The Witch, The Warrior, and the Vampire

Intervention Part II

From the shadows at the edge of the cemetery, Angel watched Buffy. He saw her face turn from happy, to sad, to angry, to complete devastation. He knew she was headed to Spike's crypt. He also knew the vampire wasn't there. He'd just come back from the crypt, he had a lesson to teach his wayward childe.

As Buffy made her way through the graveyard, she had a wistful smile on her face. Replaying the night's events with Dawn, she resolved that the two sisters would have one night every week to themselves. Buffy knew she was being unreasonable in many of her demands with Dawn, but she didn't know how to back down. Since becoming the Slayer, Buffy hadn't been able to back down from anything, and she certainly couldn't start now. She'd had to face the Master, Angelus, Faith and the Mayor, Adam, Glory, and, well, the list felt endless: her enemies, the ones she had destroyed, the ones she had stopped, the ones who had gotten away.

Buffy's thoughts seemed to follow their own path. There was one part of her life that kept coming back to haunt her lately. Her sister. Her sister in slaying, that is. Faith. Before Faith had lost control and turned to the Dark Side (Buffy smiled as the images of Darth Vader trying to lure Luke Skywalker briefly flashed through her mind), Faith had been somethingfy hfy had never had before: a partner.

Oh, sure, Angel trained with her and fought with her, but when it came right down to it, staking vampires was not high on Angel's list. He didn't mind subduing however many of them for Buffy to stake, but he rarely staked on his own. Her friends patrolled with her frequen as as did her Watcher, but before Faith, she had never truly had an equal in this lonely battle of good versus evil. That's why she had been so gung ho to join the Initiative. There she had been part of team, each of whom could hold their own. She had never had to worry that they would get killed because of her; they would have been out there with or without her.

Faith. Just the name brought tears to her eyes. She’d had faith in Faith. She knew her sister wouldn't turn against her. How could she? They were the Chosen Two. God, she'd loved patrolling with Faith. They'd get into more than they should, barely escape with their lives, go out dancing wildly at the Bronze, and then raid her mother's kitchen on their return. The dark haired, dark-eyed Slayer had an edge that Buffy had always admired. And lately she'd been living by one of Faith's mottos. "I'm a Slayer.,. I Want. Take. Have."

‘No wonder I've been so screwed up.’ Faith was crazy and want-take-have was just one of the many ways her insanity showed itself. ‘But I don't act that way about everything,’ Buffy reassured herself. ‘I just act that way with Spike.’

Maybe having a partner again in Spike had brought this out. Spike was the only other Slaying partner she’d ever had. ‘If anything, Spike is better at it than me. He truly enjoys the fight and the kill, just like Faith.’ Maybe her dark side was starting to come out like Faith's had. God knows, Spike has a lot more lightness around him than she’d had lately.

Her stomach rolled and heaved as she realized she was turning into Faith. Not in a weird Hellmouthy I- stole –your- body kind of way, but a I’ve- turned- into- my- own- worst- nightmare way. Her beating of Spike in the alley was exactly what Faith had done to Buffy. The words she had yelled at Spike echoed Faith’s to her.

Spike. Spike was just one more thing she really hated herself for these days, and yet here she was at his crypt, again. Slamming the door open Buffy yelled inside "Idiot vampire, are you back from my patrol yet?" Receiving no answer, she settled down on her favorite tombstone outside to wait for his return.

Angel had continued following her through the cemetery. He realized Buffy had sent Spike out for patrol, the idea shocked him. Patrol meant staking every vampire you came across. Angel had rarely done that for Buffy, even when she was by his side begging for assistance. Had Spike really changed so much? Was he truly practicing genocide on his own race? Angel's mind wheeled at the implications. Spike, his favorite childe, took the Vampire Slayer's Patrols, regularly it would seem. He found a dark corner to watch from, far enough away to keep from being detected and he settled in to watch Buffy wait for Spike. Where was he? ‘I hope he didn't get hurt tonight. He should be back by now.’ Damn it. What if he was hurr kir killed? The cold fingers of fear curled around the edges of her stomach. Spike can't be dead, she told herself. ‘I would know it. I would have felt it the second he was staked.’

The more she thought about him and wondered where he was, the worse she felt. She'd been so cruel to him since coming back. She'd been cruel to everyone really, even Angel. She'd told him in no uncertain terms that she never wanted to see him or hear his voice ever again.

Spike and the way she'd been using him were was cruel and she knew it. At first, when they'd torn down the building, Buffy hadn't realized the implications of what they'd done. The next time she saw Spike, she realized exactly how big of a mistake she'd made. His eyes, one look into his eyes and what she'd seen had devastated her: desire, longing, love, hope, fear, love, pain, love. She knew then that she owned him. She didn't particularly care for that feeling, but when she thought about how she felt when they were screwing, she didn't care.

She would do anything to feel again and again and again. Anything had turned into raping Spike two or three times a week. Well, maybe rape wasn't the right word. Molestation? Was that any better? Spike never tried to touch her first, he never reached for her, he never initiated anything but conversation, and conversation was the last thing she wanted from anyone. Assault? That was the word assault. She assaulted him two or three times a week until he was forced to defend himself by giving her what she wanted.

Every time he tried to manipulate the situation to show her his feelings, shoppeopped him. Every time he tried to tell her how bad what she was doing made him feel, she stopped him. Every time she lost all control and needed help with anything in her life she went straight to him. When did she start to trust Spike? It was a long time ago, she realized. It started when she’d taken her Mom and Dawn to his crypt for protection. I've leaned on him more and more everyday since then. The realization frightened her. Depending on a vampire went against everything she had ever been taught. Angel didn’t count. He had a soul.

Buffy sighed. She didn't want to think about the vampire; she wanted to hear about patrol and fuck him stupid. Again.

Spike smelled her before he saw her. Hisyer.yer. ‘His, bollocks! That chit wouldn't be mine if I were the last male on the planet.’ There she was, resting that tight little bum on her favorite headstone. The moon came out from behind the clouds and shone down on her. She took his breath away. Her golden hair and skin positively glowed in the moonlight. Pain lanced through his heart while he was looking at her; she looked so bloody sad. ‘I wish she would let me help her, instead of fucking me to death.’

