would have been a much better place had he just killed me. Instead…”

They saw the young woman in thrall to the demon, walking towards him, obeying him. He raped her, raped her and left her near death. Whilst he looked mostly human, he was anything but and the silent observers who had seen violence almost daily were terrified by the actions of the demon and the ease in which he forced himself on the young woman.

“It took me days before I was well enough to leave, and months before I realised that I had been impregnated. As my stomach grew I was expecting to be unable to hunt, but the baby made me stronger. I was unwieldy in the last couple of months but I learnt quickly to adapt to my changing shape.”

They saw the jungle again and again Collette was running with her bow and arrow, but this time her stomach was massive, but her aim was just as deadly.

“My son was born and he was clearly not normal. I never told anyone who the father was. I loved my son and there was no way I would allow anyone to hurt him. I still won’t. Which is why I will not show you what he looks like, I don’t want you to start searching.”

The scene changed again, to the tribal village, people living in mud huts.

“He was liked, he grew fast and was able to walk within a couple of weeks and was talking soon after that. But he loved me. By the time he was two years old he was fully grown and had acuminated a large number of followers. I wasn’t aware that he had changed them, but I did find it strange that they could no longer bare the rays of the sun. My son has never had any problem with the sun and I didn’t make any connection.”

A group of people came out at night and started to slaughter the rest of the villagers. It was clear that they were vampires, drinking blood and delighting in the slaughter. Then they saw Collette, with her wooden arrows, shooting them through the heart, making them explode.

“It wasn’t a fair fight, I loved these people and they couldn’t fight back. No vampire has ever been able to raise a hand against me, because my son can’t, because he won’t. They left and the vampires began to spread across the world and it was all my fault. My son, he couldn’t help it, he was part demon and was only following his nature. I prayed that day, after they had left, prayed all day and all night begging forgiveness and then…”

They saw Collette kneeling in the blood strewn street as the sun began to rise and then set again, she didn’t move and finally a man stood before her, a beautiful man with eyes of pure white.

“That is the God Dyne, he came to me and told me that I couldn’t just have forgiveness. I had loosed a horror on the world because of my ignorance. I needed to take action to make amends. He asked me to have his child, told me that if I had a daughter, she would be my son’s equal, but that she would not be immortal. I would become immortal. I would watch the world as the children of my son and the descendants of my daughter fought each other, killed each other. I agreed.”

The scene changed again, Collette was holding a baby girl in her arms, hunting with a young child, teaching her from birth to be a fighter to be the one girl in all the world who had the power to fight the vampires and the forces of darkness.

“She was mortal and because of that she grew as a normal child would. By the time she was old enough, the vampires had spread across the globe. I ascended and became a God the same time I sent her out on her own. It was then that I realised my bond was with the vampires too.”

The scene slowly faded back to the magic shop and Buffy, Xander and Giles where standing with their mouths open in shock. Giles was the first to speak,

“The council doesn’t support that story,” he accused.

“No,” Collette stated, “They don’t because I didn’t approve of their methods. Disgusting!” Her face showed exactly what she thought of the council. “I believed that my bond with my girls would be stronger than the brain washing they doled out, I was wrong.”

“You were part of the council then?” Buffy asked intrigued.

“Sort of, I’m the Goddess of the Slayer. Naturally I would have a place with them, but I’m no longer human, I haven’t been for a very long time. Mostly I’m supposed to let the humans deal with the slayer and only intervene if necessary. I tried. I tried to intervene when they thought up the barbaric practice weakening my girls and locking them with a vampire. But the slayer, Marianne, she survived and agreed with them that it was a necessary test.”

“What!” Buffy exclaimed, horrified, “She agreed to the process?”

“It is very unusual for any slayer to react like you did Buffy.” This from Giles who still had questions. “This is what has never made any sense to me, you have ties to the slayer and the vampires, you care about all of them as your children, yet you set one upon the other. Why?”

“That is a very complicated question. I feel a stronger kinship with the slayers as they all share my bloodline. My daughter had nine children. They were all quite prolific themselves, but only one of the girls got the power and only after her mother’s death. It went on from there every generation the power passed to another who would fight the demons. So I love them, they are a part of me and I can feel them when they pass.”

She paused sighing softly before looking at Spike, “My relationship with the vampires is slightly different. It’s my fault that they exist and they are all the same demon, not different. They are all my son. He is there inside all of them, but different aspects are stronger in different vampires and I do have my favourites.”

She smiled at Spike, who quirked an eyebrow at her, “Gonna get this bloody chip out my head then?”

“Not yet. But I can promise you that it won’t be there forever.”

“You’d let him loose again?” Xander exclaimed horrified.

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Anya snapped, “Buffy let Angel loose!”

