Life (or Unlife) Goes On

Chapter Five

Spike’s POV

‘So what I’m suddenly back on the team? Where were you when Fred was dying?’

‘Hey we just saved your asses but if you don’t want to be in don’t. I just need a second front in case another apocalypse happens and here is perfect. Plus if anyone can beat the odds its you. Well actually both you and Spike cos you two are the only ones who have died as many times as I have.’ I have to smile at that one.

‘Okay, but Spike, Illyria, Gunn and Conner are all on my team, right.’

‘Right.’

‘Who else apart from Faith, you said second chance so what Andrew, not Willow?’

‘Kennedy and I will be around once in a while. At the moment I’m still trying to locate some more slayers and I think their might be some in the area.’ Angel just nods.

‘You will also have Oz and Robin. Dana will come in about a week but only if you think you can handle her. She’s still pretty psychotic. Might need a cage.’ Buffy adds.

‘That’s okay. If we are staying here I’ll need to build something for Nina.’ I’d forgotten about Nina. Buffy looks puzzled.

‘The werewolf his shacked up with,’ I say out of bitterness. Buffy raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything and Angel gives me a look. When we are alone I’ll have to make some things clear to the ponce, I will not play second fiddle, not again.

‘Anyway, moving on. The army does know about us and they are helping with some things as in giving us any slayers they find because the way they see it without us, vampires and demons would be running riot. However, they won’t interfere or investigate or experiment on vampires or demons.’ I give her a look to say heard that one before but she ignores it and continues. ‘They will refer any suspicious case in LA to you guys and they have given us these badges so that you can visit crime scenes unhindered but Riley told me to remind you, that if the public gets suspicious they will deny everything.’ Fair enough, those government agencies are good at denial. As if by some secret signal everyone has cleared out leaving just me, Angel, Buffy, Giles, Willow and Faith.

‘OK now we will leave first thing in the morning but tonight I thought we could finish off Wolfram and Hart. Gunn gave Andrew a list of clients which you guys didn’t take out last night but if we get who we can then they will be severely crippled in LA anyway and they won’t have the muscle to retaliate’

‘Sure. How is Gunn anyway?’ Angel asks, he really doesn’t like being around Buffy and I know how he feels to be this close to her when she doesn’t seem to care.

‘He’ll be fine, Should be out of there tomorrow. What about you Spike? You up for it?’

‘You kidding right? When aren’t I up for a good fight?’

‘Good. We will go into groups. You guys can take these three.’ She says indicating the first couple of names. I don’t recognise any of them.

‘Why don’t we take those who are staying?’ Faith suggests.

‘You want to take Andrew out? The guy who couldn’t kill a pig? And what about Oz?’ I ask.

‘Hey you didn’t see Oz last night, he can change at will and he remembers it now. That’s one wolf I wouldn’t want to go up against if I could help it.’ She replies.

‘Look we’ll take everyone including Andrew. Besides, out of the nine who are here now only Robin and Andrew don’t have super powers. They will be fine.’ Angel says. ‘Now lets get them together and move out.’ I follow him out and nod to Buffy as I leave. I doubt we will even have a chance to talk before she leaves, I don’t know if I should be happy or sad about that. Walking into the foyer, I find that Conner, Kennedy, Dawn and Andrew are having an impromptu training session. Dawn can hold her own and Andrew is getting there, he still needs some work though. Illyria, Robin and some slayers I don’t know are watching. They stop when they see us.

‘Okay listen up. Robin, Illyria, Conner, Kennedy and Andrew suit up we are going hunting.’ I follow Faith into the basement where there is an assortment of weapons. She throws me an axe and I shove a stake up my sleeve.

‘Angel will want the biggest sword you have. Oh and hand me that piece of wire.’ Faith gives me a look but gives it to me, she’ll find out what its for later. Angel is waiting in the foyer.

‘Here,’ I say handing him the axe and a stake. ‘Oh And St Petersburg.’ I say showing him the wire in my hand. His face breaks into a smile, a genuine rare smile, the type that shoots straight to my cock no matter how much I try to not let it effect me.

‘Good work.’ Conner now looks at us puzzled but Angel just pats him on the shoulder and says,
‘You’ll see soon. Now, I know you can hold your own but be careful okay, try to stay near Faith.’

“Yes Dad,” the little twerp rolls his eyes and saunters out the door. We head out after him with Angel in the middle and I’m on his left with Illyria beside me while Connor and Faith are on his right. Behind me is Andrew with a crossbow, Robin and Willow with stakes. Kennedy has also gone for an axe but Oz doesn’t have a weapon but is wearing baggy pants and a loose top.

Mystery Girl's POV

They took me back to their basement flat which doesn’t even have a window. It will be handy for me during the day if I stay. They told me there names were Charlie, Daisy and Veronica. Then came the difficulty of deciding my name.

‘What’s the first song that pops into your head?’ Charlie asks. I reply by singing the line of a song I remembered earlier.

‘Are you going to Scarborough Fair?’

‘Scarborough Fair now that’s a strange song to think of first. There is some herb names in it though like Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.’ Daisy offers.

‘Well you don’t look like a Sage and Rosemary’s an old women’s name so what about Thyme?’ asks Charlie. I nod, I don’t care what happens because all this is a hallucination. ‘Right then, Veronica what can you do about her hair?’ My hair is long, matted and jet-black.