****

Angel sensed Spike's presence before he saw him. Looking around, he saw the vampire approach the Slayer. He watched as expressions flitted across Spike's face until he finally settled on indifferent. His childe's step took on a swagger, his chin tilted up, his shoulders squared, as if preparing for battle.

He was preparing for battle.

*****

"Slayer."

"Spike."

"I got ten vamps tonight Slayer, six newly risen, one at the Bronze, and three on the way home."

"Any other nasties out tonight, other than yourself, Spike?" Buffy inquired while she thoughtlessly twirled her stake.

"If there were, I didn't see 'em, smell 'em, or hear 'em, and they weren't making any mischief on the Slayer's night out with her sis. Have a good time with the lil' bit, did you?" He moved closer to stand within arm’s reach of her.

"Wonderful. We didn't fight all night. I was wondering, do you think you could do this for me every Monday?"

"What, the Slayer's going to depend on an evil, soulless demon to protect her town, her family anr frr friends?" came Spike's snide reply.

"Yep. One night a week, or is that too much for you?"

"Slayer, knowknow damn good and well I patrol every bloody night. It’s the only fun I have left. I can't bloody well feed from, torture, or maim humans, can I? The least you can do is let me do what I do best." Spike began pacing preparing himself for a good rant.

"And what's that Spike? Uncontrollably run that arrogant, pompous mouth of yours?"

Her nastiness stopped him in his tracks. "No, you bloody bitch. Fight. Fighting is the only thing that's kept me going since I got neutered and you know it."

"Really Fang Face? And here I was thinking it was your undying love for me," and then she knew she'd gone too far.

Without another look in her direction, Spike walked inside his crypt. He needed a moment to get himself under control. His eyes scanned the upper level of his crypt. ‘Ahh, that's a good enough reason to walk off I guess,’ he immediately went to his weapons stash and retrieved a bag full of weapons and went back to Buffy. Tossing the bag at her feet and, sucking up the small amount of pride he had left, he turned to leave again.

Fear lanced through Buffy, ‘where did he go, what is he doing?’ Relief coursed through her when he returned, but it was short-lived as he stalked off again. She did the only thing she knew to do, she provoked him again.

"What? Ooohhh, let me guess, another one of the men who loves me is going to leave?" Spike stopped in his tracks at her words. "Here's a bag of tricks, I'm leaving town. Try something new, Spike. I thought what with your being a poet and all, you could at least come up with something original. Wait, stop, I know, why don't you kill me? Bag your third Slayer, go ahead make my day. I mean come on, you can hit me now, why don't you do both of us a favor and suck me dry. I know you want to, why else do you think I bare my throat at you every chance I get?"

Buffy jumped off the tombstone and stomped towards Spike. She grabbed him by the arm and roughly turned him around. "Why else do you think I've been fucking you? Are you blind as well as dumb? Every time we fuck I pray this is it, this is the time the demon will win, and while I'm coming he'll sink his fangs into my neck and let me die in peace."

Spike stared at her as the truth in her words and the challenge in her eyes sank into his heart.

From the shadows, Angel audibly gasped. He couldn't believe what Buffy had said. She was fucking his childe and hoping to die in the process? What was wrong with her?

"Why would I do that, Slayer? If I dra you you dry, I'd never get to feel your hot quim again, and besides your damn Scooby Gang would just find another way to bring you back and keep you in hell. At least while you're alive I can fuck you until you can't keep the thought of me from your brain. I know you think about me Slayer, I know you lay in your little bed at night and think about how I make you feel. You ever wonder why it's me, Slayer? It's because you're in love with what you slay."

At Buffy's lookindiindignation, Spike snorted. "Now, now, pet, I didn't say you were in love with me, I said you were in love with what you slay. That's one hell of a dark side you've got going, little girl. I can feel it tugging at my edges whenever you're within fifty feet of me. I can feel the darkness in you before I can smell you these days. I don't care what you say, there's something wrong with you. But then again, I guess being ripped out of heaven could take away one's humanity. And no, I'm not leaving, I can't. I'm just giving you your little bag of tricks, as you called it, back. I sharpened your stakes, replaced the missing ones and restocked your holy water."

"Oh"

"And as for why I don't bite you when you bare your throat at me all the time? There's only three reasons to bite a human, Slayer. To kill them, turn them, or claim them. If I killed you, between the witches, Ripper, and my sire, I wouldn't make it one day. As pitiful as my existence is now, I still love my unlife.” Spike invaded her personal space. “And turning you? Some of the things I love best about you are your heat and your fire and your spark. Turning you would only destroy that, and in turn hurt me. And once, again your friends would kill me. And as for claiming you? Why would I EVER claim a cold, selfish, unfeeling cunt who relishes torturing me on a daily basis? If I ever claim you, you bloody bitch, I'd have to kill the love of your life, your precious Angel. Because he will fight me for his claim on you to the death, and I couldn't live with myself for the pain that killing my bleedin' poofter of a sire would do to you.”


Before his final words left his mouth Buffy launched herself at him. ‘He called me a cold, selfish, unfeeling cunt. I'm going to kill that bastard.’

She landed a punch to his stomach, only to be blocked as she went for his face. Spike blocked everything she threw at him, but didn't try to fight back. When she was finally tiring from her exertions, he caught both her hands, spun her around and held her in the vampire's emb. T. The front of his body was sealed to her back, he had her arms crossed around her chest holding her by her wrists, with one leg wrapped around one of hers.

"Is this really what you want Buffy? This is how I killed my first Slayer." Spike bent his head to nuzzle her neck, his face sliding into its demon visage. He gently nicked her throat and tongued away the blood that slowly seeped out. Slayer blood, so pure, so perfect, the power from her blood would increase his strength ten fold.

