Nocturnal Bravura Book Three: Children Of Destiny

Chapter Five

The Master’s Return

Lizzie and William stepped inside the Giles home. The followed the excited chatter and found all the Scoobies assembled in the dining room.

“I’m just saying to would be more economical if they drove. The Council does not pay that well. They could write it off as a business expense,” Anya was arguing.
“Great An, and what does Giles put on his tax return; recon mission expenses to save the world?” Xander argued.

Rupert appeared to be deep in thought. He realized that Lizzie had returned with William when Dawn squealed and ran to throw her arms around her sister.

“LIZZIE!” she cried.
William watched as a smile crept across Lizzie’s face. What ever else was going on, she always seemed to feel better when Dawnie was around.

“How are you Dawnie?” she asked.

“Great! Guess what? Dad and Will have to go to Los Angeles for a few days. That means I need someone to stay with me,” Dawn hinted.

Lizzie looked up at Giles questioningly.

Rupert took off his glasses and began to wipe them down. “It seems you’re assumptions were correct. The new Master is of Darla’s line,” he said.

“Don’t you mean of my line as well, Giles?”

The room got so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Lizzie looked down. She didn’t know why she said what she did. For some reason she felt the need to remind them of what she was. Sometimes she could tell they forgot. They treated her like they did when she was alive. But even she knew the danger of that. If they forgot, if there came a day that for some reason they had to stand against her, she had to know that they could take her down.

William came up behind Lizzie and put his hands on her shoulders while Dawn held her hand, trying to show her support for her older sibling.

“Of course,” Rupert said.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight. I felt something really strange earlier and I guess its still affecting me,” she said.

The elder Giles walked up to her and kissed the top of her head. “We understand.” He removed his glasses and began to polish the lenses as he continued. “Our sources in Los Angeles say that this new Master is very powerful. Many of Darla’s minions have already started to make their way to Sunnydale. Will and I are going to Los Angeles to gather information and meet with Cordelia and Wesley,” he explained.

Dawn looked at Lizzie brightly. “That means you can stay here with me,” she said happily.

“NO!” Lizzie said a bit too loudly.

Dawn took a step back. She wasn’t hurt by her sister’s reaction. She could feel her fear. “What’s wrong?”

Lizzie grabbed Dawn’s shoulders. “Dawnie there is nothing I want more than to spend time with you. You know that right?”

Dawn nodded slowly.

“Its just that…Tonight something happened.” She looked over at Rupert. “I couldn’t control my demon. Before I could even blink I was all bumpy in the forehead. I didn’t feel like killing or anything like that, but it scared me how easily it took over. I can’t risk Dawnie seeing me like that,” She explained.

“Of course not,” Rupert said, sympathizing with the girl. “We will just take Dawnie with us.”

“Da, maybe just you and Dawn could go. I should stay here,” William said.

Lizzie turned around to face him, arching an eyebrow at him. “I thought we agreed that the fate of the world comes before my emotional needs?”

“No, I just thought that with all the minions on the way…Besides I need to patrol...Oh bloody hell women! I hate it when you phrase things the way you do,” William muttered.

Lizzie laughed, wrapping her arms around him. “It’s okay, I’ll put on my Princess Buffy act and see what I can dig up,” she offered, turning away.

William pulled her back. “You’re not going to dig up anything. Just cause I agreed to go on this little excursion doesn’t mean I have gone completely Carrot Top,” he said.

Lizzie tilted her head to the side. “We know the drill, William. What does it matter if I start now or when you get back? I need to make an appearance sooner or later. They’ll come looking for me; they always do. Better I start now.”

William ran his fingers through his hair scratching the back of his hair roughly.

“It’s dangerous. I don’t like it. What if Darla’s minions try to do something to you?” he argued.

Anya rolled her eyes. “Will, they are not going to try anything. She is Spike’s Mate. If they tried anything, any of Spike’s minions that are still bound to him would turn against the new Master. The demon world may be evil, but they do have their own code of honor. If the new Master intended to take Lizzie out, they would have tried something by now. Since they haven‘t, they obviously respect The Claim and feel Lizzie is worthy because she has not tried to bind herself to anyone else,” Anya finished, not thinking about the impact her last statement might have.

