Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful By: Skyz

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Btvs. It belongs to Joss Whedon and ME. I only own the characters I’ve created. Which are Delos, Mornay, and Rufus. Please don’t sue, this is for entertainment only.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Prologue:

Her sleep was restless; her eyes flickered continuously under her eyelids. Her feet shot out, tumbling her covers to the floor in a heap.

Her fingers clawed at the sheets and she moaned deep down in her throat.

Buffy was dreaming.

She was in the dark, no sign of light, all it was, was inky blackness and it consumed her, overwhelmed. Desperately she searched for any sign of a way out. In her hurry, she tripped over her own feet and fell heavily onto her hands and knees.

She moaned as pain laced through her at her scraped knees and palms. That got her attention. She had not noticed until then that she was naked. A startled gasp escaped her.

Her initial reaction was to cover herself.

“Don’t,” his voice a darkened whisper stopped her cold.

Her head shot up and she scrambled to her feet looking around wildly, heart pounding. Fear blooming.

“Who’s there? Where am I? Where the hell are my clothes?!” she demanded as she struck a fighting stance.

“Slayer.......I will ask the questions. You are here for my amusement. And might I add you look delicious?” the voice asked coldly repressed.

Revulsion filled her and she scowled into the darkness. She reminded herself his perversion wasn’t her problem; she needed to know what was going on! Now!

“What do you want? Who are you? When I find you I’m gonna make yo---“

“I can see it. Vaguely feel it. The power you have. The way you’re able to seduce the fiercest of demons. How you corrupted William,” he cut her off silkily.

Buffy stiffened as she realized whom he was talking about.

“Ah……didn’t you know? What did you think happened? The man inside loved you and the demon wanted your blood? Seduced by your light William appeared?” he asked with a booming laugh that held nothing but mocking amusement.

Buffy refused to answer him and stubbornly kept her mouth shut, even though her mind was whirling.

“No….Buffy they both love you. The man and demon, the demon loved you first……which brought out the man in our sweet William. Infatuated he is, by your blood, your smell. Disgusting really. Much like Angel.”

“Angel? Who—what are you?! What does Angel have to do with this? I’ve done no---?”

“You’ve done everything,” he yelled light suddenly appearing dimly outlining his shape to her straining eyes.

She took a faltering step back and terror crawled down her spine. No, she thought. God no! It couldn’t be him. It couldn’t.

“Angelus,” she whispered.

“Well done,” he announced sarcastically.

She’d never slept with him, how was this possible?!

“How—I mean we never—the curse—“she stammered incredulously.

“Come here,” he ordered dismissing her questions with his words.

Her mind and heart told her not to, but he had some kind of control over her and her feet moved her body ever closer.

“Buffy.”

She stopped, turned.

“Buffy,” the two voices spoke then at the same time their voices over lapping and merging.

Two demons. Beings she was sworn to kill. Two she loved instead. Two shadows in the dark on the edge of her light.

“Save me Buffy,” they cried.

Torn, right down the middle, she looked from one to the other in despair.

“Who are you?! Why are you doing this to me?!”

“It’s me Angel.”

“It’s me Spike.”

Closing her eyes, she gripped her head and shook it back and forth, to block out their desperate pleas. She had no defense for this. For them. She was naked and unprepared for the depth in which they affected her.

What was this?

She’d already chosen Angel. Spike had walked away. What—how was Angelus involved?

“Stop it, what is this?!” she screamed.

“I love you,” Angel’s voice said then.

“He’ll kill you,” Spike warned.

She sank to the ground then, holding herself, forcing herself not to listen to them.

“I love you,” Spike whispered.

“He’ll kill you,” Angelus growled.

The words from these two demons were interchangeable, but the meaning was the same no matter who said it.

They held her heart, her life.

Owned her soul.

“Save us,” they screamed as the light disappeared and they were cast into the dark once more.

Buffy’s eyes jerked open only to look into the yellow glow of Angelus’s eyes.

Her hand automatically went to beneath her pillow searching for the stake she kept there.

In the blink of an eye, Angelus gripped her wandering wrist in a grip that threatened to break it.

“Angel,” she pleaded searching his eyes for any sign of the man she loved.

“Angel,” he mocked as he knelt over her; his face mere inches form her own. He inhaled sharply as his face nuzzled the side of her neck.

“His mistake was marking what was mine,” he spoke softly, chillingly. His fangs scrapped Spike’s mark, drawing blood. “His second was leaving you alone.”

Buffy came out of her frozen state with a vengeance. Jerking up she kneed him in the groin, jerking her wrist from his grasp. But not fast, enough as Angelus howled his grip tightening on her wrist breaking it as she jerked free.

Buffy screamed as she rolled off the bed and landed painfully. Angelus cupped himself as he marched over to her intent on making her pay. She reacted to the sight of him by kicking out at his knees and sent him stumbling into the wall. The whole house shook with the force of it.

A wheezing laugh erupted as he rose.

“Who knew you liked it rough? You’ll pay for this bitch,” he hissed as slowly approached her.

“Angel…..please not like this,” she tried again to reach the man she loved. She just knew he was in there somewhere! She crouched down and with some difficulty snapped the leg off her desk chair.

“Don’t you get it yet Buff? Angel is gone. It’s Angelus now. And I’m gonna tear you apart,” Angel said as he attacked.

Teeth gritted against the pain of her broken wrist she met him half way. A battle of fists and fangs waged.

“BUFFY!!!!!!!”

Her name being screamed made her pause and Angelus took full advantage of that pummeling her to the ground.

“Spike,” Buffy yelled.

Crouched outside on the tree beside her window Spike sat his face a mask of rage. He reached out and shattered the window. Growling and snarling his yellow eyes glowed.

“Invite me in Buffy,” he cried urgently as Angelus picked up the beaten Slayer by her hair, catching her into a chokehold.

Angelus turned so they both faced the window.

“Do it and I snap your neck Buff,” Angelus threatened.

Spike growled.

He threw himself uselessly against the barrier in a rage.

“You bleedin’ fucking bastard! I’ll kill you. I’ll rip you head of—“

“I’ve got the girl. I’ve got the invite. What’ve you got?” Angelus taunted as he lowered his head and eyes. Fangs bared.

“NO!”

Buffy’s eyes met Spike’s and as she felt the first sting of Angelus’s fangs pierce her throat, she whispered the words.

“Come in Spike,” she whispered as Angelus ripped her throat out. The last thing she heard was Spike’s scream of anguish.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” ~*~*~*~*~

Buffy woke screaming and flailing about. Her eyes popped open and she searched her room for any sign of Angelus.

“Please no,” she whispered as she jumped out of bed and grabbed her stake from beneath her pillow.

Shaking, she walked to her window and looked out. Nothing moved in the silence of the night. Her Slayer senses were quiet.

Moving on pure instinct and fear, she started to dress. She left her room and barged into her mom’s.

Joyce jerked awake with a startled scream as the lights flicked on and her door was thrown against the wall.

“B……Buffy? What are you doing?!” Joyce asked in surprise and irritation.

“Get up,” Buffy ordered going into her mom’s closet and grabbing a suitcase. She started throwing item after item into it.

“Buffy?!”

“Mom, I’ve got something to tell you. I’m the Slayer. Vampire Slayer that is…….”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy paced back and forth.

“Buffy, this is ridiculous,” Giles finally exclaimed.

Buffy turned her cold gaze to Giles.

“You doubt me,” she asked coolly.

Giles blinked at her deadly tone and whipped his glasses off to clean them.

“Of course not,” he stammered.

“Good because this is how it is! Angelus is back. He’s here and he’ll be gunning for us all. This is how it’s going to be, you all are leaving---“

“Hey! I’m not going anywhere,” Cordelia spoke up sharply.

“Shut up,” Buffy spat. “You’ll do as I say or you’ll die! You fancy that? Cuz really I could care less about you. The fact you and Xander are involved is the only reason you are here. No other. Giles I need you to—I hate to ask this but….you need to get as much money you can get a hold of. I’ll have my mom do the same. You all need to be gone in the morning. That’s three hours til dawn and I want you all to stay here until then. But be out of town with only what you need—“

“Buffy! We’re not leaving you,” Xander snapped standing to glare at her.

“Yeh, we’re the Scoobies,” Willow piped up. “We stick together!”

“No. You’re leaving. That’s final. Giles?” She shot him a look that only had one meaning.

Shoving a hand through his hair he scowled looked away.

“We’re going,” he finally said.

The shouts of protest rang through the room as Giles bowed his head in defeat.

“Buffy….”

Joyce’s voice quieted everyone. Everyone turned to look at Buffy’s mom who seemed to have come out of her shell-shocked state. A state she’d been in when Buffy brought her over.

Buffy’s gaze softened as she turned to face her mom.

“Yeh, mom?”

“You are coming with us right?”

Buffy looked away and shook her head.

“No. I’m not. I have to stay here. Protect the hell mouth, everyone here. I can’t go!”

Another round of protests sounded.

“Enough,” Buffy yelled. “Enough. I can’t…..fight Angelus if you are here. You know what he can do,” she said pointedly looking at Giles, Xander and Willow in turn.

“What? What can he do?” Cordelia asked clueless.

“More reason you should come,” Willow urged.

“More reason for me to stay. I need you to look for Spike,” Buffy admitted.

“Spike?!” Cordelia and Xander cried in unison, shocked.

“Yes. He left last night. I need you to find him. I need him,” she whispered brokenly.

Giles jerked his head curtly.

“Fine. Everyone, excuse us,” Giles said as he led Buffy upstairs to his room. “Buffy how in God’s name did this happen? You’ve had no time to……?” he asked leadingly.

“God no! There was no happiness between us. No kissage. The last time I saw Angel was last night in the cemetery. I ditched him when I sensed Spike---“

“You and Spike didn’t……?”

“No……..no, we just……kissed. Nothing more. I went home to bed. Had the Slayer dream and came here!”

Giles shook his head in confusion.

“Then how—“

“Who cares?! Leave Giles, take them. I want you to keep in touch by e-mail all right? Willow knows how. I’ll be fine. Just bring me Spike and I will be fine.”

“Why do you need Spike? Why is he important?”

Buffy glanced away frowning.

“I don’t know,” she muttered. She wasn’t lying she told herself. She couldn’t tell Giles she was in love with Spike. He wouldn’t understand. She didn’t even understand! She had once thought it was impossible to be in love with two people at the same time.

She’d seen it on soap operas and even read it in books, where the heroine was in love with two men at the same time. She had scoffed. Now she knew you could be. God now she knew.

“Just find him Giles,” she said softly as she finally cracked.

Giles caught her as she fell and held his Slayer as she sobbed.

“I’ll find him Buffy,” he promised. “I’ll find Spike.”

Chapter: One

Three weeks later somewhere in the West…….

“Hurry up,” Xander hissed hunching forward, large drops of demon goop dripping from his head.

“I am,” was the reply from a very irritated Giles as he shoved the key into the lock and opened the hotel door. Xander rudely shoved past him, and ignored the women who lounged around the room and stormed into the bathroom.

Giles slowly shut the door and leaned against it. He eyed the women who were silent looking anywhere but at each other. The vibes in the room screamed DON’T ASK. So Giles didn’t, he merely focused his attention on Joyce.

“How are you Joyce?” he asked as he moved with tired steps into the room.

Joyce looked up, her face worn and drawn. Her eyes infinitely sad.

“How do you think Rupert?” she asked with an arched brow. “My daughter’s all alone, while we’re on the run! How do you think I feel?!”

Giles grimaced slightly as he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Point taken. You are not the only one who is worried about Buffy I assure you. As her Watcher and friend I am in deep distress, but this is the only way.”

Joyce didn’t respond as she laid down on the only bed available and closed her eyes as if she could close off the situation, the mess their lives were.

“Giles what’d you find out?” Willow finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

Giles settled himself on the floor the only other furniture occupied by Cordelia.

“Not much. The demon world has very little news on Spike’s whereabouts. The bars we went to only had information we’ve already checked out I’m afraid.”

“Great! Wonderful! We’re wandering around the country without a clue as to where we’re going! Looking for Spike. Evil soulless Spike! Hello? Anyone else not see the reason in this?!” Cordelia erupted. “If Buffy hadn’t done whatever she did we wouldn’t be in th—“

“Don’t you dare blame this on my daughter,” Joyce spoke coldly. “She’s out there now saving lives, risking her own. I know she’s probably saved yours a time or too as well. Don’t you dare speak as if you are better than she is. You aren’t fit to be in her presence.”

Cordelia opened her mouth a couple of times in shock.

“She’s right. If you’ve nothing of value to say do be quiet,” Giles agreed.

Xander strode back into the room then rubbing his now washed head furiously.

“Did Giles tell you what we found? Noting except for trouble. We ran into some slimy, demon-y thing with a thing for spitin’ on people,” he complained.

No one said anything to that and soon sleeping arrangements were made. The girls taking the king size bed and the men on the floor. Soon the lights were out.

Just another day on the road, Willow thought and another dead end. She was beginning to think they’d never find Spike. And if they didn’t……. She shuddered at the thought.

On the verge of sleep, the booming knock startled them awake. Xander and Giles motioned for the women to grab their belongings and headed cautiously towards the door.

Giles looked through the peek hole and his heart gave a giant leap as he saw who it was. A vampire they’d seen in one of the bars earlier that night.

He cursed silently, having been sure they had not been followed.

“Watcher,” the vamp called out.

Giles frowned and stepped back from the door. Dread formed in the pit of his stomach and he turned to face the others.

“We have to get out of here. To the bathroom,” he ordered. No one protested as they hurried to the bathroom.

Giles stood guard as one after the other went through the window of the bathroom. Finally, it was his turn and he shimmied through with a grunt and landed deftly on his feet as he hit the ground. Looking around he saw no one, the others having been taught the drill to disappear and meet at a certain place within the hour. Pulling his ball cap on he slipped into his over coat and head ducked, disappeared into the night.

A terrified desk clerk opened the door to the hotel room. He was instructed to invite the group of men in and he did so. They searched the room and found nothing, thoroughly upset they set about destroying it.

The lead vamp a large beer bellied Hispanic growled low in his throat as he pulled out a cell phone and dialed.

“Sir? They’re gone,” he said.

“Really?”

“Yeh, they was here but a minute ago, they took off through the bathroom window. What you want us to do?”

“Try blocking all exits next time! I want them found do you understand?! I won’t have them ruining this,” the man snapped.

“Yes Mr. Travers,” the vampire said to a dial tone.

“C’mon, we gotta find them. Tonight,” he ordered and after disposing of the clerk, they left the hotel to search fruitlessly for the Scoobies.

~*~*~*~*~

Rufus Travers clasped his hands together and stared at the picture of his dearly departed brother.

“Quentin……you never had the iron fist needed to run the Council. Rogue Slayers who do as they please. Dating vampires. Tsk, tsk. When you died, I had to take over and now I have to clean up your messes. Granted hiring those foolish vampires was a mistake but I shall rectify that. But soon……soon I will have all the power you could only imagine and I will survive them all!”

Laughing quietly to himself, he reached for his phone and punched in an extension.

“Yes this is Rufus. I have a task for Special Projects, it involves one Rupert Giles said Watcher of rogue Slayer Buffy Anne Summers………”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just In | Directory | Columns | Ad Blocker | Dictionary [ Find ] Log In | Register Fanfic » TV Shows » Buffy: The Vampire Slayer » Some Kind of Wonderful font size: (+) : (-)Author: skyz R - English - Romance/Action/Adventure - Reviews: 2 - Publish date: 10-19-02 - Updated: 10-22-02 storyid: 1022192 Some Kind of Wonderful:2 Disclaimer: I own nothing of Btvs no infringement is meant. I do own my own creations Delos, Mornay, and Rufus and a few others. Don't sue me please.

~*~*~

Chapter: 2 It had been said once before, Elias Aurelius mused, that in order to obtain great power one had to use any means necessary.

Today was one of those days. Today would be the end of William the Bloody. It would be a shame really. He of all the Masters line had held the promise of being great. He had done what no other had before him. Killed two Slayers by himself. That in itself was a feat.

But he was loyal. Loyalty in a vampire was hard to find. He had stayed with Drusilla for over a hundred years, until recently that is. The Slayer had a hand in his current state.

Her name he was told was Buffy Anne Summers. She was like no other before her. Had the power to tame the fiercest demons, an unheard of thing actually.

Elias studied the small crowd gathered below in the great hall of the Aurelius keep. Today was a day to mourn. The death of a brother, a warrior. As much as today would bring great sorrow to his dead heart, he would celebrate as well. For with his plans there would be a new era borne in the Order of Aurelius.

They would be all powerful, no one would stop them. Much less a bit of a girl who happened to be the Slayer. He would destroy her and anyone else who threatened to take what was rightfully his.

Including that rat of a man Rufus Travers. As of now, he was useful though, but soon he would dispose of the fool.

~*~*~

He had always wondered what his defeat and ultimate death would be like. His future self had died honorable in battle. At his Slayer's side. He had always hoped it would have been in battle, perhaps with a Slayer. But in all he had thought to go down fighting.

Now he wished it had been like that. Wished he had fought, at least tried to escape. He hadn't and now his death was minutes away. Spike tried to rest his battered body and close his mind off. It was a useless task.

His mind kept drifting, latching onto the one thing he hadn't spoken about. No matter how many times they'd beaten him.

The Slayer.

This was all for her and he couldn't make himself regret a minute of it. He thought back to that night weeks ago. The night he'd begged her to ask him to stay. She'd been vehement in her answer. No, she'd wanted him gone. So he'd left, went to the factory and gathered Dru and her things and fled.

That had been his first mistake, he mused. Taking Dru, he had debated whether to kill her. He couldn't bring himself to do it though. Instead, he had packed her and her dolls and headed for Europe. He had known where he was going could very well be the end of him.

Now it was.

But he'd made the trek nonetheless. He couldn't kill her but that didn't mean they couldn't. That was what they were there for after all. It had taken him a good two weeks to reach the remote island off the coast of Corfu. As he had docked, they had been surrounded and brought to the main house on the island.

From there he'd been separated from Drusilla. Locked in the dungeon for two days before they finally came. The questions had started then. Of course, he had refused to speak.

His second mistake.

Not killing Dru. She had told them everything. How he was going to kill her, for the Slayer. Betray the Sire/Childe bond for their worst enemy. She'd trickled the truth with lies. Accused him of things he had yet to do. Challenged his loyalty.

The torture had come only when Drusilla finally spoke up about the claim. Accidental though it was the fact remained he had claimed a Slayer. They had demanded he kill Buffy, destroy the claim and they might let him live. They reasoned they could understand wanting to rid himself of Drusilla. She was insane and a hundred years was more than enough time spent with her.

Kill the Slayer and we let you live.

His third mistake was leaving said Slayer in the first place. Leaving Buffy. If he hadn't of left her, he wouldn't be on his way to his death.

His fourth and final mistake had been forgetting from whom he came. Whose blood flowed freely in his veins. The blood of Aurelius. Coming here, to the compound of Aurelius to beg mercy from the Order had been more than a mistake. It had been a fatal error.

The Order of Aurelius tolerated little of the antics of Heinrich Nest, the Masters line. They were generally looked down on, except for him and Darla and since Darla was dead, he was the only one they had almost accepted. Now that was gone, he had been cast aside no better than mortals they said, riddled with humanity.

His cell door opened and he didn't open his eye as they dragged him to his feet and led him to his fate.

He heard the dim buzz of voices before he was brought into the main room of the great hall.

His eyes opened abruptly and he looked neither left nor right as he marched arrogantly to the center of the room where a large crucifix stood.

The eldest Elias lifted a hand for silence amongst the whispers of the crowd.

"William the Bloody; Spike of Heinrich the Master's line, great grand childe of Darla, grand childe of Angelus and childe to Drusilla. Slayer of Slayers, the Scourge of Europe, stands accused of conspiracy to commit the murder of his Sire. The unlawful claiming of a Slayer, the refusal to kill said Slayer. His refusal to proclaim his allegiance once more to the Order of Aurelius has marked him for death. What say you to these charges?"

Spike looked up. Into the pale green eyes of executioner and smirked.

"I could say go fuck yourself, but really that's not appropriate is it? No. Well I could say...long live the Queen but as she's never ever going to die what's the point? Lay a hand on the Slayer and I'll come back to kill you all? I do mean that, death won't stop me. But I digress and merely have this to say...Right then, let's get to it," he said jerking his head toward the crucifix.

"I proclaimed leader of the New Order of Aurelius, Elias sentence you to death."

Elias gave a nod to the guards that held Spike. The hall was silent as the large enthralled humans lifted him and bound his hands and feet.

"His shirt," Elias ordered.

The guards ripped his dirty t-shirt and naked down to the waist, the guards, two large enthralled mortals lifted Spike and bound his hands and feet to the cross.

"Mornay?" Elias called.

Spike closed his eyes against the pain that seared through him as his skin began to slowly burn.

Mornay a petite Asian woman stepped forward, her brown eyes cold in her beautiful face.

"Yes?"

"You shall have the honor of the first watch, let us adjourn to the feast I had prepared for this blessed day," Elias announced as he rose from his throne and left the room.

Slowly the crowd with furtive glances thrown at the slowly burning Master vampire trailed out, leaving him alone with Mornay.

"So we meet again Spike. It looks like I'll make good on my threat after all," she said in amusement.

"Mornay," Spike whispered raggedly, his head lolling as smoke curled ominously around them both. "Not like this luv. Let me down! Let me die with some kinda honor. You and me. C'mon!"

Shaking her head, she circled his hanging form.

"No. I want to see you suffer. I want to see you hurt Spike. I want to see you die. So I think I'll stand right here and watch."

Spike closed his eyes and pictured what his life could have been like. What he had hoped it would be like someday. Just him, Buffy, and the tyke. Wolfe, the son he'd never known he had wanted. A smile formed as he imagined all the things they could have done. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize he wasn't alone with Mornay any longer.

"Angelus lives," Dru's whispered words reached his ears and his eyes popped open. He looked around wildly. The words had just only come out of her mouth when the doors were thrown open and one lone figure stood there.

"Dru pet let me loose," he whispered his focus on Dru who stood a good distance away. "Let me free."

She merely shook her head and began to twirl a smile of pure joy on her face.

"The pixies told me a secret Spike...Angelus shall rule with me at his side. We shall rule the world..but first we must destroy the Slayer!"

"No! Drusilla please-"

"How dare you set foot in here," Mornay yelled as her eyes focused on the figure that was slowly coming into the room.

Delos Neary merely smiled as he inclined his head in a silent greeting. His eyes rested on Spike a moment before they settled on Drusilla.

"Well, well, well.. Drusilla alive and well how are you? Good I hope. Mornay release him," he ordered never taking his eyes off Drusilla as she shrank back from him and hissed.

"Bad...bad...man. STAY WAY," she shrieked as she continued to stumble backwards.

Mornay stood rooted to the floor as she stared in disbelief and fury at the man who had once been her Sire.

Spike ignored them all then, as he struggled with the ropes that bound his wrists, his lack of strength a direct effect of lose of blood and little nourishment for the past week. Groaning as his raw back scraped against the wood and added to the pain he was in he tugged and tugged.

"Do as I said Mornay," Delos ordered slowly advancing on Drusilla. His voice had lost his usual amusement and gone cold, a voice he used only for his childe.

Mornay struggled valiantly against the urge she had to do as he bide but failed miserable as she found herself moving and untying Spike's feet and hands, burning her own in the process. He fell heavily into her arms and they toppled to the ground.

"If anyone gets to kill young William it will surely be me. Drusilla come here, I won't hurt you, I've little use for you. I must ask you a question though..." Delos purred as he cornered Drusilla and lowered his head to her ear. His whispered words had Drusilla going rigid and still. She screamed then.

"Just as I thought," Delos said as he stepped away from the terrified vampire and headed for Spike.

Kicking Mornay aside, he gently picked up Spike's unconscious form and slung him over his shoulder.

"Tell Elias I was hurt and dismayed to learn I was not invited to this fine event. Tell him as long as I live he will never win Mornay. He can take what's mine but I will never let him win. And by the way..I'd make up an excuse as to why his prize is gone and how you did nothing to stop me," Delos called as he slipped from the room.

Mornay stared after him furious with herself and him as she growled.

"Bad..bad man..bad man..bad...man," Drusilla's silly ramblings got under her skin and before she was aware of it Mornay had stalked over to the younger vampire and ripped her head off.

She stood alone in the room Drusilla's ashes clinging to her and thought about what lie she had to tell to get herself out of this mess.

~*~*~

Elias stared absently at the Aurelius crest signet ring he wore proudly on his pinky. The soft knock on his door alerted him to the arrival of his guest.

"Come in," he called out, smoothing his thinned hair, he straightened his shoulders as his door opened and Rufus Travers strode in.

"I hear you had some trouble," Rufus said as he took a seat facing Elias.

Elias smiled slightly as he eyed the short, stocky head of the Council of Watchers. His posture as well as his voice perfect, but it did nothing to hide the dark core hidden within. The man was ruthless. Evil. That was why he made for a wonderful partner, Elias thought.

"Same could be said for you as well," was all he said.

Travers acknowledged that with a small tight-lipped smile of his own.

"Well, none I can't take care of on my own I assure you. I came because I heard you were in possession of William the Bloody. I see you are not in that position any longer. What happened?"

"In one word; Delos."

Rufus's eyes widened and he blanched as he sat back.

"Well, really," he murmured. His brow arched and a smirk appeared. "Need any help with that?"

"No," Elias replied sharply.

They were silent as they regarded one another.

"This won't affect our plans will it?" Rufus finally asked. Elias narrowed his eyes slightly as he shrugged.

"I don't see how, but now.now that Angelus is back and Delos has Spike your plans may have to be put off. When Spike set foot back in Europe we were certain all we needed was him now...We would do well to get rid of them all. The circle has been destroyed. We should start anew---"

"No!"

Elias frowned slightly at Rufus's yell. His mind whirled with the implications of it. He decided to think about it as soon as Rufus left.

"Fine. The plan is still workable. Now it would be wise if you left. Do not come back, until I tell you other wise. Is that clear?"

Rufus stiffened in indignation and anger. How dare this vile creature tell him wh---

"Of course," he replied in a civil voice and a slight nod as he rose.

Rufus left the compound and settled into his waiting helicopter. He hadn't liked the way the meeting had gone at all. He suspected his vehement protest on keeping things as they were had caught Elias's attention. Rufus did not intend to let Elias in on his real plans. He would use the Order to obtain his power, and then he would destroy them.

~*~*~

Elias studied Mornay carefully.

"You are aware you have ruined Mr. Travers plans?" he asked gently.

Mornay shrugged, running a hand through her chopped locks.

"In the heat of the moment," she said. "I forgot."

Elias sat back and smiled widely.

"Delos...did you know he was coming? Did you intentionally let him take Spike from us Mornay?"

"Of course not! My allegiance is with the Order and Delos is not the Order Elias. I had no idea he was coming. I certainly did not just let him take Spike! You know the kind of power he has. He turned Dru against me and I was busy fighting her while he escaped with Spike."

"Good, I knew you would not betray me. Your loyalty is no longer in question. Since you have removed Drusilla a vital piece in Mr. Travers plan, I want you to remove the rest of Heinrich's line. They have proven repeatedly how little they respect the Order and I'll be damned if I let Mr. Travers gain control over them while I live! The whole filthy lot of them are tainted, bad blood and the sooner we get rid of them the sooner I can rid myself of Mr. Travers. He has become quite the problem of late...his brother was never such a threat."