Buffy was quivering, not from fear or anger, but from lust. The brief second his fang had grazed her skin, her arousal had grown to unbearable proportions. Her panties were soaking, her breath was coming out in short uneven pants, and her legs were going weak. Her own arousal sickened her. And little did she know, both the vampires could smell it. How could she feel like this for a demon? How was it possible for him to turn her on so much? She turned her head to the side completely exposing her jugular to the vampire and she begged.

"Please, Spike, please. I need it. Please, just drink me," the plea in her voice was real.

The demon inside of Spike was jumping for joy. The Slayer wanted him! He bent his head towards her neck, opened his mouth, but when his fangs reached her skin, he couldn't do it.

"Fuck you, Slayer. Fuck you for torturing me. Fuck you for hurting me. Fuck you for using me. Fuck you for fucking me. Fuck you for not loving me. But most of all fuck you for what you've become. Don't ever come to me for sex again. I love you, and all you're doing is killing me slowly. If you truly want me dead, take out one of your newly sharpened stakes and get it over with. You know I won't figack.ack. I can't."

With that, Spike threw the Slayer to the ground and walked into his crypt, slamming the door.

Buffy lay there on the ground as she quietly began to sob. Her whole body was shaking from her tears, her breath was coming in ragged gulps, and finally she let it all out and began to wail in agony. "It's too much. I didn't ask to come back. I didn't ask Spike to love me. I didn't ask to lose my ability to feel. I just want to die."

Angel, still concealed by the shadows and a cloaking spell Wesley had found for him several months prior, felt his heart break. He couldn’t believe any of what he’d seen. Spike hadn't killed her when she'd begged for death. Spike's chip didn't work on Buffy. Spike hadn't hit her once while she had attacked him. Spike refused to claim her, because killing him would hurt Buffy. He couldn't believe anything he had seen or heard since talking to Xander. Had he stumbled into an alternate universe?

Whatever kind of resurrection spell Willow had done to bring back Buffy, had gone horribly, horribly wrong. That woman lying on the ground in the cemetery, screaming in the agony of being alive was not the Buffy Anne Summers he knew and loved.

Spike heard her sobbing. He opened the door to his crypt and watched her lying on the ground, begging for death to take her. He couldn't stand it. He walked to Buffy, picked her up and walked to her tombstone and settled down with her in his lap. He held her, rocked her, brushed her hair away from her face, wiped the tears from her face, all the while, making soothing noises to comfort her, murmuring it would be alright. His heart was breaking from her pain.

As her wracking sobs finally started to subside, Spike’s quiet murmuring’s penetrated Buffy’s sobs. "There, there, luv. That wasn't too hard, now was it? You're feeling. Right now, Buffy. I know that's why you do what you do to me. You had a good night with your sis, I walked by a few times and actually heard you laughing. You're getting better. If I could have stopped the bloody wankers from doing this to you, I would have. The problem isn't that you can't feel, the problem is the only emotions you do feel are anger, resentment, and pain. Physically, you feel everything, but all your mind will accept right now are pain, anger, and resentment."

Buffy hiccoughed quietly and snuggled into Spike's arms, like she had wanted to do that afternoon.

"It's going to take time, luv," Spike gently said, a con continued, slowly rubbing circles on her back with his fingertips. To comfort this small, beautiful woman snuggled into his arms.

"Every day you get a little better. I know; I can see and feel it. You've got to realize you were dead for three months. Things have changed around here, your friends, 'specially Red, your sister-- you lost three months of her life too. Your three months were spent in heaven, ours weren't. They were spent in misery, missing you. Buffy, look at me," she slowly raised her head from the comfort of his chest and looked into his eyes; they seared her from within with the love that shined from them, "calm down, be patient, take your time. Just because you think you should feel something, doesn't mean you have to feel it. Your soul is just trying to relearn how it fits in your body, that's all."

Spike looked into her eyes, he gently smiled at her, continuing to rub her back, then he took a deep unneeded breath and decided it was confession time.

"I was lying before. There's nothing wrong with you. I had a long visit with Glinda the other day. No, not Red. The other one, her girlfriend, Tara. I told her what's goi going on with you. No, don't look at me like that. I didn't tell her about us. I told her about me being able to hurt you, and all about this lack of feeling you've got. So the witch did some research, turns out you're really you. You didn't come back wrong. You've got your real soul and everything. You're fine. Really. I can hit you, because you've got some kind of a molecular sunburn. That's all. I'm sorry, luv. I've just been trying to hurt you as bad as you've hurt me by telling you something was wrong with you."

Shakily Buffy let out a breath and said, "I know, Spike, I talked to Tara too, but I told her about us. You're right, everyday I feel something I didn't feel the day before. I want to be like I was. I want to love my friends, be able to laugh and smile and talk and dance and have fun, but somehow I can't. It all hurts too much. When I was in heaven, I was completely happy for the first time in, likeer. er. And then I was back. I lost that feeling and I know I'll never feel it again until I'm dead. So I want to die again. This world is too hard, too cruel, too cold, too violent. And I'm mad at them. Couldn't they have at least checked around to see if I was hell? I'm afraid I'm never going to be able to forgive them, and if I can't forgive them, I'll never be right again."

"Well then, luv. You and I are going to practice forgiveness. I don't really know how to do it, but we'll find a way. When we're finished, you'll be able to forgive your friends. They'll have their Buffy back, and I'll have my Slayer back. I can't stand to see you hurting luv. I'd give my unlife to mit bit better for you, you know."


"I know, Spike. I'm sorry for how I've been acting lately."

"Ssshhhh, pet. Don't say something you don't mean. You've been having a bloody good time beating me senseless and fucking me raw. Don't lie. I wish that once, just one bloody time, you'd let me love you."

"I can't. You're a vampire and I'm a Slayer. I can’t love you. No matter how much you love me. If, if I let myself love you, or even give you that crumb you begged me for, I'd betray everything there is to being a Slayer. You don't have a soul and it's wrong. You know it’s wrong. Hell, you told me it was wrong."

