Redefined
http://www.angelfire.comdroid/spuffy0/
skyz20000@aol.com
Redefined By: skyz
Wolfe Winthrop lazily lifted an arm over his eyes and let out a content sigh.
“I was that good, huh?” a sultry voice asked from beside him. Smiling, he rolled over until he faced his lover.
“You were that good,” he replied softly giving her a soft kiss before he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“What’s wrong Wolfe?” the woman beside him asked concern coloring her voice.
“Nothin’ babe, just worn out. Not up to the pillow talk. Leave it.”
Silence descended over the room and Wolfe let his mind wander. His thoughts moved swiftly to a subject he’d been thinking about more and more of late. His parents.
“I miss them Grace,” he whispered. He felt her hand drift lightly over his shoulders in a comforting gesture.
“I know,” she said knowing exactly what he was talking about.
“I just wish…” he trailed off knowing it was no use. His parents were gone, dead and he missed them. He often wondered why, he’d never met them and yet he loved them. Having them here now, would make his life perfect.
“It could happen you know. I know a way,” Grace finally said.
Perking up he lifted his head to stare down at her.
“What? How?”
“A spell. It’s simple. I could-“
“No…no! I can’t do that,” he snapped sharply suddenly realizing what he had almost agreed to. He cursed the hope that had suddenly flared at her words.” No Grace, I can’t do that. They’re at peace. I won’t take them from it. Leave it be.”
Grace pouted but agreed with a quick nod of her head. She wanted t make him happy. She loved him and in loving him she wanted all of him, she would never have it with him feeling the way he was. So with a resigned smile she let the subject drop.
~*~ ~*~
Wolfe woke the next morning alone and absently wondered if Grace was mad at his decision. He took a quick shower before he left his room. The large house was fairly deserted which wasn’t unusual since all that lived there had active social lives. Meaning the house was never full at any one time. Besides, he wasn’t too keen on seeing any one. He was on his way to visit his parents, as he always did every morning. Lost in his thoughts he was startled when he heard the scream rip through the air. He recognized it instantly.
“Grace,” he yelled in sudden panic.
~*~ ~*~
“…as the Anointed One – are you paying attention to me Buffy?” Giles was saying as he glared down at the dreamy looking Buffy.
“Yeah Buffy, Dead Boy isn’t here to see you make with the moon eyes. So p-“ Xander was in the middle of saying as a blinding light erupted and then all was black.
~*~ ~*~
Wolfe found Grace slumped over on the ground, he hardly had time to focus on the circle of candles and bowl of herbs she was sprawled inside of. He scooped her up and placed her on a near by bench.
“Grace? Come on babe, open your eyes,” he urged as he lightly slapped her face. His eyes scanned the surrounding area for any sign of an attack.
“Uh……..” Grace woke with a moan.
“Grace?”
Grace gazed locked on his and he smiled in relief, hugging her tightly.
“What the hell happened?”
“Oh, no Wolfe,” she groaned as she pushed away from him. “I tried—and I don’t think it worked. I’m-“
“What?!” Wolfe asked fear sliding through him once again.
“I-“ she began but a sudden rumbling from above and a brief flash of light caused her to stop abruptly and look up along with Wolfe. He felt his mouth fall open as he watched people fall from the sky and land a few feet away.
“It worked,” Grace exclaimed as she jumped up and rapidly moved toward the fallen people.
“Grace come back here,” he called warningly making a grab for her arm. She evaded him and he watched as she reached one of them and helped her to her feet. Hesitantly, somehow reluctant to see who they were he followed. One in particular caught his attention as he rose his white blond hair startling in the gloominess of the overcast morning.
“Bloody hell,” he exclaimed running his hands over his prized leather duster.
“Oh Good Lord! Spike you stay away from us,” Giles yelled as he rose warily looking around wildly for a weapon.
“S…Spike,” Willow stuttered in fear as she clutched Xander’s arm.
“Oh great it’s the Scooby brats,” Spike said sarcastically. “Where’s your fearless leader?” Come out Slayer and let’s play!”
Buffy was on her feet in fighting stance by the time he had finished the stake she’d been fiddling with tightly grasped.
“Today you die Spike,” she spat.
~*~ ~*~
Wolf watched the scene with something a keen to horror.
“Oh, please no,” he moaned quickly turning to Grace. He gripped her shoulders and shook her. “What did you do?”
“I...I brought them back like you wanted,” she gasped.
He shoved her away in disgust, turned and was just in time to see Buffy lunge for Spike stake raised.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Redefined 2:
“Stop! Please, you have to stop,” he yelled as he ran between them. Buffy stumbled as he shoved her back and glared at Wolfe as he looked from one to the other his heart in his throat.
“Get out of the way,” Buffy hissed as she made to lunge at Spike again. Wolfe couldn’t help but stare at her, his eyes drinking her up greedily. Oh my God, he thought in awe as he continued to stare at her. He couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face.
“See you’ve cast your spell on this stupid git too, Slayer! Listen you stupid fool get outta the way. Me and the girl got business,” Spike snarled angrily as he advanced towards the boy.
His voice roused Wolfe from his thoughts and he glanced at Spike and blinked a couple of times as he tried to focus and come out of his shock at what the hell had just happened.
He couldn’t help the laugh that came as he realized what Spike had said. Classic, he mused as he crossed his arms and regarded Spike with warm eyes. Cast her spell indeed!
“Listen, look around. Doesn’t it seem kinda funny how you all fell out of the sky? Or is that the norm for you all?” he directed his question to Giles with a quick flick of his eyes.
“Of course not. This is highly unusual I assure you. Now Buffy as much as I loath to say it we certainly aren’t in-“
“Kansas any more huh G-man?” Xander supplied with a wide grin as he looked around expectantly.
“Oh very original, you bloody imbecile,” Spike snapped as he fumbled around for a cigarette.
Giles cleared his throat and quickly cleaned his glasses.
“Er…yes Xander. We are not in Sunnydale any longer as you can see by the expanse of ….well nothingness,” Giles supplied as he gestured to the flat plains that surrounded the large house they had been deposited in front of. There was nothing but land either way you looked. Depressing he mused silently. “Now what have you to say for your self?”
“Come inside and we can discuss this civilly can you all do that,” Wolfe asked as he glanced at Buffy then Spike who was glaring daggers at Buffy.
“Giles?” Buffy asked. “Of course. Lead the way and perhaps you can introduce yourself to us,” Giles said as he followed Wolfe as he grabbed Grace by the arm and stalked toward the house.
“I can’t believe you did this Grace,” he hissed ignoring Giles’s remark for the moment.
“It’s what you wanted though Wolfe you can’t be upset about this! I saw your face Wolfe,” she exclaimed. “You’re happy about this an-“
“I told you not to do this! You disregarded what I wanted and went behind my back and –“
“Rude much? My Watcher asked you a question and here you are ignoring him and having a conversation, we can all hear. I’m not moving a foot until you tell us what the hell is going on,” Buffy said stubbornly as she glared at Wolfe defiantly.
“What she said but with a death threat. I will bleed you all dry unless you get me back to my Dru! Now open your gob and speak!”
“Grace why don’t you explain what you’ve done,” Wolfe said calmly as he ushered them all into the living room.
Grace shifted uncomfortable with the looks of everyone in the room on her. She swallowed and glanced nervously at Wolfe before she began to speak hesitantly.
“Well…. I was-I did a spell. I did a spell that brought you here,” she said in a rush and dropped down in the nearest chair appearing to be finished with her explanation.
“Where exactly is here?” Giles demanded starting to get angry at the unwillingness to share what was going on here.
“What kind of spell? Are you a witch? You must be a very powerful-“Willow asked hesitantly.
“Can’t stop staring at this dead sexy vamp can you pet? Make you hot don’t I? Better’n the poof huh?” Spike purred loudly enough for them all to hear.
“You’re a pig Spike! I’d never do anything with you, except with a stake!”
“Yeh, Dead boy jr.! She’ll stake you but good,” Xander felt the need to put his two cents in as he scowled at Spike.
“Xander,” she admonished as Spike leered at her taking Xander’s words the wrong way.
“What?” he asked confused.
“God save me from these children,” Giles could be heard mumbling under his breath.
Wolfe stared because that was all he could do. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. In the flesh, what he had been told but had doubted having not been present for it. The amazing chemistry that sparked between the Slayer and her mortal enemy. It fairly burned.
“Look this is all fine and well but seriously I’d like to know where we are. Why we’re here and how the bloody hell I can get back. Listen little girl you brought us here and if you don’t tell us right now what the hell you were thinking and how you plan on sussin’ this out I’ll-“
“No more death threats! I’ll explain. I’m Wolfe, this is Grace. And you’re actually in Sunnydale-“
“That’s impossible! Where did all the buildings go-“
“Did the school blow up? I mean there’s nothin out there. How cool is that?”
“Who cares where the buildings are how do I get home?!”
“You just want to get back to your skanky ho of a girlfriend!”
“I…I think this is some kind of a spell. This…..k…kinda feels like a spell. Like around the h….h…house-“
“Jealous?”
“You wish! I’d never-”
“I know you think-”
“…be with you. You’re an abomination-“
“…..about it don’t ya? My, my yo-“
“….a disgusting dead thing that I will kill as soon as possible once-“
“….you actually know a big word like abomination. Maybe there is more in that-“
“…I figure out what the hell is going on. Now I-“
“…ditzy little head than I thought. Still I’m gonna kill you. Deader than dead-“
“…WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU LOOK AWFULLY FAMILIAR,” Buffy directed the rest of her sentence to Wolfe.
Wolfe was startled out of his fascination at watching them snark back and forth at each other and glanced at Buffy.
“Um…see that’s rather difficult to explain. See there are things I could say that would shock you and you wouldn’t believe me and I really want to explain- But see here’s the thing I can’t cuz you wouldn’t believe me and-“
“It’s fairly simple really,” Grace interrupted his ramblings with a wide smile and words that caused pandemonium,” He’s your son!”
“Son?!”
“What the-who the-how the- huh?”
“Whose son? Cause really you need to be more specific. There are a lot of people here to choose from. We’re all virgins here-cept for Giles and I’m not sure about that though, what with all that Britishy stiff upper lip thing he has going for him. Not that I think about his sex life cuz-Ewwwwwwww!!!!!!!”
“My God look at his eyes,” Giles’s hushed voice broke through the chaos that had gathered. Everyone turned to stare at Wolfe. Looked at his eyes. Looked at Buffy. Looked back into his eyes and back to Buffy. Back and forth it went. Like a tennis match.
Spike’s booming laugh broke the strained silence as he doubled over clutching his sides.
“Unfucking believable! The Slayer here has herself a brat! A full-grown git, with Slayer blood running through his veins. Hmmmmm….you’d be a nice treat for m’Dru,” he said contemplatively his eyes running over Wolfe thoughtfully.
“How is this possible? Tell us how! Buffy is too young to have a son! This must be- this is a mistake. Young man explain, Now!”
“Well Buffy didn’t have me when she was sixteen Giles. She had me when she was 23. Big difference. See? 16 and 23? Age jump, so it was okay then. Now if you would all calm down-“
“Who’s the father? I mean who is your father?” Buffy finally spoke staring down at her feet unable to bring herself to look at the man who claimed to be her son. “Was it Angel?” she asked hopefully, yet some part of her knowing that was impossible.
“Better guess another one pet! Vampires can’t have kids. What with us being dead and all, are boys are blanks,” Spike spat out venomously visible stiffening at the mention of Angel.
“That’s normally true,” Wolfe began slowly as he began to edge away from Spike. God only knew how he would react to the news.
“So you’re sayin’ you are hers and Peaches?” Spike suddenly growled his game face coming forth as he sniffed the air like a dog. “You smell…..familiar!”
“Because we have the same blood. We’re fa-“
“We aren’t family! If you’re Peaches’s brat I want nothin’ to do with you, best be glad I don’t gut you boy. M’getting the hell outta here. Don’t need your help to get home. M’leavin’,” Spike said desperately as he dashed to the doorway of the living room. It can’t be true he thought desperately. It can’t! I won’t let it!
“Don’t you want to know how you got the Slayer pregnant, “ Grace’s voice followed his retreating form. She sent a sly wink Wolfe’s way as he buried his head in his hands with a loud groan.
“What. Did. You. Say. You. Silly. Little. Bint???????????” Spike grated out hoarsely spinning around to face her yellow eyes flashing.
“I said-“
“Hey? Where is everybody? I brought food and coffee for our meeting. Wolfe? Grace? Todd? Anyone-Oh my God,” a familiar voice raised in concern descended as the person paused mere feet from Spike.
There was a thud from a body hitting the ground but is was drowned out by the growls emitted from Spike as he turned slowly and with a look of hatred pounced.
“Angelus,” he growled as he tackled him to the ground.
“Buffy….do wake up. Oh dear, this is not good. Not good at all. Oh dear Lord what is to become of us?” Giles mumbled as he tried to wake his Slayer who had fainted from the shock of it all. Not good at all.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Redefined Ch:3
Shifting between unconscious and consciousness a vision flickered beneath Buffy’s closed eyes. Chiseled cheekbones, tousled ash blond hair, falling into his eyes. Almost foppish she mused.
She’d thought when she had just laid eyes on him that he was cute. A hottie even, who obviously had a thing going with the girl-Grace, was her name. Grace had brought them here. She had noticed the eyes too. An ever-changing color of green. Hazel as the calm before the storm and a dark green as their mood turned more turbulent. Of course, she had thought who knew two people could have the same eyes.
Thought nothing of it. Pushed aside the fact that he looked exactly like Spike. The picture of Wolfe flickered and died as she opened her eyes with a groan.
Three concerned faces peering down at her filled her vision.
“Buffy are you alright?” Giles asked as he helped into a sitting position.
“Yeh. Great tell me this was all a dream and we aren’t-Nope I see we are still here,” Buffy moaned as her eyes flicked to Grace who had her back to her. Something in the doorway held her attention and the noises finally registered with Buffy.
All eyes followed Buffy’s line of vision.
“What’s going on?” she demanded as she rose to her feet stepping toward the couple who were rolling around like children.
“He sure is angry,” Xander couldn’t help but point out as he stood beside Buffy as they watched Wolfe somehow manage to separate the two, holding Spike by the waist as he flailed about wildly.
“Let me go, let me go,” Spike yelled his face slipping into his human mask and looking nonetheless scarier.
“Hi Angel,” Grace said happily as she moved toward him to look at his wounds.
Angel barely acknowledged her as he sought out Buffy and locked eyes with her who was staring back in abject horror and shock.
Self-consciously he ducked his head and broke their intense stare off.
“Well, well, well looks like Dead boy here aint lookin’ so good,” Xander snickered looking at Angel.
“Angel, what happened to you,” Willow gasped out her eyes wide as saucers as she gaped at him.
“Good Lord, you’re old,” Giles couldn’t help but blurt out as he jerked off his glasses and scrubbed at them furiously.
“Grace-take Angel out of here and explain what you’ve done. Now!” Wolfe snapped as he struggled with a still worked up Spike.
“No! Wait-wait what’s going on-“ Angel could be heard saying as Grace tugged him out of the room.
“Okay, calm down Spike. Now you-Wolfe, explain. Now. Spike I said shut up,” Buffy screamed her frustration at the breaking point as she jerked Spike from Wolfe’s grasp and violently flung him into a near by chair and flung herself on top of him to keep him from moving.
Spike snarled at her.
She ignored him and stared at the man who claimed to be her son. Her son! Son of Spike, Spike’s son! Her flesh and blood. Major wiggins. She tore her gaze from his warm and open one, unable to breath. Her son was all she could think. Her son!
“Please, explain,” she tried again in a civil tone, gesturing vaguely to the doorway where Angel had gone out of.
Wolf watched his mother with now worried eyes as she began to hyperventilate.
“Are you oka-“ he began only to stop as a whirlwind by the name of Angel stormed in and gathered the tittering Slayer in his arms, overwhelming her.
“Oh Buffy,” he mumbled into her hair.
“Get away from her,” Spike found himself saying as he jumped up ready to kill him. Rip his head off and pl-
Could it get any worse? Wolfe thought as he shook his head grabbed Buffy from Angel’s arms with one hand and jerked Spike towards the door with the other.