Mornay didn't say anything as she watched Elias. She knew deep down that the only reason he wanted to rid the Order of the Masters line was that he knew that if they banded together they had the power to overthrow him and control the Order as they saw fit. That was one reason he had ousted her sire, branded him a traitor and taken out a bounty on his head.

She had turned, along with most of Delos's childer from him and had been embraced by the new Order. It was an act that warranted death and she knew once Delos saw her again he would kill her. She relished the challenge.

"You want me to kill Angelus and Spike?" she asked.

"I want them both dust. Anyone else who gets in the way too. While you are at it take care of the Slayer. That little girl has some kind of power over the Masters line and I need her taken care of. I want them gone. Do you understand?"

Mornay nodded.

"Kill Spike and Angelus. Get rid of the Slayer as well. I won't be able to do this alone though. Who shall I bring along for the ride?" she asked standing.

"Of course you aren't expected to do it alone child! Pick the best warriors we have and head for the Hell mouth I'm sure Spike and Delos will be headed there."

Mornay nodded again and walked towards the door.

"Oh and Mornay?"

She looked over her shoulder at him.

"Don't fail me."

~*~*~

"I say, I would love to meet this Slayer of yours. She has destroyed almost an entire line of the Order in some form or another," Delos remarked hours later as he sat watching Spike rest on his private plane.

Spike ignored him as he slowly sipped the blood he'd been given through the twisty straw the flight attendant had given him.

"Better yet...how is she in bed? That must be it. She must be something wonderful to turn two demons like yourself and Angelus into lap dogs. I heard how you would not say one word about her."

Spike lifted his face to stare at Delos through yellow eyes.

"How's Mornay, Delos?" he asked coldly. Delos grinned as he shook his head.

"Touché. What is this I hear about Angelus being back?"

Spike lowered his head as he took his last gulp of blood.

"I wasn't aware Angelus was around. He goes by Angel now," he muttered, trying to come to terms with the fact Angel was now Angelus! The last he'd heard in order for that to have happened he had to have that perfect moment of happiness. This meant Buffy had to sleep with him.

She wouldn't have though, he thought fiercely. She could not subject herself to Angelus not after what Wolfe had told her. She couldn't have gone from his arms to Angel's!

"Angel? Does he believe himself to be one of God's warriors?" Delos asked truly puzzled as to why Angelus would do such a thing.

Spike grinned slightly as he looked up and into Delos's brown eyes.

"Probably. You know how big his head is, hasn't gone down at all," he complained.

Delos cocked his head as he thought about it.

"No matter the name Angelus is the Devil's own. Angel? I find that quite amusing."

Spike frowned. It had been decades since he had last seen Delos and he had changed very little. For all the years he had known him, he had never seen Delos lose his friendly and amicable attitude. Except for that one night---Spike cut that thought off.

"Why'd you rescue me Delos," he demanded.

"Why not?" Delos asked as he shrugged.

"I won't name all the reasons you've got to hate me. I need to get to Sunnydale, if what you've said is true and Angelus is back I have to help the Slayer!"

"You have no idea what is going on William. Before you go off half-cocked let me tell you this---"

"Of course I do! Angelus is back and he will kill my Slayer, I will not allow it. It matters little what else is going on and what I don't know!"

Delos studied the agitated blond. Arched one black brow and settled back, getting comfortable.

"What was your boy's name? Wolfe wasn't it?"

Some Kind of Wonderful:3

Disclaimer: I don’t own Btvs it belongs to Joss Whedon

Chapter 3:

She had never in her life met a vampire like Angelus before. Wolfe had told her, of course what he was capable of but to see it……

Live it.

She was now hard pressed to find the fine line of Angel and Angelus. The Angel she had known, loved, was gone. Perhaps for good.

Buffy strode determinedly through the grocery store, pushing her cart hurriedly. She was restocking her supplies. A number of gallon jugs of water littered her cart as well as cloves of garlic.

She rolled her eyes as she thought of this. She’d become a regular pan handler, except instead of asking for money she handed out crosses, garlic, these soon to be blessed jugs of water.

At least the people in Sunnydale were not as stupid as she had once thought to disregard the proffered items. She had been running out almost immediately every time she was out, which was every Tuesday and Thursday. She was beginning to wonder why they didn’t just go out and by their own. This technically was not part of the job description.

Her thoughts shifted abruptly back to Angelus. She had no idea what Angelus was up too and she was beyond worried.

These past weeks there had only been skirmishes between them. Nothing she hadn’t come out of alive and now—now she was beginning to freak out.

Purchasing her items, she exited the store and glanced around for Oz’s van. She was very much in Oz’s debt. He had declined the invite to hit the road with the Scoobs and instead had stayed. To help he said. She would be forever grateful. She missed everyone---even Cordelia’s snobby attitude. Much to her shock.

Oz had helped her patrol and watched her back. He was staying with her. He had been there when the body parts began to showing up.

Buffy shuddered as Oz’s van pulled up beside her and she began loading the van. Oz hopped out glancing at her, shading his eyes from the suns glare with his hand.

“Got everything?” he asked jerking his head towards the entrance of the store.

“Yep, let’s go,” she said as she slid into the van. Oz nodded and followed suit.

He pulled out of the parking lot and her thoughts drifted once again to Angelus.

The bodies…..

What he’d done to them….She’d been sick every single time she found the pieces he left on her door step. A hand here, a foot there. A head. Torso. Fingers. And once………God help her a brain! As of yet there hadn’t been a heart, but she was sure she hadn’t seen the last of internal organs.

She had notified the police of course. Wanting the victims families to be given the closure of knowing their loved ones weren’t out there hurting or……worse than dead.

In retrospect, she thought maybe the not knowing would have been kinder. Angelus had not merely cut his victims to pieces, he had tortured them before hand. The evidence had been clearly visible.

Oz had commented after the third body part, that Angelus was like a cat, bringing his prey home to his master as some sort of gift. Showing off.

She had agreed.

In some sick way, he wanted a reaction from her; she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of one though.

The police after losing their third man on guard at her house had called off the surveillance altogether.

It had been a waste and she’d warned them, spoken to the chief himself. He had ignored her request to leave it be and had paid the price with his officers lives.

Oz helped her carry the groceries into the house and once everything was put away, Buffy fell onto the couch.

Oz headed directly to the computer.

“We got anything?” Buffy asked tiredly.

“Yeah. Hold on,” he replied.

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

“We’ve got two new e-mails since last week’s. I’ll read the first one. They sent it this morning. Here it is; ‘We’ve been found. Followed, contact you later. Giles’.”

Buffy sat up, eyes opening wide.

“Read the second one,” she ordered.

Fear gnawed at her. She had sent them out alone and now---if anything happened to them! She would never forgive herself. Never!

“This second one is longer and sent an hour ago. They’re on their way home. They should be here by tonight. Giles has found some startling information. They haven’t found Spike yet. But they’re tired of running and their place is here.”

They sat in silence.

“This should be nice for you. Willow’s coming home,” Buffy said absently, her mind working furiously.

Oz shot her his patent steady eyed look. Which having spent so much time with him, she now understood.

“I’m scared. Oz this is nothing like I had anticipated. When we met Wolfe and he described Angelus, it was nothing like this. Now the gang wants to come home. I don’t….I don’t know if we can handle this. I feel…..I know this is bigger than we could even imagine.”

Oz nodded.

“But that’s why they are coming back. They want to help and they have information. Don’t you think its odd how no one has heard about Spike?” he asked suddenly.

Buffy looked up briefly.

“Yes. Usually the demon mill’s pumpin’ non-stop. Now…..now it has run dry. This only adds to the list of things that don’t add up here. I wish we knew what the hell is going on,” she exclaimed as she jumped up abruptly.

Oz merely watched her as she paced.

“I gotta get some sleep. You should too Oz. We’re gonna have a busy night.”

She left the living room and headed for her room. She was exhausted. The non-stop method she was using didn’t do her any good.

Undressing she slipped beneath her covers and tried to sleep.

But her mind kept moving around and around in circles. They finally focused on two things, Spike and Angel. She was afraid for them both. That dream…..the first night had made very little sense to her. Even now, it still confused her. She had shared it with Giles and he had told her it was probably her sub conscious playing tricks with her torn feelings for the two vampires. She had readily agreed. Now she wasn’t so sure.

Save me, they had cried. From what? She wondered. For Angel it was easy to guess. He needed to be saved from Angelus.

But Spike?

What could she save him from, why would he need rescuing?

Then there was the whole I love you, he’ll kill you spiel. A true statement for both she assumed. Angel loved her, but Angelus wanted to kill her. Spike……showed signs of loving her and it was his nature and specialty to kill Slayers.

She was so confused. Angelus wasn’t--- she could not comprehend how he had come back. The oddest and scariest thing was when Giles and Willow had insisted doing the spell to permanently replace his soul she’d happily agreed. She had thought they could nip Angelus in the bud so there would be less damage.

They had completed the spell, only to find his soul was gone. There were no remaining pieces; it was as if he had never had a soul. Giles had assumed the soul would have been pushed so far back the demon could easily over look it.

He had told them when you did a re-souling spell it was possible to pull back the soul from its hidden place. Pieces had remained making it easier to recall the soul.

This had been a sobering and upsetting experience. The Scoobies had all demanded to stay but she had gotten them all out of town as decided.

That was only one among many things that made no sense. She knew deep down that the news Giles carried could not be good.

Forcing her mind to a complete blank, she closed her eyes and was soon fast asleep.

~*~*~

Giles sat pensively facing the window of the Grey Hound bus the Scooby gang currently occupied.

“What did you find out that was so upsetting Rupert?” Joyce asked as she retook her seat next to him, after checking on the children.

Giles glanced up and debated whether to tell the truth or if it would be better to lie. As Buffy was her daughter, he knew she deserved a heads up.

“Buffy’s life is in danger Joyce,” he stated.

Joyce took a deep breath.

“From Angelus you mean?” she asked.

“He is the least of her problems at the moment. I don’t know why it occurred to me so late, but I put a call into the Council. Spoke to a trusted friend of mine. I wanted to know who else could be after us. I thought to ask about Quentin Travers—“

“The man from the future? I thought he was dead?” Joyce cut in.

Giles nodded quickly.

“Precisely. He is. Here and in the future. When he died in the future, he died here as well. Since we’ve been on the move since returning, I gave it very little thought. A horrendous error on my part,” Giles moaned.

Joyce frowned as she reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad Rupert. So this Travers is dead, that means he won’t kill Buffy and…….Spike like in the future!”

“He might not, but that doesn’t mean his brother won’t…….”

~*~*~

“Did Giles tell you why we’re going home?” Willow asked Xander.

Xander opened one eye.

“No,” he answered shortly.

“I’m glad though! This means we can see Buffy again! Oh and Oz---I hope he’s okay. Xander---what do you think is wrong with Angel?”

Xander sat up, all pretense of sleeping gone from his mind.

“Willow….you did the spell remember? Giles said Angel’s soul is gone. No pieces left hanging around there. No siree! Angelus is here to stay,” Xander growled.

Willow sighed.

“I hope not. I mean what’s Buffy going to do? What if she has to kill him? She’s in love with him. I’d never wish that on—“

“So she’s still in love with him? Cuz really I was beginning to doubt that Wills. I mean the whole Spike thing…….We’ve been on the road nearly a month looking for him, for no other reason than Buffy wants him there with her. You guys never did answer my question about Buffy and Spike. Are we going to let her be with him, if Angel never comes back?”

Willow was silent a moment.

“I…….I guess. I mean you saw Wolfe. He was their son, he was really nice,” Willow chirped happily.

“Yeh,” Xander admitted grudgingly. “My future self said I had to put a stop to this prejudice. It almost ruined my life. I’m gonna try Wills. But this is Spike!”

Willow placed her head on his shoulder and smiled.

“Yeah. Spike who tried to kill us once and then not really. We have a chance to start much earlier than our future selves did! Even then, it was a struggle. Willow---how weird is that? Anyway, she said we alienated Buffy so much she felt the need to hide her relationship with Spike from us. Granted Buffy had been using and abusing Spike but still! We don’t want that.”

Xander nodded in agreement.

“Of course we don’t. Xander told me that killing Angel made Buffy closed off emotionally. It took years for her to finally bring the walls down. I don’t want that for Buffy. I want her to be happy you know? Killing Angel is going to destroy her.”

“Maybe she won’t have too. Maybe we—“

“Don’t get your hopes up. If she kills him, we have to be there for her. We can’t let her run off for the summer. She has to stay and deal! Okay?”

“Okay.”

Xander shifted slightly

“Wills……I’m worried about this whole Cordelia thing,” Xander finally admitted.

Willow lifted her head and glanced up at him curiously.

“Why?”

“Well…..for one she ended up with Angel! I mean sure you and I had our little…..thing but she ends up with Angel!”

“But you can change that! Don’t you want to?”

Xander shrugged half-heartedly.

“I don’t know. See, I was happy with this Anya woman. An ex-vengeance demon. Will I even be happy with Cordelia if I try? I mean I like her a lot but—“

“Why not try? Wasn’t that your problem? You never tried to make things right? Never worked on th—“

“Okay! So you’re saying I should try and make it work?”

“After all if you weren’t with Cordelia you would never have met Anya, whom you married. Keep your options open. I’m not one of them mind you......but keep ‘em open kay Xan.”

Xander nodded and closed his eyes settling back down for his nap.

“So………we’re really letting Buffy be with Spike?”

~*~*~

Buffy fell heavily to the ground a groan coming forth as she wrestled with the large vampire she was fighting. This was one of the first fights she’d actually had trouble with. Usually it was wham bam thank you ma’am. Angelus didn’t count, they hadn’t even fought more like a game of tag, she thought now as the vampire lowered his head and tried to get a piece of her neck.

The vamp froze as he neared her neck. She glanced up into his confused yellow eyes, arched a brow as she flipped him over her head, and staked him a second later. Rising to her feet, she rolled her shoulders, easing the kinks.

“What was that about?” she asked Oz who had been lounging near by watching her fight.

Oz smiled slightly as he fell in step with her. He jerked his head to her neck.

“It’s the claim,” he stated quietly.

Buffy’s steps faltered.

“What?” she asked.

Oz stopped too as he glanced at her.

“Are you saying you didn’t know?” he asked his brows rising in surprise.

“No! I mean I’m not stupid, contrary to popular opinion. Giles mentioned something or another but what does Spike’s claim have to do with anything?”

Oz shrugged and tugged on her arm to get her moving again.

“Let’s take this discussion home and I’ll explain what I know.”

Buffy nodded and she was extremely relieved to make it home without an incident with Angelus or any other vamps.

They settled comfortable in the living room and Buffy urged Oz to continue.

“So Spike’s claim, what’s up with that?” she asked.

“Buffy I don’t know too much but I do know a little. Spike marked you as his own.”

“Like property or something! I can’t believe him,” she yelled angrily.

“From what you said Spike accidentally bit you, it wasn’t intentional. The claiming though was. He bit you and in the relatively short time, the space is open to lay a claim he did. It protects you, repels off the othe—“

Buffy sighed loudly and lowered her head to her hands.

“So……is this why Angelus hasn’t come after me?”

Sagely Oz nodded.

“Yep. He can’t. At least not yet.”

That caught Buffy’s attention.

“Not yet?”

“Not yet. The claim……. When he bit you it was not a full on claim. The claim won’t act fully or last forever. In fact it won’t last for another week.”

“What?! Okay so you’re saying the claim is void after only a month?” she demanded.

“Well one that wasn’t completed or reciprocated. Yours was not.”

Buffy frowned.

“I’m not letting him bite me again!”

Oz just looked at her.

“Why do you want him with you Buffy? You said you told him to leave. Which means you don’t want to be with him right?”

Buffy opened her mouth to agree but nothing came out. She didn’t want to say yes. She wasn’t sure. Confused wasn’t even the right word to describe her state of mind. She swallowed and glanced away from Oz’s perceptive gaze. She wanted Spike here with her; she knew he could help her get through this. She didn’t question the knowledge but embraced it.

It was the only thing keeping her grounded. If Spike were here then she—

“Of course not! It would be wrong,” she muttered.

“Would it?” Oz countered.

“Yes! Besides I’m in love with Angel,” she mumbled unconvincingly.

“I think Angel ceased to exist the minute you found out about your life with Spike. About your son Wolfe. Saw that you could have that normal, or close to normal life, you dream about. It helps that if you ever sleep with Angel his demon will come out, that really isn’t normal now is it?”

Buffy laughed a slight hysterical edge to it.

“That’s ridiculous Oz! I mean Angel didn’t cease to exist! He was there I mean okay so he was old. And bitter. And mean. And married to Cordelia!!! But he was there! Alive, human, in love with Cordelia! Can you believe that?! What the hell is up with that!!!!” she yelled jumping to her feet.

“Some one is upset,” Oz announced with a small smile.

“No, I’m not. So Angel married Cordelia. I’m fine with that. I come back, send Spike away and Angel turns into Angelus. Okay with that too! But what I am not okay with is the fact I’m…….I’m in…..” she couldn’t even say it. She collapsed next to Oz.

“Is that you’re in love with Spike?” he prodded gently.

Buffy moaned into her hands.

“It’s wrong.”

“If it’s how you feel it can’t be wrong,” Oz murmured comfortingly.

“You know they wouldn’t let me be with him. Not now since Angel’s all evil.”

“Listen it’s not all bad. So Spike’s soulless, less soul to lose in my book. He’s semi evil so how worse could he get? He turns out good in the end though. Now we all know he’ll be good…..at some point.”

“But how can this be love? I don’t understand! And if I don’t understand, how am I supposed to explain myself? Not even a month ago I was all with the hate, now it’s love! I d—“

“You don’t have to understand Buffy. Just go with it.”

She glanced up at him.

“So you really think they’d let me be with him?” she asked perking up.

“Sure, unless Angelus ends up killing you both first,” he commented deadpan.

Buffy couldn’t help herself, in some twisted way she found his words hilarious.

“That is highly probable! He’ll kill Spike and me! Dance in our blood! But failing that?”

Oz joined her in her laughter as he answered.

“Yeah. They’ll let you be with Spike Buffy.”

~*~*~

“I told you. You don’t understand what is going on,” Delos snapped abruptly as he lifted himself to his feet and leaned over Spike.

Spike’s shocked gaze followed his movements.

“Who told you about him?! How do you know about my son,” he growled as he tried to rise but Delos pushed him back down. A hand firmly placed on his burned back.

Spike screamed as Delos twisted his hand into a fist and ground it into the burnt flesh.

“What the hell is this?!” he yelled as he gasped for unneeded breath.

“This? Well this is me making you listen William. I know all kinds of interesting tidbits. Really I do. But I’m sure none will interest you more than the one about your son huh?”

Spike gritted his teeth and managed a curt nod.

Delos lifted his hand from Spike’s back and pulled out a silk handkerchief. He wiped off his bloody fist and retook his seat.

“Did you think things would remain the same?” he asked conversationally.

Spike declined to answer.

“I suppose you did. That you would return, home and things would be the same yes? Except that now you knew you had loved a Slayer and had a child with her. Is that the natural order of things William? But I suppose it is with you yes? You betray everyone in the end don’t you?”

Delos studied Spike’s lowered head with a look of barely contained glee. A smile tugged at the corner of his thin mouth. He leant back and extracted a thin cigar. Lighting it he inhaled deeply.

“Forgive my rudeness William. I mean you no harm. But I need you to see the truth.”

Spike’s head jerked up and he glared up at Delos.

“What truth?! What don’t I know? I’m sick of this Delos. You say you know all kinds of rot but won’t tell me what! You know about my son and it seems to amuse you. I want answers! NOW!!!!”

“We all want something William,” Delos whispered as he leaned down and crushed out his cigar in Spike’s back. Spike’s howl was music to his ears.

“Have you not noticed it yet? Did it not register the minute you returned William? Set foot in Europe? Do you remember what I told you? Do you?”

“Yes,” Spike gasped out.

“What did I tell you?”

“Never come back.”

“See I knew you remembered! I see you just ignored it and thought I meant never come back to see me. Alas, that was not what I meant at all. I thought I had taught you a lesson with the mob in Prague. I see it failed to sink in. You came crawling back, only this time it was to dispose of Drusilla. I laughed aloud when I heard! Spike kill Drusilla?! The woman he loved more than anything in the world. More than family, more than blood. More than loyalty itself. I---“

“Look I don’t see how you blubberin’ on ‘bout this shit that happened in the past Delos tells me a thing! It’s history, I did what I had to do and I’d do it again! Shut the fuck up or get on to what you have to say you bloody pillock!!!”

“Such language William. You always had a mouth on you. You know what I asked Drusilla,” Delos asked suddenly switching gears. He cupped Spike’s head and looked him in the eyes. “I asked if she had seen her death. If she had known what was coming. She knew. She was always more sane than people gave her credit for really. Angelus made sure to ruin her for anyone else though didn’t he? He always ruined people’s plans. You know…..before Dru turned you….I was in the process of doing it. As I was the elder of my line it was time I took a childe. Angelus ignored that you were mine and let Dru make you. He stole you from me! Just like, you stole my childer from me! An eye for an eye.”

Spike’s head jerked from Delos’s grip and he struggled to get away from him.

“What are you doing?” Delos asked in amusement as he watched Spike scramble away.

“Stay away,” Spike, mumbled as he managed to get to his feet. He swayed and almost fell down as he brought his hands up in front of him.

“Stay away? What is it you think I am going to do William?”

Spike looked around wildly, for any escape. His breathing was ragged a testament to how upset he was as he moved slowly along the wall. His eyes never left Delos as his hands clenched and his eyes flashed gold.

Spike closed his eyes and when he opened them, again Delos was in front of him.

He jumped and let out a muffled scream.

He had forgotten. God he had forgotten the most important thing about Delos! He wasn’t to be trusted. He seemed so nice and friendly but underneath he was a demon. One of the worst. Spike had forgotten Delos was no ordinary vampire. Forgotten that he was at his deadliest when your guard was down.

“Don’t be frightened,” Delos whispered as he lifted Spike’s face.

“M’not,” Spike choked out as his jaw clenched and he blinked away his sudden tears. “Just don’t…..don’t do this. Please.”

“I never thought I’d see the day William the Bloody Awful poet would beg for mercy. Perhaps on his sire’s life but his? How the mighty have fallen William. How the mighty have fallen……..”

Spike trembled in fear as he tried to force himself away from Delos. However, Delos had a firm grip on him and he wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Let me go……” he whispered.

“Let you go? Me thinks not,” Delos purred as he smiled his game face falling on.

Spike twisted his head away, tried to wiggle away. All failed and Delos lowered his head.

“I think it only fitting don’t you William that I shall be the one to take your life? That I shall be the one to take your child from you as well?”

Spike’s body went if possible even more rigid.

“What?! You leave the Slayer alone,” he screamed as a surge of power shot through him and he tossed Delos away from him.

“The Slayer? You mistook me William. I’m not concerned with her, as Mornay will dispose of her in due time. I said your child William. Wolfe. Quite the little half-breed you have there William. It will be a pleasure I can assure you. Now come here and—“

As the words left Delos’s mouth Spike pounced jumping forward and taking them both down in the process. Spike pounded on Delos with a rage he had never known.

“You leave him alone Delos!! I’ll hunt down Mornay and kill her too. How about that? First, born childe of Delos taken down by Spike, William the Bloody?! I’ll do it I—“

Spike was so caught up in his speech he never noticed the stewardess sneak up behind him and knock him over the head with a silver tray. He slumped down on top of Delos.

“Thank you Mary,” Delos said as he hefted Spike off him and Mary scurried out.

“Well…..well……looks like we are back where we started huh? Have you realized it yet?” Delos asked as he lifted Spike so he lay across his lap. He lifted Spike’s head and bared his neck.

“No……please. Don’t…..don’t, don’t,” Spike whispered brokenly. “Don’t hurt my son…….”

“Awwwww……… how pathetically sweet. Don’t hurt your son…..well first, to get to him we’ll have to go on a little journey William. Not too far, mind you. But a little journey. Filled with perilous threats and death. Do you like the sound of that?”

“Please….”

“More begging…….how appropriate. I’ll never let you go William. Never let you go back,” Delos growled as sunk his fangs into Spike’s neck.

Spike’s scream echoed loudly in the silence.

It took no time at all before Delos had nearly drained Spike dry. He placed him on the seat opposite him and licked his lips as he unbuttoned his cuff and bared his wrist.

“You only have so much time before I destroy them both Slayer. Your son and William…….” He said as he looked up a smile firmly in place.

He placed his now open and bleeding wrist to Spike’s mouth and his smile grew wider as Spike began to drink.

“Do you see? Don’t you realize it yet? Angelus……you see I’ve taken them all from you. If you want William, you will have to come get him. Follow the yellow brick road…….Follow the yellow brick road and you might just find us…….”

“But let me warn you…. William is mine and I will not give him up without a fight. You have one month Slayer….Angelus. One month to save one or the other. Wolfe or William. Choose wisely.”

~*~*~

Buffy woke screaming and crying. Things had just taken a turn for the worse and she wasn’t sure if she could help Spike. If she could choose.

Buffy knew without a doubt now.

Knew she wasn’t home. That they had never been home. Question was though just where the hell were they? And why?

How was she going to rescue two of the three men closest to her heart?

~*~*~

Angelus let out a howl of rage as he woke from his dream, which had not been a dream at all. He threw off the covers and jumped to his feet.

“How dare he?!” he screamed as he paced. How dare that bastard Delos betray the bond of blood and make Spike his?!!!

And Mornay. That little bitch thought she could kill Dru and he’d let her get away with it? He’d make her pay, make her bleed. Delos would pay for making this mistake. For taking what was rightfully his and marking it.

Anger raged through him. An anger that matched only his anger for Spike at daring to touch the Slayer. It mattered little that mere minutes ago he had been ready to kill Spike himself, now his only thought was of saving Spike and then killing him. No one else was going to take that from him, not even Delos!

The only way he knew to do this though was to get help. And the help he would need came from a place he was unlikely to get it. But he would make then listen and he would make them help him or else!

He would find Spike and kill him and then he might even kill the son Delos had harked on. Some Kind of Wonderful: 4

Disclaimer: I don’t own Btvs Joss Whedon does along with ME. I won only my own creations.

~*~*~

Chapter 4:

I don’t know how to explain this. I would believe me if I understood, but see the problem is I don’t. I want to believe that this is all a dream and I’m not stuck in some land of limbo.

That I’m just not stuck you know.

No, you don’t know.

I haven’t even introduced myself.

Sorry, how self-centered is that?

My name is Wolfe Benedict Winthrop.

Hah!

You remember me?

Good, now I won’t have to explain who or what I am will I?

Maybe not.

See I’m Spike’s son.

Buffy’s son too.

A hybrid.

You know what that means don’t you? A mixture of both of them, Slayer and vampire blood. Double the fun……double the fun! Double the torture. I was a fluke really, never supposed to have happened. A surprise, not that I’m complaining. I like being alive.

That’s my problem.

I want to live.

However, no one wants that. Except my dad. Maybe even mom. But they’re in the minority. Everyone else wants me dead. Kinda hard to keep that from happening when you don’t know what is going on. Especially when you’re stuck in some kinda……nothingness.

I’ll start from the beginning………..

~*~*~

Two Weeks ago………….

“Still here,” Wolfe muttered as he looped an arm around Grace’s waist and led her into Willow’s sprawling ranch house.