"I did and it is. Buffy, don't you see? I've fought the good fight. I can't ever go back to what I was before, even if I got the chip out. Don't you understand? Humans are not happy meals with legs to me anymore, haven't been for a long time, not really. Not since I kidnapped Red to make that love spfor for me. Me, the Big Bad Master Vampire, spared the lives of a witch and a whelp and cried on your mum's shoulder. Right then and there my whole perception changed. The chip merely helped me change faster then I already was is all. And you can blather on and on about how I'm an evil soulless demon, luv, it hurts… but it’s not true."

"WHAT?? Y- y-you've got a soul?" Eyes wide with disbelief, Buffy twisted in Spike’s arms until she could see him.

"Slayer, don't believe everything those idiots in tweed tell you. I never lost my soul; my demon overpowered it. William is inside of me and always has been. He cowered awaom tom the demon. This bloody chip weak my my demon and William's not been cowering as much as he used to. And even if all that weren't true, I'd have a soul anyway, Buffy, you are my love, my heart, my sunlight, and my soul. I know you don't want to be, and truthfully, I wish you weren't. But you are. That's how you can know I will never, ever leave you. I can't survive without you. You're everything to m

"I can't handle that responsibility, Spike."

"You don't have to. It's not a responsibility, it's just the way things are. But I bloody well meant what I said earlier. I'm not going to shag you again, unless you can come to me in love. I don't take kindly to being used for sex by the only person I've ever loved. It's destroying me bit by bit."

Buffy sighed and struggled out of his embrace. "Spike, I can't, it can never-"

"Never's a long time luv. Don't say something you don't mean."

"But I-"

Spike pressed one finger to her lips. "Slayer, not now. Not tonight. Just promise me this: no more using me for sex, I can't take it anymore."

"I promise."

"Thank you. Umm, I didn't want you to know this, but Rupert called the other day. Apparently the council found a lost prophecy."

Standing, Buffy began to pace. “Why would Giles call you?”

“Because it mentions me.”

"Do you have any idea how much I hate prophecies?"

"Yeah, got an idea about that. You're going to hate this one even more than all the other ones, though. It basically tells the story of your life, and then goes into the future. Our future.”

"Oh god, are you trying to tell me that we're destined to be together?" She asked incredulously

"I don't know about the being together luv, but we're destined to fight at each others side for eternity. Somehow you and the witch are going to become immortal just like me, luv. It's only fitting you know, sometime in eternity, surely you'll come to love me like I love you."

"When was Giles going to tell me all this?" Buffy wondered out loud.

"He wasn't, not until the Council could determine the hows, wheres, whens, and all that about my soul. I explained to Rupert I'd never lost it, and the whole damn Council has been researching that little bit night and day, trying to prove me wrong it seems. You're tired Buffy, let me take you home."

"Why you? Why is it always you, Spike?” She started to trail off but her thoughts were running rampant. ‘Why are you the only person who can see me, the real me, flaws and all? It's always been you. You were the one who made me understand Angel and I would never be friends. You taught me what love was, long before you ever loved me. You've always looked straight into my soul and said out loud the things that everyone else, except my mom, was too afraid of me to say.’ Shaking her head to clear her mind she turned back to Spike. “Why do we have this connection? Do you think it has to do with this prophecy?"

"I don't know luv, I really don't. Just pleased to hear you admit we have a connection. Will you let me walk you home? Or I can drive you if you prefer."

"Let’s walk. be wbe we’ll get some good slayage in along the way.” Buffy giggled.

Angel stood still as night in the shadows, grateful for the cloaking spell, and surprised it had worked on Buffy and Spike. He wished he had a copy of that prophecy. He couldn’t grasp the concept of Buffy and Spike being meant for each. Although, Spike had absorbed her abuse, her beatings, withstood her begging for death.

‘If she had begged me like that to kill her, I probably would have. How could a vampire refuse the death wish of a Slayer? I almost walked over there and took her myself and I have a soul.’ And in the end Buffy had giggled like she was sixteen again. How did Spike do that?

With a thousand thoughts spinning in his head, Angel returned to his mansion to wait for the day and to brood over the events of the night. When he reached the mansion, he called Cordy and left her a message to come to Sunnydale with enough clothes for the two of them to last a week. He told her that they would be staying at the mansion and to get whatever food she required, using the company credit card, of course.

****

Willow managed to get Dawn and herself to school on time without the use of magick. She’d looked in on Buffy, but the slayer’d been sleeping so soundly Willow didn’t have the heart to wake her up on her day off

Anya gleefully went to work, she was expecting a new shipment today.

Tara looked forward to having lunch with Willow.

Cordy grumpily packed for herself and Angel and headed towards Sunnydale.

Giles boarded a plane for the United States. He'd had enough of the Council and wanted to be with Buffy. It'd been weeks since he'd seen her.

Xander headed to the mansion to see Deadboy and find out what was wrong with Buffy.

*****

He didn't knock; he never had at the mansion. He went in and yelled for Angel.

He didn't hear an answer so he went looking for the hated vampire. Xander found Angel sitting against the wall the vampire had once chained Faith, to lost in his thoughts. Xander carelessly threw a package of blood at Angel and said, "Spill your guts, Deadboy, I want to hear it all."

"I've nothing to tell you, Xander."

"Surely you've got something to show for all the lurking you did last night?"

" If you must know, I discovered you people tortured Buffy when you brought her back. I discovered my favorite childe kills as many, if not more vampires than the Slayer herself. I discovered my favorite childe truly and completely loves the love of my life. I found out Buffy wants to die. She begged Spike to kill her last night, and he didn't."

Shaking his head in denial at Buffy’s suicidal actions, Xander retorted. "Of course he didn't, he's chipped. He can't hurt any living thing."

"That's not true, he can hurt Buffy. He can drain her dry if he wants, yet he doesn't. But he can't harm anyone else. Something happened when you brought Buffy back. His chip doesn't recognize her as human."

"Then why hasn't he killed her if she begged him to?"

"He loves her."

"Bullshit! Demons can't love, he doesn't have a soul. It's impossible, he can't love her!" raged Xander.

"Boy, shut your mouth, before I shut it for you. You don't have any idea what you're talking about, and he does love her. I saw it for myself."