“Grace, please. Please…..” he trailed off unable to continue as he ushered his parents out of the room.
“Of course I’ll explain,” Grace replied to his unasked question. She tried to convey her love in her smile as he hurried out. She got a small strained on in return, but one nonetheless. It warmed her heart.
They were all silent as they looked anywhere but at Angel. Uncomfortable was not even close to what they were feeling.
“I….I ….I want a drink. A stiff drink. May I have a drink? I deserve a drink. Give me a drink…..er….Grace,” Giles demanded.
“Me too,” Xander piped up.
“Me three,” Willow echoed.
Giles was too exhausted to protest as Grace just laughed.
“I don’t think so. I don’t need three drunken people on my hands. I have to explain so no drinks until I’m done. Now you all know Angel…..”
~*~ ~*~
“You saw Angel out there didn’t you?” Wolfe asked.
“He’s awfully old now,” Buffy couldn’t help but mumble as she flung herself down into a chair in the study Wolfe had brought them to.
“He’s not that old. He’s only fifty. Well….you’re sixteen that must seem pretty old to you,” he agreed as he kept his eye on Spike who sat slumped in a chair an impassive look on his face.
Wolfe swallowed before he began again.
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you,” he mumbled.
“Too late for that. Silly little bint already let your secret out. Might as well tell us the rest,” Spike finally spoke in a flat coldly unemotional voice.
“Yes, tell us.”
Wolfe struggled within himself. God he wanted to tell them! Explain, but it wouldn’t be right.
“No, no, no I can’t! I can’t,” he cried as he jumped up and ran out as if the hounds of hell were chasing him.
Neither made any move to go after him. They sat in stony silence.
“I think it’s a lie,” Spike suddenly said as he leant forward nervous energy bouncing around him.
“What?” Buffy asked tiredly.
“I mean, don’t you see? They brought us here for a reason! They probably want to kill us. It must be a lie to distract us! They mean to kill us!”
Buffy slowly lifted her aching head and stared at him incredulously.
“You are crazy. He looks just like you. It’s all you, minus the eyes. He has my eyes!”
Spike laughed a harsh barking noise that held no amusement.
“I look nothing like that,” he denied.
“I’m thinking you don’t know what you look like I mean you have no reflection and you’ve been dead for a good hundred twenty years so y-“
“Of course I know what I look like,” he lied uneasily. He had a vague recollection of himself with floppish sandy hair, lukewarm blue eyes hidden behind glasses. A bloody wanker he’d been! “And I don’t look like that!”
Buffy let out a long-suffering sigh. She was so tired, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and wake up to find this was all a bad, very bad dream.
“I would never name my son after a dog! What kind of name is Wolfe?!”
“Wolves aren’t dogs Spike. Well I don’t think they are. Maybe of the dog persuasion but dogs they are cer-And you’re right who would name a child Wolfe? I would never do that. Oh the horror.”
“There you go we agree! He isn’t our son! We need to get out of here. They’re going to kill us.”
Buffy couldn’t help the laugh that escaped as she heard what he said.
“Well you should be happy then. I’ll be dead like you want. But if you feel the need to run along by all means.”
Spike scowled as he stood.
“True. But right now, it’s about survival pet. Which means, you are coming with me,” he growled as he brought his fist down on the side of her head knocking her out cold.
~*~ ~*~
“Grace?! Grace don’t say anything,” Wolfe yelled as he burst back into the living room.
“Too late for that,” Grace said sadly, as she marched over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist.
“Yes….quite,” Giles agreed his face a look of stunned disbelief, mirroring all but Angel’s.
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no! We can’t put them back knowing this,” Wolfe exclaimed in dismay.
“Well I could do a spell,” Grace offered.
“NO,” everyone yelled in unison.
“Where are Buffy and Spike?” Angel asked in the sudden silence.
Wolfe turned and found himself studying Angel. Trying to see him through Buffy’s eyes. The once young vibrant-scratch that he had never really been vibrant, hell he had only one facial feature even now! It was all in his eyes. The face may have aged with wrinkles; the hair might have gone a distinguished gray but the eyes…. Those soulful eyes had remained the same. Now his eyes were saying all kinds of things, mirroring the turmoil of Wolfe’s own emotions.
“I left them to come here,” he finally managed to say.
“What?! They’ll kill each other,” Xander yelled as he shoved past them in a mad dash for the doorway and into the hallway.
“You’re going the wrong way,” Grace called as she followed Wolfe and the others in the opposite direction.
Dread settled over Wolfe as he pushed open the door to the study and found it empty. Sounds of dismay echoed in his ears as he closed his eyes and gripped his head. Feeling as if it might explode.
“They….wouldn’t really kill each other would they?” he hesitantly asked.
Their silence was all the answer he needed. Redefined: 4
Ch: 4
“Now what,” Grace asked with a quick look at the figures huddled not to far away.
Wolfe shrugged trying to dull his growing migraine by sheer force of will.
“No clue,” he mumbled as he settled back into the couch eyes focused on a middle distance.
“It’s not safe out there Wolfe! You know w-“
“Well they wouldn’t be out there if you hadn’t brought them here,” Wolfe snapped angrily.
He didn’t want to look at her, he really didn’t, but it was useless. Her hurt silence was all she needed to make him feel like crap. He turned his head slightly, looked at her through the corner of his eye. Sighed.
“Aw hell babe. I’m sorry ‘kay? It’s just this is too much. I- I –No I shouldn’t be the one apologizing here! Grace this wouldn’t even be happening if you had not gone behind my back and brought them here. I specifically asked you not to do anything. You did this on your own. Now where’s the reversal spell. I can do it.”
Grace edged away from him as his green gaze bored into her.
Wolfe narrowed his eyes to slits, clenching his jaw and running a hand through his longish locks. He blinked and smiled to himself as he wrapped an arm around her and hauled her back to his side. He nuzzled her neck and growled softly.
“You don’t have a reversal spell do you Grace?”
Grace gathered her courage to look at him and offered a small smile of apology.
“I do,” she admitted slowly.
“I hear a but……”
“But it isn’t for this group of people.”
“You mean- what? What do you mean?”
“Look Wolfe I didn’t mean to get them from 1997! I meant to get them just before they both died that way-“
“What? You mean you got the wrong people?! A different dimension?”
“No! Keep your voice down-“
“Hey, how about feeding us? I’m majorily jonesing for some pizza,” Xander’s voice broke into their intense conversation.
“Uh…Angel could you take em to the kitchen? I have to talk to Grace. Please. Thanks,” Wolfe said as he watched Angel reluctantly lead the Scoobies out of the room.
“They aren’t from another dimension okay? They’re from the past. Somehow, the spell went wrong and mixed up the signals or whatever. What we got is them- the uninformed versions of their future selves!”
“Grace did you even think before you did this? I know you’ve done some shitty things but damn….this just tops them all! Okay, I need to calm down.”
Grace rubbed his back slowly.
“Breathe, breathe,” she instructed softly.
“I’m okay. I’m okay. Listen we have to get them out of here. I mean they can’t stay here. They’ll screw everything up. Everything. I-“
“Wolfe this could actually be a godsend,” Angel’s voice came from the doorway as he strode in.
“No. They aren’t staying. They can’t!”
Wolfe lowered his head and ignored the two stares of the two people he trusted most in the world.
“Don’t you want to get to know them Wolfe?” Angel asked softly.
“Angel-“ Grace tried to interrupt.
“Don’t you want to know your parents? See what you came from; get the memories you never had. Once we’re done with them we can send them back. How ‘bout it?”
“This is emotional blackmail! Don’t do this to me. You know…you know how much it would mean to me…..” he cried out hoarsely lowering his head so they wouldn’t see his tears.
“That’s the very reason we should. You can have what you’ve never had before. You know you want to. Say yes,” Angel urged.
“Yes!”
Wolfe’s yell vibrated through the room as he stormed out of the room.
“What the hell was that?” Grace demanded as soon as Wolfe was out the door.
“I only made him face what he wanted Grace. Now we’ve got things to discuss. We’ve got a war to plan.”
~*~ ~*~
Willow scurried back, back until she ran into wall as Wolfe stormed in the opposite direction. She tiptoed to the doorway of the living room to hear what was being said and gasped as she heard what Angel had said and in a daze made her way back to the kitchen to the men.
“Hey Wills, you find the bathroom? Cause I gotta feelin’ I’m gonna need one soon.”
“Willow you look quite pale. Are you alright?”
“No! Listen we need to get out of here! They’re like in the middle of a war or something and they want to use us! They probably want to kill us too. They were talking about different dimensions when they didn’t think we could hear! What do you think they want from us Giles? We have to find Buffy!”
“I have no idea what they could possible want. Wolfe granted looks exactly like Spike and the eyes are all Buffy. We must be on guard. We can’t all go wandering off as Spike and Buffy have!”
“He probably took her! Kidnapped her and is probably drinking her blood right now! Giles we have to get the hell out of here and save her!”
“We’ve got people looking for her,” Angel’s voice, one they were all getting tired of hearing came from behind them.
“How long have you been standing there? Eavesdropping on us Angel?” Giles asked pointedly staring at him with a degree of anger he hadn’t known he felt for the now ex-vampire.
“I just came in on what Xander was saying just now. Buffy and yes Spike will be found I assure you by night fall.”
Warily they regarded him, knowing in the back of their minds that they couldn’t trust him. They couldn’t trust anybody in this house. They could only trust themselves and have hope in Buffy and yes, the Vampire who they knew had taken her from them.
Redefined: 5
“Serves you right,” Buffy was saying as she watched Spike from the floor across the room.
“C’mon Slayer,” Spike whined as he edged further into the corner he’d gotten himself into. Deadly rays of sunlight danced ever closer.
“Come on what? Why should I help you? Give me one good reason.”
Spike scowled as he tried to hunch further into himself. Why couldn’t she just close the bloody curtains like a good little girl? Damn her! The Slayer was going to be the death of him in a matter of minutes.
“I see you can’t think of one. Too bad, I was really hoping to hear what you had to say. Well, I guess this is goodbye Spike,” Buffy smirked as the beams of sunlight grew in length.
“Okay, okay! What about the boy? Uh….Wolfe? He’ll never be born if you let the sun get me. C’mon! You’re all with the morals and ethics and all that rot. Wouldn’t deprive a kid of his dad now would you?”
“Hmmmm…..That was good. But no cigar. See, you said he wasn’t our son. Some crazy imposter who wants to kill us all. Give me another one.”
Growling and snarling Spike clenched his fists in frustration and a good bit of fear making him shake with it.
“I won’t try and kill you,” he said. Stupid little chit I’ll drain you dry for this, he thought.
”Isn’t that good pet?”
Buffy seriously considered what he said, then shook her head.
“No, I have no faith in you. Here’s how it’s gonna go. When we get back to Sunnydale, you take your skank girlfriend and leave. Don’t ever come back. Or I’ll kill you both.”
“No, no I have to save Dru. If I leave I wo-“
“Tick tock, tick tock…..”
“Alright, alright! We’ll leave. Just close the fucking curtains!”
Buffy got up from the floor and slowly and deliberately closed the curtains.
Spike’s body slowly uncoiled as he cautiously made his way from the corner into the middle of the room. Slowly a smirk formed as he regarded her.
“You know I won’t keep the deal we just made,” he said smugly.
Buffy just smiled.
“Yes you will.”
“No I won’t”
“Yes you will.”
“No I won’t.”
“Yes you will.”
“No I won’t!”
“Yes you will!”
“No you won’t,” Buffy snuck in hotly.
“Yes I will,” Spike growled smugly until he realized what he had just said. (A/N: I’ve proven this theory myself. It actually works if you want someone to agree with you and you find yourself in an argument like this. Back to the story :)
Now it was Buffy’s turn to look smug.
“There you go. Now…we really need to get out of here. I can’t believe you went off half-cocked like that! Not to mention sucker punched me! My head still hurts damn you!”
Angry and petulant Spike tossed himself down next to her on the floor.
“Oh, stop your whining Slayer! It was just a tap, nothing your Slayer sensibilities can’t handle. And I wasn’t going off half-cocked as you so eloquently put it. I had reason to believe we were in danger. I did what I had to do.”
Buffy just rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.
“There is no ‘we’. You did what you wanted. Impulsive as always. And for you that equals stupid,” she said depreciatingly.
“I’m stupid Slayer?! I’m a hell of a lot smarter than you luv. You’re all bottle blonde and no brains!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Are too!”
“Am no- Ah not this time Slayer,” Spike caught himself in time as he pursed his lips and gave her a grudgingly admiring look. “How do you do that anyway?”
“It’s a gift. Now explain again how we’re still in this house Spike. I mean how hard is it to get out of here?”
Spike closed his eyes as he tried to figure out just how they had ended up stuck in this room hiding out. After he had knocked, the Slayer out he’d hefted her firefighter style and had made his way through the maze of hallways trying to find a way out of the house. Needless to say, he hadn’t found one.
Upon hearing voices and human heartbeats near by, he had ducked into this room. And promptly run to the nearest corner as sunlight started to burn his clothes and his hands as he covered his face. Stupidly he hadn’t anticipated the sunlight factor.
“Couldn’t find a bloody door. Hadn’t figured the sunlight bit either. Now I’m all burned up and feeling puckish.”
He cast her his best little boy look that she caught and turned her nose up in disgust.
“Forget about getting any of my blood! If you hadn’t of knocked me out I coulda told you the sun was out. Meaning you had nowhere to go. Now we are stuck here with Wolfe….and Angel.”
Spike frowned.
He didn’t like the way she’d said Peaches name. All breathy like and full of love. Stupid ponce had her wrapped around his cold dead fingers. He had thought that privately of course, she was smarter than that. Guess he’d been wrong. He clucked his tongue at her.
“Peaches is an old geezer now, thinkin’ about him like that is just sick Slayer. And if you’re thinking about doing anything about it then---what would our son think?” he asked in outrage.
“An ewwwww to that thought. You sure are harping on this son thing. I thought you said he wasn’t our son? And sad to say I’m kinda starting to doubt that myself. What’s to say he isn’t some….you know, one of those…You know Whatcha ma call it? You know….”
“No I don’t know,” Spike interrupted.
“You know-“ Buffy started again.
“You really are a Valley girl aren’t you? ‘You know this’, ‘you know that’! Blah, blah, blah, blah. Now about the boy being a shape shifter doesn’t smell demony. In fact he smells right human.”
“Maybe your nose is wrong. And it’s ‘like you know’ stupid. Maybe he’s an alien or something. A shape-shifting alien! Like in the movie Terminator 2!”
“No, and they were robots luv. Not aliens.”
“A…killing, genetically enhanced to look like us, shape shifting alien!”
“Didn’t know you knew what genetically enhanced meant. Still no,” he muttered.
“How would you even know? Have you ever met an alien?” she demanded exasperatedly.
“Noooooo,” he drawled out. “Sides don’t believe in ‘em.”
“How can you not? You’re a vampire!”
“What does me being a vamp got to do with it?”
“I’d never have sex with you,” Buffy said in sudden abruptness changing the subject.
“I’d never shag a Slayer,” he replied in return.
Silent they laid beside each other in something that wasn’t uncomfortable or comfortable. A sort of in between.
“He is our son,” they sighed in unison.
“Guess the most logical question is how,” Spike finally said.
“Pretty sure on the how. Question is why?”
“Well….he did say you were twenty-three when you had him. Seven years form now. Guess a lot of things changed.”
“I’ll say.”
“What should we do?” Spike grumbled.
“Nothing. I say we just forget about it. Forget and go home. We’re both in love with different people. You’ll be outta Sunnydale and I’ll never see you again. This will be moot.”
Spike silently agreed. Yes the further he was from her the better. The less he would be tempted. Tempted? A voice in his head asked curiously. Grudgingly he responded, yes. Tempted. He eyed the petite Slayer.
Her golden hair was spread out fanning her tanned shoulders, eyes closed; she gave every appearance of an angel. All light and goodness. The thought made him suddenly angry. Angel his arse! More like a thorn in his side. Just because she was beautiful didn’t mean he’d sleep with her! Hell, she wasn’t very beautiful anyway. He wasn’t going to sleep with her! He had Dru.