Grace laughed as she slid from his grasp to shrug out of her coat.

“So I see…..so you think your dad’s working Buffy over? Making her realize having you would be the best thing to happen to both of them?”

Wolfe followed her into the living room before he answered.

“I can only hope. So how’d your little talk with Xander go? Did he see reason yet?”

Grace shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

“Nope, he still won’t let me teach little Mattie a few harmless spells,” she grumbled good-naturedly.

The couple strode onto the terrace where the rest of their gang had gathered. Greetings and hugs were had and they settled down for a nice relaxing barbeque.

The rumbling of the ground broke the tranquility of the day and a shroud of darkness that came after the rumbling had ceased covered the sun.

“Grace……you haven’t been doing spells again have you?” Wolfe asked as he rose looking around wildly. His senses were going crazy and he didn’t like the feeling of this at all.

“I learned my lesson Wolfe,” Grace snapped as she too rose and stared around.

Wolfe stiffened and shoved Grace towards the terrace doors.

“Get in the house,” he growled. “All of you get in the house. NOW!!!”

“No…..Wolfe,” Willow began but Wolfe snarled at her and she scurried in after the others.

Wolfe had no idea what was coming but knew he was the only one who was strong enough to face it….

~*~*~

I won’t go into graphic detail cuz really I don’t remember much except that I woke up here. Stuck in this dark room. Left with nothing but my thoughts.

And oh yeah……someone was kind enough to leave me a little view. Of everything that was going on below. Everything that was going on with my parents.

Their enemies.

Quite the little show let me tell you.

I hate to say it but I’m pretty sure they won’t be able to stop what’s coming.

The odds are all against them.

I glanced at the nice view again that when it wasn’t in use was black like everything else. But slowly color formed back in the view and a new scene formed. Curiously, I watched as images began to form.

The last thing I’d seen was my dad burning to death and this guy Delos coming to the rescue and a girl—Mornay was her name that looked enough like Grace to give me a start. Mornay had some kind of grudge against dad. Delos was her Sire and his word was law. She’d let him go along with Spike.

So I was curious as to what I’d see next.

I saw mom, Oz and nothing much except for them talking and I’d seen enough of that to last me a good while. Finally, the words caught my attention.

“…..that you’re in love with him,” he heard Oz murmur softly and my hear nearly leapt out of my chest for joy.

She had finally said it! To someone else! The images blurred, more talking about Spike, the claim, blah, blah, I knew all about claims so this held little interest.

The scene changed to dad and Delos.

I frowned as I watched Delos talk.

I had heard of him. Of that, I was sure.

Thing is he was never a big figure in the Aurelius line, at least not after Elias ousted him and took over. As I‘d been researching the Aurelius line all my life I knew a good bit about it. Delos was a vampire thousands of years old rivaled Elias in age and was among the worst to ever walk the earth. His viciousness was legend; it was no wonder his childer had turned their backs on him. With him as a sire who needed enemies?

He was hurting my dad, making him scream in pain and his eyes…..Delos had eyes of hatred. Cold and hate filled.

He couldn’t be real; it didn’t make sense…… Why was he out now and how had he learned of me? So far being stuck here had held very little news. I’d seen all the cryptic talks, Rufus, and Elias plotting to stab on another in the backs. I wanted answers real soon!

I wondered how this had even happened. Grace and Willow had sent them home, of that I had been sure.

I had thought Delos was not real.

Whether he was real or not he was going to pay, he would not get away with making his father suffer.

My anger blurred my reason; overwhelmed my senses and I missed pieces of conversation.

The next thing I knew Delos was biting him.

I couldn’t help the scream that came out. I shook my head, he couldn’t be killing him! He could not be killing him I thought frantically as I felt my body begin to shake and I fell to my knees as pain gripped me.

“Fuck,” I muttered clawing at my chest. He was killing him and me in the process.

I heard his words…..talking to mom, telling her she had only so little time to save dad or me. I blinked slowly trying to understand. He was going to look for me……kill me. But he’d let mom know I was out here, somewhere…..

I knew she’d come for me and wished she wouldn’t, she had to get dad. If he died then I would die, same if she died. I didn’t want to die. Not now.

I could still hear Delos talking, talking to Angelus too. Telling him, taunting him. I listened as I managed to open my eyes and stared.

Watched as Delos slit his wrist and Spike drank.

I shuddered as I felt my heart begin to slowly pick up speed and the blood begin to flow.

“Oh my God,” I moaned as I curled into a ball, the pain not easing, if possible growing.

My mind was whirling and I knew what Delos had done.

What he had proven.

He had done the worst possible thing to a vampire. To re-sire them with out permission, without consent was wrong, was not done. But to flaunt it, to force it and God…..

He hadn’t even made him a childe.

He was nothing but a minion!

He now had control over Spike and would use it mercilessly I knew, bring him down until there was nothing left of my dad, only a shell that had once housed the spirit of William the Bloody.

My eyes closed and I inhaled deeply as I ignored the pain and concentrated on the screen. The images slowly faded to black and I tried to loosen my suddenly tense body.

I lay still, caught my breath, and clenched my fists.

This was not good, not of the good at all. I hadn’t thought of this, I hadn’t thought Delos or anyone else would do such a thing. Especially to Spike. Now Delos had control of my dad and breaking the bond would be almost impossible.

~*~*~

Buffy wasn’t surprised as light flooded her room and her door was thrown open. What she wasn’t expecting was her mother to come running in and fling herself next to her daughter.

“Buffy are you okay? Honey?” Joyce demanded.

Buffy stared at her mom as if she had no idea who she was.

She shook her head and blinked, she had forgotten the gang was coming home.

“Mom?” she asked hesitantly as her mom embraced her.

“Oh sweetie I’m so glad to see you! I missed you so much. I’m so glad you’re okay. What happened did you have a bad dream?”

Buffy slowly extracted herself from her mom’s arms as her words registered.

Buffy wished it had been a dream. It would have been so much better if it had. Even a Slayer dream. But she was certain, as certain as she was that they weren’t home.

“It’s good to see you too mom,” she finally said as she hugged her tightly before getting up.

Joyce watched her concerned at her behavior.

“Buffy?”

Buffy didn’t glance up as she slowly dressed.

“Hmmmmm?” was all she said.

“What was your dream about? Do you want me to wake Rupert?”

Buffy faced her mom fully dressed and let a smile form.

“No. Listen go back to sleep, I have to go out and do something,” she said as she pulled on a jacket and hurried off.

“Buffy, wait,” Joyce called after her, loud enough to wake the others.

She ignored her mother’s frantic calls as she raced down the hall, down the stairs into the early morning. She really had to stop doing that, she thought with a small smile. Running out on her mother would not endear her to her.

She was on a mission though, she had see Angelus, she had to speak to him and if need be she would kill him.

An ache formed at her heart. She hated the thought of killing Angel, but she reminded herself that Angel was gone and if she didn’t kill Angelus she would lose Spike and Wolfe.

She couldn’t let that happen, no matter how much Angel meant to her.

Running through the cemetery, at dawn was never a smart thing to do Buffy had forgotten that. Most vamps were hidden away but the stragglers always waited til the last minute to get underground. As she ran, she found herself confronted with said vampires.

Or so she’d thought.

It didn’t matter, some part of her she hadn’t known she possessed took over and she dispatched of them soon enough and made her way to the mansion.

Kicking open the door letting in the streaming sunlight with the rising sun.

A scream ripped through the air and Buffy frowned in surprise as she realized it wasn’t Angelus screaming but a woman.

She left the door open as she made her way into the room.

She found the woman lying in a corner, sunlight inches away.

“Who are you?” Buffy snapped as she stood off to the side not getting in the way of the sunlight.

“I’m the one who’s going to kill you,” she hissed.

Buffy’s head cocked to the side as she remembered Delos’s words.

A slow smile formed as she studied the small woman who was cowering, not defeated, but stuck. She had no place to go except into the light and then she would die.

“Mornay I take it?” she asked slowly.

Mornay stared at her in contempt as she smirked.

“What is this? I thought you were the Slayer. Where’s the stake?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make with the stakeage real soon like. I’ve got a question for you. Childe of Delos how’s that going for you?”

Mornay’s eyes widened in anger.

“How dare you speak that name to me,” she growled as she tried to make a grab at Buffy who jumped back into the light out of reach.

“Calm down…..I only mention this because I’ve a proposition for you,” Buffy said quietly as she crossed her arms and stared down at Mornay.

~*~*~

Angelus stared at the minion before him and snarled low in his throat as he pushed his way threatening toward the young man.

“Move it,” he hissed.

“I can’t,” the vampire whimpered in fear as he stood toe to toe with the larger, older and meaner vampire.

“Of course you can and when you do I’ll be certain to tell your Master how loyal you were and perhaps he’ll give you a promotion,” Angelus changed tactics as charm oozed from him. He plastered on a smile and leaned in slightly.

“Really?” the vamp asked eagerly.

“Yep.”

The guard stepped aside and Angelus brushed past him as he entered the dimly lit office.

“Mikel,” he called as his eyes searched the room.

“What is it you wish of me Angelus?”

The softly spoken voice laced with a hint of a Russian accent slid across the room and connected to Angelus on a deep level. His back straightened and he dipped his head in respect.

“I wish to meet with Elias, Mikel,” he answered respectfully.

“What for? Last, I heard you were enamored with the Slayer. Now I see you are once again in your truest form. Angelus. What can I do about this? I am not of your line.”

Angelus shrugged as he began to pace slowly.

“I know that! What I want is a meeting; you have the means in which to make that possible. See there are things happening—“

“I am aware of that. I have no interest in these…..things.”

“Well, that’s good to hear because I have no intention of sharing! Now tell me if you’ll help me.”

“Betray your own Order?” came the mild reply.

Angelus smirked and nodded sharply.

“Put like that it sounds down right devious.”

“Indeed. However, devious is good. Devious will lead you down the path you wish to follow. Devious will help you destroy the Order. Of course, I will help you! I have never liked Elias. Come, I shall make it happen and you shall have the means in which to find your---well he isn’t yours any longer is he? William is quite the sought out vampire these days.”

“So I see. What’s this I hear about a son?” Angelus asked as he joined Mikel at his desk and leaned forward his elbows resting in his thighs.

“Ah….the boy. Such a wonder. Too bad, he has to die. He is the source of great power, his blood; energy is one of the most powerful on earth. Killing him will ensure ultimate power—but then killing either of his parents will ensure his death as well,” Mikel spoke slyly as he peered at Angelus.

Angelus tilted his head and pondered that.

“Really? What kind of power?”

“Did you not understand ultimate?”

“Oh, right. Well then, this is better than I thought. Kill the boy, kill the father. Quite the coup.”

“Did you forget to kill the mother as well? Or don’t you know?”

“Know what? Who the mother is? I don’t care,” Angelus, muttered his thoughts drifting to the many ways in which he could kill Spike and his son.

“I think you will…….because the mother is the Slayer that plagues your unlife.”

Angelus’s head swung up and he narrowed his eyes.

“The Slayer?” he whispered hoarsely. “Spike had a child with the Slayer?”

“Yes.”

Angelus shook his head and couldn’t bring himself to comprehend this statement. How ridiculous it sounded. How it enraged him and made him all the angrier.

“I’ll kill them all…..starting with the boy,” he growled.

~*~*~

“What kind of proposition?” Mornay asked suspiciously.

Buffy pursed her lips and debated with herself for a long moment before she spoke.

“Where’s Angelus?” she asked looking around.

“Gone,” Mornay spat. “The bastard didn’t even have the decency to stay for his death! Ran away, although I don’t see why. You can’t be that hard to kill. God you’re just a stick! I’ll snap you in two when I get out of-’’

“Threats won’t work on me. Now I take it you’re here to kill me and Angelus right?”

“Yep. Kill you both deader than dead.”

“From your reaction earlier when I mentioned Delos I take it you and he had a falling out huh? Too bad, cuz now he’s made himself a new childe,” Buffy lied as she gazed at Mornay watching the play of emotions that crossed her face.

She had no idea what Delos had made Spike; she feared it was no more than a fledgling, no better than a minion. Her jaw clenched and she had to fight the urge to reach out and grab the vampire. Toss her into the sun and watch her burn. Make Delos feel her pain, she thought bitterly.

“You could say that,” Mornay admitted finally.

“You hate him? Want to see him suffer? Cuz really, now with his new childe I doubt he’ll pay you much mind. I mean Spi-“

“WHAT?! He re-sired Spike?! William the Bloody and made him his childe? He re-sired him! My God if that isn’t the stupidest—oh…..wait I see,” Mornay finished with a smug smile.

Buffy’s eyes narrowed.

“What exactly do you see? I see that Delos now has the power to destroy Spike and he’ll do it.”

Mornay settled back and studied the Slayer.

“You think I care because……?”

“Just because.”

Mornay grinned and then laughed.

“Good answer. I see Slayer…..a little girl who looks like she just lost her puppy! And I guess in a way you have. He was your lap dog. Betrayed his sire for you……now he’s in Delos’s hands because of you. He loves you God only knows why. In the end, it will get him killed. Delos is not a kind sire. He is not like us…..the rest of the Aurelius line. Riddled with humanity, quite sickening to the other Orders I can assure you. We feel, we love, we hate and most of all we feel. Delos has none of that, he only gets pleasure from pain and he loves pain. Giving it, receiving it. Quite ruthless, too much for the rest of the Order. That’s why Elias took over.”

Buffy nodded along as if she knew what Mornay was saying and pretended to look informed. She had no idea what the Order was, who Elias was or how he had anything to do with this.

“He’ll make Spike pay,” Mornay muttered darkly.

“For what? What did he do to deserve this?” Buffy demanded.

Mornay looked up and shook her head as if coming back to herself.

“Look Slayer what is this proposition you have for me?!”

“You know what’s going on don’t you? Where we are, why we’re here?! I want answers, before I tell you my proposition.”

“No,” Mornay muttered stubbornly.

“Then I’ll let you burn to death, bye-bye,” Buffy waved a little as she turned towards the open door and shoved it open wider, letting sunlight spill through, reaching the corner Mornay resided in.

Mornay screamed and convulsed about.

“Okay!!!! Stop it,” she screamed.

Buffy smiled smugly and partially shut the door, not enough to keep the sunlight out, but enough so it didn’t reach Mornay’s corner.

“Start talking.”

~*~*~

“So you want in on this?” Elias asked as he watched Angelus.

Angelus nodded as he locked his gaze on the smaller vampire who stood in the shadows of Mikel’s office.

“Yes, I want your help. I heard you were seeking something.”

Elias smiled and cocked his head.

“Like what? What have you heard Angelus? Or is it Angel? I’m confused, you change so often,” Elias mocked.

Angelus tamped down his anger and smiled widely.

“Heard you wanted the boy. I can find him for you.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed and he studied Angelus.

“How?”

“He’s my blood, shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Oh, but it is. I have searched everywhere for the boy and have yet to find him and let me remind you he is my blood too. It came to no avail.”

Angelus shrugged.

“I’m a direct link, Spike is my grand childe.”

“That’s not what I heard. I heard Delos re-sired Spike…..quite ingenious really. Have control of the father you have control of the boy. What do you get in return for me accepting your help?”

“Spike,” Angelus said simply. And the boy and his mother, he added silently.

“Simply Spike? To what? Kill him?”

“Among other things. Is it a deal?”

Elias strode out of the shadows and stuck out his hand.

“It’s a deal,” Elias agreed as they shook on it.

~*~*~

“You’re saying we’re stuck in a land of limbo or something?”

“In between. When your pal did the spell, Rufus Travers did his own spell, kept you from completely going home. Not home, but not quite in another dimension either. In between.”

“But why?” Buffy snapped.

“Come on, you can’t honestly be this stupid! Hello, when the Slayer goes MIA from the hellmouth it doesn’t go unnoticed. You were gone, people got curious. See……your boy was never prophesied, so the prophets never saw this coming. Once word spread though that, you and Spikey had a boy…….couldn’t ask for a better thing to come about. Just at the right time too!”

Buffy shook her head and frowned.

“So none of this is real? I mean Angel’s still A—“

“Nope. Sorry this is real, as real as it can get. Your Angel turned into Angelus. This is just a controlled environment to find the bo—“

“He has a name! Wolfe, use it,” Buffy growled.

Mornay rolled her eyes.

“As I was saying word spread and people got busy. Rufus Travers, Quentin’s brother, the one your son killed. Well he’s found a ritual, involving said son of Slayer and vampire. Kill the son and gain the power of the world. Just a few pesky details though,” Mornay mused.

“Like what?”

“Like finding Wolfe. He’s here but protected. No one knows where though so hence the hunt. Second…..in order for the ritual to work its got to be done at the hellmouth which means sooner or later we’re all going home.”

Buffy slid slowly down the wall and sat down in shock.

“So someone is going to open the hellmouth? And this involves Wolfe’s blood some how?” she whispered.

Mornay arched a brow and a bemused expression formed on her face.

“Why are you so upset? You should be happy, now you won’t be saddled with a brat and Spike the worthless vamp he has sadly become! You’ll be respected again. Because really consorting with the enemy does nothing for the rep Slayer,” she said drolly.

“Is there anyway to reach Spike? How strong do you think Delos’s hold on him is?”

“Very,” Mornay said. “Why?”

“I want to find a way to break it.”

“There isn’t one,” Mornay answered.

Buffy lowered her head and closed her eyes. There had to be a way, she thought fiercely. She could not leave Spike to do this alone. She had to help him; she needed him to get through this! And he needed her. She wouldn’t let Delos’s influence over Spike stop her!

“The claim,” she muttered to herself.

“What?” Mornay asked eyeing the downtrodden Slayer.

“The claim,” Buffy said loudly as she looked up and met Mornay’s dark gaze. She watched as realization came over the vampire’s face.

“Well,” Mornay murmured considering the possibilities. “That just might work. One problem though, Delos will know immediately if you start doing things to Spike’s mind through the claim. So I do-“

“But you’re his childe; you still have a link with him. If you were to take his attention away, I’m sure there’s a spell to enhance the claim. Make it last,” Buffy muttered rising abruptly.

“Me?” Mornay echoed. “I don’t think so. I’m not one of your lap dogs!”

Buffy sent her a look of disgust.

“Ewwwww. So not thinking that, hello you will be helping me!” “No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Okay……I’ll let you miss out on the opportunity of killing Delos. You seem to hate him so much and I w

as just thinking……why waste a perfect opportunity like this,” Buffy shrugged and whirled around.

“Wait! Wait…..come now Slayer we can work something out.”

Buffy turned and smiled.

“I’m sure we can. Here’s what I’m thinking….help me with Spike and the claim and when we get Delos he’s all yours.”

Mornay frowned thinking about the Order, specifically Elias, he did not take betrayal well, and what she was thinking about would be a betrayal in his eyes. Siding with the Slayer! But her desire to rid the world of Delos was overwhelming and who said she couldn’t kill the Slayer too?

“If you’re worried about Angelus don’t worry. He’s probably out making a deal with the devil.”

“It’s the only way. I only make deals with the devil,” Mornay mused.

“Good cuz I only make deals with God, we’re on even ground,” Buffy muttered.

Their eyes met and they stared at one another for one long moment.

“A truce then? An agreement to work together that ends the minute our goals are met?” Mornay asked curiously.

“A truce. The minute it ends…..we can go back to hating each other and trying to kill one another. I want your help in finding Spike, keeping Delos busy while we enhance the claim and you get to kill Delos unhindered. Are we in agreement?”

“What about the b-Wolfe? Don’t you want to find him too?”

“I have no doubt Delos will lead us straight to him. Right now, I need Spike. Are we in agreement?” Buffy repeated voice hard and cold.

Mornay arched a brow and inclined her head.

“We are,” she said just as coldly.

Buffy smiled.

~*~*~

I had always known my parents were resourceful, especially my mother. I smiled as I watched her make her deal with Mornay.

They might actually come out of this alive. My hopes were building and so was my strength. My eyes flickered to the dark screen and away. I wished I could see what was going on with my dad, see if he was okay.

I liked mom’s plan though, if she could use the claim as a device to communicate with Spike we would be on our way to getting out of this place! She was the only one who could have a chance against Delos’s powerful influence. I just hoped it worked. Dad needed her.

I let my thoughts drift to the rest of what Mornay had said. I was part of a ritual, what a surprise, when wasn’t I? Opening the hellmouth was an added bonus too. Seemed like that was always following me around, the hellmouth. Open it and end the world, using me as a catalyst.

I needed mom to find dad as soon as possible, so that everyone could get back so we could stop the hellmouth from opening and the world being over run by demons. I wasn’t going to be the cause of my parent’s deaths again. I’d die before I let that happen!

~*~*~ Some Kind of Wonderful: 5

Disclaimer: A person told me I actually don’t own Btvs and a man named Joss Whedon does! How weird is that? I love em but they aren’t mine. I own my own creations. So please don’t sue.

~*~*~

Chapter 5:

When her mind touched his, he was extremely surprised.

“Why what a surprise,” he mused aloud. “What do I owe the pleasure of such a visit?”

He heard Mornay’s quiet laughter and frowned slightly.

“Well, if you have to ask, I guess the word that has spread isn’t true after all.”

“Word? Of what?” Delos asked innocently as his eyes drifted shut and he began to relax in his chair. It had been so long since he’d had such a conversation with any of his childer much less his favorite childe. Since someone had reached out to re-establish the link.

He didn’t think to question why of all times she had initiated their bond now.

“Of re-siring Spike,” she said mockingly. “Surely you haven’t forgotten so soon. The means in which to regain your power lies in Spike.”

“Of course.”

“You’ll be dead before you find the boy Delos, by my hand or the Orders.”

Amusement lifted the corners of his mouth.

“I doubt that. Elias would never be so bold as to attack me. In doing so he will not only kill William but the boy and me. I am firmly in control here.”

“So you’re going to rule the world now? You never used to aspire to such heights. What changed?”

“Well, all my childer turned their backs on me for one. What else am I to do but rule the world and wreck havoc on all who have betrayed me?”

“An eye for an eye huh?”

“You know me so well Mornay. However, you forget, I know you too. Why have you deigned to crawl back into my mind? What game are you playing this time?”

~*~*~

Giles paced the length of the hallway out side Buffy’s bedroom.

He shoved a hand through his hair and let out a sigh.

He was extremely concerned about her and he wished she had listened to him. Waited to do the spell when they had more facts on what the claim would do to her and Spike.

There were no records of this having ever taken place before. Never to a Slayer and not a master vampire who was now a minion. He was worried about both their mental states. If something happened to Buffy when she reached out to Spike and she was hurt he would never forgive himself! Never!

The unknown factor was enough to make him pause, but Buffy had been adamant about doing the spell as soon as possible despite the risks.

Now he couldn’t stand the wait, they didn’t know how long this would take and he was worried about Buffy and the rest of them. The whole spectrum of things that was beginning to pile up was daunting and he feared they might not make it. At least not all of them.

“Rupert?” Joyce asked as she came up the stairs.

Looking up he watched Joyce stride up and smile hesitantly.

“Yes Joyce?” he asked quietly.

“Are you worried? I know this wasn’t what you wanted to do, but Buffy was sure there wouldn’t be any negative effects. She was too—“

“I have faith in her Joyce. I believe she thinks that she has the power to save Spike, but there is a part of me that is doubtful. I want nothing to harm her. I love her like she was my own daughter Joyce I would do anything for her,” he declared passionately.

Joyce smiled and wrapped Giles in a quick hug.

“I know. Buffy wanted me to ask you—she was worried that she made a mistake in trusting this Mornay woman. I’m concerned myself. We know next to nothing about her! She wants you to keep an eye on her and watch her.”

Giles smiled slightly, one that didn’t reach his eyes.

However, Joyce didn’t notice as she glanced at her daughter’s door.

“Everything is under control Joyce. I’ve taken care of it and spoken to Mornay,” he replied his eyes losing focus as he recalled the conversation he’d had earlier with the vampire.

**

Giles shoved Mornay into the kitchen and glared at her.

“You can’t possible think I’d believe a word you had to say,” he hissed.

Mornay pursed her lips and shrugged.

“I don’t know Ripper. Do you believe me?” she asked with a small smile and wink.

“Let us not play these games! I am well aware of your past sins Mornay! You are not to be trusted. And certainly not for the pleasure of killing Delos, no matter how satisfying!”

Mornay turned from Giles and studied the kitchen with feigned interest.

“Did the Slayer’s mother decorate this on her own? It’s quite—“

“Granted Buffy is a child, who will and has done anything to get Spike back. She loves him. Therefore, her thoughts aren’t quite on the priorities. I’m sure you’ve thought of this.”

Mornay met Giles’s eyes and grinned.

“Of course I did! I only gave the little Slayer what she wanted.”

Giles jerked his glasses off and slowly closed them. Rolling his shirtsleeves, he leaned against the counter and regarded her.

“What do you want?” he asked his voice soft and silky.

“I knew you were smart,” Mornay mused as she stepped closer. Letting her body rub against his. She trailed cold fingers down his cheeks and cupped his face.

“What do I want? I want a lot of things,” she whispered in his ear.

Giles shuddered in revulsion.

“I only have so much to give,” Giles spat out.

“You’ve got just enough.”

“What do you want?”

“What everyone else wants. The boy.”

Giles’s answer was immediate.

“No.”

Mornay clucked her tongue.

“I wasn’t asking.”

Giles attempted to shove past her but Mornay slid her hands down until they rested against his neck.

“One wrong move and I snap your neck.”

“And Buffy shall kill you.”

“I highly doubt that. Even so, I’ll get more of hers than she will mine. I want the boy.”

“That’s impossible! No one knows where he is. Even if we did, I couldn’t just hand him over—“Giles protested.

“I’m not asking you,” she repeated. “When Delos does the ritual I’ll help you stop him. Anyone else who tries to get the boy too. After that? I’ll take him; you keep the Slayer off my back.”

Giles swallowed, his mind conflicted. To do as she asked would be a betrayal so deep; he feared Buffy would never forgive him. Then on the other hand, they couldn’t hope to defeat all the threats they would face without Mornay’s help.

“If you’re worried about me causing hell on earth, by opening the hellmouth then don’t worry. I’ve got other plans for the boy. And for that to pan out he’s gotta be alive. Now, I help defeat Travers and Delos and get the boy in return. Right?”

Giles closed his eyes.

It was a simple choice, between his Slayer and her son.

The answer was easy.

“Right. You get to keep…….Wolfe when it’s all said and done.” **

Giles shook his head glanced at Joyce as he led her down the hall.

“Don’t worry I’ve got it under control. Buffy need not worry.”

~*~*~

Spike pounded on the walls, screaming and cursing.

He had to get out!

Being stuck here, unable to escape had become unbearable.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be, he thought in despair.

He wasn’t supposed to have gotten in so much trouble!

All he had wanted to do was get Dru off his hands.

For the Slayer.

Snarling he re-established his efforts.

“Let me outta here,” he yelled.

“S…..Spike?”

His name from her lips had him whirling, assuming a fighting stance.

“Who’s there?” he demanded.

Fear gripped him and he barely resisted the urge to attack. He knew it had to be Delos, come to destroy any lingering remains of himself. He was going to rid what made him Spike and make him his willing slave.

“Spike? It’s me,” the Buffy double said as she came forward.

“This isn’t right. Think you can play me Delos; make me think you’re the Slayer? Never gonna work. You’ve come to destroy me, well not if I get you first,” Spike yelled as he attacked.