Seeing a fight in the making Collette stepped between the pair, “I think the time has come for me to speak to Buffy. Giles, if you have any other questions, they will have to wait.”

Buffy stepped forward, “Let’s go out the back,” thinking at the very least her weapons were back there and she would need them if the woman kept looking at Spike that way.

Following Buffy to the back of the shop Collette looked back and spoke, “Spike are you coming?”

There were a number of protests but Spike followed them into the back room.

“Why is he here?” Buffy asked, staring pointedly at Spike.

“You know why Buffy,” Collette stated. “There is something between you and there are some things that I need to tell you. You need someone around you to understand and the only one is Spike.”

“Because he’s a vampire? Why not Angel?”

“Mostly because I never liked Angelus. There are some really evil vampires out there but very few took it as far as him. He was the epitome of everything wrong with my son.” Collette spoke softly but the tone of her voice showed exactly how she felt. “Whilst most vampires are violent by nature, very few are predisposed to enjoy it, they have to learn. Very few kill their families. I’m just glad he’s not my problem anymore.”

“Whilst I’m enjoying the bashing of the great poofter, can we get on with it pet; you don’t have long before this entire place is surrounded by vamps.” Spike cocked an eyebrow at Buffy. “Slayer, you need to listen and listen good. This woman can teach you what you need to know to stay alive.”

Folding her arms and leaning back against the wall, “Fine! Just tell me what’s going on so I can get back to my life.”

“Fine. My son wants to meet you.”

“What!” came from both Buffy and Spike, who looked at Collette in shock.

She simply shrugged, “Spike’s already met him. Although I don’t think he knew it at the time.” She smiled indulgently, “Saved your sorry ass that time didn’t I?”

Spike looked a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Guess you did luv.”

“Do you remember what I said to him?”

“Vaguely, something about me having to do something special.”

Buffy was having real trouble following the conversation. “What the Hell are the two of you talking about?”

Collette turned to Buffy, “You’re right, we don’t have much time so please listen carefully. I am the God of both the vampires and the slayers and I am responsible for them all, them and their destinies. Both you and Spike are going to do some very special things and you are going to have to do them together. The first of these is meeting Jaaen. He has watched you with great interest for many years and was very impressed with what you have managed to do, and as such he wants to meet you.”

Seeing the hard glint in Buffy’s eyes she pushed on, “Be warned Buffy you will not be able to hurt him and he will not raise a hand against you. He loves you, it’s part of the original magic and you will feel the same way about him. I need you and Spike to visit him, it will make him happy.”

Spike looked at Collette “They are here. I’ll go see if I can hold them back for a bit longer.” He didn’t wait for a response and simply walked out of the door.

Her eyes narrowed watching the look on Buffy’s face as her eyes where trained on Spike’s back. “He loves you.”

“I know, but he’s a demon and he doesn’t have a soul.” The words sounded weak even to Buffy herself.

“It’s meaningless you know the soul.”

“What?”

“All the soul does is give you a conscience and to be honest there are more evil humans out there than there are vampires. People ignore it; the problem for the slayer is that your soul is the only thing that stops you from being like all the other demons.”

“I’m human!” Buffy was adamant.

“Really, do you know many humans with strength and stamina like yours?” Collette sighed “Listen to me, all you have to do is let him in, he won’t hurt you on purpose. I can guarantee it. I have to leave but Buffy please think about it, Jaaen will be calling you soon, you will feel it and whilst you will be able to resist it Spike won’t. If Spike goes alone he will die.”

Spike die? Whilst she had no idea how she felt about Spike, she didn’t want him to be gone. She just wasn’t ready for him to not be here.

Collette reading Buffy’s mind, smiled realising that she had achieved her goal. The two would work together and grow closer, they had to, and the world depended on it.

Buffy stared at the black haired beauty with troubled eyes. “I… What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing, you are drawn to the dark and it’s only natural. Spike though, Spike is drawn to the light and if somebody doesn’t keep an eye on him, it will be the death of him.”

Colette left then, walking serenely into the main area of the shop where vampires were desperately trying to get in by any means necessary. They all stopped as they saw her, dropping en-mass to their knees as she unbarred the front door and walked out into the night surrounded by a halo of light. The light got brighter and brighter until suddenly she was gone.

The vampires looked around confused, before to everyone’s surprise they simply wandered off, leaving the humans and Spike staring out the front of the shop.

“Well, it’s been fun but I’ll be going now” Spike announced walking out, leaving Buffy to stare at him, thoughts of losing him running through her head.

“What happened?” Xander asked confused.

“I…” Buffy began.

“Yes, what did Collette say to you?” Anya added, Giles behind her looking at Buffy intently.

“I can’t let him leave.” She announced before tearing out the shop after Spike.

“Well that was rude!” Anya stated, as all three stared after the vampire and slayer.





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