Besides the Slayer was all lovey dovey with the poof. This made him even angrier. Angel and the Slayer! Slayer and the Angel, the souled one the all mighty—
“Well good! Once I’m gone you can have the brat with Peaches! I mean he’s raised this git too! Why don’t you stay here and be one big happy family?!” he yelled jumping up.
Buffy listened to his rant in stunned incredulity. What was his problem? Why was he so angry? He should have been happy with the fact she’d solved their problem for them!
“What is your problem?!” she snapped angrily getting up and into his face.
“What is my problem? My problem is that you’re daydreaming about you and the great poof going off in the bleedin’ sunset with my son! I mean what’s to say I wouldn’t make a great dad?! You’re not gonna even give me a chance!”
“Don’t put words in my mouth! I wasn’t even thinking that!”
“Please!”
“Oh, don’t get pissy with me you stupid vampire! You’re acting like some…jealous husband or something!”
He sputtered.
“Husband? Pissy……?! I’ll have you know I am not being pissy! Stupid little chit!”
“Listen! All I was doing was solving the problem so we wouldn’t wind up having sex!”
The loud clearing of a throat interrupted their yelling match.
They turned as one. One with a guilty expression and the other smugly insolent as they saw whom it was.
“Mom, dad,” Wolfe said with a wide grin.
Redefined :6
Hugs abounded as soon as the Scoobs were reunited with their fearless leader. She let herself be enveloped in the warmth, and love from them, and wished she could forget.
“Thank God you’re alright,” Willow murmured as she gave Buffy one last hug.
“What happened? Dead boy jr. kidnapped you didn’t he?”
Buffy was hesitant to lay blame on Spike. After all, who knew how long they would be stuck here? She didn’t want his death on her shoulders, they’d made a deal. Plus how would it look? He was the father of her son.
“Did you guys find out anything else? What did Grace tell you when Wolfe took us off?” Buffy asked instead of answering Xander’s question.
Giles watched Buffy and got the distinct feeling of dread. Already she seemed to have softened towards William the Bloody. He did not intend to let his Slayer be with such a vile, soulless, evil creature.
“Surprisingly she didn’t tell us much about…….Wolfe, the how or the why or much anything to do with him. More of how Angel came to be what he is now.”
“Human right,” Buffy asked.
“T…that’s right. Human.”
“Nothing at all about Wolfe? Or me and Spike? How Wolfe ended up here?” Buffy was compelled to ask even as Giles’s words echoed in her ears.
Xander scowled at her interest in Spike and their would be son.
“Nope didn’t mention you or captain peroxide. Or Wolfe. Besides I’d think you’d be more interested in Angel boy being human now.”
Buffy willed away the rush of blood that filled her face and stained her cheeks. God, she thought now they all thought she felt Spike and Wolfe were more important than Angel was! Which she assured herself wasn’t the case. She was in love with Angel and she was going to be with him when they went home.
“I am! I was just…..Just tell me why he’s human.”
Xander opened his mouth to say something else but Willow’s elbow in his gut had him shutting his mouth.
“Go ahead Giles,” she urged while glaring at Xander.
“Apparently Angel has a large part in the Powers plans. He is a prophecy vampire. The Champion.”
“Champion,” Xander snickered in disgust. Buffy ignored him and gestured for Giles to continue.
“Seems things do not work out for you two. You….er…..well you have relations,” Giles stuttered to a stop, cleaned his glasses and looked anywhere but at the children before he continued. “Seems he has a retractable soul. One moment of pure happiness and good-bye soul hello Angelus. He turns into Angelus. Long story short he terrorizes us all, you had to kill him when he tried to end the world. Willow……er Willow finds a spell Jenny—“
Biting his lip, he couldn’t go on. His eyes filled as he remembered Grace’s blunt words on how Angelus had killed his love, Jenny.
“Giles,” Buffy asked in concern as she reached for him and gave him a comforting hug. He let her before gently pulling away form her.
“Excuse me,” he mumbled as he fled the living room.
“What was that about? He got all choked up about Ms. Calendar.”
“W….w….well Angelus killed her. Set it up as some sort of romantic evening. Giles found her dead in his bed. She turned out to be a part of a gypsy clan. The one that cursed Angel with his soul. Cursed it so with one moment of happiness made him revert to Angelus. I found the spell Jenny had to restore his soul. But by the time I found it, you had to kill him to close the portal he had opened up. It could only be closed by his blood.”
Willow paused wide-eyed to gauge Buffy’s reaction to this.
Buffy felt detached. Horror struck, sickened and just a little bit of detachment. Which she found hard to believe because according to Grace she was going to sleep with Angel, make him lose his soul and then add insult to injury kill him!
“I’m taking he didn’t stay dead. What with him being of the living,” was all she said though.
Willow shot a concerned glance Xander’s way. She found no help there though. He looked smug that Buffy wasn’t as broken up by this than they had thought.
“Yeh…..” Willow finally murmured. “See he came back from hell with his soul restored. I did the spell before you killed him. He moved to L.A. Found a prophecy about the souled one, the champion. Turning human after a long road of redemption. Built his own investigation firm, fought crime, slept with Darla, had a son. Who was stolen, returned as a teenager. Turned human. Married Cordelia and is still married to,” Willow finished this all in a rush stringing her words together.
Buffy blinked. Once. Twice. Shook her head. Darla?! Married to Cordelia?!
“So…he has a son too? With Darla! Darla whom he killed for me,” Buffy laughed hysterically. “He’s married to Queen C. The bitch of Sunnydale High?! I need to sleep. I need a bed. I need this to be a nightmare!!!!!!! My brain—my poor brain Willow,” Buffy finished in a near sob.
Willow hugged Buffy close trying to offer her support.
“Let’s…..find Wolfe and get you to bed then Buffy,” Xander muttered uncomfortable with her tears as he marched determinedly out of the room.
The girls trailed slowly behind.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Spike paced, back and forth. He was itching for a cigarette, but damned if when he’d fallen out of the sky they’d fallen too and he’d lost ‘em. Now it was sunny outside and he needed a fix.
Wolfe had separated him from the Slayer and for that, he was grateful, he’d lost his head for a while there. Saying things that made it seem as if he gave a bloody damn about the Slayer or the boy. He didn’t.
Pausing he stuffed his hands in his dusters pockets. Not only had he lost his fags but now when he needed the comforting feel of his lighter to play with he didn’t have it. He was beyond pissed.
Catching a familiar scent and heartbeat he jerked open the door to the study and was just in time to catch a glimpse of black hair as Grace sailed past. Moving in the blink of an eye, he grabbed her arm and tugged her back into the room with him.
“Ello Grace,” he said with a smile that he considered his safest and most trusting one. A smile that had led to many a young girl’s death.
Grace narrowed her eyes in confusion at his smile and warm voice. Last time she’d checked he had been angry with her for telling him about Wolfe. Now he was acting nice and she found it odd.
She knew what Wolfe had told her, what Angel said too. Spike had been a sarcastic, hot head, impulsive, extremely loyal, loving man. But he had become that over a period of time. She had to remind herself that he wasn’t that man yet. He hadn’t learned the lessons to become that man.
“What can I do for you? Was the blood satisfactory?”
Spike’s face twisted into a mask of disgust.
“For pig’s blood,” he spat.
“Well I hope you weren’t thinking we’d let you hunt.”
“Forget about the blood! I want you to send me home. The bo—Wolfe said you brought us here. Don’t care ‘bout the rest, I just want to go home. So……do your bit and I’ll be off.”
Grace couldn’t help but frown, trying to think a way out of this. She had made such a mess of things at the worst possible time too. And the worst part was she only had herself to blame.
“Well? It’s not like this is brain surgery, just say a few words, throw a few herbs and I’m home. Say something you st-“
“No. No you stay. One alone can’t go back. It would throw off everything!”
Spike rolled his eyes at that.
“What do you call this then? Open your eyes luv! We are in the bloody future. The Slayer and I know we have a son, Angelus is human and I’m sure there’s more but I don’t give a bloody damn! Things have changed already! Cuz guess what, the Slayer and I aren’t going to be getting horizontal. EVER. So the Wolfe boy just won’t be. This future will cease to exist. And guess what it’s all your fault!”
Grace felt tears fill her eyes and looked away from his piercingly blue gaze.
“I’ll have Wolfe show you to a room,” she mumbled as she hurried out.
Spike glared at the door as she closed it before he let loose a stream of curses that put any sailor to shame. He realized too late that he may have fucked up not only his but everyone else’s chance to ever get back to their time.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
“Sir?”
The man looked up with a slight frown and answered irritated.
“Yes?”
“Well……sir there have been reports from the Hill…..” the servant trailed off looking expectantly at his Master.
“Well spit it out! I can’t read your mind.”
“They reported strange like behavior occurring earlier this morning. They aren’t sure what they saw.”
“Who are these people you keep referring to?”
“The people you have watching the house sir. Your men.”
“Of course, how could I have forgotten? Except for the fact that they are useless! Continue.”
“They said……they said they saw things falling from the sky. But with the cloaking spell surrounding the house made it impossible to see what it was that fell.”
“That’s ridiculous; things just don’t fall from the sky!”
“No, of course not,” the servant readily agreed. “However that is what they saw. For sure they know it was five things in all.”
“Well what ever it was will have no bearing on our plans! I don’t know how they think they can ever hope to stop me! I will never allow them to do this. Never.”
“Sir….” The servant felt compelled to say. “You know the courts have given them permission, I don’t see how you can stop th--“
“And I remember quite clearly, how I NEVER asked for your opinion!!! Now I want those imbeciles who’ve been watching the Hill in here immediately. Get out!”
The servant hurried out and the man sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He knew that in the end he would be triumphant. He would win no matter what.
Redefined :7
New day. New people. Old faces. Maybe it had been a dream. Wishing it had been Wolfe sipped his coffee staring blankly at the toaster. He was being broody and he hated being broody. He left that up to Angel. But today it couldn’t be helped. The last twenty-four hours had been the best and worst of his life. It had thrown his emotions into a tailspin that had yet to recover. He had been up for the past hour trying to discern his feelings but had found the task useless. All he had figured out was that he had to fix this.
He could not leave it like it was. Things had to be put right, and he could pretend this had never happened.
“I really wasn’t going to say anything,” Grace said as she entered the kitchen.
Roused he blinked.
“Hmmmmmm?”
“I wasn’t going to say anything. But I have too. I spoke to Spike last night.”
“What? Did he do something to you? He isn’t chipped, he didn’t try and bite you did he?”
Wolfe felt sick as he wondered what he would do if his father had tried to kill the woman he loved.
“No! Nothing like that. Although he isn’t too fond of Pig’s blood. Any way this is all my fault Wolfe. Buffy and Spike have decided that they will never get together. Ever. Th—“
“I know. Came in on them talking about it,” Wolfe interrupted quietly as he drained the rest of his cup.
Grace took a seat beside him at the breakfast bar and stared at him a full minute before she spoke.
“Why are you acting like this doesn’t bother you?”
“Well what can I do? What do you want me to say? What do you say to never being born? I can’t think of anything,” he said dejectedly.
“Wolfe…there are spells. Forgetting spells.”
Wolfe shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Grace you’ve heard the stories from Willow. They hardly ever have the effect you want them too. Besides, you’ve done enough magic. No more magic, except for the spell to send them home.”
“But….what if you could make them understand how much they loved each other. What a miracle. If they saw…….”
“We are not showing them that.”
“Why not? It’s all about them! Seeing it would be proof that, there was love after Angel and Drusilla left them. Angel could expl-“
“Angel? No, I can’t let him talk to them! Could you imagine what he’d say? You know he thinks that if they hadn’t died his life would be different. Him and Cordy…..well that would have worked out instead…..” he trailed off with a shrug.
Grace pursed her lips in thought.
“Well if you want to send them back knowing they aren’t ever going to be together by all means. But I think you should call Quint, I’m sure the sight of them falling from the sky did not go unnoticed. See what he can find out from the old man. As for the spell to return them, I’m having trouble finding it. I hadn’t planned to return them at all. It might take a few days to find it. What are you going to do with them until then?”
Wolfe rose washed his cup then turned to face Grace crossing his arms as he did so.
“Keep them in the house. If someone saw them!” he shook his head at the thought. “We’d have a mob on our hands. Not to mention the old man would—“
The sharp trilling of their phone startled them both. Sharing a cautious look Wolfe jerked it up.
“Hello?”
He listened for a minute, and then frowned.
“Well….of course I don’t mind. No! No, you guys just hang out, relax. We’ve got it covered over here. The whole thing’s almost set up. We’re playing around with different angles and stuff. By the time you get back it’ll be done. Huh? Oh, nothing much eatin’ breakfast. No, he hasn’t made a move yet but – I’m not. I know. He may be old but he isn’t less of a threat. Okay. Have a good time. All right. Love you too. Bye.”
“Cordelia?” Grace asked.
Wolfe hung up and sighed shaking his head.
“Willow.”
“Why didn’t you tell her about our little problem?”
“If they all came stampeding back here, the old man’ll know something’s up. Our hand can’t be tipped like that.”
“You should tell them. Willow probably has the spell I’m looking for. I’m no novice mind you but I only have a limited amount of books in regards to this.”
“Maybe. I need to call Quint. You should check on our house guest.”
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Said houseguests were wandering slowly through the large mansion looking for a way out.
“Did we come this way last time Spike?” Buffy whispered to the vampire at her side.
Her answer was a shrug of his shoulders.
“What’s wrong with you? I thought you’d be happy we were trying to get outta here.”
“We’re never getting’ out of here pet,” he mumbled defeated.
Buffy’s eyes narrowed at the sound of his voice and she stopped so suddenly Giles ran into right into her.
“Oh—excuse me Buffy,” he said.
“What did you do?” Buffy hissed at Spike knowing he must have done something for him to sound like he did.
Spike glanced at her then away. Shrugged again.
“Might of let it slip, when we get home their reality will cease to exist.”
Buffy stared at him as if she hadn’t understood a word he had said.
“Spike! Why would you do that?! We were supposed to play along. Be all you know with of the nice making –“
Spike stared at her, shook his head.
“What did you just say? Is it me or did that not make a lick of sense? With the nice making? Of the nice? What does that mean? Is that Valley talk again?” he mockingly asked.
“Shut up Spike! That made absolute sense, didn’t it? You guys understood huh?” she asked in a huff as she turned to stare at her friends.
Willow and Xander nodded in agreement. Giles just shrugged and mumbled something about teenagers.
“You stupid sods didn’t understand any better then I did! And you Watcher lying with the rest of them! You’re all afraid cuz she’s stronger than you, well not me. I can kick her ass just fine.”
Buffy scowled as she glanced back at Spike.
“Kick my ass? Who went screaming into the night when my mom hit you with that axe? I can so and will kick your ass,” she spat.
“Um…….guys weren’t we trying to find a way out of here?” Willow’s soft voice floated out. They ignored her.
“Ok Slayer. I’d like to see you try. And I did not go screaming into the night! I ran true but calmly and rationally. No screaming. None. Ever. Never!!!!”
“That is quite enough thank you! Buffy, Spike calm down and let us commence with finding a way out of here,” Giles ordered.
“Fine,” Buffy snapped with one last glare stalked off ahead.
“There’s no way out of here,” Spike said slowly looking at Buffy’s back as she got further away.
“Why don’t you go find Buffy then? I say I’m quite famished, I say we go find the kitchen. We’ll meet you there Spike,” Giles said turning away.
“Why should I find her? She went off by herself; I had nothing to do with it! I don’t think so Watcher.”
“Yeh, we can find her Giles. He’ll probably make good on his threat and kill her,” Xander protested glaring at Spike.
“Couldn’t even if I wanted to. Grace said we can’t go back unless together as a whole. Which means I can’t kill her. Yet. Once we get back though…….”
Giles restrained himself barely from reaching out and smacking him as he obviously spaced out in visions of killing his Slayer.
“I say Spike because he has better senses than us. He can smell her out and when you do, we shall be in the kitchen. Come along.”