He knew it couldn’t be his Buffy, not his Slayer.

She was busy dealing with Angelus.

Besides, she wouldn’t bother with him.

Buffy watched as Spike flung himself at her and hesitated so long he knocked her flat on her back. Her heart constricted and fear wormed its way into her heart. He would kill her if she didn’t convince him.

Instinct took over and she flung him off and took her own defensive stance. One way or the other she would make him listen.

“Spike this isn’t a trick okay? I’m here to—“

He cut her off, his fists flying out and catching her in the chin. Her head flew back and she let out a frustrated growl.

“Like that? Well let me te—“ Spike began.

Buffy reacted abruptly as she swept him off his feet and followed him down with a boot to the stomach.

“Do you want to get out of here Spike?” she asked. “I’m here to help you. I need you to help me help you. The claim we—“

Spike grinned through his fangs and twisted suddenly, gripping her ankle and twisting as he rolled out from beneath her.

Buffy let out a startled gasp as pain surged through her leg.

“Spike!”

“What claim? So I bit the Slayer, can’t really call that a claim. Can’t use that to get me Delos. Besides, she rejected it. Rejected me. There is no claim,” he muttered bitterly.

Buffy couldn’t help but feel hurt at his words. She had rejected him and now it seemed she was paying the price. But what was she supposed to say ? I love you? He had not even told her he loved her! It had been all about making her love him, presumptuous much? She thought angrily as she fell back a bit trying to get her balance.

Right hook, duck a flying kick to her head, feint right, a low sweeping kick to the shins, a fist to the head…….and on it went. Left and right, she matched him.

Why couldn’t this have been easy? she thought as she was thrown back into a wall, her head hitting with a resounding thud and she moaned as stars bloomed before her eyes.

Why did she have to do this? There had to be easier ways she mused as she sent him flying over her head and grinned when he hit with a groan. Serves you right, she thought gleefully. If you had stayed and hung around like a good little puppy, I wouldn’t be here trying to convince you I’m here to rescue you!

A thought occurred to her then as she let him circle her. She should be convincing him that she wasn’t Delos come to do him in. Her fighting him would not cut it.

He watched Buffy blink owlishly at him and his jaw clenched as she opened her mouth. He didn’t want to hear any more of her lies! She wasn’t here to help him at all, more like here to kill him! She’d be the death of him after all he thought with a snort.

“What’s it gonna take to convince you I’m Buffy? Not Delos playing tricks on you! I don’t have all day Spike. I have to get you better so I can concentrate on Wolfe.”

It was the mentioning his son from the mouth of the devil himself that caused Spike to snap, as he’d been fighting Buffy he hadn’t gone full out, some part of him not wanting to hurt her no matter if it was Delos in the guise of Buffy.

He sprang at her and startled by the blur of movement Buffy had no time to respond as he tossed her to the ground and snarled as he lowered his head and sank his fangs into her throat.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way, Buffy mused dazedly, but it would sure as hell do.

~*~*~

Rufus Travers slipped into his perfectly tailored tuxedo jacket and solemnly regarded himself in the mirror. Impeccable as always he thought with a small smile.

Turning he smiled at his wife.

Martha Travers was just right, the perfect wife for such a perfect man. Nothing less would have ever done for the eldest of the Travers line. Beautiful to his plainness. People could not find a reason other than money for the pair to have met and married.

Those who thought that though were terrible wrong. For it was love. A twisted, evil love that thrived on pain. Giving, receiving. Causing the most damage to whoever their victims were was a constant form of amusement for the couple.

Their eyes met and in that one moment, they were one and the same.

Evil.

With his wife on his arm, he led her into the black tie charity event held every year in honor of past Council members. As the head of the Council, it was his duty to come and he always did his duties.

Presently Rufus was separated from his wife as she had been whisked away for some feminine chatter.

Sipping from his flute of champagne, he was accosted by Bosworth the head of Demonology at one of their divisions in Bath. A large portly man, with a ruddy complexion and the tongue of a lush, he wasn’t fit to be in Travers’s presence.

“Good party innit?” Bosworth asked loudly as he slapped Travers on the back.

Rufus nodded a barely contained look of disgust on his broad face. He downed the rest of his champagne in a gulp. Signaling to a near by waiter for another flute.

“Yep. Real nice. Real shameeeeeeee we’s won’t be havin’ any’t othas.”

Rufus took a sip of his new glass and glanced at the offending man at his side.

“Why do you say that?” he demanded.

“Weeellllllll……that half breed’s flown the coop. That crazy vampire re-siring William the fuckin’ Bloody……We ‘r all gonna die,” Bosworth mumbled as he shuddered and wandered away.

Rufus cast a quick glance around seeing if anyone else had heard their conversation. As he realized no one seemed to, he hurried as calmly as he could to find his wife.

Heart pounding in fear and anger he gripped his wife’s arm and led her to a secluded area of the ballroom.

“Have you heard?” he demanded.

“What is it Rufus?” Martha asked concerned at his distraught face.

“Delos! Damn him. He’s ruined everything.”

“Ruined what?”

He looked at her as if she were too dense to understand his words.

“Our plans Martha! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. Delos has re-sired William the Bloody. Ensuring control of the boy!”

“Is that all? I thought it more serious Rufus,” she remarked with a smile.

Inhaling sharply he glared at her.

“Martha this is very serious. I’ve made plans on capturing the boy. The Order will love this. Now they can back out of our deal. This is what Elias has always want—“

“Rufus think a moment about this. All Delos has is the father. Imagine if we had the Slayer. Even odds. Better yet, why not begin the ritual. Open the hell mouth and they will flock like bees to honey. Do that and we’re back in control.”

Rufus nodded, calming down slightly.

“We’re back in control,” he muttered.

“Yes.”

“But……but if we do that I’ll have to stop the spell, we’ll be back home. I’m sure the Slayer’s become aware of this.”

“Why do you think that?”

“She’s resourceful. Besides, Delos was always one to give away bits and pieces. I’m sure he couldn’t resist taunting her.”

“Well if that’s the case, then we should worry about her later. Right now we should concentrate on the hell mouth.”

Rufus took her hand and squeezed.

Hard.

She grimaced in pain as the bones in her hand rubbed together.

He smiled.

“What about Angelus?” he asked.

“What about him? You still have it don’t you?” Martha asked through gritted teeth as the pressure on her hand increased.

“Of course,” he dropped her hand to root around in his breast pocket.

He pulled out a small blue crystal and handed it to her.

They stared at the crystal in a sort of awed yet contemptuous manner. As if, it was something beneath them.

“Well…….if all else fails we’ve still got this to bargain with,” Rufus acknowledged.

Their eyes met and they shared a smile of mutual admiration.

“I’m sure there isn’t anything the Slayer wouldn’t give to get Angel’s soul back. We are back in control Rufus,” Martha announced locking arms with her husband.

Pocketing the crystal Rufus nodded again.

“We’re back in control,” he whispered. ~*~*~ Some Kind of Wonderful: 6

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs.

~

*~*~

Chapter 6:

Lifting his mouth, he was assaulted by a wave of dizziness and blinking rapidly he tried to clear his head.

“Spike,” Buffy whispered raggedly lifting one heavy hand to trail down the sharp planes of his face.

He remembered saying once to Dru that Slayer’s blood was an aphrodisiac……and it was. Except now, this was nothing like the other one. This was Buffy. His Slayer. The vague thought of stopping entered and left his mind in the blink of an eye.

Buffy watched Spike’s face revert to human form and was disgustingly fascinated…..

The emotions shinning through his now cobalt blue eyes would have taken her breath had she not already been breathless.

Lust, love, hunger…..

A part of her was screaming to be kissed; the other shuddered in revulsion as he lowered his head, her life’s blood trailing down his chin.

Don’t kiss me.

Kiss me.

Don’t kiss me.

Kiss me.

Don’t—

“At least wipe your mouth Spike,” she found herself saying, wiping at his mouth herself.

Spike frowned.

“Right……… Kinda off putting innit?” he asked levering himself up on an elbow.

“In a ewwwww that’s my blood kinda way.”

“C’mon…….you’ve never kissed Peaches after his mandatory bag of animal swill?”

With a disgusted face, Buffy made gagging noises.

“I try not to think about it,” she muttered.

He stared down into her eyes and the pull between them an almost tangible force.

“I’m gonna kiss you,” he stated.

Buffy blinked.

“Well…….”

“I’m gonna kiss you,” he repeated.

Riveted by his descending mouth Buffy found herself mumbling,” Okay….I mean it’s my blood…..sick but mine…..and it’s for the claim…….For th—“

The first touch of his lips to hers was like an electric charge, sending volts of electricity through their bodies.

His hands gripped her head as he gave himself up to the passion that flared. Pressing his body against hers, he struggled with his demon.

The beat of her heart, the feel of her hands tugging at his hair….the harsh sound of her breathing as she pulled her mouth from his hardly registered as he assaulted her neck.

“No blood taste,” he muttered the question.

Her head lolled as his blunt teeth scraped a cool path down her neck.

“Nope……how’d you do that?” she asked her voice slightly slurred and hoarse.

“Trick I learned,” he mumbled fusing his mouth to hers as she dragged him back up her body.

Staggering in its intensity, the feral sound she made raced through him as he let his hands roam freely.

Fingers, palms slid cleverly over her, divesting her of clothing as they went.

Trailing fingers down the curve of her breast, he peeked up through thick dark lashes and grinned.

“You belong to me Buffy……I’m gonna show you…..Make you see no one will ever touch you the way I will. No one will ever make you feel this way but me. You are mine,” his eyes stayed focused on her face as he let his thumbs gently brush her nipples.

His words had a startling affect on Buffy…….threading through her, making her quiver with an undeniable need. She reached blindly for him, for anything, as he was at once rough, tender, and then gentle. Demanding.

She felt as if she were dying……slowly, ever so slowly as he made love to her. Never letting one set form rule as if he couldn’t quite figure out which way he wanted to go.

Buffy didn’t care as her back arched as he nipped at her breast and a low moan slid from her throat.

Stranded somewhere between pleasure and pain, as he was at once gentle and savage as he suckled from her.

She gave herself up to the sensation of skin against skin, as her hands tugged at his shirt. Nails biting into flesh urging him on.

Moving, constantly, moving, and hands everywhere, nothing left untouched.

The feel of his cool hand sliding up her inner thigh sent a shudder of pure need through her and the first brush of his fingers against her heated core had her crying out and convulsing.

Not letting her recover, he began to show her, inch by inch, she belonged to him.

No one else.

Ever.

And she let him, giving herself up to the pleasure he offered. Never stopping, never wanting him to. She reached for him.

“Wanna touch you,” she whispered, unbearable heat flooding through her.

Afterwards he would wonder if there wasn’t a little demon in the Slayer as she attacked all hands and lips. Now, in this moment he reveled in it. Ate it up. Urged her on.

Giving herself with careless abandon, wild and wanton, he knew she couldn’t possible understand, realize what a powerful affect her innocence, mere presence had on him.

She made him whisper her name reverently, the sound making her feel all powerful. A heady mix as she returned his torture with her own. Hearing his ragged breathing when he didn’t even need too was music to her ears. All for her she thought. Love and pleasure spread through her.

Stripped naked, of all her inhibitions she did not attempt to stop him as he took control again.

Never had he known this type of desire. Never had the obsessive need to possess. To take and take. Never felt the burning need to watch his lover’s eyes as he pleasured them again and again.

He watched the strong muscles of her thighs quiver as he ran his tongue over them, making his way, deliberately, torturously up her straining body.

Her eyes closed as he slanted his mouth over hers, feasting. Dragging at his jeans, shoving her to the ground.

His demon emerged, ripping free and taking control.

His face rippled, shifted, glowing yellow eyes flashed as he drove into her. Shuddering a savage thrill sliding down his spine as her nails raked across his shoulders, down his back, drawing blood.

“Mine,” he growled.

“Yours,” she gasped.

“Mine.”

“Yours.”

Moving, straining……

He shuddered.

Hot. Cold.

Sinking his fangs inside of her, the delicious blooming sensation of her blood filled his mouth and he drank.

His. His. His. His. His. Hi--

###

Spike:

I might be slow on the uptake but I’m not stupid. I mean how was I to know. Delos had made it his mission to destroy me. It could have been him disguised as Buffy!

It could have been.

But it wasn’t.

The second her blood flooded my senses I knew that this had been a horrible mistake.

Why?

Well for one I did not intend to ever bite her again, yet here I was doing it again. I couldn’t believe it.

No matter how good my intentions might have been the minute I realized she wasn’t an imposter I intended to step back. Release her and apologize. Cept that isn’t how it turned out. Couldn’t be as easy as that though. No, see I didn’t realize how hard it would be.

Like now, I’m staring into her glazed eyes, watching her breath come out in little gasps. Pressing her neck even closer to my mouth, inviting and delectable. My Slayer. MINE.

I can’t help the possessive growl that comes out as I grip her by the shoulders and haul her closer. I want her closer still. I want nothing to separate me from her. I love her, it is with this in mind things change, and I’m lost.

One minute I’m looking into her eyes and thinking how much I love this girl and the next I’m being thrown, falling through the air with nothing to hold onto.

My eyes search frantically for any sign of the Slayer, I can feel her.

God I can feel her.

All around me, inside of me.

I’m covered in her, it.

The thing that makes her who she is. Drenched, saturated and it burns.

I open my mouth to scream as light explodes before my eyes and I see…..

I see…..

My eyes have been opened and I can see.

I see her.

As I’m free falling I catch glimpses. Little peeks into her life.

The memories of happier times.

Her mum and dad.

Being called as the Slayer, her first Watcher.

Her death at the hands of the Master.

Falling in love with Angel.

Making friends with the Scoobies.

Principal Snyder always on her back.

Burning down her old school’s gym.

Meeting Wolfe.

Falling in love with me.

Fighting Angelus.

And on it goes.

I see.

I’m closer to the light and suddenly I think about Dru.

She’d always went on about the light and God……..

And I’m scared. More scared than I’ve ever been in my life.

I know what’s coming.

I feel the pain as the light washes over me.

It burns, like hot coals.

The pain.

Burns in my gut, claws at my long dead heart.

I want to kill, to bleed. I want to make whoever is doing this suffer.

You cannot understand the pain I shake with it.

This feeling of unease. Unrest.

It calls……begs to be heard.

It floats on the edge of my brain, always there.

Always churning, boiling, taunting and overwhelming me into its dark embrace.

I see their faces.

Hear their voices, echoing, loudly…….calling out.

Thanking the Slayer, cursing the demon that dared to tread on such sacred grounds.

Then I know my life to its end is forever my ungrace………

I give myself up to the light, the pain, the hurt……

I’m burning, dying and foolishly try to scramble away, to get away…..the light…..God the light, I shouldn’t……the light!

I’m enveloped in the light and everything fades to black. Peaceful, familiar black and I’m thankful as I drift away.

()()()

Buffy:

Well…..I’ve been here before. Floating in a slight lethargic haze and sexual daze.

Well…..not exactly here….. I can’t help my smug grin.

I never thought being bit by a vampire could be so erotic…… I’d even thought of Angel biting me. But since Spike, they hadn’t been good thoughts. I always picture Angelus ripping my throat out, and there is nothing sexual in that. Pure rage and violence.

You would think that Spike would be the same way but he isn’t…….I don’t know how to explain it.

I know I’m breathing fast and urging him on, I can tell he likes it as he growls and suddenly I’m lifted and sprawled on top of him. I blink and meet his glowing yellow eyes…….It shocks me to see the love shinning through, past the blood lust.

The desire.

All for me.

And in that moment I’m overwhelmed by feelings, I never thought possible to feel. Sure, I knew I loved Spike, it was…..well it was a weird feeling to tell you the truth. I had always believed Angel was the only one for me.

Because even now, as I stare into Spike’s eyes I know I loved Angel too.

Loved him and didn’t.

Does that make sense?

I can only assume that it does, at least to me. If I had actually loved Angel as much as I thought, there would never have been the tiniest inkling of feelings for Spike other than disgust and hatred. Not even Wolfe would have been able to change that. And even if there had been I would never have acted on them.

I loved Angel and had been in love with the idea of him…..tragic vampire cursed with a soul. He’ll always have a place in my heart, forever to be known as the man who let me know I was capable of love.

Spike is different……

Spike is mine.

So many emotions…….I have for him that I cannot even explain them.

I know though….I do.

I know I’m in love with him and I close my eyes as I savor that thought.

Then I’m falling…….flying, speeding through the dark. My eyes snap open and I’m searching for anything, Spike, someone to help me as I begin to feel dizzy and sick.

The feeling increases and I moan as a buzzing noise begins……slowly at a whisper, louder still until it becomes a booming scream.

Screams I realize, different types, from men and women…...children.

Fear filled screams, of horror, pain, and death.

I shudder at the horror it brought, the panic that set in.

My first instinct was to protect, to fight and help the people.

Until I realized……

My eyes widened and I looked around, into the shadows.

Saw the faces.

The voices changed……screams faded and they spoke then.

Pleaded for their lives, begged for mercy.

Got none.

They died at the hands of a monster.

A soulless demon.

At the hands of William the Bloody.

Thousands of them, peering at me begging for help as he destroyed them. Ruined lives and went about his unlife with his Dark Princess.

I saw then…….. The blood, seeping through….rivulets, descending……

All over me, surrounding me.

The sweet yet metallic smell weakens me and I gag as I fall to my knees.

Desperately trying everything to get it off, to make the blood disappear.

Why? I wonder. Why must I see this?

A whirlwind of moments swirled past me and I was swept along.

Cecily’s cruel rejection, her hurtful words, the despair they caused in William.

Drusilla offering William his salvation.

Spike’s destruction of those who had taunted him…..railroad spikes through their heads.

Spike learning of the Slayer.

Fighting the Slayer in the Boxer Rebellion, killing her, ignoring her plea to tell her mother she was sorry.

Loving Dru.

Angelus leaving them alone.

Fighting his second Slayer, better than the last. Killing her.

Taking her coat as a trophy.

Fleeing the mob in Prague.

Watching me dance at the Bronze.

Fighting me.

Lusting after me.

Loving me.

Delos re-siring him. Until it stopped.

Ended.

I was left in the dark.

Left with the feel of the cold brutality that was Spike’s demon.

The dark began to swirl and morph into shadows of the past, the present. It surrounded me, taking all I had, leaving nothing but the slow simmer of hatred, the burning need not to feel.

I felt the coldness first……..

Everything I was, stood for, rebelled against the cool brush of their fingers as they approached hands out stretched, murmuring incessantly……damning me.

Making him weak and by him I knew they meant Spike. Taking him away from the dark, making him less than what he was, a demon, meant to maim and kill. A demon that would kill me sooner or later.

Their anger……their rage a cold, living, thing as they surrounded me and I knew I should feel frightened.

Scared.

I knew…..

That I couldn’t have helped them.

They’d been dead long before I knew Spike.

The cold fills me and I feel……I feel nothing ……

I see their pain, almost feel it, it begs to be heard……felt.

But I can’t help it as their pain tries to become my own and I’m over come with such sorrow I can’t stop the sobs as they come.

Because I can’t…..won’t let this—but it has, overtaken me. Devouring in its intensity and—

I’m sorry……

I’m sorry, so sorry……

I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry.

I can’t feel it….I feel nothing and I’m scared.

In the end, I can’t fight it, can’t ignore it and let go……..

Give myself up to the dark and slip away.

~*~*~

Gasping needlessly Spike jerked his head from Buffy’s neck and flung her off him. Scrambling away from her he frantically clawed at his clothing. Hoping on one foot as he tried to untangle his jeans enough to slide them on.

“What are you doing?” Buffy’s voice alarmed him and his head shot up.

Wide blue eyes, met wide green eyes.

“Don’t talk to me,” Spike muttered moving backwards as she rolled to her feet a wary look on her face. She too began to dress.

Buffy silently watched as Spike dressed all the while mumbling to himself as he glanced around wildly.

“Spike……are you okay? I mean what just happened here? One minute I’m—“

“What do you think happened? It’s the claim Slayer,” he snarled as he kicked at the air and glared at her. Anger vibrating off him.

Spike watched, as Buffy seemed to digest this information and wondered how she could be so calm about this. What he had seen……

A shudder passed through him and he dropped his gaze.

“Claim? But I thought well, I thought it had to be spoken aloud, reciprocated? This was……weird and I don’t think we did it right Spike. The things I saw…..well…..” she trailed off wanting obviously not to talk about it. Horror overshadowed her words.

Spike though didn’t care. He pushed on.

“What did you see? Can’t have been as bad as me! This wouldn’t have happened if you had not come here with this foolish plan!”

Buffy stared at him; numb from what she had seen, but now the first stirrings of anger began to burn.

“Foolish? Foolish is going off, back to a place you know you shouldn’t! I could say this is all your fault, I mean you’re the one who was caught and turned into Delos’ slave. Who started this?! You bit me and it has spiraled downward ever since Spike! I came here to help you and this is what I get in return? Bitterness, anger?! Well I don’t need this,” she yelled turning her back to him.

“Good. Run away, take your white hat arse and get the fuck out of here.”

Buffy’s back stiffened and she lowered her head as she struggled to control her jumbled emotions.

“I’m leaving,” she snapped.

“Have to get you off…….dirty. You…….I’m covered in you. You’ve marked me,” he growled as he stalked back and forth.

Buffy whirled around, hair flying behind her and let out her own growl. She stared at him in disbelief.

“Who has whose mark Spike?” she asked gesturing to her neck, where Spike’s mark was prominent. “You claimed me not the other way around! And dirty? There is nothing dirty about me Spike. I am no demon. Haven’t willingly maimed and killed. I haven’t enjoyed the death I’ve caused.”

Spike threw up his arms and laughed manically.

“Death has come a knockin and marked me with her words! Her actions! Slayer you will not control me. Make me your bi—this is who I am. Me. A demon---this? This is wrong. Between you and me. Wrong! WRONG!”

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid contrary to popular opinion. I know this shouldn’t be happening. I saw Spike! I saw you…… No need to be humble! I know you’re a demon. I know you’re a murderer,” she whispered shaking her head and looking away from him.

She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t let him see……

Spike had the strongest urge to apologize, to make her understand he had no control over his actions; he was a demon, who had to survive on the blood of innocents. Clenching his jaw, he strode halfway towards her before he forced himself to stop.

“That’s right I am. I have killed and I am not gonna apologize. I don’t owe you a thing Slayer!”

“I’ve seen their faces Spike, heard their cries, their pleas! I watched you kill two of my sister Slayers’ and still…….this is ridiculous! How am I supposed to live with this? Be with you and know that?” she cried out, body trembling with the restraint it took not to go to him.

Lifting her head, she caught his look of understanding.

“We can’t,” he said simply.

Buffy studied him as he turned away from her and leaned his forehead against the wall, another shudder passing through him.

“Tell me what you saw,” she pleaded.

She needed to understand this.

Had too.

Sliding down the wall, he rested his forearms on his raised knees and spoke into his chest, voice low and cold.

“Saw the light I did! Supposed to be all good and kind, well let me tell you it aint. Burned me the minute it reached me and I know why. Cuz of you,” he whispered. “It was you…..you did it and I can’t blame you. Look at you! The Slayer! In love with a demon and I saw you---I know what you are. What you do. I am beneath you, I know it, feel it, accept it. People you’ve saved…..vamps you’ve killed I saw it all. Seen the bloody light I have. I know…..”

“Know what? What do you know now Spike?”

He smiled slightly. “Right. I don’t know why I want to be with you Buffy. I’ve got no right. You need to leave me……move on with the great poof. Get out of here.”

“You were a good man,” she murmured suddenly.

Gazing at him, she saw the man he had been.

Spike’s head shot up.

“Wha?”

Buffy shook her head and frowned, pacing, thinking furiously.

“We can’t let this stop us Spike! This has just….. Brought out the things we would probably never have discussed until they exploded in our faces. I never thought I would have a front row seat to all the carnage you’ve caused in your long life……Never thought I’d feel this way about it.”

Peering up at her, he blinked slowly as he tried to understand where she was going with this.

“I know you’re disgusted. Understand….Do you understand what you are? What you mean? The things you’ve done? I’ve got no right. I know that!” he yelled.

“That’s right you don’t,” she admitted. It hurt her to say the words. But they were speaking truths now. She had to be truthful. “Spike you’re a demon and I’m the Slayer. It is in our very natures to hate each other. Never to love one another. Yet….I loved Angel. I did….sure I never fully realized what he had done as Angelus but…….he is a demon too. Cursed with a soul he never wanted. I look at you and I don’t see the faces of the people you’ve killed. God help me…..all I see is William, the poet…..our son. Wolfe. You were a good man and you can be a man again. Take responsibility for your past. Understand—“

“I do,” he gritted out.

“Then we can get through this. I can…..we can do this Spike. You’ve killed and now it’s time to make amends. Day by day. Step by step.”

Shoving both hands through his hair Spike closed his eyes moaning.

“How? I’ve got no soul, no path of redemption to totter on. I’m evil pet. All I’ve got is—“

“Me. You have me Spike and Wolfe. That’s all you need. We’ll help you through this. I shouldn’t want this but I do. Tell me you can be man enough to try…….to see the greatness you talked about,” she whispered brokenly, feeling drained emotionally, physically, and mentally.

“Come here,” he ordered abruptly.

“No,” she mumbled.

“Buffy…….”

“What are you going to do to me?” she asked slightly curious as she walked hesitantly towards him.

The look on his face had her taking a step back.

Hooded, glowing blue eyes filled with lust, for her. A slight smirk on his angular face as he talked towards her and her eyes dropped, skirted away from the blatant evidence of his desire.

Blushing she closed her eyes in embarrassment.

“Spike…….” she choked out. “Stay away! I’m not having sex with you again.”

Grinning at her, he stopped inches away and tipped her chin upwards.

“Why not? A claiming is all about the sex and blood and the…….sex. Don’t you like what you’ve seen?” he purred leaning in close and inhaling sharply.

With obvious effort, Buffy opened her eyes and stared directly into his.

“You’re a pig Spike,” she spat with a small smile.

“That’s why you love me though Slayer,” he murmured with a large grin as he lowered his head his lips barely brushing hers.

His words registered with her the second his lips touched hers. Jerking back, she glared at him.

“Love? Who said anything about love? Who said I loved you Spike?” she demanded.

An uncertain look flickered across Spike’s face before confidence returned full force and he shrugged.

“You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, now be a good girl and say it,” he encouraged.

With narrowed eyes, she glared at him and placed her hands on her hips.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I am not saying that….you haven’t even said it why should I? If anyone is going to say it, it should be you! Now be a good boy and say it,” she mocked arching a brow.

Glaring right back at her he crossed his arms and straightened, trying to look intimidating and scary. He was the Big Bad and no one was telling him what to do! He was not going to say it first. She would have to make the first move. He wasn’t going to let her reject him again. Not now, not when it was so important.

“No,” he said stubbornly.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I love you,” they yelled in unison.

Spike blinked.

Buffy blinked.

Smiling Buffy glanced at him and asked,” So do you?”

Smiling to himself Spike played dumb.

“Do I what?”

“You know…..”

“If I do, do we get to make with the sex again? Cause I’ll tell you—“

“Spike! Serious here! Now tell me and we’ll see.”

“I love you,” he stated somberly and looked her dead in the eyes as he added. “Let us commence with the sex.”

Holding out his arms, he waited for her to run into them.

