Goodbye William

Chapter 9

The Makings of a man


The Scoobies decided to move the talk to Buffy’s house just incase Giles got the message and called.

They all arrived at Buffy’s house and had just settled down to hear the news when there was a knock at the door. Buffy went to answer it and threw the door wide when she saw who it was. With a squeal of delight she was in his arms.

“Giles…I’m so glad you came.” Buffy said happily.

“Sorry to barge in. I'm afraid we have a slight apocalypse.” Giles said


“They're all slayers?” Dawn questioned as Molly Kennedy and Annabelle entered the livingroom.

“Potential slayers. Waiting for one to be called. There were many more like them all over the world, but, um, now there's just a handful, and they're all on their way to Sunnydale.” Giles said

“The others were murdered.”

“In cold blood. As well as their watchers. We always feared that this day would come, when there'd be an attack against not just an individual slayer, but against the whole line.” Giles said

“The Scourge. That's what it wants.”

“Yes, to erase all the slayers in training and their watchers along with their methods.”

“And then Faith, and then me. And with all the potentials gone and no way of making another, it's the end. No more slayer. Ever.”

“How to defeat it—I-I” Giles sighed. “Honestly I don't know. But we have to find a way. If the slayer line is eliminated, then the hell mouth has no guardian. The balance is destroyed. I'm afraid it falls to you, Buffy. Sorry. I mean, we'll do what we can, but you're the only one who has the strength to protect these girls—and the world—against what's coming.” Giles sighed.

“Uh…Giles that’s not all…” Buffy said quietly.
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“Spike has become. He is something new. He is my Mate. Soul and otherwise.” Buffy smiled at her love.

“I don’t understand Buffy…you will have to explain this. In detail…I just can not understand how or why…Spike is…What?” Giles asked.

“Ok here it goes.” Buffy said sitting down on the couch beside Spike and taking his now warm hand.

“Spike fought a Mohra demon, and because he ingested some of my blood right after and because his demon is so powerful and he is in tune with it he didn’t turn human. His vampire took over again.” Buffy smiled at Spike and continued her tale.

“The second time he killed it …afterwards he claimed me and drank some of my blood. The second time however he also ingested quite a bit of Mohra blood as well as mine so instead of turning him human like it should have…it acted as a sickness and only got rid of some of the vampire traits. It also didn’t give him human traits, such as being able to sunbathe. He is much more powerful than a human…and much more than a Vampire…” Buffy said looking into Spike’s beautiful blue eyes. “It was meant to be Giles…The Oracles said so…Angel talked to them.”

“Buffy? You told Angel pet?” Spike asked shock evident in his face and voice.

“Yeah, I told Angel everything. He is fully supportive of this, of us. The powers told him we were meant to be Spike…” Buffy trailed off happily.

“So now what?” Giles asked “Because your former Vampire lover says you’re supposed to be with him you just start up a relationship with him now that he’s more or less human?” Giles asked incredulous.

“No Giles…We were already in a relationship…and it’s going to continue.” Buffy said firmly. “I don’t care what ANY of you say. I should have given us the chance a long time ago…I was so scared of what you all would think that I never took my feelings into consideration. That whole time I was with Captain Cardboard I SHOULD have been with Spike. I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t love Riley…But it turned out ok since he was a Vamp ho magnet and got his ass the hell away from me. Spike on the other hand has stood by my side in EVERY decision I make even if he doesn’t agree with it. Hell even if he hates it.” Buffy said. “Spike knows me. Me. The real me that I try to bury deep inside, the part that likes the hunt craves it, the part that’s all sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s just icing on the cake as far as he’s concerned. Spike Loves me. I love him. That is all that matters to me.”

“I absolutely stand by your decision Buffy…and I’m so proud of you!” Dawn beamed giving her sister and her vampire a hug. “I love you guys and I am so happy for you.” Dawn whispered in Buffy’s ear.

“Thanks Dawnie, I love you too. You’re part of the reason I have the strength to stand up to them.” She said only loud enough for Dawn and Spike to hear.

“So anyone got a problem?” Buffy asked

Everyone shook their heads “Nope no problem here none at all.” Giles said.

Kennedy raised her hand

“Yes?” Buffy asked her

“Is he really a real Vampire?” She asked

“Well he was…not anymore though…he’s different now. Because he loves me.” Buffy said softly and smiled proudly at her Vampire.
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“Hey, Will, do you think you can do a computer check on Principal Wood. See if you can find anything out.” Buffy asked.
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“I didn’t really call you here for a meeting about Dawn.” Principal wood sighed.