“Smell her out?” Willow muttered casting Spike a wary glance as she scurried after Giles.
“She better not have one mark on her or—“
“Xander,” Willow called.
“Or what whelp?” Spike snarled switching to game face and flashing his fangs.
“Or you’ll be dust peroxide boy. Dust!”
Spike just laughed as Xander hurried after the others.
Turning in the opposite direction, he went in search for the angry Slayer.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Angel sat looking over blueprints when the beeping of the silent alarm alerted him of activity in the restricted area.
Pushing a button the wall panel in front of him slid aside to reveal a wall full of security monitors. He scanned the screens until they rested on the figures that had sounded the alarm.
He smiled slightly as he saw it was Spike and Buffy arguing. Just like old times, he thought fondly. His smile turned into a grin as Buffy ignored Spike and shoved open the door they’d found.
“Gotcha,” Angel muttered as he rose. Explanations were in order and he was just the one to give them, he thought in anticipation.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Spike caught up with the Slayer easily enough as she stood pouting in front of a door she’d found.
“Where is everybody?” she demanded as he came into view and she saw he was alone.
“Gone.”
“What? I’m the leader! I’m like Scooby to their Scoobiness. They just can’t not follow me!”
“It was Velma pet. Velma led the whole Scooby team or whatever the hell they’re called,” Spike replies mildly.
“No she didn’t! It was Scooby. Hence the name of the show!”
“No luv, Scooby is a dog, you can’t follow a dog. And none of the other’s were smart enough. Velma was the brains that led them. You Slayer are no Velma. More along the lines of Daphne.”
“Daphne?!” she asked with a laugh that trailed off as she saw he was serious. “I’m no Daphne! I can kick ass. Yours especially! And hey—I’m smart too. Just not obvious with the nerdiness of it Spike! And Scooby is so much more than a dog; he’s the glue that kept them together. A—“
“Why are we discussing this? This is one of the most ridiculous conversations I’ve ever had! And I know what I’m talking about, live a hundred years with Dru and I’ve had a few. Come on Slayer. We can’t leave the ‘Scoobies’ alone too long or God knows what’ll happen! C’mon!”
Buffy shook her head.
“No I found this door and I want to see what’s inside. Willow said she heard Angel mention planning some kinda war……”
“More reason to leave it alone. We don’t need any more problems. No, don’t Slayer—“
Buffy ignored him and pushed open the door with a smug smile over her shoulder at Spike.
“Bloody hell,” was the only thing heard as he followed her into the room.
They both looked around in awe and a little bit of terror.
The room was filled with demons. Various kinds, sizes, shapes. Demons, demons, demons and more demons!
Buffy frowned as he Slayer senses didn’t go off except for the tingle from Spike, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Hesitantly she reached out and touched one that was to her left. With antlers and slime dripping fro—
“No! Don’t touch that! Damn ugly buggers, all slime and antlers. Chaos demons luv, nasty cheats. One owes me a good bit,” Spike snarled as he jerked her to his side looking around warily.
“Chaos demon? Look Spike, these things are fake! No vibes. They’re kinda cool, look they’re all facing something in the middle of the room,” Buffy said, excitement catching her by surprise.
Spike kept his grasp on her arm as he let her pull him through the mass of demon’s to the middle of the room.
Buffy let out a strangled gasp as they came upon the scene in the middle of the room.
Spike dropped Buffy’s arm and made his way to the figures his eyes wide and disbelieving.
“It’s us,” Buffy whispered.
It was true. It was them, Spike and her. Caught in fighting stance back to back. Twin looks of anticipation and concentration on their faces. Buffy eyed herself, clutching a stake in one hand and a long wicked looking knife in the other, dressed all in black. Black leather pants, black halter, black boots. She looked like death, she looked like Spike. She looked ready to kill.
Spike circled himself a look of wonder etched on his face. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There he was, dressed in his usual black. Black T-shirt, jeans, duster, boots. In his hands, he held a large sword and something on one of his fingers caught his eye. Stepping closer he let out a strangled gasp.
“I married you,” he choked out.
Buffy turned from herself to glance at him.
“What did you say?”
Freaking now he brushed past her and frantically searched Buffy’s look a like for a ring, some sign that he had not done what it looked like!
He found it on a chain around her neck along with her cross. He hissed as his hand brushed it as he gestured for Buffy to come over.
“Look, this is my mum’s! I married you Slayer,” he growled as she looked at her ring.
Buffy gazed at the ring then involuntarily her gaze fell to the ring Angel had given her. The Claddagh ring she had cherished it having come from Angel. She looked for it on the other her but found it missing.
“This must be some mistake,” she muttered. “I mean I’m not wearing it! So that means we are not married!”
“What’s this then? I’ve got a wedding band on m’finger! That ring belonged to me and you have it so one could assume—“
“Then you’re an ass! You can’t just assume—aren’t you freaked out about this? I mean here we are! Two replicas of us, like in those museums. Wax people!”
“Perfect replica wax people,” Angel’s voice came form behind them and they started.
“What the hell is this Angel? Some sorta creepy shrine? If so then why do you have Spike here too?! An—“
“Better start talking old man,” Spike growled.
“Okay. Come with me and I’ll explain everything,” he said as he turned.
Spike and Buffy shared a look before they fell in step behind him.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Buffy sat next to Spike in Angel’s office as Angel took a seat behind his desk.
“What do you want to know?”
“No one said we were married Peaches! That girl said we had a son, didn’t mention marriage! You need to explain what happened to us. How you ended up here with our son and we’re dead,” Spike said.
“Well…….”
“Explain how we – how Spike and I came about. Why you have life size figures of us, etc. Explain away,” Buffy murmured.
“You two were in love. While I was in L.A. living my life, you and Spike got closer. After I came back from hell, you and I tried to make it work but it didn’t. It was too hard. I had to leave or ……. Anyway Spike left town after he helped you defeat me—“
“I helped the Slayer?”
“Yes.”
“I accepted his help?”
“Yes. He left town with Dru and I left for L.A. I made a name for my self as a champion. The powers had a plan for my life that didn’t follow yours-“
“Didn’t you love me? How could you leave like that? Did I just let you go? Did I do something wrong?” Buffy cried out.
“He always leaves Slayer,” Spike put in.
“Are you going to let me finish? We couldn’t be together Buffy. But I never stopped loving you. I’ll love you till the day I die,” came his heart felt pledge.
Spike made a disgusted face.
“Kill me now. It’s the Buffy and Angel love fest,” he grumbled.
Buffy glared at him, wiping her eyes. Angel’s words had touched her even if it was out of the mouth of a man she no longer knew.
“Anyway. Spike you came back to town to get the Gem of Amara. That ring makes a vampire invincible and able to go out into the sun. You—“
“That’s a myth Angelus! No one knows where it is,” Spike interrupted angrily.
Angel let his head fall forward and wondered how he was going to get through this with out wanting to kill Spike.
“Please don’t interrupt. I want to finish this and then you can ask all the questions ok?”
“Ok,” Buffy readily agreed.
Spike just shrugged and gave a small nod.
“Spike found the Gem. Buffy sent it to me. I got rid of—“
“WHAT?! Why wou—“
“Spike! Shut up and let him finish. Is this really relevant? Can’t you skip this and get to the part where Spike and I are together?”
“Right. Spike was implanted with a chip that sent electrical shocks through his head every time he tried to hurt a human. He came to you and Giles’s for help and you took him in. He started helping you and soon he was in love with you. Yes you Buffy. He chained you up and professed his love……Didn’t go over well when he said he’d kill Dru for you either. She wasn’t happy and you weren’t when he threatened to feed you to her if you didn’t give him a chance. N-“
“I’d never threaten to kill Dru. I love her. I would never do that.”
“Yet you did. Things changed. She knew before you did that you loved Buffy. Anyway, Buffy de-invited you from her house. She only started to believe you weren’t trying to –“ he paused not wanting to bring up the Buffy-bot. Had no bearing on things and made Spike look bad. He didn’t want that so amended what he was about to say. “He was tortured by a hell god for you and your sister. He never once told her where the key was—Don’t say anything!!!! You have a sister. Let it go. You started to see that maybe he wasn’t so bad. Then you died so….Spike was a mess he really loved you and thought it was his fault you died. Which now that I think about it…..But that’s not the point. Buffy died and Spike stayed behind, fought the good fight and when Willow brought you back she had it figured you’d been in hell. Stupid really I know. I mean you saved the world on a weekly basis and she thought you’d gone to hell! What she did was take you out of Heaven.
“Made you come back to hell on earth. That’s when things between you two changed. You became friends sort of. You became intimate. But Buffy was….she wasn’t herself and you and she had a tumultuous relationship. Things happened. While this was going on with you, I had to deal with the consequences of the year before. I did some bad things. Like sleeping with Darla. She came to me pregnant and I took her in, she had to kill herself so that Connor could live. Everyone was after Connor and Cordelia was like a mother to him. She was raising him along with my other friends. Wesley, he’s a fellow Watcher, your old one Buffy, he found a prophecy about me killing my son and this law firm that had been hounding me since I came to Los Angeles was doing crazy things, like feeding me my son’s blood. Holtz a vampire hunter from way back in the 18th century was in like a kind of limbo since Darla and I killed his family. He was bent on killing me—“
“Willow told me about this already Angel. I know you said not to interrupt but what does all this have to do with Spike or me? That’s what we want to know about right now. I don’t mean to be rude but you can tell us about yourself later.”
“I’m sorry I just thought you’d be interested in my life. Forgive me,” Angel muttered.
“Good god, don’t pout! Tell us if it’ll get you to get that look off your face! Man you are one pathetic git. Go on,” Spike slashed out.
“Ok! So I couldn’t save Connor because Wes was working with Holtz and he stole my son. Jumped into portal to a hell dimension. He was gone for a month or so when he came back as a teenager. A teenager who hated me. He tried to kill me. Locked me up in a cage and sunk me into the ocean. About this time, I was just starting to realize I was in love with Cordelia—“
“What?! You were in love with Cordelia? I didn’t believe Willow when sh--”
“I like the sound of your son, but seems his little plan didn’t work,” Spike said with a large grin.
Angel looked from one to the other before he switched gears. He didn’t need to let them know about him and Cordelia or the rest until he finished with their story.
“So back in Sunnydale Spike went off to get the chip out of his head. Instead, he got a soul. He came back to town and you two……got back together sort of. You uh—well you went through a hell of a lot before you got together again. In a healthy, loving relationship. So that was 2002. You two were very happy together. Very,” he stressed. “Then you got pregnant and had Wolfe and then you died. So back to me—“
“I knew I shouldn’t have let you stay here. I knew you would do this! What are you doing Angel?” Wolfe asked as he came into the office.
Angel glanced up and had the grace to look chagrined.
“I was telling them what happened. You know how they were very happy and so happy they got married! Had you and tragically died saving the world. So I was granted the gift of turning human so I could raise Wolfe.”
Wolfe glanced at his parent’s then at Angel. Anger vibrated off him and he glared at Angel.
“I bet you were. Come on you guys I can explain exactly what happened. Angel, Quint’s here. He needs to speak with you.”
Spike and Buffy followed their son out. “So he was lying then?” Buffy asked.
“No.”
“Then what’s your problem?”
“My problem is he wants you to do things differently so his life can turn out different! He wants to use you. He wants you Mom to fall for dad and go home dump him and he can go off to L.A. and wait for Cordelia to come on down and the rest is to be determined! I won’t have it!”
“He really is in love with her huh?”
Wolfe cast a glance at Buffy’s crest fallen face and swore silently.
“You weren’t supposed to find this out. But it’s pointless to ignore this any longer. You and dad were happy. You got pregnant…..fluke. My birth brought about the opening of the hell mouth. Indirectly anyway. The Council had a prophecy about the rebirth of the First Evil and since you were pregnant, they figured I had to be it. They opened up the hell mouth and decided to kill three birds with one stone. You because you never followed orders. You quit the Council and turned your back on them.
“They hated you ever since. Dad because he changed, he could love without a soul. He was everything they taught against. They didn’t want a vampire who was as unique as Spike to be hanging around. Me because there’s never been someone like me. I’m a hybrid. I have doubled the strength, stamina; I have the best of you both. Any way Quentin Travers the head of the Council was really relying on opening the hell mouth and destroying us all. What he didn’t know was that we became aware of his plan. But we could only find a spell that would close the hell mouth after it was opened. We had to let him open it. You two were prepared to die.
“Giles on your insistence hired a trusted midwife of his to induce labor. You had me two days before the hell mouth opened. You weren’t quite 100% but you were ready. Everything was set up and you went to war. Because essentially that was, what it was. All kinds of demons came out. You all fought. You died the way you lived. You died knowing I would be taken care of.”
Wolfe looked at them trying to see if they believed him, if they understood how much they had meant to the world. To him. Buffy looked shell-shocked and she was shaking slightly.
Spike looked impassive, as if what he’d heard hadn’t fazed him at all. He automatically wrapped an arm around the petite Slayer, pulling her into his side.
“Chin up Slayer. We haven’t died yet,” he muttered. His eyes met Wolfe’s and he took in a deep breath.
“Are you two alright? This was probably too much huh? Well I’m sorry but I don’t know what Angel was telling you—he has his own reasons for not telling you the whole truth.”
They didn’t speak again until Wolfe had led them back to the Slayer’s room. Where they found the Scoobies anxiously waiting. Seeing Buffy being held by Spike Giles immediately moved to intervene.
“Unhand her! Buffy are you all right? Where were you?!” Giles asked as he tugged Buffy from Spike’s grasp.
“She’s fine Watcher, just a little shocked. Come on Wolfe,” Spike said as he turned to leave.
Wolfe hesitated before following Spike out.
“Is that all? Cause I have the feeling you left out a good bit,” Spike asked.
Wolfe shot him a surprised glance.
“I thought I was being all sneaky like too. I only left out a little. Mom didn’t need to hear it. It’s basically about Angel.”
“So the poof lied, but question is what about?”
“About that gift from the Powers. There was no gift. In the battle, he ran into a Mohra demon. That type of demon has blood that rejuvenates dead things. So when mixed with a vampire’s blood you turn human. He turned human. Thing is though he didn’t want to turn back. He had done that once already and wasn’t going to do it again. He wanted to be with Cordelia, he was in love with her. But she ascended, became a higher being. Her duty was to the Powers as was Angel’s. He turned his back on redemption. He was punished.”
Spike frowned and grabbed Wolfe’s arm to stop him as he made to move along.
“Doesn’t look like punishment to me. He’s human, he can walk in the sun, have chi—well that’s moot, he could have them before. He has a real life now. How is that punishment?”
“He lost what he most desired.”
“So she died then, too bad. Doesn’t give him the right to use us like you claimed he was doin’!”
“She didn’t die,” Wolfe stated.
“What then? What could be worse than that? He seems to be livin’ it up and I see no sufferin’, the Powers musta done it wrong. Cause if he were in pain, constant pain I’d buy tickets to see that. He just seems like broody every day Angel! Oh, wait was that it? He had to brood for the rest of his very short life?! That’s more like a punishment on everyone around him. Hmmmmmm………”
Wolfe snickered and shook his head.
“You really hate him. He and everyone else said you two were working on your differences when you died. For moms sake. Cordelia never married him. She was in love with him true, but she didn’t marry him, wasn’t ever with him. In fact she married his so—“
“Wolfe, where’s the exhibit? I wanna check it out before—Whoa! What is this a bot? Damn it really is life like. When’d you get it?”
Father and son turned to face the man that had spoken from behind them.
Wolfe silently groaned. He didn’t need this right now. After all, he had just explained he did not need to explain anything else.
“I am not a robot, I may be dead but I’m no robot you bloody prick! Who the hell are you anyways?”
The young man sent a wide-eyed look to Wolfe, grinned and stuck out his hand.
“Name’s Quint Travers,” he happily replied.
Redefined Ch: 8
Spike’s brows rose incredulously as he stared at the boy in front of him. He let his eyes rake up and down before his face settled into a mask of contempt. His stance changed from relaxed to predatory in an instant. Instinctively and unconsciously, he shifted his body in front of his son’s. The boy in front of him was giving off vibes he didn’t like.