Laughing Buffy wrapped her arms around him and lifted her face for his kiss.

Cupping her face, he deepened the kiss, his tongue deviling in to play with hers.

Losing herself to the heady sensation it evoked Buffy let her hands trail lazy circles along his bare back and a slight gasp escaped as he crushed her to him.

She knew there was something……they shouldn’t be doing this now; she thought dazedly and clenched her fingers in his hair to anchor him to her.

“Mine,” she muttered.

“Yours,” Spike agreed trailing kisses down her throat, nibbling at his fresh mark. “Forever?”

Spike looked down into her eyes and trailed one cold finger down her cheek; he did the same with the other.

“For eternity,” he promised.

“That’s good cuz I love you too and as much as I’m enjoying this Spike if you don’t stop we won’t have time to come up with a plan to save Wolfe.”

“Right……right give us a minute,” he mumbled and proceeded to kiss her again and again, causing her to lose her train of thought and the importance of what she had come here to do.

“The boy,” Spike muttered dragging his mouth from hers.

“Right……Wolfe,” she agreed before she captured his lips and they stumbled back against a wall.

“Buffy…..”

“Okay…….”

They parted for one brief moment before they were at it again.

“On three pet…..’k?”

Nodding she nibbled at that delectable bottom lip.

“One……two…. Sod it all.”

Fumbling hands attacked her shirt. “Recite me a poem William,” she murmured.

Spike’s head shot up and horror widened his blue eyes.

Buffy grinned up at him.

Narrowing his eyes, he lowered his mouth to her ear.

“How ‘bout I take you to the ice capades instead? Nothing like seeing Disney characters flail around on ice huh? Maybe we’ll run into Daffy Duck—“

Laughing Buffy shook her head.

“Daffy’s a Loony Tunes Spike. Donald Duck is—“

His growl was playful as he nibbled at her lips.

“Bloody well don’t care who they are—“

Buffy gathered her discarded willpower, shoved out of his arms, and took a few quick steps back, raising a hand when he proceeded to follow.

“No. Spike we can’t…….We have to talk—about Wolfe and other things. No sex! And stop taking your clothes off!”

Shaking his head he muttered under his breath as he hurriedly slid into his t-shirt and turned to face Buffy a very strained irritated look on his face.

“The boy then, what of it?”

Buffy moved further away from him and settled against the farthest wall possible. She was sure she could stay away from him if she remained as far from him as she could be. No more touching, she reminded herself as her eyes drifted down his t-shirt clad chest. Her eyes narrowed and her lips parted in silent—

“Slayer! Come on, we’ve got business, snap outta it,” Spike growled as he glared at her. “Can’t look at me like that if we aren’t gonna finish what we started luv. Delos has power over me and you think the claim will stop that,” he began.

Buffy had to tear her gaze from him to look at the ground and nodded quickly.

“Counter act it. He still has control over you, but with the link between us, you won’t be at all confined, you’ll be aware of other things besides Delos and his wishes. Not quite sure how it’s gonna work though, anyway Giles found out Quentin Travers is dead—“

“Kinda figured that,” Spike smirked as he said this.

“Here. He’s dead here Spike and his brother Rufus has taken over the Council, Giles says he’s more ruthless and evil than Quentin could ever have hoped to be. He has a ritual to ascend to the ultimate power by killing Wolfe. Everyone is after him. They want to kill him.”

“So what’s the plan? What can I do? Delos is mine though, I’m gonna make him pay. Make him suffer for doing this to me.”

“Well…..I kinda promised Mornay that Spike,” Buffy admitted with a nervous smile.

A scowl appeared on Spike’s face.

“What?! Luv why? Why would you do that?” he demanded.

“Well I needed her to distract Delos while you and I did---did what we did! I needed her help—“

“You can’t trust her Buffy! Listen don’t believe a wo—“

“Do you hear that?” he asked suddenly, head snapping up and senses alert.

“Hear what?”

“That! Listen Buffy…….”

Buffy opened her senses and listened carefully.

Then she caught it and her eyes met Spike’s in incomprehension.

“Buffy--“

Spike watched in horror as Buffy began to choke, gag, falling to her knees and suddenly everything exploded, and black descended.

~*~*~ Some Kind of Wonderful:7

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon has the bull by the horns—screwing with us, making Spike be all…….(sobbing) crazy! But he can do what ever he wants he owns Btvs. Evil puppet master…….pulling our strings and forcing me to create my own little version of good ‘ol Sunnyhell. Please don’t sue me evil puppet master!

~*~*~

Chapter 7:

So I’m sitting.

Watching my fingers as I wiggle them about. Making funny shapes……..only not so funny to me anymore. The appeal has worn thin.

Too many days stuck here, watching my fingers move. Kinda getting stone cold crazy here. Stir crazy. View crazy.

Crazy.

So I’m sitting. Not staring at my fingers now, just sitting staring at the wall…..wondering what was to come.

I’m really sorry if my jumbled thoughts confuse you, I’m not much on the introspective thing. Searching your soul for the real you, blah, blah……

Don’t need it, don’t want it.

But kinda have too.

Again.

So I’m sitting.

Thinking how this is all really my fault.

Sure it is.

Trouble always seems to follow me around.

I mean one time when I was six I went to one of my best friend’s house, to play, normal stuff. Cuz I’m all with the normal. So we’re playing and I used to play on their swing set, seeing who could fly the highest. Normal kid stuff. Only I swung too hard and well……the swing set sorta fell apart. While said friend was high in the air. To make a long story short best friend turned mortal enemy after he broke his arms. Not of the happy.

It was then I sorta realized I wasn’t normal. I wasn’t the average kid. I was stronger, faster, and smarter. That’s right smarter! I inherited all the smart cells from both my parents and though at times you’d never know it they are extremely smart. That is when I started to get into the whole child of the Slayer and William the Bloody.

Big mistake.

I wasn’t normal and it took a good while to come to terms with it. Grace helped though.

Whoa, I don’t want to think about Grace……I’ll be depressed and broody if I do. Believe me you don’t want to see that. Start singing Tom Petty songs…….

I shudder at the mere thought.

So if that event hadn’t have happened I would never have spent the time to learn all I could about my parents. Never learned how much I was missing.

How much we were alike.

Wouldn’t have been so broody about it, Gr—well the spell would never have been cast and I’d never have met them.

I’d like to regret it but who am I kidding I love the fact I’ve met them, talked to them and they love me!

Wouldn’t change that for the world.

What I do regret though is the fact they were caught in a spell because of it. Now they’ve got all kinds of people after them. Not to mention them all wanting to kill me. But then I’m used to that.

Hybrid here, kinda calls for the evil doers or would be’s to come out of the woodwork and do me in.

Well as I was saying this is all my fault. I had the need, the desire to see them, know them and look where it has gotten me. Stuck in some room with only glimpses of them and their enemies.

They all want me and I know they’ll never get me if my parents have anything to say about it and I’m so overwhelmed by the feelings of love and admiration I have for them both that I don’t want to do what I have to do.

What I know I need to do.

Stalling I glance around again and wish for a view, anything to take my mind off this.

Nothing comes and I rise abruptly, rolling my shoulders and jogging in place. Anything to ease the sudden tension I have surging through my body.

I begin to talk aloud.

“So would you look at me? All stir crazy and jonesin’ for a spot of violence. What to do?”

I begin the process of shadow boxing.

“I’m a lover not a fighter,” I mutter as I feint left and jab right.

“I’m a poet not a fighter.”

Duck and uppercut to the solar plexus.

“Think you can take me down? Wanna see you try bastard. Watch me; see me……now you don’t!”

Moving like lightning, I’m inside, double jab to the ribs, left hook to the head.

I’m a lover not a fighter.

I dance around, dodging imaginary blows.

Ducking, rolling, and swinging.

I stagger back and eye my opponent as I rub my jaw.

“Good one, lucky one though. It’ll be your last boyo.”

Sometimes I wish I had claws that popped out of my hands. I mean how cool would that be? Skrit and pop go the claws kinda like Wolverine. He’s all cool and non-aging. The best at what he does. Reminds me of my dad and that’s why I admired him.

Shaking my head and shifting my thoughts, I return to the present and watch my opponent watch me with narrowed eyes.

“Can’t beat me,” I mutter.

I’m a lover not a fighter.

In and out, I dodge blow after blow.

Punch, duck, punch duck—

“So I was thinking when and if I get back home I’m gonna ask Grace to marry me,” I announce suddenly. I look at my opponent to see his reaction.

Getting none, I shrug as I dodge a throw to my head.

“I mean I’ve been with her for years! Since I was a boy, loved her all this time and there has never been anyone else I would ever ask. I love her. Is that so hard to believe?”

Frowning I, attack with speed and little accuracy as anger burns through me.

“I want to be happy! I want to know my parents, I want to marry Grace and live happily fucking ever after! Is that too much to ask for?! I’ve never asked for anything at all. Never. All I wanted was to know my parents and now this! All of this for me! WHY?!”

Bitterness consumes me and I attack in earnest now. Using the strength, I was born with to destroy my opponent.

“Do you see me? Do you understand what I want? Why this is killing me?”

No answer and I let out a half yell as I take one wild swing and end up on my butt, breathing heavily I lower my head.

Why does this always happen to me?

Why does everybody want a piece of me?

I’m nothing special let me tell you.

I’ve got a temper, lit like a fuse.

Little patience.

The desire to be the best at everything.

I’m insecure.

I know, how can he be insecure if he’s as strong as an ox, as handsome as his dad is and as cool and controlled as his mother?

I don’t know.

I know when people look at me, search me out they’re expecting some card carrying member of the white hat community but truth be told I’m neither for or against. Mess with me, and mine and I’ll hunt you down and kill you.

The rest of the world?

I shrug.

Can’t worry about them, or I’d never make it out of bed.

I’m a lover not a fighter.

“So should I get down on bended knee,” I ask as I rise and resume our fight.

Grinning slightly I cock my head to the side and arch a brow.

“Or go all out with it? Some elaborate scheme? Make her fantasies come true? I know what kind of ring she would want. Gotta be a colored stone, preferable a sapphire. No diamonds for our gal. Nope, but that’s what makes her so special. She’s not normal either.”

That’s the thing, we aren’t normal and all I’ve ever wanted to be was normal.

There go those pesky insecurities.

I know I’m not good enough, that I’ll never be good enough. Never be as good as them.

I wonder why I have all this power, power that I’ll never use.

Why me, why not some other sap who deserved it?

Cuz I sure as hell don’t.

“Sorry……lost my train of thought for a moment. So on bended knee or sky lettered? Romantic setting in Paris? Walk along the beach? Thing is I was going to do this at the party I was at when all this crap came down. Ask her in front of all our loved ones and then she wouldn’t have been able to refuse. The wrath of the Scoobies would have befallen her and that’s never good. Anya would have had to go all vengeance demon on her.”

That was another thing.

The Scoobies.

They were all so good, fighting evil and most had no powers other than the knowledge there was evil out there.

They had become true heroes and I know I can never be one.

Not in my destiny.

“Well maybe I’ll just toss the box out and let it do the talking for me? She’d like that. Leave it on her dresser and go about my business. Have her come to me with the answer. Maybe. This is hard! Who knew all this thought had to go into asking some one to marry you?”

I don’t know how long I was at it hours, days……but it seemed forever.

Ducking, swinging, and talking.

I’m a lover not a fighter.

It was kind of like dancing. The rhythm of it all, the flow and give and take of the punches. The waltz of my feet as I moved, always moving.

“You’re not gonna beat me! I don’t need you,” I yell as punch furiously.

Never.

“You can take that and shove it up your—I know what you’re thinking, that this is the way it has to be. Well no way! Once was enough and never again you bloody prick! Is this why I’m here? Well if so you’re gonna, have a long wait, it’s not gonna happen and so……bye-bye. Never wanna see you again. Get outta here!”

It’s irrational the anger I feel, the fear that’s flooding through my system.

The pounding of my heart and the blood rushing through my head drown out the hollow sounds of my breathing.

If I talk long enough, loud enough I know……..

I know everything will be fine.

“So about that ring? No ideas? Where’s your father when you need him? Bet he had a hell of a time choosing one. Probably finally settled on his mom’s because it was the only one he thought she might like. But there are all kinds of sizes and shapes. Square cut, pear shaped, tear drop—although I don’t see, the difference with pear shaped and tear drop to tell you the truth. Circles. All kinds of things. I even thought about giving her a wolf ring. You know like those— of course you do. It would have been special made. But then I thought you know…….that’s just a little too much Wolfe for one gal.”

Images have begun to flicker and play out before my eyes as I talk.

I ignore them.

“Mrs. Grace Shelby Winthrop. Why thank you, she is lovely isn’t she? All that black hair and those eyes! Whoo knocked me for a loop the minute I saw her. Gotta have her. She’s gotta know I love her. Gotta. She’s all I have ever wanted besides my parents. I love her. I need her! Please!”

I shake my head and clench my hands in my hair.

“She’s gotta know. Gotta understand. Gotta……..gotta……gotta……..STOP IT! STOP IT--“

I watch the scenes as they flicker, shift and move at a rapid speed.

The Scoobies, I know I should be happy about seeing them but really, I can’t be. After all, they’re fighting for their lives and I’m here.

I watch as my mom fights with Mornay.

Xander protects Willow from attacks as she does her mojo. Giles and Joyce as he ushers her to safety.

Reptilian demons I knew were T’dron, hired helpers slithered throughout the house and I knew they needed help.

Delos appeared, talking to dad.

Flashes.

All flashes.

In a blink of an eye, they were gone and I’m left here.

Trying to deny what I’ve always known.

What had always been with me.

“This what you wanted?” I ask tiredly.

Hands hanging at my side I drop my head.

My shoulders slump and I inhale deeply. Biting my lip, I raise my head, square my shoulders.

I’m a lover not a fighter.

“Alright then. Let’s get this over with.”

My eyes dart around and settle on the spot I am looking for.

My opponent steps out of the shadows and I grit my teeth to keep from changing my mind. I don’t want this.

I don’t want this.

But I need to do this.

Green eyes locked on green eyes and we stared at each other.

A smirk appeared and he ran a hand through his damp curls.

“Never thought I’d see the day……took you long enough boy,” he snapped as he sauntered forward.

“Well……not everyone is always ready to open themselves up to a demon,” I snap right back.

I meet his eyes as he stops a few inches from me and loses the smirk.

“She’ll know……” he says.

I close my eyes and fling my arms wide.

It’s like putting on an old pair of sneakers, all comfortable and well worn. It was like slipping on silk, sliding over me. Seeping inside of me.

My body shuddered, shifted to accommodate this new yet old acquaintance, long desired, but long repressed.

My eyes glow a deep and eerie green as I feel myself falling…….

Flying and I hear him whisper…….

She’ll know you loved her………

~*~*~

Some Kind of Wonderful: 8

Disclaimer: There once was a girl a special girl who was chosen to fight the forces of evil. She was the Slayer and she was created and is owned by her master Joss Whedon. I own my own creations so as this is for entertainment only please don’t sue me.

~*~*~

Chapter 8:

“……..Rufus come on you know, like that dog! The big red one,” Xander was saying as he, Willow and Oz waited in the living room while the claim process began.

Willow and Oz in turn looked slightly puzzled at Xander’s statement.

“With the little girl? The blond girl? I don’t think his name is Rufus Xan,” Willow said glancing up at the stairs concerned at how long the spell was taking.

“No? Then what is his name? But seriously, who names their kid Rufus? That’s just begging for punishment! Woofus, woof………woof woofus! Rufus the big red dog!”

“Clifford,” Oz said rising abruptly from his seat on the couch. His body tensing as his ears picked up the sound of movement outside of the house.

“Clifford is that his name?” Xander asked curiously.

Willow watched her boyfriend and cast a quick glance at Xander.

“What is it Oz?” she asked rising too.

“Get the weapons. Giles, Joyce,” he called as the windows exploded and glass flew everywhere.

The three dropped to the floor as Giles and Joyce came running in from the kitchen weapons in hand.

“Good Lord,” Giles exclaimed as reptilian creatures slowly invaded the house. Pushing Joyce behind him, he lifted his sword. “Everyone stand together.”

“What about Buffy?” Joyce demanded.

Giles lifted his gaze to the stairs and swore softly.

“She’ll have to fend for herself. We can’t—“he broke off as he had no time for words as the demons attacked.

~*~*~

Buffy jerked awake, gasping for air as she felt cold hands around her throat. Her eyes flickered up, into the yellow eyes of Mornay.

Stupid, stupid, Buffy berated herself as she kicked out, catching Mornay in the stomach.

Mornay flew backwards into the wall.

Gasping for breath, Buffy rolled off her bed, swayed as a wave of dizziness assaulted her. Immediately her hands sought out the nearest weapon in the small arsenal she now kept in her room.

She grabbed a dagger from one of her dresser drawers.

Clenching it in her fist, she pounced on Mornay.

“Think you can beat me little Slayer?” Mornay hissed out as she took a blow to the head.

#Buffy.#

Buffy’s face contorted in pain and shock as Mornay gripped Buffy’s head and banged it against the wall.

Dimly she realized Spike was still in her head.

*Not now Spike, please.*

“You’re gonna regret this, Buffy growled as she shoved Mornay to the ground and they rolled together.

#Is that Mornay? Luv, be a good duck and let me handle this.#

*What?!*

~*~*~

Xander positioned himself in front of Willow as she began to reestablish the protection spell.

His eyes were constantly moving, watching, searching for any threat. They came in twos, lizard like creatures with razor sharp claws, a snake like tail and glowing purple eyes.

They reminded him of what Salamanders dipped in radiation would look like. If they were Mutant Ninja Turtles, he might feel bad about killing them. As it was, they gave him, the creeps, which made it even easier to kill them.

“Oz, watch your back,” he called as his eyes caught movement behind Oz’s back.

Oz turned sharply, reacting without thought, slicing the head off one of the demons.

He turned back to face the one who flicked his tail out, trying to wrap it around him. Hissing in pain as he moved back, but not fast, enough as it flicked his cheek, drawing blood.

His skill had grown tremendously as he fought side by side with Buffy watching her back. Now he used his skill to protect Willow and keep enough away from Xander so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed.

What worried Oz was the fact these demons weren’t going for the kill. They out numbered them and yet hadn’t done more than draw a little blood.

What were they waiting for?

Whatever it was he knew it couldn’t be good.

Giles urged Joyce down into the basement and slammed the door behind her.

Turning sharply he lifted his sword and swung with practiced ease at an approaching demon.

It ducked, hissing and slithering back. Another swing and Giles severed its head.

Hearing thuds from above he briefly thought of Buffy. What the bloody hell was going on here? He dearly hoped Buffy was okay and where was Mornay? If she did—

Crying out in pain as on of the creature’s tails twisted around his waist and tightened to the breaking point of breaking his ribs.

He struggled fruitlessly.

“Need help G-man?” Xander asked as he appeared in the doorway.

“Much appreciated,” he gasped out.

“Where’s Joyce?” Xander asked as he chopped at the tail.

“In the basement.”

“Should she be there Giles? Sh—“

“She’ll be fine. Come we must protect Willow,” Giles cut him off as he headed for the living room.

Xander trailed after him after he disposed of the demon, his gaze lingering on the closed basement door.

Willow’s eyes were slightly unfocused as the fighting came ever closer.

Muttering the words of the spell, she couldn’t help but feel worried about Buffy. From what Giles had said, the spell would put her in an almost catatonic state.

Willow wished she were here with them, helping to defeat these disgusting creatures. The demons were gaining ground.

Her eyes widened and she watched in shock as the demons suddenly stopped and slowly slithered away.

“Wh—why are they leaving?” she asked confused.

“I don’t know—“Giles began but broke off abruptly, everyone turned to stare at the stair case as they took in the scene that was unfolding.

~*~*~

#I said.# Spike began again.

*I heard you! Shut up—trying not to die here.*

Buffy tried to block off the sound of Spike’s voice as she was thrown through her bedroom door. Groaning as she landed on the shattered pieces of wood that had once been her bedroom door.

A large piece of wood was protruding from her thigh and it hurt like hell. She scowled as Mornay loomed over her.

“Aw is the little Slayer hurt?”

“Bitch,” Buffy muttered kicking out gasping in pain as Mornay jumped back and kicked her in her injured thigh.

#Buffy! Just let me—I know her. I can take care of her. Let me help you.#

*How? What the hell is this? Why are you still in my head?*

Mornay looked disconcerted as she regarded the Slayer.

“I’m not in your head,” she snapped as Buffy jumped to her feet.

Buffy frowned; she hadn’t realized she’d spoken aloud.

*Whatever. Just do it already. I’ve got trouble downstairs—*

Buffy’s muffled exclamation caused Mornay to stare at her in puzzlement.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked. “Have you lost your little mind?”

Buffy’s body jerked and Mornay could have sworn her eyes flashed yellow as she attacked.

A flurry of kicks and flying fists had Mornay stumbling backwards towards the staircase.

“Little? There is nothing little about my Slayer…….well except her hands and her feet and--she’s small not little! Big difference there Mornay!”

“S…….Spike?” she stuttered unable to comprehend.

“Well…yeah.”

Grinning Buffy tackled Mornay, who made it easy, shocked too much to react.

They tumbled down the stairs and Spike’s laughter followed them all the way down.

~*~*~

Wolfe landed with a thud and a loud moan. His head hit the concrete hard enough to make him see stars.

Blinking rapidly he lifted a shaking hand to deflect the light that suddenly shinned directly in his eyes.

“Sir?” a deep voice boomed loud to Wolfe’s ears and he groaned.

“Mmpfh,” he mumbled his mouth feeling like sand paper.

“Sir I need you to stand sir,” hands gripped Wolfe’s arms and jerked him up.

“Mom………..”

“Your mommy won’t get you out of this……I need you to come with me, you’re-“ That was the last Wolfe heard as he passed out.

Officer Ben Markum glanced at his partner as he hefted the unconscious young man to his feet.

“Got another drunk Mitch,” he remarked.

“Well…….that’s better than some of those weirdos high on PCP. Let’s get him settled in a cell and he can sleep it off.”

They placed Wolfe in the back of the squad car and shut the door. The cruiser pulled away from the corner of Revello and Hadley heading downtown.

~*~*~

Delos sipped his goblet of blood a contemplative look on his face. He was genuinely puzzled by Mornay’s unexpected visit. He had no idea what she had hoped to accomplish by taking such a risk.

His eyes slid down the length of the table and rested on Spike at the other end.

Eyes assessing, he studied the paler than usual vampire.

“Have a drink William,” he ordered softly. Watched as Spike responded immediately.

“I had quite the visit today. Mornay. Yes, filthy bitch thought she was smarter than me! Crawl around in my mind—see what my plans are! I took care of that.”

Delos finished his drink daintily wiped at his mouth. Glancing at his watch, he rose.

“If Mornay’s daring to go to such lengths to—“Delos broke off his eyes narrowing slightly as s thought occurred to him.

“Perhaps she wasn’t here to see me. Why now? Hmmmmm……..Spike? To distract me? Take me away from you? So that…….”

Delos trailed off let his mind probe Spike’s. For any sign of activity. Any sign that he hadn’t eradicated every last bit of Spike’s psyche.

Pleased when he found nothing, he sighed.

“So……..no one has been messing with your mind. What else? Of course, her loyalties lay with the Order. And they want the boy. But I have you so mind games with you William would be ill advised.”

Tapping his fingers on his chin, he pondered what else Mornay could have wanted. Eyes glued to Spike Delos inhaled deeply.

“Everyone wants the boy. Of course, I do too. Where is he? How will any of us find him? The only way is—“breaking off as a thought occurred he frowned and surged toward his window.

Shoving aside the thick curtain, he pushed open the window and sniffed the crisp night air.

“The spell has been dropped,” he hissed angrily.

Whirling back to face a motionless Spike he growled.

“Can’t have that now can we? It’s off to Sunnydale William and there we shall seal your fate.”

~*~*~

Buffy watched in amazement as she came out of the fall down the stairs in one piece and proceeded to kick Mornay’s ass.

Kick for kick, punch for punch Buffy was always better. Wow she thought, he is one badass vampire.

Buffy let her senses wander, realizing she had higher than normal Slayer senses. Sniffing she could smell where everyone was. Giles and Xander were in the doorway of the living room and Willow and Oz hovered somewhere to her right. Close enough to see but not enough to be hurt.

That was four.

All accounted for exc—putting her nose to use Buffy sniffed some more.

#Stop that, feel like a damn dog! # Spike growled.

*My mom Spike! She’s not here! Get this over with now! I need to find my mom.*

Spike tensed and losing concentration, he let Mornay wiggle from his grasp.

“I’ll get you Slayer,” Mornay snarled as she dived for the door and threw it open.

The Scoobs watched as she raced off into the night.

Giles turned from the door only to find Buffy gone.

“Buffy?” Giles called. “I must say that was quite impressive! I wasn’t aware you’d been stud—“

“Where’s my mom?! Giles my mom is gone,” Buffy yelled in sudden panic as she came charging into the hall.

Buffy watched Giles’s face turn ashen and he pushed past her to look for himself.

“Did you guys notice my mom being taken?!”

#Calm down luv. M’sure the Watcher stashed her somewhere safe. Everything will be fine.#

Buffy rolled her eyes.

*Even I don’t believe that! Dammit, this all I need!*

Giles walked slowly into the hall his face a mask of fear and anger.

“I was only gone for……a few minutes,” he mumbled.

Fear gripped Buffy and she fisted her trembling hands.

*She’s gone. My mother is gone.*

“Buffy I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she’s hiding!” Willow offered.

“Willow,” Oz said quietly.

“So she’s gone now? Well where’d she go?” Xander demanded.

“Buffy I’m sorry,” Giles said.

Buffy shook her head.

*Spike you need to check in with your body. See if Delos is behind this.*

#What are you going to do?#

*Find my mom.*

Buffy felt Spike’s presence leave her and immediately felt the lose, but she ignored it.

“I’ve gotta go,” she muttered already moving towards the door.

“Buffy,” Giles called sharply.

Buffy ignored him.

She was going to find whoever had her mother. And when she did they were gonna die.

~*~*~

Some Kind of Wonderful: 9

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs .

~*~*~

Chapter 9:

“Fuckin’ junkies,” a muttered voice reached Wolfe’s ears and slowly his eyelids fluttered.

His vision swam and he could feel the flow of blood from the two men huddled across the room. Hear the chatter of the precinct. Cars along Main Street.

Smell the stench of his own vomit.

A grimace crossed his face as pain racked him and rolling over slightly, he finally succeeded in keeping his eyes open.

He stared at the bars that currently kept him from the world.

“Great,” he muttered.

He could hear the hushed whispers of the men as they watched him sit up and let out a disgusted snort as he glanced at his dirty shirt.

Tearing it off, he rose and tossed it in a nearby corner. Rolling his shoulders, he stretched and grinned.

This was more like it, he thought. The pain of merging with his demon was worth it. What was a little pain when he could feel like this? As if, he could rule the world! Things were looking up.

His gaze settled on the two men across the room from him and he smirked, as he found them staring right back at him.

“I’m sorry…….did you want something? Didn’t your mothers ever tell you it’s rude to stare?” he asked as he sauntered over towards the bars.

He used his hearing to listen for any sounds of guards and when he found none he fisted his hands around the bars.

Hesitating he glanced back at the men. Settled on the one who was nearly his size and jerked his head.

“I’m gonna need your shirt,” he commented.