“Well…why did you call me here?” Buffy questioned.

“You're the slayer.” Robin said mater of factly.

“Right. OK, um, so I'm guessing that you don't work in an office 15 feet above the hell mouth because you enjoy educational administration?” Buffy asked.

“Well, I actually do enjoy the work, but yeah. Yeah, you're right. I maneuvered myself into that school, that office—just like I maneuvered you there. The hell mouth draws the bad things in close, and now we're headed for something, Bu, Buffy. Really big, and I need to be here when it happens. I want to help.” Robin said


“How? How do you know about slayers?” Buffy asked shock evident in her voice.

“Right. OK. See, when I was a little boy, my mother was one. The one, actually—the slayer.”

“Your mother— Wow, I didn't know that any slayers had children.” Buffy said sadly.

“Well, I don't know of any others. She was killed when I was four. I still remember her, but it's a little...fuzzy? You know?”

“Um, something got her... a demon—?”

“A vampire. Oh, man, I went through this whole "avenging son" phase in my twenties, but I never found him. So, now I just dust as many of them as I can find. I figure, eventually I'll get him.”
~~~~`

“Buffy? I have some information…everyone is gathered in the livingroom please join us?” Giles said.
~~`

“Known throughout the demon underworld as “Death,” the Scourge is a purebred sect of demons, who dress in Nazi uniforms and whose faces are patchwork grafts of blue, red and purple skin contorted into a death-mask. The Scourge are united in their fanatical hatred of half-breed demons, whom they feel are inferior to purebred demons like themselves. Willing to die for their cause, they act with deadly precision and in huge numbers.”
~~~~`

“Dawn, get the potentials upstairs, and break out that emergency kit.” Buffy said determined.

“What are you gonna do?” Dawn asked already moving to do Buffy’s bidding.

“I'm declaring an emergency.” Buffy said with a glint in her eye.
~~~~`
“That's where all my fancy translating skills break down, but I think it's an origin myth. The story of the very first slayer.” Dawn said. “OK. According to this, I think—you put on those puppet guys one by one. They cast shadows and the shadows tell the story. First, there is the Earth.” Dawn said as Xander placed the shadow caster.

“Hmm. OK. Then, there came the demons. After demons, there came men. Men found a girl. And the men took the girl to fight the demon—all demons. They—they chained her to the Earth. And then—and I—I can't read this. Something about darkness.” Dawn said as Xander kept placing the shadow casters.

“What about darkness?” Buffy questioned.

“It says you cannot be shown. You cannot just watch, but you must see. See for yourself, but only if you're willing to make the exchange.”

“When did you get so good at Sumerian?” Xander asked a little panicky.

“It's not in Sumerian anymore.” Dawn said as the words on the pages of the book started to magically change into English

“But what does it mean?” Xander asked

“It means I have to go in there.” Buffy said determined.
~~~~`

“Plus, we need an exchange, like you said. I'm thinking a slayer for a demon.” Kennedy said.

‘Right. If we want Buffy back, then we have to find that demon and send it through.” Principal wood stated.

“It matter if it's dead or alive?” Kennedy asked.

“I vote dead. The slayer's counting on you, Willow. Get cracking on that portal, and don't be stingy with the mojo. The demon's mine.” Spike said walking out.
~~~~`
“We are at the beginning. The source of your strength. The well of the slayer's power. The energy of the demon. Its spirit Its heart.”

“This is how you…” Buffy asked angrily

“Created the slayer?” He nodded his head. “Yes.”

Black smoke came out of the box in long tentacles; it seemed sentient as it danced around the circle. The men kept tapping their staves rhythmically.

“It must become one with you.”

“No!” Buffy shouted as she struggled against her chains.

“This will make you ready for the fight.”

“By making me less human?” Buffy asked furiously. “You think I came all this way to get knocked up by some demon dust? I can't fight this. I know that now. But you guys? You're just men. Just the men who did this...to her. Whoever that girl was before she was the First Slayer.” Buffy said promising violence with her voice and body language.

“You don't understand.”

“No, you don't understand! You violated that girl, made her kill for you because you're weak, you're pathetic, and you obviously have nothing to show me.” Buffy stated angrily.
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Spike brought the body of the demon he killed back to Buffy's house, carrying it to the portal and throwing it through. Two seconds later Buffy was in his arms sobbing. “Oh god Spike I know…I know why they’re coming after the Slayer line.” She said through her sobs.
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