“Who are you?” he asked again ignoring the extended hand.
“Spike, this is a friend of mine. Quint this is Spike,” Wolfe introduced them with a small smile.
Quint looked from one to the other before he lowered his hand and swallowed.
“You related to Travers? How can you trust him? From what you sai—“
“What is this Wolfe? Who is this guy?”
Spike scowled and moved off slightly.
“M’gonna go. Back to my room and I want you to come see me when you’re done,” Spike ordered casting one last mistrustful look at Quint as he walked off.
“Who was that?” Quint asked in confusion.
Wolfe let his gaze linger on his father’s retreating figure before he looked at Quint.
“We’ve got a little problem,” he began.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Spike lay absolutely still. His body in stark contrast to his mind. It was running a mile a minute. Since last night, he had managed to push all thoughts of what had happened since he had found himself in the future, out of his head. He had slept peacefully, but now up three hours, thanks to the Slayer’s insistence he come along on their trek around the mansion all thoughts were pushing to the forefront.
He had managed to keep it at bay until now. Now….. Added with the new information Angel and Wolfe had provided, there was no way to ignore it any longer.
He had a son.
Such a power packed statement. So many emotions, he mused. Emotions he hadn’t felt in over a hundred years. Not since William. He frowned as he thought of his mortal self. Disgust at his own weakness filled him. He had been quite happy to feel only five emotions in all his immortal life. Hunger. Lust. Satisfaction with a good kill. Hate, a deep seeded hate for Angelus. And the rare, but everlasting so he had thought, love for Drusilla.
Drusilla…….he groaned picturing his dark princess. God, it seemed like a million years since he had consciously thought of her. He’d had too many thoughts on his mind to actually think what was going on with her, how she would handle his abandonment. He didn’t have the time to think about her now either.
Abruptly his thoughts turned to the Slayer. A frown appeared. He had married her. That was what got to him. Caught his gut and held him in a grip that wouldn’t tear loose. It was what bothered him. He could see…..maybe falling for her. Sure, he could absolutely see shagging her brains out. He could maybe, vaguely, sorta, really trying hard to see getting a soul. But never had he once seen himself, ever slippin’ a ring on the Slayer’s finger.
Especially not his mum’s. He’d forgotten about the heirloom. Tossed it aside, amongst the junk Dru insisted carting around. Last he’d seen it Dru had it hanging around the neck of one of her dolls.
Now he wondered why he had even kept it. He had no fond memories of his life as William. Of how he had laid his heart, bear and Cecily had rejected it as beneath her. The ring was but a reminder of what he considered his failing. His weakness where his heart was concerned.
A picture of William and Wolfe formed in his minds eye. One and the same. Both with floppish blond hair, same compact, yet leanly muscular body. Not too short, not too tall. Just like him. Except for the eyes. Those were all the Slayer.
“What catastrophe came crashing down from heaven and brought this dashing stranger to tears?” he quoted bitterly. If only it were that simple. That easy. Tears were easy; you wiped your eyes and moved on. How did one go from erasing the image of their son out of their head? Of forgetting you—your future self loved the Slayer an impossible love. Had married her, given her a son and died by her side. Went off and got a soul for her, a soddin’ white hat attached firmly to his head. Bloody wonderful.
He wondered how he could have changed so thoroughly. Why? What would make all of it worth it? Nothing, he thought. Nothing. Nothing could be worth losing himself, in returning William’s soul to his body. Or fighting the good fight, turning his back on the demon world. Nothing could make him slip his mum’s ring on her finger. Nothing!
As vehement as his minds denial was, he could feel how hollow it was. Obviously, something had placed and kept him on the path of good vs. evil. He knew it was a chit of a Slayer that went by the name of Buffy. She had been his death once. He silently vowed she would not be again.
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Quint left the house on the hill in bemused amusement. He kept the feeling even as he returned to his place. Wolfe had explained to him what had happened yesterday and he found it funny and a little bizarre.
Walking into his apartment, he found his grandfather sitting stiffly in one of his ratty armchairs.
“What a surprise. What do I owe the pleasure?” he asked sarcastically as he tossed his jacket aside and took a seat across from Quentin Travers the first.
“Your mother informs me you continue to keep up this ridiculous friendship with the Winthrop boy up on the Hill,” he rasped out angrily.
Quint didn’t hide his irritation as he stared at his grandfather.
“We’ve been friends for few years now, I’d think you would have gotten used to it grand father. And his name is Wolfe. Now again what do you want?”
“Henry informed me something was going on at Winthrop’s house. What are they planning now? I don’t see how they think they can stop me. You’ve joined the wrong side and you will pay.”
Quint smirked as he watched Henry his grandfather’s servant help him to his feet.
“You should live in reality grandfather. The reality is Wolfe and Angel have won. There’s no way you can stop them from opening the exhibit to the public. As for paying, true I will pay. For having the same name as you. I will suffer for your crimes. But that is the price I’m willing to pay to get the truth out.”
“Very lovely speech Quentin. I knew you had the head for politics, quite the tongue you have on you. However, it is a shame you use it for the likes of those band of misfits. Whatever they are planning with those things that fell from the sky, it won’t work. I will stop it. Good day,” Quentin murmured as he moved slowly towards the door.
“Well……they aren’t responsible for the things that fell. It was skydivers. Five of them, they’ve come in honor for the exhibit. They’ve even had surgery to look exactly like Spike and Buffy! It’s amazing and when you see them—I saw –“ Quint broke off suddenly remembering Wolfe’s words. He had told him not to say anything to anyone. Especially to his grandfather.
His grandfather made no movement as if he had heard Quint at all. He just let Henry lead him out of Quint’s apartment.
Quint frowned and picked up his phone.
“Wolfe……I think I just made a huge mistake.”
~*~*~ ~*~*~
Everyone was gathered in the living room again minus Angel, as he had left the house as soon as he had finished his meeting with Quint. Wolfe surveyed them all and took a minute to compose his thoughts. Quint had just called, explaining he had let it slip that he had told his grandfather the story Wolfe had fed him. All lies but Quint hadn’t questioned, he had believed and now……
Now they had a bigger problem on their hands.
“I’m sure Buffy has explained to you all how I came to be. If not I’ll explain after I explain what Buffy and Spike saw in the south wing of the mansion.”
He paused and glanced at Grace who had taken a seat beside him.
“What did they see? Buffy hasn’t told us much except how she and Spike ended up in love and you were a fluke, a mistake,” Xander said. Earning glares form both parents and Grace.
“See…….they found one of our storage areas for our up coming exhibit. We—you all but your future selves and me own the Historical Slayers’ Museums. I—“
“Are you saying there are museums about Slayers’?” Buffy asked in shock as she shot a glance to her equally shocked Watcher.
“There are now,” Wolfe answered.
“You’re serious? I mean how cool is that? Think Buffy, you could be in one of these museums!” Willow exclaimed happily.
“I think from what I saw I already am. So is Spike, right Wolfe?” Buffy asked as she stared down at her hands her thoughts whirling around this new revelation.
“Yes. Buffy was the best-known Slayer in history. She—you did more than any other Slayer. You quit the Council and married a vampire. You followed no rules but your own. The Scoobies decided to do this in honor of your life. I can remember very clearly going to the opening of our Paris museum; it’s one of my first memories. Going there and seeing all the past Slayers, looking at you two. Seeing how much good you did,” Wolfe paused getting choked up a little.
“That’s what we do. We build and fill museums on Slayers, the Council, and Watchers. Past, present and future Slayers are all included. It’s amazing actually, how the public has come to terms with evil things, demons and vampires and such. They have really accepted Slayers. Grown to love them, especially you Buffy. You are the ideal Slayer, although you had your faults you always did what had to be done. But it hasn’t been as easy as it sounds. Not at all. The Scoobies had to go through numerous courts to finally get the Council to allow us to build the first museum. After that, it was like pulling teeth, whenever we wanted something we had to go to court. Info on past Slayers, their Watchers etc. Quentin Travers got pleasure in drawing it out. Eventually we were able to attain all we wanted from the Council. That was because Quentin’s grandson Quint is one of the Council’s lawyers.
“He made it fairly easy for us to get anything we needed to make our museums as authentic as possible. But that’s besides the point now. We have a problem. Before you came, days actually we went through one last court battle to display our latest exhibit. The Last War as we are fond of calling it. Quentin made a huge deal about letting us do this, that’s why it was taken to court, he tried to sue us. We won and were granted permission to display it. The Last War is in regards to you two. You died in it. I was the cause of it and the Council was the mastermind of it. They opened the hell mouth and all the demons that came out and maimed and killed, the ones you couldn’t stop, they are to blame. There’s no doubt that if this comes out Quentin’s high opinion and the opinions of others as well as a lengthy jail sentence would be handed out, would be ruined. Quentin was the reason behind it but he didn’t act alone and now……Quint his grandson let it slip that you guys are here.”
Silence met his announcement. Thick with tension and defining in it’s silence.
“So you’re actually saying people are aware of Slayers? Who they are, why they do what they do? I must say this is bloody marvelous! I can not imagine this, I wish to see….this Last War. This is…..wonderful and unexpected I ha—“
“Bottle the enthusiasm Watcher! What do you mean he knows about us? What exactly did you tell him about us Wolfe?” Spike asked coldly.
Wolfe met his gaze head on.
“I made up some story about impersonations and that you sky dived from a plane and landed on the estate. Nothing too out landish, it has happened before actually. But I did mention, I had too since he saw you Spike, that you’d hade surgery to look like Spike. That you idolized him and made yourself into him.”
“That’s really lame. Are you telling me he believed you and how can you trust him? He’s related to the guy that essentially killed your parents?!” Xander asked angrily as he got up, his anger palpable.
Wolfe rose too.
“I’ve known him a good while now. Every one of us trusts him. You have no idea what he has gone through for us! He’s on the outs with his family, he lives in a dive, and he won’t accept our help! He had to quit the Council because he was being harassed thanks to his grandfather’s influence. There’s more but that’s all you need to know. We trust him. You have no choice but to trust us. I just want to warn you all that you have got to stay inside. No more wandering around ok? We will get you anything you need all you have to do is ask. Giles’s I’m sure you have questions, I’ll let you look at your office and your notes. Come. Grace could you please answer any questions they might have? Thank you.”
Wolfe and Giles made to move off but Willow’s excited voice stopped them.
“Can I come too? I’d love to see all you’ve done.”
Wolfe nodded and the trio strode out.
Xander glared around the room.
“Trust him? I know you think he’s your son Buff but really, what do we know about him? Nothin’ and I won’t stay here knowing anything about him. I want answers and he’s gonna give them to me,” Xander said before he ran out after the others.
“Do you have any questions?” Grace asked.
“I do. I want to know what part I have in these museums. I mean am I made to be the Slayer’s lap dog, like the grand poof. Or are my accomplishments mentioned too? I mean let us not forget I killed two Slayers’ before I fell victim to this one! So?”
“God Spike you are sick. Bragging about the Slayers, you’ve killed! No one wants to hear about that!”
“Oh? Well no one wants to hear about how many vampires you’ve killed either! I just want to know if I’m a separate entity than the Slayer here! That I’m me still, instead of just a piece of the Slayer package.”
“Of course you are! I couldn’t have changed you that much! I sure didn’t make you fall in love with me,” Buffy snapped.
Neither noticed as Grace quietly slipped out.
“Haven’t changed me that much?! What world are you living in? I gave up my entire existence for you Slayer! I turned my back on the demon world. I got a soul for you! I gave you a son! I married you—is that not enough? Why can’t I have a piece of m’self that doesn’t belong to you? My past. The Slayers I killed are a part of me.”
Buffy stared at him a moment before she frowned slightly as if just realizing something.
“That’s why you’re so upset,” she whispered.
Spike scowled and glared at her.
“What’s that?”
Buffy met his gaze and smiled slightly.
“All of what you just said doesn’t bother you. No, I think the only thing that bothers you is the fact you married me. I mean you’ve been with Drusilla a hundred odd years and you never married her. Granted you’re both vampires but still.”
“But we are married. In a way. We’re mated,” Spike countered.
“I don’t care. You married me, which in my opinion and yours too it seems, means more to you than anything else. Why? Why does this bother you so much? When we get back it’s never going to happen!” Buffy angrily asked.
“Maybe I want it to happen! Did you ever think of that?!” Spike yelled back.
Redefined: 9
His words hung in the air between them and Buffy shook her head.
“What?” she whispered.
Spike blinked as if just coming to his senses.
“Nothing,” he snapped.
Buffy licked her suddenly dry lips and shook her head again.
“No…….no,” she muttered. “You can’t just say something like that and take it back!! I heard you Spike! Now explain, what the hell you meant,” she exploded her voice resonating around the room.
Stiffening in indignation Spike stared defiantly at her.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you Slayer,” he muttered as he turned to go.
Her hand on his arm stopped him cold.
“No, you aren’t going anywhere until you tell me what you meant,” Buffy stated her voice cold.
“Let go of me,” he warned.
Her grip only tightened.
“Answer me,” she demanded.
Gritting his teeth, he called himself every name he could think of. Of all the stupid things to have come out of his mouth! Like he wanted to have a life with her, he thought angrily.
“I know you don’t think I’d give everything I love to be with you Spike! I’d never lower myself to be with you. Never. Ever. The very thought of it sickens me,” she hissed from right behind him.
He could feel her, her heat, her hate. Everything about her at that moment made him hate her, as he never had before.
Jerking from her grasp he whirled around, his duster brushing the edge of the coffee table. His face was hard, his eyes cold.
“Never Slayer?” he purred. Buffy frowned as she looked into his eyes, saw the blatant hate…….and something else that had her stiffening and stepping back. He stepped closer.
“Never, ever? Well…..this?” he gestured around them mockingly, smiled slightly. “This does not bode well for that statement does it? I even think you probably uttered those words to me before. Thing is, I don’t believe you and I doubt I did the last time you said it either. Those are big words to eat once you realize how wrong you were.”
Buffy jerked her dazed gaze from his and moved even further away.
“Please! I mean God ego much?! I am in love with Angel. I will be with Angel forever,” she said and even to her own ears, the words sounded hollow.
What are you doing a voice inside his head asked? Shut up he told it as he slowly circled her. He could feel her heart beating, the nervousness, the fear. He could feel the blood that rushed to her face at his stare. He could feel her. He wanted her to feel just as confused as he did, just as pained. Just as angry.
He wanted her to hurt.
“S’not ego pet. Fact. Really, didn’t you see Peaches up there mourning for his lost love? Guess what? That story he fed us? Bout the Powers gifting him humanity to look after the boy? A lie. See Angelus got in the way of a Mohra demon, turns out those buggers can turn the dead to living. Neat innit?”
“Shut up,” she growled clenching her fists.
“He was turned human,” Spike went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “But thing is……he wanted to stay human. Gasp! Peaches wanted off the path of redemption. Wanted to be with ….Cordelia, the cheerleader. He’s so fuckin’ in love with her, he lied to you, the supposed love of your life!” Spike said harshly a smirk coming forth. He paused waiting for her to respond.
She didn’t, her head was lowered, her hair a curtain effectively hiding her face.
“Hurts don’t it? Knowin’ everything you believed in, everything you thought you wanted, needed you don’t get! Turns out something you never wanted has the most unexpect—“
Her fist in his face had him shutting up.
“Would you shut up!!!! You think this is funny?! That this has only happened to you? News flash Blondie, it involves me too!!! Do you think I want to be here? To see Wolfe? To see how much he loves us?! I don’t. I don’t want to see this. I love Angel. I do—but now! Now this is—now I have seen this. How can I forget this? How can we? How can we?!”
Spike stared at her, trying to stay angry. He wanted to hate her again, wanted things to go back to the way they’d been before. He found he couldn’t.
“That’s what I mean luv,” he finally broke the charged silence. “We go back knowin’ this. Everything and what? Pretend? Pretend that somewhere I, some future life I didn’t love you and you never loved me? That I never married you, that we had a super boy named Wolfe. I KNOW you’re in love with Angelus. I’m in love with Dru. But this? Changes everything.”
Buffy didn’t answer as she brushed past him out of the room. Leaving Spike feeling suddenly bereft.