"If you're talking about seeing them screw, I don't want to hear it, that's not love, tha-"

"That's not what I'm talking about, and it's none of your business." Angel paused. "I didn't talk to either of them last night. I watched them. It's really simple, Xander. Spike loves Buffy. Buffy is hurting from being ripped out of heaven and is taking it out on Spike instead of you guys. That's all there is, really."

"But-"

"That's it, she's hurting. Last night I saw her take her first step towards healing. She did it in Spike's arms. She cried and screamed and begged him for death, and he held her, soothed her, talked to her rationally, made her giggle, and took her home."

"But-"

"But nothing, that's it. That's what you summoned me here for. I've still got some unfinished business with Spike, but really that's it. I had a hard night, Xander. Thanks for the blood, I'm sure I'll see you later on this week if not today. Cordy's coming down as we speak. I think we're going to need her."

"Are you su-"

"Yes, I'm sure, now, goodbye." With that Angel drained the blood bag and went upstairs to sleep. He hoped it would soothe some of the ache in his heart.

****

Giles had a layover in New York and one in Dallas. He slept through both of the flights to build up the energy reserve he knew he would need when he went to confront Buffy and Spike. He ed Led L.A. and left a message for Angel and Cordelia to meet him in Sunnydale. He called and left messages for Buffy, Xander, Anya, Tara, Willow, and Spike to meet him at the Magic Box at 5:00. He hoped he would be prepared for the emotional onslaught of seeing his slayer/daughter again, and for the turmoil the prophecy clutched in the briefcase on his lap was going to create for all the people he cared about.

****

At 4:30, each member of the Scooby Gang began making their wo tho the Magic Box.

Dawn, who was already there with Anya, helped her straighten the store before Giles got there. They had just finished when Giles walked in. Both girls ran to him and smothered him with hugs and kisses.

Willow and Tara were holding hands and quietly walked in to the store. Neither sensed the dread coming off of Giles in waves as he hugged them both and told them how much he'd missed them.

Stewing in his anger, Xander had gone home and showered after a long day at work. He'd had to push it to make up for his absence the day before. Going to Angel for help hadn’t solved anything. In fact, Xander decided with his usual prejudiced attitude, the bloodsucker had made it worse. He was the next to arrive. "G-man long time no seeth," was the greeting, and in return he got slapped hard on the shoulder by the man who had become a surrogate father to them all.

Cordelia and Angel showered, changed and drove Angel's car to the Magic Box. Wrapped in a blanket, he ran inside before he started to combust. At the raised eyebrows of the Scooby Gang, Cordelia stared back and lied smoothly. “What? I had a vision. It said to come here. Deal.” After the shock had worn off, they were warmly greeted. Angel waited in fear for the arrival of his childe and his childe’s love

* * * *
After a good night’s sleep, Buffy awoke feeling completely rested for the first time in as long as she could remember. Looking at the clock, she realized it was 3:00. She’d slept the day away. She went downstairs, noticed the answering machine was blinking. As she made coffee, she listened to Giles tell her to be at the Magic Box by 5:00, and to be sure to bring Spike.

Buffy went to Spike's crypt to tell him about the meeting. Spike finally showed Buffy why he lived in his particular crypt. From the lower recesses of the chamber, he had access to every sewer and engineering tunnel in Sunnydale. They walked shoulder to shoulder in a comfortable silence through the sewer. When they came to the proper exit, Spike wrapped the blanket around himself and climbed up, moved the manhole cover aside and dashed for the interior of the store before he combusted. Buffy giggled as she followed him, slowing only long enough to replace the manhole cover.

Spike burst through the door, followed by Buffy, who flung herself into Giles' outstretched arms. Angel started growling softly at Spike.

"Giles, I've missed you so much. When did you get back, why didn't you ask us to meet you at the airport? Did the Council figure out that damned prophecy? Did you miss me?"

"One thing at a time Buffy, let go of me, before you break your Watcher."

"Sorry, Giles," Buffy sheepishly replied.

"I just got back, it was simpler to take a cab, they've figured out part of the "damned prophecy", Spike, I wish you hadn't saiythiything, and of course I missed you, and I've got gifts for all of you to prove that I did."

"PRESENTS!the the girls exclaimed in unison.

The men laughed, and Buffy and Spike noticed Angel and Cordelia for the first time.

"Cordelia, good to see you. Angel, I thought I told you to stay away from me, and why are you growling?"

"Cordelia had a vision, I'll try to stay out of your way while I'm here, and I'd rather not explain in front of a room full of people why I’m growling."

"Get over yourself Angel, we're family here, spill."

"If you insist. You stink of Spike. Spike stinks of you. He has no right to be with you, and before this is all over with, I'm going to teach him a lesson. Appears as though your lover has forgotten vampire law. You do not steal from your sire."

At the word lover, a hush filled the room. Willow looked confused, then pleased. Dawn audibly gasped and kept looking back and forth between her sister and Spike. Xander swallowed hard. Anya looked pointedly at each person in the room and said "Told ya so," Tara shyly smiled at the Slayer and her Vampire. Cordelia fell back into her chair, and Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them on his shirttail.

Buffy, initially caught offguard by Angel’s tirade, snapped. "Glad to see your nose still works, what do you mean forgotten vampire law? What, are you going to do send him to vampire prison? And by the way I don't belong to you, and Spike and I aren’t lovers."

"Go ahead and tell yourself that Buffy, but you can't wash the smell away from me. I know your scent as intimately as I know his and you're lovers, have been active lovers sometime in the past 24 hours." Angel was a bit taken aback by the fact that Buffy seemed more angry than guilty or ashamed

Buffy looked quizzically at Spike, and shrugged her shoulders, "If you say so Angel, although I’ve had two showers since the last time we had sex. You're wrong anyway. Spike and I are not lovers. Not anymore. We had been after I came back, but he sat me down last night and read me the riot act. No more shagging until I love him. I think he's really trying to torture me or make me beg." Buffy said flippantly. Inwardly she cringed. How dare he show up and tell her shameful secret to the world. Who did he think he was?