A few seconds later after a slight struggle Wolfe stood on the other side of the bars a shirt firmly in place and a finger lifted to his lips as he shushed them.

“Sorry mates, there’s only room enough for one escapee today,” he said with a small laugh.

Turning he walked away a spring in his step.

~*~*~

#We’re headed for Sunnydale luv. Any clues as to what we’re looking for?#

“No clue,” Buffy muttered aloud.

#It’s not Delos who took her. He’s too preoccupied about getting here before things get outta his control. Wait a minute!#

Buffy paused at the insistent tone of his voice. Her eyes scanned the darkened street.

“What is it? Mornay? Angelus?”

#Nah…….just got the sense of—never mind. What’s the plan? You probably need to get back to the Scoobies. They can’t be left—#

*Oz is with them,* she replied in her mind as she realized talking aloud would draw unneeded attention to herself.

She could feel Spike’s confusion.

#Who’s this Oz fella?#

Before she could reply, she felt him begin to shift through her mind until he found what he wanted.

#Werewolf huh? You trust him?#

*Completely.*

#Haven’t got anything to worry ‘bout do I pet?# He asked teasingly.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

*Spike! I don’t see anyone else in my head do you? That’s what I call committed. Now…….maybe I should head back. I wasn’t thinking clearly, when I left. Maybe there was a note left or—“

Buffy’s thoughts broke off, as six men seemed to materialize from the shadows and began to circle her.

“Well isn’t this nice Spike? A midnight fight,” she said aloud.

#Humans…….Must mean we’ve got more on our plate than we thought. Rufus must be in town too.#

Buffy nodded and lifted her sword.

It was a quick and relatively easy fight as she had Spike on her side. In little to no time, she had all six of the men knocked unconscious.

She stood over them feeling the urge she assumed was Spike’s to rip them apart and…….eat them.

She shuddered.

“I’m not gonna be eatin’ anyone anytime soon Spike,” she muttered as she gathered their weapons.

#Now what? I think it’d be wise if we went back home. Check in--#

“Alright. Check in check out. Get a game plan. Okay off we go.”

~*~*~

Rufus Travers cast a disinterested look about the main street of Sunnydale. At this time of night, the town seemed to be oddly busy.

He wondered how these bloody Americans could be so foolish as to risk their lives when surely, they were aware vampires and such roamed freely to maim and kill. Stupid fools, he thought bitterly.

But all the better.

They would think nothing of it once he opened the hellmouth and their lives as they once knew them ended.

Things were coming together.

Now that the spell had been dropped he’d set his Witches on the boy’s trail and soon he was confident they would have him.

While Martha was busy, he was on his way to the house they had rented on the edge of town to gather the rest of his ingredients before he went to the hellmouth.

His cell rang and he snapped it open answering it with an edge to his voice.

“Yes?” he growled.

“Team one has yet to report in sir.”

Rufus gritted his teeth and wondered why he suffered these fools. He should have done this himself!

“How hard can it be to keep the Slayer from interfering?” he asked his patience nearly gone. He had to remain calm so that when it was all said and done he could kill these stupid fools and be done with them. He would even let Martha join in and oh, what fun they would have!

“So the Slayer’s still on the prowl then? Listen I don’t care if you lose another team I want you all out there looking for her! I want her gone. I do not need her ruining everything. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir.”

Rufus hung up and his face hardened along with his thoughts. No one was going to stop him from doing all he’d planned.

He opened his phone again and dialed.

Things were at hand. There was only one thing left to do.

~*~*~

Martha Travers smiled politely as Principal Snyder rambled on and on about how upstanding and ambiguous Sunnydale High was.

The little toad of a man would not shut up and she was beginning to tire of listening to his voice.

She’d been sent here by Rufus to access the lay of the land so to speak.

“Yes well, here’s our library. Our---on hand librarian is on leave at the moment. But I assure you—“

Martha strolled off, leaving Snyder to stare after her. Her eyes scanned the library with keen eyes. Rufus had been assured this was where the hellmouth was located.

“This librarian……what is he like?” she asked curiously.

In her minds eye she was already seeing where everything would go, what she would need to do in order to have everything ready when Rufus arrived.

“He’s……..” Snyder paused trying to think of a word that wasn’t as off putting as all that came to mind. He would not let his dislike for Rupert Giles show. He wanted the profitable donation this woman had dropped hints of giving them for this private tour at such a late hour.

Snyder let out a relieved sigh as Martha’s cell began to ring.

Snatching it open, she answered her voice worried.

“Rufus? What’s wrong?” she asked waving a curious Snyder away.

“Change of plans darling. We have to begin the ritual immediately. Special Projects has failed to detain the Slayer.”

Martha frowned and glanced at Snyder.

She moved further away.

“Okay. Have……..you found it yet?”

Rufus let out a frustrated growl.

“No! Call the Witches, I want him found immediately! I’ve got to go to the house, pick up everything then I’ll be on my way there. Have everything ready.”

“Of course Rufus. Goodbye,” she said quietly.

“Goodbye darling.”

Hanging up Martha turned a blindingly bright smile on Snyder.

“I have a proposition for you Principal Snyder……….”

~*~*~

Buffy strode into her house only to find Willow and Oz were the only ones there.

Her frustration level rose off the charts and she couldn’t suppress the scowl that appeared.

“Where’d Giles and Xander go?” she asked.

Willow clenched her hands together and glanced at Oz for help on how to explain what had transpired while Buffy had been gone.

“Well………Giles decided he needed to go to the library and gather all the books he could on………something or another. Took Xander with him because………well he was the only one who didn’t have anything to do.”

Buffy strode toward her weapons chest and lifted the lid. She began pulling out various weapons, discarding one after the other.

“You guys stay here. I want you Willow to do a locating spell for Wolfe—“

“I’ll need something of his,” Willow said quietly.

Buffy frowned as she pulled out a large broad sword.

This will do, she thought as she closed the lid and glanced up at Willow.

“I’m sure my blood will work right? Once you locate him, find him and bring him back here.”

Willow hurried to gather Buffy’s blood and Oz knelt down next to Buffy.

“What are you going to be doing?” he asked.

“I’m going to find Angelus,” Buffy muttered grimly.

Oz arched a brow.

“Why?”

“Because he’s the only one stupid enough to do something like this. He wants my attention and now he has it.”

~*~*~

“Shouldn’t we be looking for Joyce?” Xander asked as he followed Giles from his car.

“Buffy and the others shall look for Joyce. We have things that are more pressing. Like trying to ward off the hellmouth from Rufus Travers.”

Xander glanced at Giles as they strode towards the back entrance of the school.

“Can we handle this alone? Shouldn’t we wait for the manpower? Buffy?” he asked once again glancing at Giles.

“Must you doubt me? Rufus is hell-bent on opening the hellmouth and if we neglect that very fact, all of us will die by the hands of all the demons that will come out and rule the world! Now do be quiet and hand me the crowbar.”

Xander swallowed whatever he was going to say and handed over the crowbar.

However, he was unable to stay that way for long.

“Don’t you have a key or something?” he asked.

“Do you honestly think Snyder would trust me with a key? He took it when I went on leave,” Giles muttered as he swung the bar and muttered a spell to disarm the alarm as the glass shattered and he reached his arm in.

Pushing aside the glass, he turned to Xander.

“Climb through,” he instructed.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Grumbling Xander slowly climbed through the window.

Giles followed. ~*~*~

Buffy made her way into the mansion her sword at her side and a determined expression on her face.

She was going to make this quick.

She could admit to herself that she was nervous and scared. She was really missing Spike’s presence. He’d left to go to his body as he and Delos arrived in Sunnydale.

As she entered the room she had shared her one and only truce with Mornay she felt Angelus before he walked out of the shadows.

“Well……….what do I owe the pleasure of this Buff?”

Buffy slowly shrugged out of her coat and tossed it aside.

“I’ve come for my mom,” she said calmly.

Angelus strode further into the room a smile on his lips.

“What makes you think I have her?”

“Not much of a leap to make. No one else would be so stupid………so here I am.”

Angelus laughed as he rubbed his hands together.

“Well. What’s the point in playing games? You’ve caught me Buff, I’ve got Joyce here. Give me a sec.”

Buffy tensed as he left the room only to return a few seconds later with Joyce in his arms.

Buffy let out a gasp of shock and horror.

“Mom! What have you done to her?” she demanded stepping forward. Angelus clucked his tongue as he tossed Joyce to the ground.

“It’s nice to have friends in high places…….hiring those T’dron demons was a stroke of genius. Really, I mean you had no idea what they wanted! It was so easy Buff. I’m going to enjoy this. Just like I enjoyed draining your mommy!”

Buffy’s thoughts were jumbled, her emotions shredded to only one.

Rage.

“I am going to kill you,” she screamed. #Pet?#

Spike’s voice barely registered as she met Angelus’s eyes.

*My mom,* was all she could think.

She could feel Spike using his senses to ascertain what was going on.

#She’s still alive. Barely. She needs to get to the infirmary.#

*I need you Spike. I need your help.*

With that, she dropped to her knees next to her mom.

~*~*~

Driving was never one of Delos’ favorite pass times. He usually had a minion drive him around, but as he was currently out of those, he had settled on driving himself around.

Driving through the streets of Sunnydale, he was angry to note, the streets were almost deserted. It was after midnight now going on three in the morning and he was ashamed to realize he had not anticipated this.

Where was he going to get food now?

Moreover, there was no way he would feed from any of the vagrants that wandered the streets filthy and drunk!

“Well Spike, it looks like we’ll have to go hunting. Some one is bound to be about,” he spoke aloud glancing over at Spike’s still form.

As he glanced at him, he was startled to see Spike’s whole body jerk forward.

He could feel the link between them rip.

Splinter.

“Wh—“he began.

Spike’s hand reached out, jerking the steering wheel.

The car swerved, as Delos lost control and the car ran head long into a utility pole.

“Hello Delos,” Spike said slipping his game face on, he grinned through his fangs.

Delos scrambled out of the car.

Spike followed.

“Where are you going? Can’t we talk? Sire to……..minion? Better yet lets not and say we did. How ‘bout I kill you instead? That works for me,” Spike growled as he flew at a stunned Delos.

~*~*~

Wolfe cocked his head sniffed the air and grinned slightly.

“Spells are in the air,” he mused.

He was attuned to a state higher than he had thought possible. He could feel the tug of his parents. Torn he hesitated.

Which one needed him more?

“Well…..if it isn’t Wolfe, the hybrid himself,” her voice from behind had him slowly turning.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he took her in.

He’d seen her of course, but in person, she looked as if she could be Grace’s twin!

Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement and another darker emotion he couldn’t describe.

She looked him up and down a considerate look on her face.

“Mornay,” he said with a small nod.

She smiled as they slowly circled one another.

“I see my reputation precedes me. Tell me…….how does it feel to be so desired? A means to an end?”

Wolfe shrugged.

“It’s always nice to be wanted,” was all he said. She reached out.

He didn’t flinch as she trailed her hand down his cheek.

Cupped his chin.

He felt the urge to move away, but the feel of her hand on him tamped it down.

Where it should have been cold…….

It burned.

“Ever thought of ruling the world Wolfie?”

“I won’t be used to end the world.”

“Who said anything about ending the world?” she purred.

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“I’m talking about ruling the world. Together. How about it?”

~*~*~

Chapter 10:

They tumbled to the ground.

Spike’s growls vibrating through the air.

“You think you can honestly beat me?” Delos asked laughingly.

Spike laughed too.

“I’ve no doubt,” he replied as Delos kicked him off, sending him flying through the air.

Spike landed in a crouched position his yellow eyes glowing eerily.

“What happened for this miraculous transformation?” Delos asked as he charged Spike.

Spike ducked the fist Delos threw but couldn’t avoid his flying feet as he flew through the air.

He stumbled as Delos’s boots crashed into his chest.

He gasped in pain and smiled through it.

“Oh nothing……… Just my Slayer,” he grunted out grabbing a fistful of Delos’s hair and slamming him face first into a near by tree.

Delos spat out the blood that filled his mouth a few teeth going along as well.

“This Slayer……..she’ll make a wonderful trophy once I’m done with you William…..”

~*~*~

Buffy scrambled over to her mom, heart pounding and fear crawling through her.

“Mommy,” she cried touching Joyce’s clammy cheeks with shaking hands.

“Aw,” Angelus mocked.

Rage burned through her, red blinded her vision and slowly she lifted her head.

Her eyes met his.

A clash of furious green and deadly brown.

She smiled a tight strained smile that felt as if her face were breaking.

“You’ll die for this……..” she hissed.

“But what about Angel?” he asked clutching his chest. Making puppy eyes at her. “Kill me and you’ll never get your precious Angel back.”

Buffy gently lifted her mother up into her arms.

“Angel’s gone. There is no coming back from this,” she stated coldly as she rose.

“I’m not letting you leave here alive Buff. Certainly not with your mommy,” Angelus growled as he pounced swinging his sword.

Buffy narrowly avoided getting her head chopped off as she ducked and laid her mother down off to the side. Saying a quick prayer, she rose.

“I’ll make it quick,” she promised as he rushed her.

~*~*~

Giles and Xander moved quickly down the hall.

“So what’re we going to do?” Xander whispered.

“We are going to ward off the hellmouth! Must I keep reminding you Xander?” Giles snapped as they turned the corner and spotted Snyder coming out of the library.

Giles stopped and retreated the way they’d come, shoving Xander along with him.

“……….very happy! I can’t thank you enough Mrs. Travers,” they heard Snyder say as his voice drifted.

Giles and Xander shared a look of complete understanding.

“He’s here already,” Xander, muttered peeking his head around the corner and seeing it was all clear stepped forward.

“We know that his wife is,” Giles said as he joined Xander. “This means we’ve only got a limited amount of time here. Come, I must prepare some sort of diversionary spell.”

They hurried back the way they’d come.

~*~*~

Oz and Willow lit the last candle and Willow began to chant.

Oz studied the map of Sunnydale carefully and smiled slightly as a small hole burned its way into the map.

“Willow we’ve got him,” he said as he gently shook her.

Jostled out of her daze she glanced at Oz and blinked.

“What?” she asked.

“He’s here. Look. Over on Hansen by the police station.”

Willow glanced at the map, a grin emerging.

“It worked!” she exclaimed.

“Yeh,” Oz replied. “Let’s go.”

“Should we?” she asked concerned. “Maybe—“

“Buffy wants us to get Wolfe. Keep him safe. You can stay here and I ca—“

“No! I can come with. But if we’re gonna protect him we’re gonna need weapons,” she replied quickly.

“You’re right. We’ll need all the weapons we can carry!”

~*~*~

Delos sailed through the air a slight stunned expression on his face.

Spike stood over him as he landed.

“You know, I never knew loving a Slayer could be this good,” he said dragging Delos to his feet.

“I……I don’t understand this,” Delos muttered as he reared his head back and head bunted Spike.

Dropping Delos Spike staggered, a hand covering his nose he fell to his knees.

“Bloody hell,” he yelled. “That hurt! You broke m’bloody nose you fuckin’ prick!”

Delos narrowed his eyes and kicked out catching Spike on the chin.

“Seems whatever Slayer powers you had are wearing off,” Delos muttered striking out again.

Spike rolled avoiding the blow.

He rose and they traded blows.

“This claim business is a funny thing. Just when I’m thinkin’ I’m down for the count……..bam! Got m’second wind so to speak.”

Delos tried to dodge blow after blow to little avail.

“This can’t be due to a claiming,” Delos snarled. “No one can gain this amount of power by a claim. There is no way.”

Spike faltered slightly at hearing this.

“What?”

Spike couldn’t get Delos’s words out of his head though.

If this wasn’t the claim then what was it?

~*~*~

The sounds of swords clashing echoed loudly as every thrust and parry was met.

“You know……..I had so much fun while I drained your mom. I can’t wait to do the same to you.”

Buffy ignored his goading words and continued her mindless task.

Kill him, he mind screamed over and over.

She wanted this vile creature dead.

Her eyes flickered briefly to her mom and in that moment of weakness, Angelus took advantage of it.

Buffy gasped as his sword slid through her left shoulder.

*Spike! I……..need you.*

She continued her assault, her eyes again resting on the still form of her mom and she prayed he had heard her plea.

*SPIKE!!*

~*~*~

Buffy’s anguished voice filled Spike’s mind and he stumbled.

Blinking he could feel her pain, frowning he was stunned at the picture that shimmered before his very eyes.

Angelus and Buffy fighting to the death.

The Slayer’s mum.

The image faded and in its place, Delos stood.

Shaking his head Spike growled.

“Time to quit with the games,” he muttered to himself.

Delos didn’t know what happened. One minute Spike appeared dazed and confused the next his head was being torn from his body.

Spike didn’t even waste time watching Delos’s ashes drift to the ground.

Sprinting off in the direction of the mansion, his only thought was of Buffy.

Getting to Buffy.

Saving Buffy.

~*~*~

Wolfe struggled to look away from Mornay’s captivating gaze.

She was touching a side of him he had no intention of letting out.

But it was harder than he had anticipated.

His demon was drawn to hers. It was curious as to what she wanted. How far was she willing to go to get it?

“Us rule the world?” he drawled out.

Mornay’s hands drifted up to clench in his hair and she pulled him closer.

“Wonderful idea, yes?” she asked.

Smiling he let her edge ever closer.

“Well, see……how would we go about that? Doubt mom and dad would go for it.”

“Ah, the little Slayer won’t have to worry her pretty little head. As for your father…………Delos will take care of him.”

Wolfe cocked his head and arched a brow.

“Will he?”

“Absolutely.”

“So with both my parents out of commission I’m free to wreck havoc. Quite tempting,” he murmured leaning closer.

“Really? So?”

They were almost kissing they were so close.

Their lips mere inches apart.

“So will I join you, betray all that I’ve been raised to stand for? Let my parents fend for themselves and keep you and the world for myself?”

She nodded.

Mornay couldn’t believe he was actually considering her proposition.

Seeing the demon in him had been a surprise as it had been thought he was a white hat fanatic. A surprise but a pleasant one at that.

“Well?” she asked again getting antsy.

Wolfe grinned.

A dangerous glint formed in his eyes. They sparkled and danced with hidden emotions.

“Why not? Never have turned down an offer from a beautiful lady.”

Mornay grinned in return and tilted her face up slightly.

Their lips met.

~*~*~

“………officials are saying tonight’s jail break was committed by a gang high on PCP. Sources in the department say…….”

Mandy Bradley passed by the t.v. store that kept their TV’s on twenty-four seven and ignored the news anchors voice her thoughts a million miles away.

She never heard the man who came up behind her and grabbed her, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

~*~*~

Willow strode quickly along with Oz as they made their way to Wolfe.

“So he’s still by the police station?” Oz asked eyes scanning the shadows.

“Yep. Only it looks like he’s not alone anymore.”

“Maybe Buffy found him,” Oz suggested.

“Oh! That would be wonderful, and she’s probably found Joyce and everything’s alright! Yay,” Willow exclaimed bouncing around slightly in excitement.

“Maybe,” was all Oz said.

~*~*~

Rufus glanced at the Head of Special Projects and smiled.

“At least you’ve done this right,” he muttered glancing at the girl on the opposite seat who was bound and gagged.

“Yes sir,” Penelton said.

Rufus glanced out the window, his thoughts on the upcoming ritual. He had all he needed except the boy but he was sure that would be remedied shortly.

A human sacrifice had been the last specified item and now that he had one, he was on his way to actually being happy!

He called Martha.

“I’m on my way darling, is everything set up?”

His gaze wandered to the window again, rested on the couple who was walking quickly past.

He smiled, said a quick goodbye and told his driver to stop.

He ordered Penelton to retrieve them.

He was back a few minutes later leading one Willow Rosenberg and………the Werewolf the Slayer was fond of, Rufus mused as they took their seats beside the girl.

“Well isn’t this nice? I’m Rufus Travers and you’ll soon be dead.”

~*~*~

Wolfe felt the pull of the spell too late.

Wrapped up in the kiss and all the pretty visions of him killing Mornay playing behind his closed eyes, he was oblivious.

As it was when he opened his eyes, he wasn’t on the street but in Sunnydale High’s library.

His eyes widened as they took in the scene before him.

Dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Council Rufus stood in the middle of a circle lined with candles, a large leather bound book in his hands.

Bound and gagged Willow and Oz looked on wide eyed and frightened. Next to them was a small fragile looking girl who was currently unconscious.

Rufus lifted his eyes briefly so their eyes could meet.

Rufus’s smile was wide enough, cold enough and just the tiniest bit crazy enough to send the first stirrings of terror down Wolfe’s spine.

The ground began to shake and all hell broke loose.

~*~*~

Some Kind of Wonderful:11

Disclaimer: Joss owns Btvs.

~*~*~

Chapter 11:

Spike stumbled as he ran, the earth shaking beneath his feet.

His eyes widened in horror as he had a good idea what it meant.

The hellmouth had been opened.

Swearing loudly, he gained his feet and neared the mansion. He could hear the sounds of swords crashing against each other as it drifted through the air.

When he burst into the main room of the mansion, his immediate reaction was to jump in and help.

“Get my mom,” Buffy yelled as she caught sight of him from the corner of her eye.

Spike hesitated.

He wasn’t going to let her do this by herself. But her mum…….

*I’ll be fine. I can handle him.*

Spike jerked into action moving for Joyce’s prone figure.

Angelus let out a roar as Buffy’s blade sliced into his forearm.

“You gonna leave her here all alone boy?” Angelus asked as he thrust his sword forward.

It took all of Spike’s energy not to react and pounce on Angelus as he lifted Joyce up into his arms.

*Spike…….please get some help for her!*

Spike nodded and hugged Joyce closer and headed out of the mansion.

Angelus’s voice followed him.

“I’ll kill her boy. Make her bleed and you will never forgive yourself. You—“

The ground shook again and Spike was gone.

“Gonna kill me huh?” Buffy asked blocking his next blow.

“Gonna bleed you dry,” Angelus answered.

And on it went.

~*~*~

Giles moved slowly down the hall, Xander trailing behind him.

“So we’re just going to take a peek right?” Xander asked nervously.

Giles ignored him.

“Cuz even though the ground has been shaking, it could be a regular earth quake,” he rambled on.

“Do be quiet.”

“So, we look and go hide again. Because really what can we do? Buffy—“

“Shut up,” Giles hissed.

Xander clamped his mouth shut and bumped into Giles as he stopped abruptly.

“Wh—“

“Spells. A spell has been cast here. A protection spell. We can’t get past…….yet.”

Giles dropped to his knees and began going through his bag.

“Here,” he said tossing a bag of herbs at Xander, he then began lighting candles.

“Is this going to work? I’m--you’re no witch—I mean uh…….wizard. Do you…..” Xander trailed off as Giles looked up the glint in his eyes causing him to stop talking all together.

Giles’s eyes glinted dangerously as he realized what Xander had said.

“You’re right,” he muttered.

Xander looked uncertain.

“Bloody hell,” Giles growled, quickly he rolled up his shirtsleeves. Revealed the tattoo that had been his curse and blessing the minute he’d gotten it.

As he was now they would all surely perish. As of now, as far as he was concerned he was the only hope left.

He began to recite the words that would seal his fate.

Xander cast a worried look at the invisible barrier as the ground shook again. He returned his gaze to Giles in time to see his tattoo light up and a surge of energy pass through Giles.

“What…….? What happened?” Xander demanded.

Giles glanced up at Xander his eyes completely black.

Xander took a stumbling step back as Giles rose, little bolts of electricity crackling around him.

“Move,” Giles ordered.

Xander hopped sideways as Giles lifted his hands and a ball of blue fire appeared between them.

“Gi—“Xander began.

Xander broke off as Giles threw the ball at the wall where it seemed to…….be soaked up by the walls. Xander watched in awe and terror as they could clearly see it racing along the wall towards the library.

“What the hell was that? What’s wrong with your eyes?” Xander asked hesitantly. He trusted Giles………but this new Giles was creepy to put it mildly.

“I’ve no time to explain, but trust me Xander, this is the only way.” Giles muttered. “We must—“he broke off as a wave of blue light exploded lighting the hall with an eerie light.

Giles’s head shot backwards as he realized what was happening.

“Come, the spell has been broken,” he ordered as he ran down the hall.

~*~*~

Wolfe thrust Mornay from him and charged at Rufus as the ground shook and a crack began to form in the carpeted floor.

Rufus stood still as Wolfe bounced off the protective shell he’d erected.

“I’m glad to see you could join us,” Rufus said.

“Whatever this ritual is you’ll need my blood. How are you going to get it? Come on and—“

“Wolfe! Come with me,” Mornay yelled grabbing at Wolfe’s elbow trying to drag him away.

“Let go of me!”

The blue light when it exploded blinded all of them for a brief moment.

Wolfe stumbled. Mornay tugged him to his feet. When the light dimmed, Giles stepped into the room chanting.

“Too late Ripper,” Rufus snarled as he stepped out of his protective circle and lifted his arms wide.

“I beseech thy Lord Miti of the seventh realm of hell. I beseech thy. I have come bearing gifts. Three fresh young victims to sacrifice at your feet! I beseech thy,” Rufus screamed.

Everyone stared in horror as the ground opened up and—

“We’re too late,” Xander, whispered.

~*~*~

Buffy kicked Angelus in the stomach sending him into a nearby wall.

“You know…..that was the hellmouth opening,” Angelus stated regaining his feet.

Buffy ignored him as she sliced at his head.

“Which means your boy is gonna be dead soon! As much fun, as this is I’d like to be the one to do in your spawn. Catch me if you can,” Angelus growled.

He whirled and raced out of the mansion.

Buffy clenched her fists, muttering to herself.

She had to save Wolfe. She’d have to deal with Angelus later. She forced her thoughts from drifting to her mother.

Grasping her sword, she raced off towards the school. ~

*~*~

Spike raced along the empty streets, making his way towards the hospital. He had to hurry he had to—

He fell Joyce falling from his arms as he was swiped from behind.

He hit his head and blinked back the lights that exploded before his eyes.

“Wh--Joyce,” he muttered crawling towards her.

His thoughts were muddled and his vision was blurry as he felt like he’d been skinned inside out.

His head tilted to the side as he heard whatever had done this come at him again. He rolled, hissing as claws ripped another piece out of him.

He lifted his eyes and they widened in shock at what he saw. It was ridiculous, unfathomable; it should have been funny except……….it was very real and very deadly.

Spike scrambled to his feet, grabbed Joyce and began to run.

“Damn, damn,” he chanted as he threw a look over his shoulder.

Shook his head again in disbelief.

The dragon—A dragon! Was still on his tail and Spike had to find a way to get rid of it and save Joyce.

He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to do either.

~*~*~

Rufus stood in the middle of chaos.

Creatures like those that they had never seen came crawling, flying, slithering, and any way possible out of the mouth of hell.

Xander stared in shock as what he could have sworn was a dragon soared out of the hellmouth and went straight through a window into the night.

Grabbing two swords from his bag, he ran to Willow and Oz and began chopping at their binds.

When they were free he handed a sword to Oz.

“We’ve gotta keep these things from Giles. I think he’s going to—“

“The girl,” Willow cried out as Rufus lifted the unconscious girl screaming his chant and tossed her into the hellmouth.

“Willow……..go help Giles. Oz and I will try and keep these things off you guys,” Xander ordered.

Willow nodded and followed Xander as he made a path to Giles.

“Aw man,” Xander moaned as he hacked his way towards Giles. “We’re gonna die!”