~*~ ~*~
Buffy sat on the edge of her bed her eyes unseeing. To say this was too much was an understatement; Buffy felt her head begin to ache. Spike’s words echoed in her head. Around and around they went. This changed everything.
She could pretend, as he’d suggested. Pretend there wasn’t the possibility of her having a life with Spike. Since she had first met Angel, she had always thought her future belonged with him. That they would be together forever. Or until she died. He would live on forever and he would be a good lover and mourn her forever.
That was what she had pictured her future being.
She wished, oh how she wished things could go back to the way they’d been. Simple. Understandable. She was in love with the only ensouled vampire, he loved her. Spike was her enemy. They tried to kill each other on a regular basis.
Her minds eye flashed to Spike, his face, those cheekbones, his voice, and those eyes. Everything about him was intense. Too much for her. She wanted a love that was sweet and tender and she knew deep down Spike could not give her that. He understood the ramifications of this more than she did. She couldn’t even fathom them.
She knew he was attracted to her. It was in his eyes when he looked at her. Since coming here, it hadn’t been hidden. She had pushed all thoughts of Spike and what a hottie he was out of her mind. She had been taught that all demons were bad. Evil. Soulless. The world had been firmly set in black and white.
To think……that in a matter of years it would all change! He would be implanted with a government chip that prevented him from harming humans. Fall in love with her and in a domino effect get a soul, marry her and give her a son.
He did it all for her. Why would he love her? How? What had she done to deserve so much devotion? So much love, how could she love him back? She was in love with Angel.
Angel……. He flashed before her closed eyes. Sweet loving Angel. He filled her with a sense of warmth, of love. Spike’s image overrode Angel’s. His damnable smirk, his arrogant attitude. The way he cocked his head when he spoke. His damn arched brow. Those eyes! Damn him, she thought viciously. Everything about him filled her with emotions she hadn’t thought possible. She hated it. Him. Everything he represented she didn’t want, didn’t need yet it seemed he was all she could ever hope to have.
A firm knock on her door had her frowning slightly.
“Yes?” she called not really wanting to be disturbed.
“It’s me Buffy,” Giles called through the door. Buffy reluctantly got up and opened the door to let him in.
He took a seat in one of the chairs that faced her bed and studied her silently. She wanted to squirm under his intense stare but didn’t, she forced herself to meet it head on.
“What’s on your mind Giles?” she finally asked.
“Buffy…..I know this has been a rather difficult adjustment to make. To accept that Wolfe is in fact your son. With Spike of all cre—people! I can assure you are not alone in feeling very unnerved by this all. But I’ve come to you now to express my thoughts on what I’ve just seen. As you are aware, Wolfe and the others have created numerous museums about Slayers, most specifically about you and Spike. The lives you affected. I must say…..I am quite astounded by it all. I have come to ask that you have a look. I am in no way condoning you having a relationship with such an evil creat—person as Spike but…..the things you two did together! Buffy I think you and Spike should take a look at all they’ve done and then perhaps you will understand my amazement,” Giles finished in a rush as he stared at his charge with a look of hopeful expectation.
~*~ ~*~
Buffy tried very hard to dispel the expectant look of her Watcher as she sat beside Spike as Wolfe drove them to the Sunnydale museum.
“I’m real surprised you wanted to come,” Wolfe commented glancing back at them with a large smile. “But I’m glad. This is going to be awesome! You’ll see.”
Spike glanced at Buffy.
“Why are we here? I thought you wanted to pretend. This isn’t going to help at all,” Spike asked in a hushed whisper.
Buffy shot Wolfe a brief look of concern at Spike’s words.
“I know, but Giles insisted,” Buffy answered.
Spike scowled.
“You’re serious? The Watcher insisted, I’m right surprised he did that! I mean hell I am evil Slayer. Evil and I could easily snap your neck and drain you dry! It would be so easy to reach over and bury my fangs in –“
“I can hear you both you know,” Wolfe said as he pulled into the back of the museum.
His parents shot him twin looks of guilt.
“Then I should be askin’ you then. Why are we here? I thought you said we couldn’t go out, yet here we are,” Spike asked as he followed the Slayer out of the car.
“Well it’s—I did a slight cloaking spell, sorta like the one around our house. I’m talking but no one can see you so go on in and explore. I’ll be in the upstairs office,” Wolfe instructed as he left them in the empty lobby.
Buffy and Spike glanced at each other.
“We shouldn’t do this,” Buffy said.
“You’re right. I mean if we’re just having problems dealin’ with the fact we have a son, how are we going to handle seeing it all spelt out nice like? We’re pretending remember?”
Buffy nodded slightly.
They turned together towards the stairs Wolfe had taken.
As they moved, the doors to the museum were thrown open and a swarm of people swept in.
“Spread out. Look everywhere and we want them unharmed. Travers says he wants both of them. Unharmed,” the leader ordered as he started barking out orders.
Buffy looked at the regular looking people who were obviously more than that, watched as they all pulled out some device and took off in all directions. Obviously they were looking for someone and she wondered if maybe some one had escaped and—
“We need to get outta here,” Spike’s strained voice broke through her thoughts. He gripped her elbow and began to edge up the stairs.
“Why?” Buffy asked still staring at the group that had stayed behind in the lobby.
“Slayer……..” Spike hissed as he hurried his pace dragging her behind him.
“Maybe they need help Spike! I’m the Slayer I help people,” she huffed as she jerked out of his grip and spun around.
Spike glared after her and then shrugged. What did he care if she was caught? He wanted nothing to do with those wankers down stairs. Shaking his head, he jogged the rest of the way up the stairs and hurried down the hall looking for the boy.
“Wolfe?” he called the frantic feeling he’d had at the sight of those people increasing by the second as he turned on his heel. He had better watch her back, he thought. After all, they couldn’t get home if she was discovered and something happened to her could they?
“Hey…..let go of me,” he heard the Slayer’s voice raised loudly in anger and he charged the rest of the way down the stairs. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.
Buffy was covered by a hoard of humans that struggled with her invisible form and she wasn’t doing too well. Her need to not hurt them, keeping her from using her strength as she would, had they been demons.
Spike’s eyes widened as the leader fisted his hands together and clubbed Buffy over the head. She slumped unconscious with a moan of pain. Anger surged through him and with a roar of pure fury, he pounced.
He had no problem with the fact they were human. He tore into them like a tornado through a trailer park. People went flying in all directions as he strove to get to Buffy as the leader hefted her invisible form.
“Do the spell,” he yelled as he moved as fast as he could towards to the doors.
The swoosh of air caught his attention right before a body landed nimbly on its feet in front of him. Wolfe grinned dangerously as he straightened.
“I think you have something that belongs to me,” he said before he reached out and with a speed unseeable took Buffy from the man and handed her off to Spike as he came up beside them.
The leader came out of his shock at Wolfe’s abilities enough to give the signal to converge to the middle of the room.
“Take her and get out of here,” Wolfe ordered.
Spike didn’t move an inch.
“I don’t think so boy,” he growled as he hugged Buffy closer to him.
“Get out of here! I can handle myself,” Wolfe said again as he shot Spike a look of pure anticipation to the coming fight. “Remember I’m both of you. Combined.”
Spike was torn, he wanted to stay for a spot of violence, see his son in action and have a regular ball, but then he looked down at Buffy and he made his decision.
“Stay safe,” he ordered as he moved away at a run.
“You can bet on it,” Wolfe called after him. ~*~ ~*~
Spike ran as fast as he could through the museum. He wished the Slayer would wake up and they could go help Wolfe but she remained dead to the world and he was trying to find a place to stash her so he could help their son.
He ran past an open door to the right of him he knew humans were in because he could hear their heartbeats and was glad for the cloaking spell as he rounded he corner.
Right into the waiting arms of a good twenty of the people that had separated into groups to look for them, he suspected. He carefully made his way through the mass. He was almost past when an excited voice called out.
“There they are! Get em!!!!!!!!”
Spike threw a glance over his shoulder and had his heart been beating it would have stopped. They were coming at him. He glanced at the Slayer then debated the wise ness of running; they were all over the place. Like roaches they were. What to do? He couldn’t leave the Slayer alone unable to defend herself and he couldn’t fight with her in his arms. What to do?
The answer was solved for him as Buffy opened her eyes and groaned a little.
“Slayer we’ve got company and it aint the visitin’ kind. You up for a bit of a fight?” he asked as he looked down into her eyes.
She nodded and grimaced as pain erupted in her head. Spike sat her on her feet and they faced the on coming mob.
~*~ ~*~
Wolfe threw one last punch before he surveyed the remaining few who had yet to feel his fury.
“Come on boys. Let’s have a go of it. Fancy a beatin’?” he asked with a wide smirk as he advanced.
The men’s radios went off and a message was relayed. The men glanced at one another before one-stepped forward and the others retreated.
“What was that? Where’re ya goin? What’s going on,” Wolfe demanded as he reached out and grabbed the man by the throat and shook him with enough force to rattle his brain.
“We got what we came for,” the man choked out and Wolfe dropped him as if he’d been burnt. Heart pounding he spun and ran in the direction he’d seen Spike take off in.
All he could think of was God no.
~*~ ~*~
“Yes?”
“It’s done sir. I think you will be quite pleased. We’ll bring them up.”
Quentin Travers hung up the phone and sat back in anticipation.
He smirked as he thought of his grandson. Fool me will you? he thought gleefully. Humph!! Sky divers, impersonators his arse!!! Something was going on over at the Hill and he was pretty damn sure he now had a large clue as to what it was.
He noted that he should personally thank the useless lot he had watching the Hill. They’d detected the two-cloaked forms with that Winthrop boy as soon as he left the premises. Not very clever at all, he mused. But then that was what you got when you mixed blood he thought in disgust. Hybrids weren’t known for their intelligence he thought in vengeful delight. He’d have them right where he wanted them.
His study door opened and in marched his head of security Michael Bart and his second in command. In their arms was the last thing he expected to see.
“My God,” he gasped out as Henry helped him to his feet.
“The Winthrop boy had these two cloaked sir. Quite odd how they look exactly like his parents,” Michael stated as he lowered Buffy onto the couch Spike followed.
Quentin pictured the five falling form the sky and he felt his heart begin to pound an irregular beat. Good Lord!!!!!
“That’s because they are his parents,” he whispered.
He gazed at the two people who had ruined him, had created the boy who had turned his own flesh against him and a smile of pure evil crossed his features. Now they would pay.
Redefined: 10
“This is my fault. If only I had not suggested Buffy take a look at the museum…..” Giles moaned into his hands. Willow tried unsuccessfully to comfort him through her own worry.
Xander paced with irritation.
“NO this is your fault. How could you let this happen,” he hissed as he lifted his head to glare at Wolfe.
“Yeh. Wolfe how could you?” Angel put in his two cents.
Wolfe looked at neither of them and reined in his anger. He couldn’t let their feelings factor into his own. He didn’t need their blame along with his own guilt.
“Guys laying blame isn’t helping anyone,” Willow admonished sharply.
“Well—they –Buffy wouldn’t be gone if it weren’t for Wolfe! He told us not to leave and yet he took them out!”
Grace slipped her arms around Wolfe in comfort and rested her head on his shoulder. She regarded the room with narrowed eyes.
“Willow’s right. Blaming Wolfe isn’t doing anything at all but making him feel worse! We need to get it in gear and find a way to get them back!”
Wolfe smiled gratefully at Grace before he lifted his head to meet both Xander and Angel’s angry gazes.
“If I hadn’t taken them out they’d still be here. But that’s beside the point. Grace is right. There isn’t much of a guess to know who’s behind this. Quentin Travers has them. We need to get them back.”
“You’re quite right,” Giles finally spoke moving to stand beside Wolfe. “What do you suggest?” Giles placed a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“I think we should have a nice long chat with Travers. Make him see reason,” Angel said an angry glint in his eyes.
“I don’t think he asked you Angel,” Xander snapped.
Five expectant pair of eyes turned to Wolfe.
Standing suddenly Wolfe clenched his fists. He had no plan as of yet, but one was forming in the back of his head though.
“I need to make a few phone calls. We’ll meet back here in an hour,” he announced absently as he strode out.
“Well he was no help! Who’s with me on goin’ it alone?” Xander asked eagerly.
The only hand to rise was Angel’s, and a look of disgust formed on Xander’s face at this.
“Er…..never mind. I’m sure Wolfe will come up with something. With Buffy and Spike as parents he’s sure to have inherited a few brain cells,” he grumbled he dropped into Wolfe’s vacant seat.
“Don’t worry. Wolfe is very good at this type of thing,” Grace said pleasantly.
“Really? How so?” Giles asked curiously, slowly cleaning his glasses.
Grace smiled nervously.
“Well……”
Angel laughed humorlessly.
“He’s never done anything like this before. He’s only had experience like this in setting up exhibits like this in the museums. You’d be better off letting me handle this,” Angel said having no trouble telling the truth or his version of it.
He got glares from all, for even suggesting such a thing.
“Buffy told me how you tried to mislead her and Spike. I doubt your intentions here are anymore noble. I am sure Wolfe with our help of course will come up with a formidable plan,” Giles spoke in a clipped tone as he glared at Angel.
~*~ ~*~
Two weeks later:
Quite impressive Quentin thought as he watched the vampire known as William the Bloody paced the room he was currently caged in. Indeed, he had more restraint and control over himself than he had ever thought. But really now it was time to break it. To destroy him and his worthless offspring. All in due time though. William the Bloody first, from there he would destroy all who had dared to go against him!
~*~ ~*~
Spike paced the room his eyes closed and his thoughts chaotic. He had to get out of here! This was crazy and insane— wait was the same meaning. Two different words. Same meaning. He shook his head angrily.
“Lost m’bloody mind I have,” Spike, muttered as he dug his fingers into his head and moaned low down in his throat.
He stood stock still suddenly. His whole body still as he honed his senses outside of the room he was locked in. Nothing. Not one heart beat. Disappointment slammed into him and he slowly dropped to the ground in a low crouch.
He had to get out of here. He needed blood! He needed to feed, he was slowly but surely going south to a murderous unthinking rage that would make him little more than an animal and he had always prided himself in being better than that. He killed sure, but he didn’t do it for the fun of it, the sport, he never played with his food, as Angelus had been quite fond of doing. He did what he had to survive.
Frowning slightly his thoughts drifted to Drusilla. He had been here for weeks and he’d used them to think about all that had gone on recently. Most of all he had allowed himself to think of his dark princess.
She had probably lost whatever sense of stability she had when he had disappeared and was probably as frightened as a newborn. She had no idea how to function without anyone taking care of her. She relied on him and he was feeling extreme guilt over not being there. He loved her.
He did not doubt that, but now he was aware of all the possibilities he had never thought possible, he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to this. He knew that when he got back to Sunnydale he had to leave. He could not stay there……couldn’t be near the Slayer. They had agreed that this reality was never going to take place and he was going to keep it that way no matter how much he might wan—
He cut that thought off. He didn’t want to think about that. He wanted to think about all the blood he was going to spill once he got out of this damn room. How he was going to make Travers pay for daring to do this to him. And if he laid one hand on the Slayer!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blood was going to run. Soon. Sometime. But not now. Now he needed to rest, needed to close his eyes stave off the useless bloodlust and sleep. He had to sleep. He had to think about himself, if he thought about the Slayer he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance, he had to be clear headed. Emotionless when Travers decided to show himself.
~*~ ~*~
Buffy wanted to break down the door and kill who ever had done this to her. She was fed up with this. She had been here for two weeks and in all of those weeks, she hadn’t seen the evil soulless demon she had stood back to back with. She was going out of her head worrying about the vampire. He had to be okay, she tried to assure herself. He was Spike he knew how to take care of himself.
Nonetheless, she worried about how they were treating him. How he would cope with being confined and whether they were feeding him. Her worry for him was unnerving and she didn’t analyze it too closely. She knew she absolutely should not be feeling anything but disgust and hate for him. He was a demon and deserved to die by her hand. True, but that had been before. Before she was shown, what he could be. That he had changed changed for her, that he could love her and be with her, earn her love in return.