Lizzie closed her eyes as Willow and Oz flinched, while William tried not to let Anya’s words affect him.

Rupert cleared his throat. “Dawn you should start packing. We will be leaving on a midnight flight so we can get there quickly,” he said, leading the girl out of the room.

“I’ll be here when you get back, Dawnie,” Lizzie promised. She kissed Dawn and watched her walk up the stairs. Turning to Will, she smiled. “Let’s get you packed, too.”

After Lizzie and Will had left the room, the rest of the Scoobies glared at Anya.

“WHAT?”

**
William lay on his bed, holding Lizzie in his arms. “There’s nothing I can do that would convince you to wait until I return is there?” he asked.

Lizzie lay with her head in against his chest. Sitting in the corner was the small duffle bag he had packed. The members of the Giles household were set to leave in an hour. She could feel William’s concern wash over her.

“Will, I wish you would stop worrying about me,” she whispered.

William tilted her chin up and kissed her. “I told you, luv, it’s not that easy. Especially now.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t a killing kind of thing. Just a need...A pull. I can’t explain it,” she muttered.

“That’s what worries me the most. I am afraid of where it’s going to pull you,” William whispered

Lizzie straddled him and took his face in her hands. “I told you I love you,” she said.

William kissed her and smiled. “I love you too.”

**

Spike rushed through the mansion. He knocked his minions out his way. Enraged he kicked the door open to the main hall. The older minions stopped what they were doing and began scrambling around, trying to make sense out of their Masters’ mood.

He reached for the minion closest to him and grabbed an axe off the wall. Before the minion could say or do anything, Spike sliced him right down the middle.

“Now that I have your attention,” he said, wiping off the blood. “Let’s have a bit of a chat, shall we?”

Harmony walked into the room and Spike grabbed her by her throat. He pulled out a stake and drove it into her chest. The minions stood and watched as Harmony evaporated into dust.

“You bring THAT to me, but you will not bring me her?” Spike roared. He grabbed a third minion by his shirt. “You knew about her and you didn’t tell me?”

“Master, we wanted to wait until you were completely well,” the minion cowered.

“I could see the merit in that way of thinking.” Spike said. Before the minion could even blink he felt the piercing of Spike’s stake. “However, forgive me if I disagree.” He took a step back and dusted himself off.

“Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty,” He said. “I want answers and I want then NOW!”

Jesse entered the room. One of the minions had run to fetch him the minute Spike had returned. He had known this day would come. “You speak of Buffy, Master,” he said quietly.

The other minions roared their protests. “SHUT UP, YOU IMBECILE!” One of them yelled.

The axe left Spike’s hand in a blur as he flung it across the room, pinning the minion who had yelled to the wall. Spike walked over and grabbed a handful of the minion’s ratty hair, jerking it up so he could see its eyes.

“Didn’t your parents teach you any manners? It’s rude to interrupt,” he sneered. Without another thought, he drove the stake through it. He looked around the room, daring anyone to try to interrupt Jesse.

“Continue,” Spike said, crossing his arms in front of him.

“Your Mate, Master. Her name is Buffy. You called her your Perfect Princess Buffy. She has remained here in the Hellmouth. She is a bit....Master, her mind is not well,” Jesse said sadly.

"Princess," Spike murmured. The dream. The beautiful girl. Now it all made sense. He had a Mate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he understood that they must be bound together. One word screamed in his mind. CLAIMED. If she was his mate, why was she not here with him?

Spike looked around the room, his eyes filled with murderous rage. “You mean to tell me that my Mate has been left to fend for herself?” he roared. “The bloody creature that finds her and brings her to me gets to live!”

The minions all scurried out of the room, tripping over each other in their haste to get out of Spike’s presence.

Jesse stayed by Spike’s side. “Master, do you remember her?” he asked quietly.

Spike closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, but it doesn’t matter. She belongs to me...”