"Now Slayer, you're going to make me sound like a poofter in front of all of your friends. I thought we decided not to kiss and tell." His voice was warm and joking, but he had his sire pinned down with eyes that flashed continually between gold and blue.

Speaking directly to his sire, he continued, "You're all soul-having at the moment, aren't you, peaches? Thought so, care to explain why a soul-having vampire, who happens to be a vampire hunter, expects anyone to obey vampire law? She is not yours Angel, not anymore. You may have claimed her, but it's been broken in more ways than one. Time has broken it, you broke it, Dracula broke it, Riley broke it, Parker broke it. I may have hedged in on your claim, but I wasn't the first. Since I haven't exactly tried to claim her for myself, I'd like to know why you expect me to fight to the death over a woman you threw away all on your own. Especially when you stink like Cordelia and Cordelia stinks like you. to to explain the bite marks I can smell on her breasts?"

"WHAT? " Came the chorused reply as Cordelia blushed for one of the few times in her life and Angel slid into game face.

"That's enough!" Giles interrupted "I have been traveling all day to get here. I’m tired. I’m jet-lagged. I’m hungry. I’ve worked non-stop since I left this place on a prophecy that involves everyone in this room, as well as additional research for Spike, and I will not stand here and listen to all your petty squabbling.

“Spike, thank you for making Buffy see reason about your relationship. It appears that research I’ve been doing for you may turn out to your advantage after all. Angel, we don’t really have to have you here, even though this does involve you. May I recommend you keep your ramblings to yourself? If you do not, I will ask you to leave. Cordelia, you are a grown woman and you well remember what happened the last time Angel lost his soul. With that said, I wish for all of you to pretend to get along, at least for tonight, or leave and don’t come back, ever. This is a serious matter we have at hand.” Ripper stated. Seeing the chastised looks on some of the faces around him, he continued more gently.

“Now, I have presents for everyone, then we're going to eat, and then we're all going to read this prophecy and try to understand it as best we can. Any problems between you two vampires are not welcome in this store or with these people.

”Tara order up the usual research feast, make allowances for the extra mouths, and r upr up three days supply from Willie's as well. Make sure the pizza boy picks up the blood. Everyone, gather up your gifts, they each have individual meaning”

Looking contrite but pleased, everyone greedily grabbed their presents and ripped into them, not noticing that Buffy's and Spike's weren't wrapped. Spike was the first to get his open and sat in stunned silence as he stared at what was in the box in front of him.. It took all of his control to keep his emotions from showing.

Dawn was next to open hers; her box revealed a silver bracelet with a silver charm in the shape of a key dangling from it.

Anya's gift was her necklace. THE necklace, the one that carried her powers. No one knew the significance of the gift but her, and she quietly swallowed and hesitantly murmured a thank you, sliding the necklace into her purse, not yet willing to think about the ramifications.

Xander commented on other men buying his fiancée jewelry, and was immediately shamed bythe presents his package. Tools. Really, really, high quality tools. Not just any kind of tools either, they were woodworking tools, and the handle of each tool was carved with many strange markings that reminded him of magick.

Cordelia's gift was a crystal ball. She laughed at the irony of the gesture, then she noticed a prescription with her name on it. She picked up the bottle and gasped. It was the migraine medicine that hadn't yet been approved for sale in the US. She leapt to heet aet and grabbed Giles in a bone-crushing hug. "That's the best gift I've ever gotten, Giles. I don’t know how you knew about the pain, thank you."

Tara received spellbooks. She smiled as she quickly read titltitles and discerned that the books were about healing. Healing vampires, healing humans, healing demons, and healing witches suffering from magickal addiction.

Willow received several volumes on magickal addiction and the ways recover and still practice magick. She started sobbing as soon as she realized the implications. She grabbed for Tara and hung on for dear life.

Buffy still hadn't examined her package, she was trying to see what Spike's gift had been. Surprised by his lack of reaction, she decided he wasn't ready to share so she tore into her own gift. She too gasped at what was inside.

Angel was truly surprised at the turn of events in his conversation with Buffy, and was even more surprised at what Giles had given him, a spell to recover his soul permanently without the fear of ever losing it again. He stared at Buffy while the implications flew through his mind.

Buffy was shaking as she withdrew the contents from their box. Inside were all the worldly possessions of her sister. Her sister in slaying. Faith. The tank top that said “chosen,” the dagger she prized so much that had been a gift from the mayor (the one Buffy had stabbed her with), some photographs of the two of them, a sealed envelope with her name on it, and finally a diary. Faith's diary from prison. Buffy slowly looked at Giles, "she's dead isn't she?"

"I'm sorry Buffy, it was suicide. Her last wishes were for her belongings to be given to you. I believe there's a letter for you as well as her diary. Spike, you've not said anything yet. The contents of your box are directly related to the contents in Buffy's. I believe the two of you should sequester yourselves for a bit and work through this."

The whole group was getting anxious watching the two blondes. Buffy quietly asked, "What'd you get?"

Spike closed his eyes slowly pulling Miss Edith out of the box, followed with an urn, which was sealed, and an engraved stake.

Spike could hear the gasps from the people around the room, he heard the beginnings of the vampire's death wail, but didn't recognize his own voice joining with Angel's.

No one in the room had ever heard the vampire death wail and it sent shivers down the backs of everyone present and they cowered away from the two vampires, not knowing what to do. Except Buffy, she immediately pulled Spike into her arms and cried for him, for Angel, for Drusilla, for herself, but she mostly cried for Faith.

Angel tried to approach Spike to offer what comfort and solace he could, but Buffy sensed him nearing her vampire and, as soon as he was within reach, flung Angel against the wall.

"Come on, Spike, get Dru and her belongings, we're going to the training room." Spike did exactly as Buffy said, tears streaming down his face and an anguished howl emanating from his throat as he followed his love, and carried the woman he had spent over a hundred years loving in an urn in his hand.

"Well G-man, I'd say you still haven't lost your touch. That was a hell of a bombshell to drop on everyone. Faith and Dru both dead, what happened?"