This trip to the future had changed everything and she didn’t know if it was for the best or not. Because now…….now she was doubting her eternal love for Angel. Doubting that it was as strong as she once thought it was. She had honestly never thought of a future outside of Angel, granted she was a teenager and her realm of thought consisted of Slaying, school and Angel. Angel being the only other constant besides Slaying in her life. She had relied on that.
Now that was all shot to hell. Because of one soulless evil demon. Her thoughts drifted slightly to rest on their son. Wolfe would get them out of here she was sure. He had the Scoobies young and old at his disposal. This equaled good. Very good. They would be out of here soon. No matter that it had been two weeks already. Wolfe was a smart boy; he had skills that surpassed both her and his father. He would get them out of here. Not that it was too bad she mused.
She was situated in a nice suite like room, with enough clothes and food to last her a good long while. It was pleasant and if she had not been held prisoner she would have said it was like being in a hotel. Room service and a very nice bed.
She stiffened when the door to her cell was opened and someone was pushed into the room. Eyes narrowed she took in the much older Quentin Travers. Or she assumed it was him; hard to tell he was so old and decrepit looking.
“Travers,” she muttered with a cold look.
“Ah, still the same impertinent sass of a girl I see,” he remarked voice reed thin and laced with disgust. His eyes held noting but contempt as they raked over her.
She lifted her head and smiled slightly. No one was going to make her feel inferior. Especially not his crazy old man!
“What do you want? What good is holding us? We’ve done nothing to you!”
“Nothing? Perhaps not you dear. But no matter, your future self ruined my life. Took me from the Council, sundered my good name! Spawned your demon child who has stolen my own flesh and blood to wither away on the very side that ruined his father and me!!!! And you say you’ve done nothing to me,” he huffed in a rage.
“Ah, but you killed us. So really all this pent up rage is useless and very unhealthy to carry around with you. And I will say this once; don’t ever call my son a demon child. He is a man. Say it again and you will get an up-close look at this Slayer’s temper. Now before I break you in two tell me where Spike is and I’ll just be on my way.”
“In due time child. Henry……”
Henry slowly rolled his master out of the room and Buffy stared after them. She sighed in frustration.
“Too bad that Henry’s a Rawsta demon,” she muttered. Rawsta demons were notorious for their ruthless, kill all kinda thinking. Mess with them and you’d never live to tell the tale, they were tough, tough enough to give her pause and so she hadn’t attacked as she had planned to.
She sat back on the bed a look of grim determination etched on her young face. The next time she was just going to have to take a chance.
She’d been dozing when she heard the doorknob turn and she let herself relax into the mattress. She was ready to move as soon as whoever it was came in.
Her Slayer senses were going off the wall and she wondered if Travers had brought in a vampire to do the job, because this vampire felt off. Not like the normal fledglings, she encountered or the few Masters she’d met and fought. Who was it?
The door was thrown open and she sprang into action, nailing the person with a high flung kick to his face. What she hadn’t counted on was the person catching her foot and spinning her around catching her in a chokehold.
“I’m gonna kill you,” she seethed as she struggled uselessly.
“Really pet,” Spike’s voice whispered in her ear. “Are you always this violent?”
She let out an unSlayer like squeal of relief and surprise.
“Spike?! What is going on? You feel all—you set off my spidy senses like nothing I’v—“
“I take it you missed me then huh?” he asked as he turned her around so they faced each other.
She looked up into his eyes and felt something inside of her give and float away, never to be heard from again. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she lost herself in those blue orbs.
“Got somethin’ in m’teeth or what? Why are you starin’ Slayer?” Spike rasped out lowering his head to inhale her sweet scent. He closed his eyes briefly.
“I’m just happy to see you. I thought….never mind. We have to get out of here. Travers is crazy! He wants us both dead you know. He—“
“Calm down luv,” he whispered. “I’m here now and I’ll take care of everything.”
There was something in his eyes that should have warned her.
But she paid it little heed. He brought his hands up slowly, skimming her back, brushing her nape.
He cupped her head, lifted it so their eyes could meet.
“My Slayer…….forever my Slayer,” he whispered as his mouth brushed hers.
His mouth covered hers, his hands resting against her head. He kissed as she’d never been kissed before. Hard, passionate, startlingly possessive.
It seared her, branding her in a way she couldn’t find unflattering. He wanted her and…..God help her she wasn’t strong enough to resist him! She had no thoughts of their fates, of their son, of Angel……Only him, this demon who was more than she had ever thought he could be, more than she could imagine.
Then suddenly he was moving, shoving her up against the wall and his mouth left hers to trail down her face, he settled on her neck and she tilted his head back giving him better access as he nipped and nibbled on the sensitive skin just below her ear lobe.
“Buffy…….Buffy,” he whispered raggedly as he lifted his face slightly to stare down at her.
Her eyes were closed and she had lost herself to his touch, his mouth and she barely heard his voice as he said her name. More, more she thought frantically. She wanted his mouth, God she wanted his mouth everywhere she—
Her breath caught as she felt him suddenly, everywhere, inside of her…..A part of her. Oh the heat….. It engulfed her, surrounded her and she lost herself to it. She was being swept away, swept away………
She screamed.
Redefined: 11
Two weeks prior:
Wolfe hung up the phone as he finished his last phone call. He sat back in his chair with a wary sigh. He had just finished making calls to all of the remaining Scoobies, explained what had gone on and now all he had left to do was wait. Sit and wait. That was what Giles and the rest had advised him to do.
No going off to rescue his parents on his own. No he wasn’t prepared for such a thing they’d said and he had silently agreed. While he might be the child of a vampire and Slayer, he didn’t go out and fight the forces of evil. He left that up to the pros. Like the Slayers that had come after his mother had passed. He kept himself occupied by the museums he ran. The Sunnydale one in particular.
On the rare occasion some demon cult, or some foolish person came to kill the hybrid of the fiercest Slayer ever and her mate William the Bloody he took care of them. He did what he had to do, but only when he had to. He was a lover not a fighter. That thought made him smile slightly wondering what Spike would think of that. Probably remind him of himself as William. The thought though as amusing as it was quickly faded and he closed his eyes.
He knew that he had a limited timetable to play around with. Travers was not going to keep them alive just for the fun of it. Sooner rather than later, he would make them cease to exist and he could-- would not allow that to happen. But to do that he had to wait. He had to wait for the pros to come in. To discuss, analyze and then he would act. Only then.
~*~ ~*~
Present Time:
“One, two, three……Go,” the voice was commanding and held the faintest hint of a youth that would not leave.
Willow looked down at her laptop and studied the glowing figures that were moving across the screen. Her eyes were narrowed as she concentrated intently.
“Connor…..to your left is the door the guards will be coming out of. Be careful, and this time try to maim not kill the humans okay?”
“I’ll try,” was the grim response she got.
Connor appeared on screen a glowing orange as he waited hidden in the hedges off to the farther part of the Travers estate in Northern California. He bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement. Things like this always got his blood pumping and he was ready to kill. His eyes alert and sharp in the darkness watched the door as he heard Willow count off in his head and she sounded the alarm.
Second’s later guards of various sizes and shapes, human and demons alike spilled out of the very door he was watching and he grinned as he pounced. He flew at them full force, laughing as he heard the satisfying crunch of bone under his skillful hands. First blood, he thought in triumph.
~*~ ~*~
Willow kept an eye on Connor even as she turned her attention to the next member of her team. Her eyes focused on the purple dot that was currently crawling through the sewers below the Travers estate.
“Grace? How’re you doing?” she asked in concern as she saw the dot pause and stay still.
“Great,” she heard Grace respond. “Great……if that’s what being surrounded by the dead equals Wills. Give us a minute,” she muttered.
Grace crouched low to the filthy ground as her senses primed for any other worldly thing rose to the forefront and she blinked once before she registered Willow was talking in her head. Asking how she was doing. Not good, she thought as she watched them appear out of the walls.
Demons so rare they were thought to have been extinct taken out by some unknown origin. Grace found herself grinning.
“Why you old devil Travers. In house security of the great kind,” she mumbled as she shook her head.
The pale translucent forms of the once immortal race known as the G’hai people surrounded her. Their low incessant voices droning on and on, to the sensitive ears she had they were yelling in actuality they were only whispering. An effective tool to use on one like herself. Score one for the glowly ones, she thought as she threw back her head and let out a howl that meant only one thing.
Her transformation was quick and easy, once human now in wolf form she sent her thoughts to Willow. It just so happened that the G’hai had once been a delicacy of her very own race. She knew exactly how to take them down. Nothing to worry about Willow she thought in feral delight as she lost herself to the Wolf.
~*~ ~*~
Willow checked Grace off as she looked in on Connor who was just finishing up with the guards. Two ready to go, she thought as she shifted her attention once again. A smile tugged at her mouth as she took in the combined glow of the Scoobies of old, a lovely color of red.
“Guys can you hear me?” she asked.
“Yes……er……Willow we can hear you,” Giles spoke aloud forgetting she was in his head and heard the thoughts before he had even spoken them.
“Good. You guys ready? You know what you’re going to do?”
Their chorus of affirmatives greeted her and she grinned.
“Go ahead.”
Giles glanced around the empty parking lot he and the Scoobies occupied at the moment and began to build the fire they’d been instructed they build.
“Willow,” he called as he looked at Willow1 who stood nervously beside him clutching the book she had been instructed to use in order to do the spell Willow2 needed done.
Xander stood on the ready for any who came to stop them, a new confidence underlining his stance as he ran his new mantra through his head. I saved the world by myself once, this is nothing. I saved the world by myself once, this is nothing.
The two by the fire began to chant as they had been instructed to and the fire roared to life as Willow threw a handful of herbs she’d brought.
“Watch your back Xan, on your left two vamps have come to play,” his own future self announced in his ear.
Xander straightened and turned slowly his hands gripping his sword with sudden sweaty palms. Fear crept through him as he watched the vamps approach from the shadows into the light. His voice in his head was the only thing that kept him from bailing and running like a chicken. With unsure yet measured moves, he listened as he heard himself be instructed on the method of slice and dice layman style.
Stroke after stroke he found himself ever amazed at how well he was doing. When he had slayed the two vampires he let out a roar of relief and happiness that turned into a groan as more vamps appeared. He cast a quick glance at the two at the fire locked in their trance they’d be of no help.
“A little help here,” he muttered as he began to fight.
“Have no fear the Xan-man’s here,” he heard his voice announce just as Xander2 launched himself into the fray with the skills he’d picked up these twenty some years. Xander stared at himself in awe and delight.
“Damn I’m good,” he mumbled as he joined the fight in earnest.
~*~ ~*~
Willow glanced at her watch and saw they were right on time. She searched for the color she wanted on the screen and frowned as she saw the blue color moving unhindered.
“What are you doing?” she demanded anxiously.
He didn’t respond to her voice, in fact he completely blocked her voice out and strode determinedly towards his objective.
Willow clutched her hands together as she watched.
“Don’t do it,” she whispered. “Don’t do it!”
Wolfe couldn’t hear her and even if he had it would not have stopped him. The front door of the huge estate loomed ahead and with a look of deadly concentration he ran, with all his might and flew at the door.
As soon as his feet hit the wood, it shattered as if made of glass, into a million pieces. Wolfe stepped over the barrier, the wood crunching under his boots as he looked around in mild surprise.
“That’s what I call easy access,” he announced to the empty foyer. Spreading his arms wide he stretched and rolled his shoulders.
“Can’t be that easy now can it old man?” he muttered. “Bring it Travers!!!! Bring it and see me defeat it. I’m comin’ for you old man,” he yelled as the white forms of the G’hai people converged around him and as one they attacked.
Wolfe frowned in confusion as his hits went right through the things, nothing he did stopped them and soon he found himself being brought to his knees.
“Damn ghosts,” he grumbled as he tried uselessly to block their blows.
“Is Wolfie afraid of ghosts?” Graces voice came from behind him as she trotted into the room from the wrecked doorway. “I told Willow it would be easier and a lot less smelly to use the front door. Having trouble baby? Shall I give you a hand?”
Wolfe grunted as he took a fist to his jaw and glared over at his love with flashing golden eyes.
“I’d appreciate it babe,” he growled.
Grace regarded the ghosts for a moment before she sprang into action.
“I’ve got this, go on,” she ordered.
Wolfe jumped to his feet as he was released and headed for the spiraling staircase to his left.
“Thanks and have fun babe,” he called as he left her to it.
~*~ ~*~
Willow turned to the people in the van with her and regarded them a moment before she finally spoke.
“That’s it. How do you think we’ll do?” she asked.
“I think they’ll all die,” Angel muttered.
“Shut up,” Giles snapped. “We have provided Wolfe with all we can. It is all in his hands. Only he can save them. And if I hear one word out of you again Angel I’ll……..I’ll make you sorry,” Giles warned a little of his old Ripper self-showing briefly.
“If he won’t I will for sure Angel, we don’t need your negative attitude here! You’re here for your knowledge only, so shut it and zip it,” Willow said mildly as she returned her attention to the screen.
It was all up to Wolfe. ~*~ ~*~
“Sir….we have to get out of here. The house is being over run with intruders,” Henry urged his master.
Quentin shook his head a smile firmly planted on his face. The glint in his eyes slightly insane.
“Of course Henry. I had no doubt they would come. They always do. For their fearless leader. The Slayer. Buffy Summers the golden one, the best Slayer ever. A legend. Her life is in my hands Henry and the boy is well aware of that. I have waited years, decades for this moment! I have finally won. Do you see? Do you see how it is?! NO ONE CAN TAKE DOWN QUENTIN TRAVERS AND SURVIVE TO TELL THE TALE. I WILL DESTROY THEM. DO YOU SEE?!!!!!”
“I see a crazy old man all alone,” Wolfe spoke in his ear and he grinned rakishly as Quentin gasped in breath and clutched his chest.
“You’re too late,” he gasped out.
“Too late? I am thinking I’m right on time old man. I’ve lived with the threat of you hanging over my head all my life and now…….today I can finish you off. Because of you my parents died. I never got to know them; they never got to see me grow up. They died by your hand no matter who struck the final blow. Today you will die by my hand,” Wolfe spoke in a deadly voice, his restraint gone and his reason somewhere on the edge of gone.
Quentin laughed with his last breath and lifted one shaking finger to the security monitor.
“I win,” he whispered as he died.
Wolfe followed Quentin’s unseeing gaze and frowned his eyes searching the bank of monitors trying to see what had made the old man think he’d won. His eyes found it a second later and it took his brain a minute or so to comprehend what he was seeing. As he did he blinked, shook his head, blinked again.
Then he screamed in horror and pain.
“NOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!”
~*~ ~*~
Swept away…..she was being swept away. Floating that’s what it felt like, that’s what she would remember. The pain an after thought. But the pleasure…….it threaded its way through her body slowly but surely soaking into her making her boneless and lethargic.
Her small hands fisted in the fabric at his shoulders as she pressed herself closer, inviting and then—
Her scream came with the realization Spike had his fangs in her neck and she was doing nothing to stop him!!! He was drinking her blood and she was thoroughly enjoying it. Disgust swept through her and she didn’t think as she thrust him into the nearest wall.
They both screamed in pain.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!!!” Buffy screamed as she pressed a hand to the wound in her neck.
Spike shook his head as if he couldn’t comprehend what she’d said, as if she had spoken in a language he didn’t understand. He lifted shaking hands to his face, to his mouth. His fingers paused as they found his mouth covered in blood. Slowly he tasted it and froze as the taste assaulted his senses and his eyes shot up to meet the horrified green of the Slayer’s.
“Buffy….” he whispered in horror and disbelief. “Buffy..” he tried again words failing him as he realized what he had done, to whom and what he could have done.
Sick with it he felt his stomach clench and he clamped a hand over his mouth only to find it covered in her blood and he recoiled crying out in rage and helplessness. How could he make this right? How could he make this rig—
“Mom?!!!!!!!!!!” Wolfe scream echoed off the walls as he hurdled through the door breaking it as if it were nothing. His eyes swept the room, over the fallen form of his father then to his mother’s horrified and extremely shaken form.
He didn’t think as he turned his back on his father and went to take care of Buffy.