~*~*~

Wolfe kept an eye on the four Scoobies as he fought. Demons who were exiled to the seventh realm were anxious to get out. Wolfe was determined to stop them.

Brute strength worked the best as he tore at limbs, anything he could get a hold of, to get them to stop.

What he had not counted on was Mornay.

She continually got in his way.

Finally, he’d had enough.

He jerked her to him growling into her face his eyes glowing bright green.

“You stupid little fool! Keep this up and I’ll be wearin’ your guts for garters,” he spat as he flung her aside right into the path of an oncoming demon.

She cried out in pain as its teeth sunk into her shoulder.

“His blood has yet to have been spilled,” Martha’s scream had Rufus moving. Grabbing his book, he made his way through the chaos untouched.

Protected by an unseen force.

He would do the deed himself.

~*~*~

Buffy raced down the halls of Sunnydale High only to come upon Angelus.

Her eyes narrowed and she swept a leg underneath his feet and watched him tumble to the ground.

“About you killing my son…….so not gonna happen,” she said as she thrust her sword down. Angelus rolled, missing the blade that would have struck his dead heart.

He kicked out sending Buffy’s sword flying.

“Well…….well…….well, all alone. No weapon. No help. What’s a Slayer to do?”

Buffy grinned.

“Well, let’s see……..what can I do?” she asked cocking her head as she flew forward a blur of fists and feet.

“This work for you?” Buffy asked.

Angelus let her lead him into a corner.

“That’s it,” he whispered as he caught her fist.

Crushed it under the weight of his own.

Buffy screamed as she felt the bones break.

“You’ve really no idea what you’re dealing with do you?” he asked as he shoved her to the ground.

He straddled her.

“Who it is you’re dealing with? I’m not Angel……..I don’t love you—“

Buffy bucked underneath him, raising her uninjured hand and slamming it into the side of his head.

Angelus’s eyes rolled back in his head and he wavered.

Buffy gritted her teeth as she thrust him off her.

“I get it,” she spat. “I understand perfectly who I’m dealing with here. A disgusting, evil, creature that I’m going to kill very soon.”

She gathered her sword and let him circle her as she rolled to her feet swinging at his legs.

He jumped back with a laugh.

There was no more talking.

~*~*~

Giles’ low voice mingled with the softer feminine voice of Willow’s.

Willow had no idea what was going on with Giles. His eyes were black and obviously, something wasn’t right.

She’d had no idea he’d even known how to do magic! Much less how to close a hellmouth. To say she was shocked would be an understatement.

This new Giles scared her to death. And with that, hope flared. They might make it out alive!

Oz wiped at his brow with a bloodied hand.

He was tiring and he could tell Xander was tiring as well. They couldn’t handle much more.

His eyes scanned the room, settled on Wolfe, or rather whom he assumed was Wolfe. He was currently fighting off five demons of various sizes and—Mornay!

Oz’s eyes widened as he remembered Buffy’s words.

She wanted Wolfe brought home unharmed.

Gritting his teeth, he straightened and with a new resolve, fought even harder.

Xander swung his sword with wild abandon, hacking away.

Keeping one eye on the opened hellmouth.

He did not want to fall into it and burn to death, more importantly he didn’t want the flames that were licking at the mouth to touch him.

So he fought with little skill but with ferocious intensity that slayed many a demon.

His arms were beginning to ache; lifting the sword had become a challenge. His breath came in ragged gasps and he was bloody and bruised.

He didn’t know how much longer he could do this.

But he hoped he didn’t stop before Giles managed to close the hellmouth.

~*~*~

Spike zigzagged his way down the street, his ears alert for any noise.

Any sign of the dragon.

He’d been dodging that damn thing since he’d left the mansion!

The more he ran the angrier he became.

Why was he running? Sure, it was a dragon that spewed flames from its mouth and it could kill him in the blink of an eye! So what? That didn’t mean he had to run from it. Let it chase him away.

Growling he halted. Glanced around as he realized he was in the warehouse district down near the docks.

He headed impatiently towards a nearby building and kicking in the boarded up door he hurried inside.

His eyes dropped to Joyce and he could barely hear her faltering heart beat. He knew if they went back out the dragon would get them both.

It had taken a peculiar interest in him and he couldn’t afford to go to the hospital with it trailing his every step. Have it kill others.

He dropped a second before a wave of flames exploded where his head had been a second earlier.

He swore, glanced at Joyce and tried to think hard about all the myths he’d heard in regards to dragons.

How to kill one.

He had no time for this; he thought furiously as he settled Joyce in a secluded area of the warehouse and crawled back towards the door.

Jumping to his feet, he let out a roar and raced from the building. If he couldn’t save Joyce, he was sure he could send some one to her as soon as he took care of this dragon.

~*~*~

Wolfe let out a choked yell as he felt claws rip across his face.

He reached out, blindly jerking the demon’s head straight off.

He used it to block another blow from a different demon.

He blinked his eyes rapidly to dispel the sweat that continued to drip into his eyes. He spotted Rufus coming straight at him.

“Wolfe come on,” Mornay’s voice drifted to him.

He barely heard her as he flung her off him.

He tossed his sword aside as he moved to meet Rufus halfway.

It was time to finish this.

This man had to be stopped and Wolfe was the only one who could do it.

Rufus met Wolfe with a grin on his lips and an axe ready to strike.

He swung as Wolfe breezed past.

Rufus growled as he missed and Wolfe stood before him.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Rufus stated calmly.

“Either way I’m dead so really no to both.”

“It doesn’t really matter,” Rufus murmured as he swung at Wolfe’s head.

Wolfe flew back a good three feet before he landed.

He was on his feet in a flash, he threw himself at Rufus and they tumbled to the ground.

Wolfe gave it his all as he punched him repeatedly.

“You know…..you can’t touch me. This…..is all wor—“

“Don’t you ever shut up? I’ve heard enough,” Wolfe growled as he gripped Rufus’s head and began to twist.

He grunted in pain as he was hit from behind, rolling over he blinked in confusion. Martha Travers stood over him the hilt of a sword raised.

“Listen, this is between me and Rufus here. You need to—“

“Martha,” Rufus yelled as Mornay flew out of nowhere knocking Martha down to the ground.

Rufus scrambled, and Wolfe scurried to stop him. Gripping Rufus by the ankle Wolfe dragged him back towards him.

“Not so fast,” he growled.

~*~*~

#BUFFY!#

Spike dodged another wave of fire.

He knew absolutely he had no way of actually killing this bloody thing! But if he didn’t he wouldn’t be able to save Joyce like Buffy wanted.

Joyce was his first priority.

#How do I fight this? I’ve got no weapons,# he asked sending her a mental picture as the dragon swooped down low.

Spike scrambled back, stumbling back into the building.

~*~*~

Buffy stumbled as her vision was blurred by an image of Spike facing off with a dragon.

She could hear his voice in her head and she was distracted enough for Angelus to knock her to her knees, her sword flying from her grasp.

*I DON’T KNOW HOW TO KILL A DRAGON!*

#Blow it up maybe?#

Angelus bore down, swinging wildly.

Buffy rolled, grabbed her sword and jumped to her feet in time to block his next swing.

“You wouldn’t by chance know how to kill a dragon would you?” Buffy asked conversationally as her left fist came up smashing his nose. She ignored the pain that shot through her broken fist.

Angelus gasped, backing away.

She followed him, their swords locked and she hit him again.

“I’ll take that as a no,” she muttered.

*I don’t know…….Spike please save my mom. Just…….Please!*

~*~*~

Spike grabbed Joyce, glanced back and then ran as fast as he could.

He had to get Joyce away before—

He flew through the air as a rush of air lifted him off his feet.

He rolled covering Joyce as the warehouse exploded in flames an unearthly scream piercing the air.

Grinning, he laughed, scooped Joyce up and threw a look over his shoulder.

#Blowin’ it up worked luv. I’m on my way to the infirmary with your mum.#

~*~*~

Giles lifted his head raised his arms.

“By the powers I beseech have this seventh realm of hell be closed by the blood of he who opened it. I beseech the powers have this seventh realm of hell be closed by the blood of he who opened it,” Giles chanted.

Wolfe struggled with Rufus.

Mornay tossed Martha aside and raced to assist Wolfe.

Willow chanted along with Giles staring wide-eyed at the fights going on before her eyes.

Xander gritted his teeth fighting on. Swinging, chopping.

Oz flicked the sweat out of his eyes as he rolled around with a slimy demon who bucked and wormed around as Oz tried to get a good enough grip to kill it.

Spike felt it.

Could almost taste it.

God he was so close!

Just two more miles and he’d be there.

Joyce was still alive, hanging in there. He could hear her heart feel the blood flowing sluggishly.

“Aw, please, c’mon,” he screamed as he pushed his body.

But you can’t out run the sun.

She could feel his anguish. Sense his fear.

Feel the slowly rising sun.

*Save her Spike!*

Grappling Wolfe got a hold Rufus’s robes.

Rufus sputtered as he felt his spell induced strength leaving him.

His hand fumbled to his neck.

“Here,” he gasped out as he shoved Wolfe away with the last of his strength.

Wolfe clung to him still.

Spike’s eyes landed on an abandoned building nearby and ran for it, feeling the first sting of the rising sun.

Kicking in the door he ran to the farthest corner shrouded in darkness and dropped to his knees. Cradling Joyce’s head in his lap, he shook his head to clear it.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they glowed yellow.

He tilted her head back revealing her neck and lowered his head baring his fangs.

“Take this here,” Rufus yelled scrambling backwards, thrusting his hand out.

Wolfe ignored Rufus and lunged.

Rufus dodged, slipped and reached out gripping Wolfe’s shirt as he fell.

Buffy kicked Angelus in the head, followed it up with a fist to the gut.

Turning slightly she cut across his face with her blade slicing the lower half of his face.

She shoved him and watched in satisfaction as he fell to his knees.

She turned her back on him.

Spike’s fangs ripped into Joyce’s throat and he drank.

And hoped he was doing what Buffy wanted.

Wolfe yelled as he fell with Rufus into the hellmouth.

He flailed, his hand going out catching the edge of the hole, just barely.

He gripped it hard.

He felt the tug of Rufus as he clung to his legs, the heat as it ate away at him, the screams that came from beneath them.

Wolfe looked down and resisted the urge to kick Rufus off, send him to hell.

“Give me your hand,” Wolfe ordered ignoring the pain.

Rufus swung a little, thrusting his hand up.

Wolfe caught it.

“You think…….this is the end?” Angelus’s voice came from behind her. “That my legacy won’t last? I killed your mommy! I’m going to kill you and who’s going to care? All that will be left will be me. And when it’s all said and done I’ll have gotten the boy too!”

Spike choked as he swallowed too quickly, gagged and hurriedly tore at his wrist.

He opened it up and placed it at Joyce’s mouth.

“Drink,” he whispered harshly.

Buffy turned and swung her sword in a sweeping arch.

Wolfe fumbled with Rufus’s hand clenched it so tight he heard bones break.

Felt the crystal Rufus had been clutching shatter.

“Oopps,” Wolfe moaned as Rufus let out a scream of horror and pain as his hand slipped from Wolfe’s grasp.

Buffy watched in horror as Angelus’s eyes began to glow and his head fell forward.

“B…….Buffy?” he gasped out in confusion.

“A…..Angel?” she choked out, tried to stop the blade.

Couldn’t.

She screamed as his head fell forward, his dust floating gently to the ground.

She dropped to her knees.

“No,” she screamed, her sword dropping to the ground with a clang.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

“I beseech the Powers—“

“Wolfe’s in the hellmouth Giles,” Willow interrupted Giles mid chant.

“Oz! You must help Wolfe,” Giles yelled. Buffy looked up as she heard running feet fly by.

She glimpsed a flash of black hair, heard the whispered words:

“Your boy’s as good as dead.”

Wolfe glanced down at the falling form of Rufus.

Looked up.

Into the furious, grief stricken blue of Martha Travers eyes.

“You,” she hissed as she lifted her sword. “I’ll kill you,” she screamed as she brought the sword down.

Wolfe clenched his jaw shut and swallowed the scream that threatened to erupt as pain surged through him as the sword tore through his hand.

His grip loosened and he let go.

Spike let out a choked laugh of relief and giddiness as Joyce slowly began to drink.

“There…….that’s good,” he murmured encouragingly. “That’s good pet.”

Wolfe opened his eyes as he felt a hand grip his and he was pulled out of the hellmouth.

“I beseech the powers have this seventh realm of hell be closed by the blood of he who opened it,” Giles screamed.

The ground shook and with it, a flash of light flooded the room.

The hellmouth was sealed.

Giles slumped to the ground unconscious.

Willow hurried to him.

Oz and Xander looked around at the battlefield that had been their school library littered with dead or dying demons.

Then looked at each other.

Grinned.

“We did good,” Xander, mused.

“Yeah,” Oz agreed.

Wolfe lay sprawled out in the middle of the destroyed room. Lying on various body parts, soaked in blood.

He rolled his head to the side.

Gazed at his mom.

“Hey mom,” he rasped out with a wide grin.

Buffy rolled her head far enough so she could look at her son.

Met his eyes.

Blinked away tears.

Smiled a heartbreakingly sad smile.

“Hey Wolfe.”

~*~*~

Elias looked at Mornay as she sat slumped a defeated look about her.

He narrowed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“What am I going to do with you Mornay? You failed me,” he muttered as he paced the room.

Mornay glanced up a petulant look on her face.

“Well…….one out of three isn’t bad. I mean Angelus is dead. And hey, Rufus is too! And let’s not forget Delos Elias! I did almost what you asked for,” she snapped.

Elias scowled.

“Not even almost! I asked you to get rid of William, Angelus, and the Slayer! I wanted you to bring the boy to me! The only thing you accomplished was letting the Slayer reconnect with William and he killed Delos! You my girl have done nothing right! Making deals with the Slayer, playing people against one another! If you’re going to do that, at least do it right and don’t get caught! What do you have to say for yourself?”

Mornay glanced up and met his furious gaze with her own deadly brown.

“I want to know why you didn’t trust me enough to let me do this on my own.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked impatiently. “I gave you our best and they ended up dead, which should have been incentive to get back here where you belong and let me handle the Slayer!”

“So you make a deal with Angelus behind my back and ruin all of my plans?! I almost had the Slayer Elias. I would have had Spike as well. You never gave me the chance.”

They were silent as each pondered their own thoughts.

“I can get the boy,” she suddenly said.

Elias glanced at her in surprise.

“What?” he asked.

“I can get Wolfe. He has a demon,” she muttered grimly.

Elias looked shocked at her words.

“He has a demon?” he gasped out.

“Yes,” she answered.

“Do you know what this means?” he demanded. “What he could be?”

“Absolutely Elias! That is why I was trying to get him out of there in time but he was by far too strong for me. He has a demon and it is attracted to me. I can use that.”

Elias stopped his pacing to stare off into space a brief second before he grinned and glanced at Mornay.

“Well I’ll be! This is wonderful! New plan of attack. We want the boy alive. We need him alive and we shall get him. Mornay I will trust you with this, fail me again and I will be forced to make an example out of you.”

Mornay grinned as she sat forward.

“I won’t. I know what I’m doing and what I’ll have to do in order to win him over.”

~*~*~

Martha Travers stared out the window of her limo as it raced down the highway leaving behind Sunnydale and Rufus.

Her eyes were cold and flat as she thought of her husband.

Dead by the hands of such a child!

Anger blazed through her and she knew she would make him pay! Make him feel her pain and enjoy every minute of it.

First, she had to get Rufus back.

She had a plan on just how to do that.

Picking up her cell, she dialed a number.

“I’d like to speak to Mayor Wilkins please……….Martha Travers newly appointed Head of the Council,” she murmured coolly.

~*~*~

Some Kind of Wonderful:12

Disclaimer: Nothing new we all know Joss Whedon owns Btvs.

~*~*~

Chapter 12:

The brief flashes of disjointed memories ran like a never-ending filmstrip behind Joyce Summers closed eyes.

One after the other until they all began to run together and she couldn’t discern truth from illusions.

One thing remained clear though.

She loved her daughter Elizabeth Anne Summers. She was her reason for being and nothing would ever change that.

She would always love Buffy.

~*~*~

Giles had never been delusional with himself. Never consciously lied to himself either.

He prided himself on his ability to get past the bull and get to the point in regards to himself any way.

He knew what he was about.

He was a Watcher.

With a Slayer.

A Slayer he now saw as a surrogate daughter.

He had always esteemed to be a man who people could respect and hold in the highest regards.

Wanted people to look at him as he walked by and say oh, there is Rupert Giles, he’s the Watcher of that Slayer---I hear she’s the best in good part due to Rupert or some such nonsense.

He conveniently forgot about his wayward past as the notorious Ripper and had never planned to rehash that out. Never wanted his Slayer to know about it.

Now…….

Once he would have said nothing would mean more than for his work with his Slayer and as a member of the Council to live on and leave an ever lasting legacy for future Watchers and their own Slayers’ to use as an example.

Now he had no such thoughts. Now he had only one. Knew only one thing that really mattered. That in the end he would do anything for.

Anything.

For his Slayer.

Even condemn himself to the afore mentioned Ripper in order to protect her and those she loved.

~*~*~

Xander had never aspired to be more than he was.

The son of two drunks, with a father who was used to giving him pain instead of love. He knew what he was.

He was the weird Harris kid who had no fashion sense, as Cordelia was so fond of pointing out. He was borderline geekish and that had never bothered him too much because he had always had Willow to stand beside him through thick and thin.

She had been his anchor to this harsh and now deadly world for more years than he could remember.

He had once thought he would never amount to much. That he had very little to offer the world much less to himself. Guess he’d absorbed one too many degrading and humiliating comment from his parents.

Now though………

Now he was optimistic for himself.

Well……..not too high.

However, high enough so that he could glimpse a better future.

Where before he had never paused long enough to think of a future.

Before he had never thought he’d be a part of such a grand thing.

Saving the world!

Him the Zeppo.

Just a regular boy with no skills at all.

But he had helped in saving the world and now he knew…….

Knew he could and would be a man who could stand tall and proud and lift his head high when he walked down the halls.

It wouldn’t matter what other’s thought of him, what Cordelia thought……..

He was officially a man.

And he owed it all to Buffy.

The Slayer.

One of his best friends.

His second anchor to the world he now hoped he would live in for a very long time.

~*~*~

You could see it, just barely. Lurking underneath the skin.

Confidence…….

Sort of.

Kinda.

Okay not quite.

But getting there.

Willow Rosenberg had never been known for her social skills, her buoyant exuberance for life. She lived it and in her small world, which had mainly consisted of school, her huge crush on her bestfriend Xander, and being the smartest person she could be she had no time for loving life.

She had never wanted people to notice her and yet she had. She had wanted to be looked at and seen and maybe loved by………Xander.

Her confidence and self-esteem had been at an all time low, she knew now that what she had been before was a person she never wanted to be again.

Never wanted to be the wallflower, never voicing her opinions. To self-conscious, to get what she wanted.

Oz had of course helped in this process that he could look at her and see the Willow inside and what she aspired to one day be. A woman confident with herself and her actions.

But the main thing that made this whole process begin and start her on her slow path to being a better, happier, confident Willow had been Buffy.

Meeting her had changed her life and she would be forever grateful.

She was her bestfriend.

The Slayer.

Buffy.

~*~*~

Things had been hectic.

Moving all the dead bodies out of the library had been hell, going to the hospital to get every one looked at had been awful. They asked questions in which they had no answers.

But that was Sunnydale for you.

Now they were all back at the Summers house where Giles…….new and weird Giles had insisted on having a recap session while waiting for Joyce to arrive.

So there they sat.

Tired and bruised but alive.

“………and it was huge Buffy! I’m talking Godzilla type huge,” Xander was saying.

Oz glanced at him a slight frown appearing.

“What do you mean? You mean just the doll towering over those tiny paper buildings they use to make us believe he’s huge? Or when the camera moves out to get a wide shot?” he asked curiously.

Xander stared at him incredulously.

“What? I uh…….geez I just meant it was……… you know huge. You had to be there Buffy,” Xander said glancing at her only to find her gazing at Giles with an unreadable look on her face.

He swallowed and glanced around the room.

At Willow and Oz.

Wolfe had left shortly after stopping off at the hospital on Buffy’s insistence letting his burns and various other wounds be looked over. He had skipped out on them saying he was going to look for Spike.

That had been an hour ago.

A sudden and uncomfortable silence fell as all eyes studiously avoided looking directly at Giles or Buffy.

All who had been there to see Giles’s transformation into what he currently was were very unnerved and uncomfortable by it. They had no words.

Oz looked at the ceiling his fingers tangled with Willow’s his thoughts a million miles away.

Willow studied her inter locked fingers and wondered on how lucky she was that Oz had made it out of there alive and he hadn’t been killed. She could only imagine what Buffy was feeling.

“So…….what’s with the new look? Not that I don’t like it, but really it’s kinda creepy. What with the black eyes and electricity coming off you. Makes for an interesting picture,” Buffy finally asked eyeing Giles.

Giles studiously avoided looking any of them in the eyes as he shifted in his chair and tightly gripped his hands together.

“I was twenty-one, studying history at Oxford. And, of course, the occult by night. I hated it. The tedious grind of study, the........ overwhelming pressure of my destiny. I dropped out, I went to London... I fell in with the worst crowd that would have me. We practiced magic’s. Small stuff for pleasure or gain. And Ethan and I discovered something......... bigger,” he began.

“Occult?” Buffy echoed.

“Oxford? You went to Oxford?” Willow asked at the same time.

He got up and began to pace nervously running an agitated hand through his hair as he went.

“I never wanted to be a Watcher you see. I aspired to what I always had thought was better. To be a fighter pilot or…….uh a grocer,” he mumbled.

“A grocer,” Oz mouthed to himself.

“Of like food and stuff?” Xander asked.

Looking slightly sheepish, he speared a glance for Xander before he realized he was supposed to be repentant.

“Yes. Well as you see, I am neither. My father and grandmother were Watchers’ and it was only expected that I become one too. I was a rebellious fool and fell in with the wrong crowd after I left Oxford.”

Buffy looked slightly puzzled as she pondered what he’d just admitted.

She’d known, sure that Giles had a past but it was hard to tell what with all the tweed and stuffy British qualities that had become so familiar to them all.

Having that firmly established fixture broken was a shock.

To see him as more than a Watcher, as a person……..was a shock.

“You said you got into something bigger?” she prodded, as it looked as if Giles had finished talking all together.

Giles nodded.

“By bigger I mean we—a group of us began to dabble in raising demons. We raised one demon by the name of Eyghon also known as the Sleepwalker. It inhabited dead or unconscious bodies as it had no set form and had to merge with a body in order to function properly. We used to knock one another out before we summoned it. It was quite a rush. We were young………foolish and stupid. However……..in those days that was what I was, young and stupid. When it was all said and done one of our mates was taken over by the Eyghon and we tried to exorcise the demon but it ended up killin—we ended up killing him and I was soon on my way to being the stodgy Giles you all know and………love.”

“So if you gave it up why are you…….like this?” Willow asked gesturing to him and looking at him with sympathetic yet wary eyes.

“Oh,” Xander exclaimed as he raised his hand excitedly. “He has a tattoo and it lit up when he said these weird words! And then he threw like…….a ball of fire at the wall and it went into it and—“

“Yes,” Giles interrupted. “I have the tattoo of Eyghon on me and it has a direct link to my more…….colorful magical powers. Mainly black magic and I re-activated it tonight in order to save all of you and the rest of the world. I did what I had to.”

Silence fell and Giles finally returned to his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and going inward.

He knew that their opinions should not mean so much that he didn’t need their approval. That he was an adult and had in the end made the right choice.

However, it did matter.

He did not want them to ever look at him the way they had today. Scared and terrified at what he had become. He was determined not to let the Ripper side of him rule and do damage he was afraid he would never be able to repair.

He wanted their respect and desperately hoped this had changed nothing in that respect.

“So………you’re like a wizard?” Xander asked breaking the silence.

“Warlock,” Willow jumped in. “You’re a warlock! This is so cool……..could you teach me how to do more spells?”

“It’s cool man,” Oz stated. “So you were a warlock, your bad days are behind you right? No more raising demons and killing friends?”

Giles lifted his head and smiled slightly.

“Yes my bad days are gone. I am a responsible adult and there will be no more killings of my mates.”

His eyes sought out his Slayer who was gazing at the ground a thoughtful look on her face.

“You mentioned this demon Ey……..whatever. When you…….when your friend died did, you get rid of the demon or what? I mean you deactivated your tattoo for a reason. It won’t come looking for you will it?” she finally spoke up never lifting her face.

Giles felt the sting of disappointment that she had not even bothered to look at him that she seemed to have taken this badly.

“Yes. We vanquished Eyghon but…….I bound most of my powers to this tattoo and when I reactivated it I essentially became the Ripper again.”

“Ripper,” Willow asked curiously.

“So…….” Giles began but trailed off uncertainly staring at his Slayer’s bowed head.

“So you were wild and wicked in your youth. Did a lot of mojo that got one of your friends killed and were called Ripper. That is just………wow. And you knowingly reactivated your tattoo in order to help all of us knowing all of that.”

Everyone was staring at Buffy as she spoke, uncertain of where she was going with this.

“Yes,” Giles muttered.

“Thank you,” Buffy whispered as she lifted her head and met his eyes, smiled.

Giles blinked and dropped his eyes as they began to sting with tears, he clenched his jaw and cleared his throat enough to choke out,” You’re welcome.”

“Whew! For a minute that I thought you’d go all Slayer on us,” Xander exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

“Nope not I,” Buffy quipped. “Just coming to terms with the fact Giles wasn’t born in tweed, never sat in class mad that there weren’t more math classes. I’m good. Giles how are you? I know this must be a—“

A pounding on the door had everyone turning and staring at it in apprehension.

Abruptly Xander moved to open it.

Stepped aside as Wolfe raced through Joyce in his arms.

His eyes searched and met Giles’s eyes and he jerked his head to follow him as he raced up the stairs.

Giles followed.

“What was that about?” Willow asked looking around.

Buffy ignored her as she bounded up the stairs after Giles.

“Should we go up?” Xander asked hesitantly.

“We should give them some time alone,” Oz, answered.

They were silent a minute.

“Can you picture Giles as a grocer?” Willow suddenly asked dissolving into a fit of giggles.

The other two soon followed.

~*~*~

Wolfe settled Joyce on her bed and settled down next to her as she began to struggle and winced when her fangs scrapped his singed neck.

“What—Joyce love are you alright?” Giles demanded as he rushed into the bedroom eyes wide and worried.

“Giles I need you and Willow to do a spell. I need you to get the Orb of The—“

Joyce’s wild scream echoed and caused Wolfe to break off as she began to buck and scream wildly.

Buffy stood frozen in the doorway.

Giles looked from Buffy to Joyce and back again. Finally settled on Joyce, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“My God, who did this to her?!” he yelled.

Wolfe’s eyes sought out his mother’s ignoring Giles for now.

“Mom,” he began.

Buffy blinked her eyes filling with tears that she would not shed.

Her body trembled and her heart beat painfully in her chest as she stared into the yellow eyes of her mother.

Saw her distorted demon visage.

Felt the last tiny piece of her heart break.

Shatter.

She opened her mouth to speak.

No words came.

She took a stumbling step backwards horror washing over her.