The pizza/blood boy arrived at that moment. Giles handed over the money and told everyone to help themselves, and he would explain as best he could while they ate.

"Mind you, until just this moment I had not seen the contents of either of those boxes. Faith sent the package with Drusilla in it exactly 10 days ago to the Watcher's Council, with implicit instructions for it to be forwarded to me and then to be forwarded to Spike. Within those instructions she said that she had done this in prison and that if her dreams had truly been Slayer dreams, Spike deserved the contents of the box. She went on to say she'd met Spike once while she was in Buffy's body, that she knew he loved her and that she also knew that he knew that she wasn't Buffy. She also wanted me to tell both of them she was sorry and she hoped and prayed that this time it would work out. She killed herself in prison exactly one hour after shipping the contents of the first box to me. She left a note for the Warden that all of her worldly possessions needed to go to Buffy through me. The Warden sent the boxes to the Sunnydale police department to my attention and I received a message from them to pick it up at the station. While there the police said she had killed herself and that all her worldly possessions were within the box."

Angel was the first to speak. "Basically, what you're saying Giles, is that Faith came into contact with Dru in prison, dreamed about Buffy, Spike and Dru, staked Dru, sent her to Spike, and then killed herself, and essentially sent herself to Buffy?"

"Yes, that's what I'm saying, but as I have not seen or read the contents of the letters or diary, it's basically just an assumption."

The sounds of fighting from the training room broke through to the group. Angel, fearful for Buffy's life, headed towards the room, but Willow stopped him.

"They train together everyday, Angel. Don't worry. He loves her, he won't hurt her. They're both naturally physically aggressive beings, it's probably best that they're working out their feelings now, instead of letting them fester. Festering is bad fuffyuffy, she can't control herself when she lets things bottle up, and neither can Spike."

Angel looked Willow in the eyes and knew she was right. "It sounds a little rough is all, and truthfully, I'm more worried about Buffy hurting Spike."

"Don't be. If it bothers you so much, there's a window in the office, you can watch them if you like."

"If they're not out in a little while believe me, I will."

In the training room, y any and Spike had both changed clothes, removed their shoes, held on to each other for a moment and then proceeded to try to kill one another. Buffy looked at Spike square in the eyes and saw all the pain, grief, torment, and anger she knew were reflected in her own.

"Full out?" she quietly asked.

"You sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Safety word?"

Remembering Faith's words from so long ago Buffy whispered, "Safety words are for wimps."

"Right then."

As if a bell had been rung to start a boxing match, they flew at each other. Kicking, punching, throwing, rolling, dodging, blocking, they moved so fast if anyone had been watching, they couldn't have seen the blows. About fifteen minutes into the fight the others had gone into the office to watch, but the sparring pair was oblivious. Neither could get an advantage over the other, they both blocked more than they landed, but the intensity didn't lessen. There was no finesse, it was an all-out battle. Master Vampire versus the Best Slayer ever. Neither had ever been more evenly matched, and once again, as if a bell had been rung, they both dropped out of stance. It had been exactly one hour since the fight began. Buffy walked to the wall. "Weapons training,” she told hi”Pic”Pick your poison."

Spike didn't reply as he picked a sword. Buffy did the same. They both walked to the refrigerator. Buffy pulled out water, Spike pulled out blood, drank three swallows each, returned to the ring.

Once again, Buffy quietly asked "Full out?"

"You sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"Safety word?"

Still focusing on Faith's words from so long ago, Buffy whispered, "Safety words are for wimps."

"Right then."

The sounds of the swords hitting each other reverberated through the training room and out into the Magic Box itself. The speed was blinding, the sounds were deafening, their lack of shields was terrifying to all the people in the office watching, except one. Dawn. She knew that both Buffy and Spike were in complete control. She could tell from the looks on their faces, but no one else seemed to believe her reassuring murmurings.

"I'm putting a stop to this right now," said Angel.

"Angel, if you walk in there right now, they'd both kill you. Stop being stupid" was Cordelia's reply.

The sword fight lasted 20 minutes. They stopped in sync, walked to the wall and each picked up a rapier to add to their arsenal, they again drank water and blood, and repeated the only words spoken between them since they had walked into the training room.

"Ooh, they're serious now, the swords have dulled edges, but Buffy and Spike sharpened those rapiers yesterday." Anya stated to no one in particular.

Fear snaked down Angel’s back. They both drew blood at the same time. Buffy noticed she cut Spike, Spike noticed he cut Buffy, neither noticed their own cuts. Down came the weapons they reached for each other’s injured parts, noted the damage was merely superficial and moved on to staffs.

"See?" came Dawn's snide remark. "Told you they wouldn't hurt one another."

"Um, Dawnie, they both just drew blood," Xander replied.

"Yep, that always happens, but this time they actually stopped fighting. Usually they ignore their injuries," she shrugged.

Willow, Tara, Dawn, Anya, and Cordelia were bored watching the fighting and retreated into the other room to catch up. Xander mumbled about still being hungry. Giles felt he had to watch the fighting, after all he was Buffy's Watcher.

Angel stood there amazed. He hadn't seen Buffy or Spike fight in years. He had no doubt he'd never watched two more skilled or evenly matched fighters. He also had no doubt that if Spike challenged him for his claim, he'd lose, or he'd die. No wonder they'd been able to defeat a God.

Buffy and Spike were oblivious to their remaining audience, oblivious to the time they spent fighting to purge their grief and pain, oblivious to their screaming muscles. They worked their way through every weapon in the training room, spending twenty minutes on each weapon without benefit of a timer. When they finished, they collapsed onto a bench, and quickly drank the rest of their liquid nourishment.

As their breathing slowed, Spike noticed the ache in his muscles and knew Buffy had to be hurting as well. He crossed the room and went into the bathroom, returning with a bottle of liquid heat and a small basin of baby oil, motioned for Buffy to strip and lie down on the bench. As she did, he mixed the liquid heat and baby oil and began to work the soothing oil into her tired muscles. He quickly but thoroughly massaged each muscle group on her body. When he finished, Buffy returned the favor for him.