‘I’ll cut it for now and tomorrow when we have time, I might dye some of it. I was in a hair dressing course,’ She offers as an explanation.

‘Right and I should be able to find something you can wear. I like the jacket though. Keep it, it suits you,’ Charlie offers. They then get to work. When they are finished, I have short-layered hair and I’m wearing long – dangly silver coloured earrings. I have a very tight black tee on that covers my collar bone but finishes at the bottom of my ribs and it has no sleeves but there are three deliberate rips strategically placed so that the whole of my considerable cleavage is showing. A pleated black leather miniskirt and very high heeled ‘Come fuck me’ boots complete the look. I look good apart from my odd shaped scars and bruises.

‘Don’t worry about them,’ Charlie says noting my expression, ‘its too dark in the club for people to notice. You’ll do fine, just move to the music and lose all your clothing. Okay’ She smiles. I nod and follow them out.

Angel’s POV

Great more bloody vampires. We have taken out the first two names on the list and the second had a group of vampires as bodyguards. They weren’t real smart though. Unfortunately, now we have to take out a nest of vampires with the main family being master vampires with servants and such. Everyone is still okay and doing well even Andrew has taken out at least one vampire. Oz is a real surprise. He’s human now dressed only in really baggy tracksuit pants so that when he changes they won’t be ripped to shreds and leave him naked when he turns back. Opps, looks like these guys knew we were coming, more than thirty vampires are charging at us. At least three each. I look across at Spike and ask

‘St Petersburg.’ He nods and moves over til his hand touches mine. Talk about sparkage. Is sparkage even a word? I have been in America for too long. I try to concentrate on the cool metal instead of the feel of Spike's hand in mine. I yell at everyone else ‘Whatever you do don’t come between Spike and I.’ without looking at them I charge, Spike beside me. As we run, we widen the gap holding the wire tight between us. We decapitate at least seven before I’m forced to let go to fight off a vampire. The sword practically sings in my hands as I stab and swing. Illyria is fighting two by herself. She is really becoming part of the team, I’m glad they talked me into taking her on board. Andrew, Robin and Willow are fighting together while the two slayers are fighting back to back and together keeping five vamps occupied. I turn and swing to find my sword blocked by another held by what must be the head of this family. We size each other up and I realise I’ve met him before when Darla, Spike, Drusilla and I were a little dysfunctional family. I attack him but he staves it off. We stare at each other and at the same time discard our weapons and change into vampire face. He charges and I flip him over my head. We fight until he’s in a position to rip my head off. I struggle but I can’t get out from underneath him. He suddenly turns to dust revealing Conner behind him, stake in hand. Man, I love that kid. Darla would be proud to see him, well as long as she had a soul, that is. It was the right thing to do giving him the normal family, even if he is going to stick with me now. Last year he would have either staked me as well or would not have helped in the first place. The other memories have given him perspective.

‘You okay dad?’ He asks offering his hand. As I get up I look around to the others, Spike dusts the last vampire and Oz changes back to being a human. They are all still standing and apart from a couple of superficial cuts, they are fine. I turn and head back to the hotel.
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We walk into the hotel minus Spike who I sent to get some fresh pigs blood. I also snuck a note into his pocket asking him to buy something I want to use on him later. I spend the time helping Conner clean a couple of gashes he sustained.

‘You know I am glad you decided to stay here with me but if I get to pushy or fatherly let me know. I don’t want to push you away.’ I decide it’s a good time to start talking to him. I’m not good at expressing myself verbally, one of the things Cordelia was always on my back about.

‘Look, I’m still trying to work things out for myself but don’t expect me to share, okay. I just want to get to know my Dad, my real dad and not some caring fake one or the vicious version Holtz told me about, I…I need to get to know you’ I nod not knowing what to say. ‘I’m going to have to ask you about my mum someday, my real mum but not yet okay.’ He says looking at his shoes.

‘Yeah I understand. When your ready let me know.’ He just nods and moves away. I let him go but I really wish this parent thing was easier. Buffy is standing in the doorway looking at me. I now know that she and I will never be together and not just because of the Immortal. I signed away all rights to the Shanshu prophecy and being human is the only way I could be with her without losing my soul. She looks as if she is about to say something so I get up and forestall her by asking.

‘You all packed?’

‘Yeah, Sorry we can’t stay longer. Some army vehicles are coming round in about ten minutes to pick us up.’

‘How’s Xander?’ asks Spike who must of got back. He hands me a mug of warmed-up blood and gives me a sly smile. I was wondering about the male Scoobie as well but since we haven’t talked since I left Sunnydale, its not my place to ask.

‘He’s not doing so well. I don’t know what to do with him actually. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his old man. He hasn’t recovered from Anya’s death and he is still blaming me for his eye’ I nod I don’t know what to say. Buffy sounds like she feels Xander is a burden. Spike doesn’t seem to want to talk to Buffy much either, I wonder why? Just then, a horn beeps out front and we are busy saying goodbye and hugging everybody for about ten minutes before they finally leave. Peace, well kind of.. Wonder how long it will last.
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A/N: Now click on the button and tell me what you think. Reveiws are better than choclate