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Chapter 19

Cordelia came forward from the back of the group. Buffy hadn’t noticed her among them until now. “Hey, Buffy, like the new look. Are you taller?”

Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but she didn’t get a chance. Angel stepped into the store. His eyes seemed to have a yellow tint even with his human features. “Spike, what are you doing here?” he growled at his grand-childe.

A smirk appeared on Spike’s lips. “Why hello, peaches. Didn’t get the memo did ya? I’m the bloody Dark Keeper. Gonna save the world for the good of kittens and Christmas. Now, why are you here?”

“I came because I thought I could help Buffy. Now I know I can, by getting rid of you.” Angel began to rush at the blond vamp, however, was stopped by an angry slayer.

Buffy held Angel back. “He’s telling the truth, he’s on our side.”

“Buffy, this is Spike,” he protested.

“Yes, this is Spike. The vampire who’s spent 75 years now working for the council.”

The warrior for the PTB’s was struck speechless. He hadn’t seen Spike since he’d been tortured for the Ring of Amara. Could Spike’s nature have really changed? He didn’t sense a soul, so what would be the reason for Spike to make an effort to be good? Angel knew his childe, and Spike never did anything without personal-gain.

“What reason would he have to be good? Buffy, he clearly has some alternative motive,” Angel pointed out.

Spike couldn’t stay quiet. He wasn’t going to stand still while Angel ridiculed him and Buffy struggled in his defense.

“I’ll tell you what my motive is, poof!”
Buffy sent him a glare. It clearly said ‘Shut up and let me handle this.’ Spike ignored her. He would have gotten in the other vampire’s face if Buffy hadn’t been blocking the way.

“Let’s get this out of the way, shall we? I love Buffy. Woulda found out later anyway. When she died I vowed to prevent any other slayer from having to do the same thing.”

No one moved. Angel stared at Spike in rage. Buffy gaped at Spike in shock. She hadn’t expected him to blurt it out like that.

All of a sudden Angel punched Spike in the nose. “What the bloody hell was that for!?” Spike shouted.

“For acting like you actually care. I can see through you, Spike, even if Buffy can’t.”

Spike began to laugh, holding his bloodied nose. “Think ya got me figured out, peaches, don’t ya?”

Angel hit him again. “I know I do. You’ve never done anything that wasn’t tainted, William.”

“Angel, please stop it,” Buffy pleaded.

Ignoring Buffy, Angel went on,” You can’t feel, Spike. You don’t have a soul.”

Spike let a fist fly out at Angel. He wasn’t going to let his grand-sire beat him to a pulp, even if Buffy would be brassed at him for hurting her first and only true love.

A bright light swarmed around the pair of vampires. It threw them away from each other. When it died down, everyone looked around for the source.

Gunn pointed at Dawn. She was standing off to the side with a smile. “Oh man, did she do that?”

“Pretty neat, huh? I’m not the key for nothing,” she said, very proudly.

“Nibblet?” Spike asked in shock from the floor.

The teen came over and hovered above him. “Sorry, Spike, but I had to get you guys to stop going at each other.” She helped him up.

“Where’d you learn to do the party trick?” Spike asked his lil’ bit.

“Oh, I got that burst of knowledge in the upper plane. I could make us all fly if I wanted to.”

He rose an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah, wanna see?”

“Maybe later, Dawn,” Buffy interrupted. “Right now we have important things to discuss. Like oh I don’t know, how Angel’s gang knew how to find us and why they aren’t surprised to see me not dead.”

“Visions,” Cordy informed. “I saw you guys and knew we had to come here. Some big battle, right?”

“Isn’t there always?” Buffy said.

“You’re Buffy then?” Fred asked. “It is an honor to meet you.”

“Uh . . . Thanks, I guess.”

“It is interesting how your molecular structure is different yet you are still you. I always thought the cells might carry a person’s personality.” Fred laughed. “Guess that theory gets thrown out the door.”

Buffy stared. “Sure,” she said after a minute, kinda puzzled.

“Buffy, it is good to see you again. We are at your service in any way we can. I’ve become quite good with the broadsword,” Wesley spoke up. “And of course if there is any research . . .”

“Don’t really need a research person. Dawn seems to be the paranormal encyclopedia over here.”

Dawn giggled. “I am, aren’t I? It’s so cool.” It felt good to actually be useful. She wasn’t some weak, ignorant girl who needed protection. She was the mystical key with tons of info floating in her head from her trip in TPB land.

Spike hopped up on the counter. “Well, half our army’s here, slayer.” He reached into his duster and pulled out his cigarettes. He lit one and began to puff away.

“Yeah,” she muttered. She wondered where the others were and when they would get there. It would be so good to see them, but it would also mean that the battle was approaching.

|} - - -> <- - - {|

Somewhere in Las Vegas

David couldn’t stop looking at the girl. She was sitting three tables away by herself. So far, she’d ordered a drink (probably coke or Pepsi) and some cheese fries. Currently, she was munching away while bobbing her head to the band onstage.

He usually didn’t go out alone. He was more of a crowd of friends kind of guy. He loved to goof off and tell jokes, not sit alone thinking. But for some reason he had the urge to get out that night, and somehow ended up at the club. It was called The Cove. He’d been there a couple times before. His buddy, Jake, took him, trying to help him catch a babe. Didn’t go so well.

The red-head was wiping her fingers off on the napkin now. God, David, obsessive much? Turn your head away. He tried, but didn’t succeed. Instead, he found himself getting up and heading toward her.

She glanced up as he approached and smiled.

“Do I know you?” he asked. He could have hit himself upside the head. She probably thought he was trying to hit on her. But he wasn’t. He honestly felt like he knew her.
“I don’t think so but I . . .” she began.

“Get your hands off me!“ someone shouted. Their heads snapped to the right where they saw a girl struggled with some man. Then the man’s face changed, deforming into a hideous monster. A scream exploded from the girl.

As the monster lowered his fangs toward the girl’s neck, something snapped in David. He knew what he had to do.

“Wood, get me a piece of wood,” he ordered.

Frantically, the red-head searched for some wood. She thought about breaking a chair leg, but wondered if she was strong enough to do so. She rummaged in her purse and came up with a pencil. She shrugged, handing it to David. “Will this work?”

Without answering, he went up behind the vampire and shoved him away from the girl. Before the vamp could react, David thrust the pencil through his heart. Immediately, he turned to dust.

The pencil dropped to the floor. The girl held the side of her bleeding neck in a daze. David’s heart pounded loudly in his chest. What the hell . . .?

“What just happened?” the red-head questioned.

He shook his head. “I have no idea. I don’t even know how I knew that I needed a piece of wood.”

“This is wigging me out,” the red-head commented.

“Me too,” he agreed.

She held out a hand. “My name’s Heather.”

He smiled, still weirded out. “David.”

___________________________________________________

Well, there you go. I hope you know who Heather and David are.
I don’t know if a pencil would kill a vampire. But in the book BTVS by Richie Tankersley Cusick, Buffy does, so I thought what the hey and went with it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




 
 
 





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