When Giles and Angel realized they were going to rub each other down, Giles excused himself from the room and went to join the others. Angel stayed to watch, his morbid curiosity getting the better of him. When he realized Buffy was going to rub down Spike,leftleft the room; he couldn’t watch. He wistfully remembered the days when they had trained together, and rubbed the ache from the other’s muscles. He returned to the other room, and sat brooding in the shadows, ignoring the conversations around him.

Cordelia and Anya were talking about the latest fashions. Xander and Dawn were shoveling down the remains of the pizza, and Giles, Willow, and Tara were discussing the steps to Willow’s recovery.

“Willow, you can overcome this addiction you have. It’s going to be a long painful process, and there are going to be many things you will object to, but I know you can do this. You’re going to have an official “Watcher” of your own. The Council has asked one of our Adepts to assist and train you. Her name is Morgaine and she has been the Council’s head-Adept for the past 10 years. She will be moving to Sunnydale later this week. The training you will be receiving is much like that I wished you to pursue in high school, when you started practicing. Tara, the Council would like for you to train with Willow, if that is acceptable to you.”

Willow flung herself at Giles and hugged him as hard as she could. “Oh Giles, thank you. Thank you.” She managed to whisper between sobs.

“Of course it is Giles, but is everyone sure this is safe?” Tara asked. “Willow’s done amazingly well, these past few weeks, and I don’t want anything to happen that will hurt her.”

Giles uncomfortably patted Willow on the back and dislodged himself from her grasp. “It will be most difficult Tara, but if we all follow Morgaine’s instructions, it will be safe. We will also need to find one more person, hullyully from within the Scooby Gang. Willow, you can never practice alone again. The only way to keep you and the others around you safe is for you to practice with a full circle, until you have recovered and learned enough to protect yourself and the others around you. Morgaine’s power is centered in “air” and she will represent that aspect in your circle. Tara, I believe you’re centered in “earth,” I seem to recall you telling me that once. Willow, you and Morgaine will have to divine your element, something that should have been done before you cast your first spell, and perform a calling spell to discover the person who will complete your circle with the fourth element. Then you will begin from the beginning. You will learn to control your power, and study the ethics of magick before any serious training takes place. I’m sure the magick you will be practicing will seem quite elementary to you for a long time. I know it will frustrate you, but it is the only way.”

“Giles,” Willow said, through her tears, “I can’t help but think that if I had listened to you years ago, this never would have happened. My practice of the craft has always been…wrong. I got in over my head with the first spell I ever performed, and never went back and learned the basics. If this Morgaine is everything you say she is, and with Tara and everyone else’s help… I’ll do it. If Buffy can live throurainraining with a Watcher, then so can I… But Giles, before Morgaine gets here, can you double check and make sure she’s not evil? I mean it wouldn’t be the first time that…”

“Yes, Willow. Actually I already did that before I left England. Morgaine was there and we spent many hours going through the evolution of your powers, your relationships with everyone here, and I am quite sure she’s not evil. She is however rather cryptic, I have a hard time following her sometimes.”

“Giles! More cryptic than you? Is there a dictionary of watcher-ese she can bring over with her?” Willow joked while wiping her eyes, just as Spike and Buffy, dressed in their street clothes, returned to the main room walking hand in hand.

They looked around the room but before anyone could ask anything, Buffy held up her free hand. “We haven’t read or discussed anything, just got out some of the bad feelings. on’ton’t ask any questions, we don’t know. We’ll deal with it later, when it’s not so fresh in our minds. Giles, I have to know, is another Slayer going to be called?”

“She already has been, Buffy, her name is Margaret, er uh, Maggie. Since the fiasco with Faith, the Council started searching for the next Slayer. When she was found, an orphan I might add, the Council officially adopted her, her Watcher is her legal guardian and she’s been training for the past couple of years. She has not officially been placed on active duty as the Council is still deciding where she will be needed most. She will not be here on the Hellmouth, Buffy, this is your official post, and I am your official Watcher, again. I have been given instructions to train you as I deem best regardless of Council directive, as long as they’re informed of any and all progress and events at the Hellmouth.

“They’re still trying to make the new Slayer abide by the old rules, but her Watcher is a good man. We spent a lot of time together and he is molding her training to fit her, as I did with you, but not enough to upset the Council, yet. Receiving training before going on active duty is much better for the Slayer as well as her Watcher. Casualty rates aren’t nearly as high, and the girl is somewhat prepared. She’s staked 50 vampires in controlled situations, 14 in non-controlled situations, and has faced three demons the Council held in captivity.

“She fights well, but doesn’t improvise as well as you. She was thirteen when she was found and had recently been taken in as a ward of the state. Her parents had died, and she had no living relatives. She was frightened as you can well remember, but happy to have a place to call home.

“Her Watcher, James Lawe, and his wife Bridget are old friends of mine from Eton. Bridget is also a member of the Council and has taken a motherly like attitude towards the chishe’she’s residing with them at their private residence. I have been informed that there will be times she will be at your disposal for situations like Glory last year, and the Council is hoping that you will be able to aid her as well when she is in situations more difficult than she can handle. When she is placed on active duty, they will find the next to be called and begin her training immediately. James and I believe it would be advantageous for you and Maggie to spend time together before she is placed on active duty. Unless you wish otherwise, they will be joining Morgaine on her trip to Sunnydale.”

“No, that’s fine Giles, I want to meet the new Slayer and her Watcher. But I don’t have room to put them up.”

“I realize that Buffy, and will make arrangements for them as well as Morgaine. Angel, I was rather hoping we could put everyone up in the mansion? There’s more than enough room and space for training as well, the garden would be a wonderful spot for our witches and…”

“No problem, Giles, we’ll be back to L.A. before they arrive, and they’re welcome to stay as long as they like. I’d be pleased for the mansion to be used again.”

“Well, that’s settled then. Thank you Angel, for being so considerate, now I believe we’ve covered everything, so it’s time to go over the prophecy.”

The group groaned in unison and gathered at the table for their next challenge.