“M…….M…..Mommy,” she gasped out as she lifted shaking hands to cover her mouth.

All she got was a crazed growl instead.

She turned and ran.

~*~*~

“…….you like plastic or paper ma’am,” Xander snickered.

“Can I help you load your bags? No we don’t have any—“ Willow was saying as they heard the screams and as one they grabbed weapons and hurried up the stairs only to halt as Buffy brushed past them ignoring their worried questions.

They piled into the doorway and stared in shock and horror at the scene that met their eyes.

“Giles…….she needs to be sedated, some kind of sleeping spell—Now! Willow I need you to get the ingredients for a permanent soul. You and Oz will do that. Xander I need you to go to the Butcher’s and get some blood,” Wolfe ordered.

Giles quickly cast a sleeping spell over Joyce and she fell into a deep sleep.

Wolfe rolled out of bed and hurried out of the room confident his orders would be carried out.

He paused in the kitchen’s doorway looking pensively at the back door that led to the back porch.

Gathering his fleeting courage, he straightened his shoulders and quickly opened the door ready to step out and offer his comfort.

Buffy lifted her hand, her back to him, her head bowed.

“Mom…….”

She shook her head.

“Please,” she whispered.

Wolfe hesitated, and then nodded abruptly.

“I’ll be inside. We’re giving her a permanent soul,” he softly said as he turned and headed back into the house closing the door behind him.

Leaving her alone.

~*~*~

She had known of course that being the Slayer was a dangerous job and that at some point or another people close to her would get hurt.

A Slayer with ties to the world was it seemed an unheard of thing.

Now she knew why.

She was like a plague that was slowly spreading throughout her relationships and causing everyone pain.

Her mom…….

Angel.

Wolfe.

Spike.

Her friends would be next she knew.

Breathing deeply she resisted the urge to cry.

She couldn’t.

Not yet.

Her mother was a demon.

A vampire.

Something she was sworn to kill.

A vampire.

A vampire.

A vampire.

A vampire.

A vampire.

A vampire.

Her very own vampire mother.

Sired by her very own vampire lover.

A cigarette landed at her feet and never lifting her head, she ground it out her face shadowed by the curtain of her hair.

“Pet,” his voice slid through the air, wrapping around her.

Smothering her, making her gasp and struggle for breath.

Gripped her, twisted and turned her stomach.

Slowly……….

Put.

Back.

The.

Pieces.

Of.

Her.

Broken.

Heart.

She swung her head back.

Looked up and met his questioning blue gaze.

He stood half in the shadows.

Stepped out into the light the porch cast and clenched his jaw so hard his cheek bones became even more pronounced in his gaunt face.

She tore her eyes from his and dragged them down the length of him.

From his pale unruly hair that was dirty and singed with soot and blood.

Down his paler than usual, thin, anorexic face, covered in bruises and smeared in blood.

His torn and bloodied t-shirt that could not even be called that now. More like a few pieces of cloth.

His jeans were a little better. They just had tears in the knees, but they hung on his once lean and healthy—well healthy for a man who was dead frame.

Rested on his bloodied and swollen bare feet.

“Oh Spike,” she moaned as the tears began to fall.

For her.

For him.

For her mom.

All of them.

The mess they were in.

“I know I don’t look my usual Big Bad self but surely I don’t look that bad luv,” Spike muttered trying to get her to stop crying.

All it did was make her begin to sob.

He shuffled over to her, his face indecisive as he hesitantly towered over her before he took a seat not too close and not too far.

He raised a hand that paused over her shoulder.

He didn’t know how she would react to his touch. Whether she was happy to see him or if she hated him.

Abruptly his hand dropped down to her shoulder and he patted her on the back aching to hold her close but resisting the urge.

He would let her set the pace.

Be it ripping his head off.

Or sobbing in his arms.

“ShelookedatmeandIcouldn’t—Icouldn’tSpiekIcouldn’ttryand—“

“Pet,” he muttered, loathing to interrupt her, but he couldn’t understand her. And he needed to. “Pet I can’t understand you…….I need you to speak clearly.”

Buffy lifted her face long enough to look at him before she scooted closer, until they were hip to hip. Thigh to thigh.

Spike wrapped his arm around her holding her close.

“This is about your mum then.” He stated firmly.

“Yes,” she muttered sniffling and rubbing at her eyes as tears continued to fall. “No. It’s about everything Spike! She’s just…….she is the worst thing to have come out of all of this.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“I mean Wolfe came in and took her up to her room. I was preoccupied with what Giles had just told us and then he came in and—so I followed him up and the minute she laid eyes on me she screamed. I realized then you know? That she was a demon—a vampire. Yellow eyes, fangs and the whole grrrr face. Took one look at me and screamed her head off. Then I just ran out, couldn’t face her.”

Spike remained silent.

“But that’s not all. Today was horrible…….and I thought killing Angel would be the worst,” she muttered.

“You…….killed Angelus then?” he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head.

“Angel,” she whispered.

Spike’s eyes narrowed to slits and he glanced at her lowered face. Lifted her chin with his forefinger and looked into her slowly turning red and puffy eyes.

“ANGEL?” he queried.

“Angel……..soul and all,” she said with a humorless laugh.

Sighing heavily he shook his head.

“M’sorry pet. I know what you’re feeling,” he said softly.

“No you don’t,” she snapped moving away.

Spike reacted as if he had been punched, jumping to his feet, hissing in pain and growling.

“What do you mean I don’t know what you’re feeling?!” he yelled. “I LOVED DRU FOR OVER A CENTUARY! Don’t you dare denounce that!”

“It’s not the same…….you didn’t kill her! I KILLED ANGEL! I mean I taint everything I touch! Look at my mom! Turned into a vampire because I couldn’t save her! I brought Angel into our lives and now—NOW I’m going to go in and tell everyone I love to stay away! Get away from ME before you end up dead or worse!”

Spike grabbed her arm as she rose and turned to go back into the house. Jerked her towards him and growled down in her face.

“Stop talking such foolish rot! It’s a privilege to be your friend Buffy! They ought to be glad they know such a wonderful chit like you. And as for Angel well pet, he was the devil himself. He would have killed you and anyone else if he thought it would hurt you. He was a right bastard. You only gave him what he deserved. DON’T YOU DARE FEEL SORRY FOR HIM! As for me killing Dru I might as bloody well have! I took her there and I was going to let them kill her! I took her there for her to die! It may have not been by my hand but it’s the same. She died because if me.”

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, already regretting her harsh words. She shouldn’t have said that. She knew Spike loved Drusilla and of course he would be broken up about it.

But he couldn’t understand everything else. She knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before all her friends ended up dead or turned into vampires because of her. She would never let what happened to her mom happen to them. And if she had to force them out of her life to keep them safe so be it.

“Spike I’m sorry. I know you loved her,” she said looking up.

Spike stood stiffly arms crossed and a guarded expression in his face.

“Just because I’m a vamp doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings Buffy. I loved her I did. But I love you more. It hurts though…….her being gone; it hasn’t fully sunk in yet guess same could be said for you yes?”

Buffy rose and walked towards him.

“I am sorry. We’re in the same boat…….so to speak. We both feel responsible and we are. To some extent……...in your case. So…….”

Spike lowered his eyes and debated with himself.

“Your mum…….”

“Yeah so how’d that go,” she muttered.

“The usual, little blood and a little blood and tada newly made vampire on m’hands!”

“Little blood……..that always seems to do the trick. I really…….I never expected this.”

“What did you expect?”

“Not this.”

“You asked me to save her and I did! What did you expect me to do? I tried Buffy, tried my bloody hardest to get her to the infirmary……..keep her alive. So you could have your mum.”

Buffy turned from him holding herself tightly, sliding her gaze up to the night sky, and bit her bottom lip.

“I asked you to save her…….” She whispered tortured.

“And I have. She’s not dead.”

“She’s a vampire. She’s undead. Not alive.”

“She’s here.”

Spike licked his lips and slowly clenched his fists together.

He had been expecting this, her anger, hatred even.

“This is it then? Thanks but no thanks. Is it over now…….can I go back to being just a regular vamp now? You hate me?” he asked bitingly. “Oh wait…….can’t be that! Not any more see I’m tainted, got this bloody…….thing that connects me with you. Then there’s my son. With you. And the little fact I’m in love with you. There’s no escaping you is there? All around me—inside of me. I’m drowning in you. You’re in my gut—my throat, wiggling around. I am in love with you. Do you hear me?! Do you understand? In love with you and have done everything for you. You can’t just—“

“When did I say that? When did I open my mouth and say I hated you and didn’t love you and wanted nothing more to do with you?! I never once said that. Don’t put words in my mouth. I love you. I am in love with you, do you understand that? Do you hear me? I know I asked you to save my mom. I know…….what I asked put you under a lot of pressure, I know that,” Buffy demanded yelling right back at him.

She paused as she glanced at him and then away before she began again.

“The thing is I just did not expect that. I thought for sure she would be okay, that’s all I could let myself think. But really, I knew…….just didn’t want to believe it. I mean what else were you going to do when the sun came up and you were nowhere near the hospital? Let her die? You love me and you did what you thought was right and……..now we’ll have to deal with it.”

She turned then. Faced him and met his wide unblinking eyes.

Smiled.

“So what I’m saying is………thank you. I asked and you did only what I asked. Saved her and that’s all that matters. Right?”

Spike looked slightly stunned as he gazed at her before he nodded quickly.

“Right. So you’re not mad?” he asked hesitantly.

“Wigged? Freaked? Scared? Upset? All of the above except mad. Too exhausted to be mad Spike. Are we finished? Can I take care of you? Thank you properly?”

Spike leered at her a suggestive look forming in his eyes as he caught his tongue between his teeth.

Buffy blushed looking away quickly. Only he could manage to look sexy covered in bruises and blood. Clothes half way to gone. All of the above just added to his appeal and she was ashamed to admit she rather liked it.

“I didn’t mean that,” she muttered.

“What did you mean? How do you plan on……..thanking me properly?” he purred sauntering forward.

Or he would have sauntered but really, he could barely walk. So it was a slow shuffle laced with moans of pain and grimaces.

“You’re a mess,” she stated as she hurried to him and hooked an arm around his waist as she helped him hobble to the steps and up them.

“Never fear luv, I’m up for anything you’ve got to give………”

~*~*~

“S…….stop, please…….no more,” Spike moaned twenty minutes later in delight.

Buffy paused mid pose.

“What? Don’t you like my impersonation of Ripper Giles?” she asked smiling softly.

“As funny as this is……. You shouldn’t take this lightly I have heard of Ripper, he’s not to be trifled with. Powerful bloke in his days.”

Buffy gently settled herself next to Spike who lay sprawled on her bed.

“I know. He’s like…….static man. Electricity just hovers around him and his eyes are all black. I can’t associate my Giles with this new Giles.”

“Gonna hafta start. He’s not the same man any more.”

She trailed a light hand down the side of his face and rose abruptly as she heard the front door open and slam shut.

“Xander’s here with the blood,” she announced.

“Animal blood,” he muttered distastefully. “Care to add a little Slayer blood luv? Make it a mixed drink heavy on the Slayer side won’t you?”

She threw him a look over her shoulder as she left the room.

“Maybe…….”

~*~*~

Buffy met Xander half way up the stairs.

“Hey Xan any problems?” she asked.

Xander shrugged and held out the brown bag full of blood bags.

“Nope, long line though that’s why it took me so long. So…….how’s your mom?”

Buffy frowned as she walked back up the stairs Xander trailing behind.

“Haven’t checked on her. Giles and Willow are doing the spell and I…….couldn’t go back in there. See her like that.”

“It’s harsh. Your mom being a vampire now but hey…….look on the bright side! She’ll last forever. Like diamonds. Only not dead—uh undead. You know she would have died of a brain aneurysm anyway. Now that’s kinda moot. And she’s super strong an-“

Buffy cut him off mid ramble.

“I know. It’s just she freaked when she saw me. I don’t want that happening again is all. So…….could you go check on them and I’ll be in my room.”

Grabbing a few of the blood bags, she jogged back down the stairs to get a glass and a knife.

Xander slowly opened Joyce’s door after knocking softly.

Gave a huge sigh of relief as he found the others huddled around the still sleeping figure of Joyce.

“So she’s out huh? Got the blood,” he held up his bag.

Giles turned and looked at Xander.

“She will be out for a good while. Let us put that in the fridge and commence downstairs,” Giles ordered.

Wolfe was the last to leave the room his gaze lingering on his grandmother.

They wandered into the kitchen and Wolfe leaned against one of the counters gazing off into space. Wanting to go check on Buffy, see how Spike was doing.

“So she’s got a soul now?” Xander asked after putting away the blood.

“Yes,” Giles muttered grimly looking serious and dangerous all at the same time.

“W…….who did this to her? Was it Angelus?” Willow asked the question they were all wondering about.

“She would have died,” Wolfe said abruptly. “Angelus drained her to the brink of death.”

“So you are saying he didn’t sire her? Did not turn her into a vampire?” Giles asked carefully.

Wolfe straightened and met Giles’s gaze head on.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Who did then?”

“Mom asked dad to save her and he did,” Wolfe said simply as he turned and headed back upstairs.

The Scooby gang hurried after him anxious for more details.

Wolfe ignored them as he knocked on Buffy’s door and pushed it open as he was invited in.

“You did this,” Giles exploded upon seeing Spike sitting up with the help of Buffy and sipping a glass of blood.

Before any of them had time to react to his outburst, a spurt of blue energy flew from his fingers and Spike was thrown from the bed into the wall.

Suspended there as Giles or rather Ripper stalked over to him.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you,” he hissed.

“Told you pet…….a man not to be trifled with,” Spike mumbled with a half grin.

“Giles! Put him down right now,” Buffy, ordered striding up to Giles and shoving him none to gently to get his attention.

Slowly he lowered his hands and Spike would have fallen had Wolfe not rushed to catch him and place him gently back on the bed.

“What the hell is your problem? She is my mother and if I don’t have a problem with her being a vamp you shouldn’t have one either,” Buffy snapped glaring at Giles.

“Give him a break pet. E’s got it bad for your mum. Was only doing what any man in love would do if his woman were ‘urt,” Spike said.

The look on Buffy’s face was classic.

She sputtered.

Blinked.

Sputtered some more and finally managed, “You like my mom?”

She could not even think about the love part yet.

Giles flushed and looked away from Buffy’s horrified gaze.

“Well…….you see…….I uh……..well yes indeed I do like your Mother,” he choked out extremely embarrassed.

“Aw……. They’ll make a cute couple won’t they? She’s all grrrrrrrr and he’s all zzzzzzzzzz. They so fit,” Willow said hugging Oz.

“Wills think about that,” Xander suggested.

Buffy shook her head and sat…….missing the bed and falling on her behind instead.

“Like like? Or is this like I like you as a friend like? But not like that kinda like?” Buffy asked.

Giles frowned trying to decipher that odd sentence full of the word like.

“Yes. I really like her in the romantic sense. Is that clear enough?” he asked as soon as he unscrambled her sentence.

Buffy nodded.

“Crystal. Now get out,” she ordered.

The others scrambled to do as they were told.

“Cept the boy,” Spike put out.

“You and I will have words on a number of things Spike,” Giles warned as headed out.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way Rupes,” Spike called after him.

~*~*~

“So…….how weird was that?” Wolfe asked nervously as he glanced around the room taking in everything.

His parents studied him with the same degree of love and concern.

Spike glanced at Buffy a minute before he spoke.

“Yeh, weird isn’t quite the word. How are you?” he asked carefully as Wolfe continued to pace and never let his eyes rest on them too long.

“Great. You? Mom? Are you guys okay? Because I was worried for a while when I couldn’t find you dad. But then I did and you looked like hell…….still do. So I was worried and then mom…….when you found out about Joyce you freaked and I—“

*Something’s wrong with him,* Buffy mused silently.

#Yep,# Spike agreed.

*This must have been hard on him. Hiding from everyone and trying to stay alive. Add on the fact he’s pretty beat up and…….there’s something not quite right with him Spike. I can’t put my finger on it.*

Spike lay back down and contemplated the ceiling.

“Wolfe you want to tell us about you? How are you? Where have you been? What happened to you?” he asked.

Wolfe crossed his arms and frowned.

“Not really,” he mumbled.

*How do we do this Spike? I don’t know how to be a parent, look what happened to my mom and I’m just her daughter! Turned into a vampire. God knows what will happen to Wolfe!*

#Calm down luv,# Spike ordered.

“If you’re going to talk like that I’ll just leave you—“

“No…….come sit down with us,” Buffy found herself saying.

#That’s it luv. Do what your mum would.#

*But he’s a man. He doesn’t need me coddling him!*

#We will learn together. Now scoot over and let him sit down and then let me ask the next question.#

*Like that’s been going so well Spike! Let me.*

#No.#

*Yes.*

#No.#

*Yes.*

#No.#

*No.*

#Yes.#

*Why thank you Spike I think I will.*

“Wolfe…….” Buffy began.

#No fair luv! I’m impaired here, being all wounded and the like. You cheated.#

*No. I won.*

“Wolfe,” she repeated as he settled himself down next to them and glanced from one to the other.

“Hmmmm?”

“You don’t feel responsible for this do you? Because really it’s not your fault……. And we came out of it alive. We’re all alive,” she said with a smile.

“So? I don’t see how that doesn’t make this my fault. I mean Grace my girlfriend was the one who pulled you from the past into the future and everything that happened there had a direct affect on the past! The things you did are my fault. Things now are my fault! Rufus wouldn’t have opened the hellmouth if it weren’t for me!”

Wolfe got up and began to pace around angrily.

“Rufus opened the hellmouth. He was doing it before you got there right? So it would have been opened anyway. Sure Grace is the reason we were sent to the future but we made decisions Wolfe. Our own choices that affected our world now. No one made those decisions for us. You need to realize you can’t control other people’s actions,” Buffy tried to placate him.

“Can’t I?! I made sure you would think about me. About having me. I wanted things to change. Be given the chance to know you and it has changed the whole damn world! I think I have the right to be pretty pissed about that,” Wolfe growled.

“Wolfe,” Spike tried to put in his piece. “You should be angry that you were put in such a dangerous position and were almost killed because of it. What you shouldn’t blame yourself for is things outside of your control mainly being what people will do to gain power. As our son, it seems you’re quite the wanted man. But that’s just a fact, can’t change that now.”

Wolfe paused and stared at them his face taut and his eyes shinning an unnatural bright green.

“You’re right we can’t change that. Not now. Not ever,” he yelled.

#His eyes…….#

*Oh no……..not this!*

“What do you mean…….not now not ever? Don’t you want to go home?” Spike asked.

“What did you do?” Buffy whispered a horrified edge to her voice as she slowly got up and walked towards Wolfe.

“What I had to do,” Wolfe, muttered. She reached up and cupped his face; he struggled for a moment before he let her.

“Amazing. They glow just like any other vampire. Except they don’t change colors. They stay the same color only unnaturally so. Why would you do this?’ she demanded.

“You’ve got a demon now?” Spike demanded rising and slowly making his way to them. “What the hell for?!” Looking into his sons eyes, he knew he spoke the truth. “You didn’t before!”

“Do you hate me?” he whispered all his anger and resentment falling away leaving only the boy behind.

Anxious for his parents love and approval.

Buffy blinked as she let go of his face and glanced at Spike as he joined them.

“Hate you?” she whispered.

Shook her head.

“Of course we don’t hate you Wolfe,” Spike muttered.

“We love you,” Buffy stated.

“But I’m a demon…….” Wolfe protested.

“If you weren’t you wouldn’t be a part of this family,” Buffy said with a laugh.

“Your mum’s right. What we’ve got like three generations of demons in this family now! Grandmum, mum and now you…….wouldn’t make sense if you was normal.”

Wolfe smiled, blinking back tears.

“Mom doesn’t have a demon,” he muttered half laughing.

“Well…….technically I do. I’ve got one in my head and if he isn’t a demon I don’t know what he is!”

“Hey now! M’all demon! Here ends this round of beat the Spike pet!” Spike grumbled good-naturedly.

“Right,” Wolfe snarked. “You’ve got yourself a Slayer, a kid, and a new childe. You’re right. You are still a demon of……… sorts.”

Spike nodded firmly as he wrapped his arms around Wolfe and pulled him in for a big hug.

Buffy flung herself at both of them, completing the family hug.

“And I’ll have you know the only reason I’m keepin’ the Slayer around is……. It’s always nice to have Slayer blood on tap.”

Buffy huffed.

“Here ends this round of beat Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” she muttered.

“Don’t you mean la—“

“Don’t you even say it,” Buffy threatened.

“Wha? I was only gonna say don’t you mean Buffy the Vampire…….uh supermum,” Spike protested.

“That so does not start with an L which was what you were saying! And you should be glad that I can even stand you! What with you being snarkish, obnoxious, not funny, witty, or even remotely attractive—“Buffy rambled on.

“Take that back!” Spike gasped out. “I am too attractive! Best bloody damn lookin’ vamp you have ever met luv. Ever likely to meet. And besides that wasn’t what you were saying when we did th—“

Buffy let out a gasp as she realized what he was going to say.

“Wolfe is in the room Spike! He doesn’t want to hear about that!”

Spike looked questioningly at Wolfe.

“She’s right. I so don’t want to hear about…….that,” Wolfe mumbled beyond embarrassed.

“You make it out as if I was talking about us having sex or somethin’! I was only going to say your mum wasn’t thinking how bad lookin’ she likes to pretend I am when we first met. In the alley behind the Bronze.”

Buffy slapped him on the chest and mock scowled.

“You’re like deficient,” she complained.

“And you are like so cute,” Spike grumbled.

“And I’m like going to be sick. You guys are crazy,” Wolfe complained laughing. “God I love you.”

Spike and Buffy grinned at each other and then looked as one at Wolfe.

“So does that mean you’re feeling better?” Buffy asked happily.

~*~*~

“So essentially we’ve got nothing,” Giles said as they all assembled in the living room where they were discussing recent events.

“Well not necessarily,” Buffy said as Giles looked as if he were about to give up.

“Yes?” he asked.

“We know that whatever ritual Rufus was doing was in that book and it went to hell with him. So for now Wolfe’s relatively safe.”

Giles glanced at Wolfe and smiled slightly.

“That’s all good and well but we still have no idea why the Order of Aurelius aided Rufus in his plans. We have no idea how Angelus came to be or what we’ll be facing in the future.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea what Rufus was doing teamed up with the Order,” Wolfe announced.

All eyes turned to him and he straightened slightly at all the attention.

“Well…..when I was—see I wasn’t hiding,” he breathed in a rush looking at Buffy then Spike as he said this. “I was in a self imposed…….prison.”

“Prison?” Willow asked.

“Imposed?” Giles questioned at the same time.

“Well…….as you all know I’m half demon half Slayer. So naturally, I have a demon, like any other vampire. The thing is it doesn’t control me. I can function without it and live a normal life. I…….let the demon out once and it wasn’t pretty. I did things…….I’m not proud of. I vowed never to let it out and made Willow cast a spell over me. If I ever started to think about letting the demon out I would be taken away from all I loved so I would not hurt any of them and placed in a sort of containment structure.”

“Wow,” Xander mumbled as he eyed Wolfe warily.

“What does this have to do with you knowing anything about Rufus’s plans with the Order?” Spike asked abruptly.

“I can only guess it was the Powers that placed a sort of screen into the going on’s down below in the past. With you all. Granted I don’t know everything but I do know some things that may come in handy. Rufus didn’t just plan to rule the world, open the hell mouth. What he wanted was bigger. Something about the Master’s line being what he needed to complete the circle. But when Mornay killed Dru, the circle was broken and Elias decided that keeping the rest of the line alive would be something only to give an edge to Rufus.

“I’m not even sure Elias knew what Rufus wanted with the Master’s line other than the fact he had been promised the Order would be safe when Rufus ruled the world. Anyway, that’s one thing. The other is Rufus caused Angel to lose his soul. He had a Soul Catcher grab it at his weakest moment. And…….he kept it in a crystal. When I was trying to save him I broke it.”

All eyes turned to Buffy.

“Angel had his soul when you killed him?” Giles voiced the question no one wanted to ask.

Buffy lowered her head, closed her eyes in shame.

The feel of Spike’s cool hand enclosing her own had her gathering her resolve.

She lifted her head and gazed at all of them in turn, daring them to protest what she’d done. To make her feel worse than she already did.

“Yes. I did. He got his soul right when I chopped his head off,” she said bluntly.

No one said anything for a moment all coming to terms with this new and disturbing fact.

“No matter,” Giles finally spoke breaking the silence. “You did what had to be done and I’m sorry you had to do that on your own Buffy. Angelus was a monster. An evil being that wouldn’t have stopped until he was dead and you did what any of us would have. Isn’t that right?” Giles snapped out.

He would have no one judge her for this!

“Right,” Xander agreed sending Buffy a wide reassuring smile.

“I second that Buffy. It had to be done,” Willow chimed in.

Oz just sent her a silent agreement.

“I’ve a suggestion,” Spike announced.

“What ?” Buffy asked curiously.

“I suggest we all get some sleep. My guess is even though the library is totaled you all have school tomorrow.”

“Snyder would be perverted enough to do that,” Xander groaned.

“Yes…….well. We shall heed your advice Spike. Now—“

“You guys are staying here,” Buffy ordered as everyone made as if to leave.

“We are?” Willow asked hesitantly. “I thought you might want to be alone. Have some family time.”

“You guys are my family,” Buffy simply said. She was going to have a talk with all of them. The sooner the better. They could not be around her much longer.

“Besides Rupert here will just worry bout Joyce and it’s better if you all stay here tonight. Can’t have any of you dying by the Ripper’s hands now can we? Run you right off the road with his wanderin’ thoughts,” Spike felt it necessary to point out. The barb directed solely at Rupert who stood frozen on the stairs.

“Let us have that talk now Spike,” Giles gritted out.

“Thought you’d never ask,” Spike said with a smile.

Buffy caught Spike’s arm as he turned to follow Giles out the back door.

“Keep it clean Spike. Don’t goad him. I love you both and don’t want either of you hurt.”

Spike placed a quick kiss on her lips.

“Never fear luv. It’s just a little male posturing. He’s gotta see if I’m worthy enough to be trusted with the precious lives of you Summers women. And there’s the little fact I turned the woman he loves into a—“

“Don’t say that,” Buffy moaned.

“What?” Spike asked though he knew what she was talking about.

“Love. There’s no love there Spike! Like. We’re on like right now. Like is all I can handle. He likes her. L-I-K-E.”

Smothering a laugh, he shook his head and turned away.

“What ever you say pet. I still say he loves her.”

“Can’t hear you,” she sing-songed.

His laughter followed him out.

~*~*~

Epilogue:

“On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the seventh moon of the seventh year there shall arise a being more powerful than the devil himself from the depths of the seventh realm of hell. Only the seven warriors born of blood, love, and courage shall be able to stop it. On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the seventh moon, seven warriors will stand tall and face the seventh realm’s greatest demon. Man will perish but only these seven warriors who bear the mark of Aurelius shall stand a chance…….”

Martha Travers glanced one last time at the passage circled in her husband’s private journal before she ripped the page out and tossed it into the fire that flared brightly in their bedroom.

“Doesn’t matter,” she muttered. “They shall never know and in the end we will have all we could ever have hoped love. I will get you back. You and I will dance in the ashes of all those who brought about your destruction. In time. For now we wait.”

THE END

~*~*~

To Be continued in the 7th Moment Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!