Spike though saw it for the unconscious act it had been. A rejection. And rightfully so, he thought hollowly. Only an animal would do something like that!!! Only an evil soulless demon. A monster. He closed his eyes in pain and shook with silent agony. He ached all over. Inside, outside.
God help him, he thought. God help him? He shook his head. No, he was damned. Evil. He was evil, he had made no qualms about it, never tried to be any different. But evil demons did not feel guilty over almost killing the Slayer. They didn’t feel pain, sorrow over the fact his son had turned from him in disgust.
Demons were evil. There was no need for shades of grey, they were what they were. He had once been evil, once known the blood of Slayers in the throes of death……now he shook with the desire to undo what could never be done, as he relieved himself of his Slayer’s precious lifeblood. He was evil he reminded himself as he slumped to the ground. Evil. Only and always. This was what he was and always would be. He saw no future on the path of redemption, he saw no soul, he saw no son…..most of all he saw no Slayer as images of what could have been flashed behind his closed eyes. He saw only the image of the demon he was.
He saw only a vampire, who once had the world and now had nothing.
~*~ ~*~
“It was so weird Giles,” Buffy said hours later as she lounged on her bed in their in house infirmary.
“Buffy you do realize you were extremely lucky do you not?” Giles asked gently as he watched her as she fiddled with the blankets that were pulled up to her chin.
“Of course,” she mumbled her eyes going off in another direction. She wasn’t going to look at Giles, she didn’t want too see the disappointment in his eyes once he found out she’d let Spike bite her.
“How did this happen? Spike specifically told us if any of us were to die, we wouldn’t be getting home. Tell me how this happened please.”
Buffy closed her eyes and leaned back against her pillows.
She slowly, emotionless as she could she explained what had gone on. How she let him kiss her wanted more and generally welcomed him to kill her.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she finished.
Giles watched his charge with a degree of bemusement and a good dose of love. She was a remarkable girl and he loved her. But as he Watcher he knew he should in no way encourage her feelings, yes feelings, he had no doubt there were feelings involved on both sides. But then again he was never one to stick to the rules.
“Buffy…..you have nothing to feel ashamed for. It would be ridiculous to assume you did not have feelings for Spike! All the things you have found out have only brought out what we are now sure would have come about no matter what. If you are attracted to, Spike then so be it. I will not judge you Buffy, I have no right. But I will say this…….Spike did amazing things in this time. He was steadfast in his loyalty to you, he helped you for years and you loved him, had a child together. Married him. There is hope that perhaps even still when we get home you and he---“
“No! No, Giles there will be no us. Spike is leaving as soon as he gets back. If he doesn’t then his heart and my stake will have an appointment. He’s evil Giles; he tried to kill me tonight!!”
“Yesterday actually,” Giles muttered absently.
“Today, yesterday whatever! That’s besides the point, which is he tried to drain me dry-“
“Buffy he was irrational with extreme blood lust and the animalistic side of him won out as he bit you. You have to understand what that does to a vampire. Spike had been with out blood for almost the whole two weeks you two were there. I am not condoning it but it is reasonable to understand how he acted as he did. Blood lust like that changes the whole make up of the vampire Buffy. Pushing most any other emotion besides hunger from the brain and leads them to kill recklessly. That’s why you were not aware it was Spike outside the door, the blood lust made his molecular signature alter. N—“
“I can’t believe you’re defending him!!!! Giles am I the only one who sees him for what he really is?! If all you’re going to do is jump on the yah is Spike bandwagon then leave! I do not want to hear it. Spike is evil and all he did was what he always does. He’s a vampire not a man!”
Giles eyed her one long moment before he rose and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“I think you know better than that. I think you need to decide what you want Buffy. What you need and then I suggest you act on it.”
Buffy tried to drown out his insightful words with humming but failed miserable. Lifting a shaking hand to the bandaged wound on her throat, she inhaled deeply. This had not been a painful experience and had had no hints of this evil blood lusty demon Giles said happened to vamps who hadn’t fed in a good while. He hadn’t come at her game face on; no he’d kissed her, made her want him and then boom! Come forth the fangs. The brief pain to be replaced by pleasure. She was sure that wasn’t natural; Giles had told her vamp bites were painful, especially when you were being fed from. She hoped it wasn’t a Slayer thing.
Sighing she dropped her hand from her neck. Spike was a vampire and she regretted that she had started to see him for what he could be rather than what he was. She had expected too much and now……..now she wanted nothing to do with him. She wondered why the thought caused such heartache, and then thought better of it. She didn’t need to know, she would never examine the part of her that harbored feelings for Spike. Never.
~*~ ~*~
“I can’t believe you! Bite her again and you’re dust fang boy! I saw all about you, how good you became, how you loved her, but I saw you! The same evil vamp you’ve always been. You saddled Buffy with a kid and tried to rape her! You’re nothing man, not even that, you’re a worthless vampire! When we get home if I see you, again you are dust—you hear me—“ Xander’s scream echoed even after Giles came to retrieve him.
Spike stared at the wall his face impassive and sitting on the edge of the bed he was ready to spring up and do some damage to anyone else who came in here. He didn’t need to hear their blame, didn’t want to see the looks in their eyes. Scowling he reached for the fags Grace had brought along with a long lecture on how to control the demon within. He snorted as he took a long drag.
“You can’t smoke in here,” Wolfe said as he strolled in hands deep in his jeans pockets.
Spike flicked the ashes to the ground and ignored him.
“Not talking? Seriously though put the cig away Spike,” Wolfe warned.
Spike looked up his eyes cold and flat. He dangled the cig between his fingers and waved it back and forth showering the ground with ashes.
“Why? You gonna come over here and make me boy?”
Wolfe narrowed his eyes and wondered how he was going to go about this. He had come to talk but now it appeared his dad didn’t have talking to him, probably ever on his mind. From all he knew about Spike he knew how to handle him.
“Come on dad I just want to tal—“
“Dad?! What is wrong with you boy? Do I act like your bloody dad? I’m not! I might have the face but inside there’s nothin’ good. You think what? You think I care about you?”
“Listen you’re understandable upset after yesterday. When we got you out you were unconscious, calm down.”
Spike rose suddenly crushing out the cigarette.
“Any boy of mine wouldn’t need two weeks to get his PARENTS out of their prison. He wouldn’t follow Angelus around like a dog in heat either. MY BOY would be nothing like you. You know what you are? You’re just like your mother. Weak, easily led, stupid---“
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Wolfe, growled his own anger coming forth unexpectedly.
“What? It’s the truth and we’re all into the truth here aren’t we? Well Wolfe that bite? She was asking for it, begging for it. What was I supposed to do? Let an offer like that slip away? I’m sure she’d be a great fu---“
Wolfe’s body moved on its own accord and before he knew it, he was hitting Spike a swinging right to the jaw. Spike flew into the wall leaving a large indentation as he slid down it.
Spike slowly got to his feet his hand touched his aching jaw. Grinning slowly he shed his duster.
“Temper, temper….. Well looky here the Wolfe boy has more underneath his do gooder body suit than I gave credit. My, my, is this any way to treat your good old dad?” he mocked as he met his son half way fists and fangs out to play.
“You want to play it this way?” Wolfe hissed as he tumbled to the ground under his father’s assault.
“This is the way it is boy! Look into my eyes do you see any love?! That’s right I’m not your dad! I will never be your dad—I am no that weak, Slayer whipped Spike. I will never lower myself to be with her, never touch her again!!! I’m evil, the sooner you see it the better off you’ll be,” Spike screamed as he rolled off his son and turned his back his point made.
Wolfe’s grip on his shoulder had him swinging around.
“Don’t walk away from me Spike,” Wolfe said. “We aren’t finished here! You want a fight you got it. Come on. What’s wrong? Can’t take me? Scared? Can you only bite defenseless women?”
Spike smirked.
“Surely you aren’t referring to your mother are you? She’s no weakling boy, she’s the bloody Slayer!”
“You took her by surprise she was happy to see you and you used her. Made her your snack,” Wolfe yelled.
Spike lowered his head as shame overcame him.
“I wasn’t gonna bite her,” he mumbled.
Wolfe’s own smirk came out an exact replica of his father’s.
“‘I wasn’t gonna bite her,’ “Wolfe mocked cruelly.
Spike stiffened and clenched his jaw as he met Wolfe’s gaze head on.
“I wasn’t. Travers brought me there and I knew he thought I’d kill her. Because I hate her, you know? I do, I hate her so bloody much it hurts! Then she was there and she was……she was happy to see me, well after trying to take my head off that is. I wasn’t gonna kiss her either I swear!! I just……. I could smell her, the blood….but that came later you know? After the kiss. The kiss was the first mistake, cuz I had to get close to her to do it. Had to put my arms around her, had to have her close. Mistake, cuz then I couldn’t let her go and before I knew it, I was biting her. But see? The thing is it should never have happened like that. She’s the Slayer she’s stronger than me and when I bit her you know what she did? She pressed closer. Then it really got weird…I mean there was the floating and the---the—you know…….” he mumbled unable to look at him.
Wolfe watched him and slowly uncoiled.
“The pleasure?” he offered helpfully.
“Well yeah. Which in it of its self isn’t unusual, but then it was like……I can’t talk to you about this,” he broke off looking away from his son’s perceptive gaze.
“Well…..all in all this was a different experience all around I take it.”
Spike glanced up and cringed as he noticed the dry blood of Wolfe’s spilt lip.
“I’m----I’m sorry ‘bout that. I didn’t mean to ‘urt you,” he stated clearly.
Wolfe grinned.
“You didn’t do anything I didn’t let you. Now sorry is good, sorry is on the path of redemption,” he said with a laugh.
Spike’s horrified gaze settled on him.
“WHAT? I don’t like this! I don’t like feeling torn in two. I’m a demon mate, evil and now I’m havin’ all these thoughts…..it’s unnatural I tell you. These feelings, these God-awful feelings are crawling under m’skin, burrowing underneath and I can’t shake ‘em! What do I do?”
“I was kidding. Sort of. Not really. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you what you should do. You aren’t the only one who’s feeling this way. Mom is probably feeling the same way, add the fact you accidentally tried to kill her and she’s bound to be in upheaval. You need to apologize, explain your feelings and go from there.”
“I’m not doing that. Why would I do that? Should I? Would she accept it?”
He didn’t let Wolfe answer.
“Of course she wouldn’t! I mean I did feed from her and well that’s unforgivable. That being the case I don’t think I should. No I won’t.”
Wolfe strolled over to Spike slung an arm over his shoulders and began leading him out of the room.
“Too bad, cuz I’m making you. Apologize, resolve this and move on. If she wants nothing to do with you, well you still have Dru huh? Now get,” Wolfe, ordered as he shoved Spike into Buffy’s room shutting and locking the door behind him.
Wolfe paused beside the closed door and shook his head. What a weird match he came from, he thought in amusement as he almost skipped off in happiness.
~*~ ~*~
“Look its psycho blood lusty Spike come to do me in,” Buffy said mockingly as she glared at him.
“Look I’m sorry okay?” he growled his back already up.
“Real heart felt Spike! Very sincere……I almost believe you. Get out of here. Now,” she spat staring straight ahead.
Spike turned slightly before he swung back, she wasn’t going to kick him out when he was trying to apologize! No way in hell.
“I am sorry,” he said softly and sincerely.
“No you’re not.”
“Yes I am!”
“No you aren’t!”
“Yes I am!”
“No you aren’t!”
“No you aren’t,” Spike experimentally put in.
Buffy scowled at him, a smile threatening to break out.
“You can’t do that Spike. I’m smarter than you, you can’t fool me. Besides I’m the only one who can do that.”
“Says who?”
“Says me,” she snapped back.
“That’s not a good enough reason!”
“It’s reason enough Spike.”
Silence descended as each refused to speak to the other.
“You can’t tell me you didn’t want me to kiss you,” Spike finally muttered.
“What I didn’t want was you vamping out and biting me! It wasn’t an open invitation to suck my blood Spike! I mean what is it with you vamps? Vamping out when you kiss me, Angel d---“
“Don’t ever compare me to Peaches,” Spike growled, as he suddenly loomed large and oppressive over her.
“Get out of my face with that jealous crap! I’ll do what I like Spike! ANGEL did the same thing when we kissed, vamped out but at least he didn’t bite like others I know.”
Low blow, Spike thought as he began to sit down on her bed.
“What are you doing?” Buffy breathed in horrified fascination as he situated himself next to her on the bed, his body firmly pressed to her side.
“Scoot over….. Unless you want to lay on top of me, m’not as opposed to the idea as before. In fact, I quite fancy it. C’mere and snuggle up to lil ol’me,” he purred turning so their faces were inches apart, his breath cool on her suddenly heated face.
Buffy sputtered, she could not have formed a word if her life depended on it. She settled for giving him a death glare and turning away from his intense gaze.
“Buffy…..” he began hesitantly.
“Don’t call me that! We aren’t friends and only friends can call me that,” the bitch in her roared its ugly head as the words came out of her mouth and she regretted them instantly.
Spike blinked and nodded slightly.
“Right then….Slayer I am truly sorry if I hurt you. I did not intend to do such a thing. But and this is no excuse I wasn’t thinkin’ clearly, what with the kiss then….well I lost my head. I would never—I mean sure, before all I wanted was to dance in your blood, but now things have changed. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t respond and Spike lifted himself on one elbow to stare down at her.
“Now….when I bit you how did it feel? Cuz I have to say it was nothing I’ve ever experienced before. And I’ve killed two Slayers. How was it Buffy? I’m not gonna deny the obvious I want you. Now that I’ve had a taste I don’t fancy on givin’ you up,” Spike said grimly.
“Shut up,” Buffy whispered closing her eyes and lifting her hands to her ears as he spoke right over her.
“Do you want me Buffy? Because when you knocked me away, we both yelled out in pain. Greater than the pain you felt when I bit you yes? Why? I want you. Do you want me Buffy? Want my bite, my body? What about Peaches? He ever give you a thrill like that pet? Ever make you feel this way? Did he give you a son? If I told you, I’d give it all up for you what would you do? Would that be good? What do you want? WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Spike asked urgently.
“I DON’T KNOW,” she yelled even as he lifted her so she was sitting upright and crushed his mouth to hers.
“You’re mine now Slayer,” he growled against her lips.
“Never,” she gasped out.
“Forever.” ~*~ ~*~
“What’s going on Giles?” Willow asked impatiently.
“Well…..he’s kissing her,” he stammered.
“WHAT?!” Xander screamed as he shoved Giles aside to get a look at the screen. “We’ve gotta stop him!!!”
“What kind of kiss, move Xander! Oh my God! That’s like bodice ripping, pent up sexual frustration pirate kissage. Yah Buffy!”
“Wills you’re sick! That’s Spike who tried to kill her yesterday! Giles we have to get down there and stop them!”
“He’ll do no such thing,” Wolfe said from his seat at the control panels. “They’re getting to know each other Xander.”
“Yeah, with his tongue down her throat!! Giles?!”
Giles turned his back on the kissing couple, a blush rising as he eyed Xander.
“I see no problem, except they are in a bed and……Yes I see your point. Wolfe we can’t let them continue this,” Giles muttered looking at Wolfe.
“There you go,” Xander shouted in triumph. “Let’s dust Dead Boy jr.”
“I only mean they are not having sex. Here or otherwise. Joyce would never forgive me if I let Buffy do such a thing at her age. Come, we will have to put a stop to this at once.”
“What? Where’s the Spike’s evil, soulless crap Giles?! We aren’t going to let her be with him are we?”
No one answered as they filed out of the room.
“Oh God please no,” he gasped in horror as he swayed and fell to the ground in a heap unconscious.
Redefined: 12
“How’s our neighborhood invalid?” Wolfe asked as he quietly slipped into Buffy’s hospital room.
Buffy glanced up with a small smile and shrugged.
“Ready to get out of here. I’m fine I don’t see why I have to stay here,” she complained.
Wolfe took the seat at her bedside and studied her intently.
“Your colors better and I see you’ve got your spirit back. That’s good. But as I’m not a doctor, I can’t let you out. I need you looked at by the doctor before I let you out of here.”
“You wouldn’t stop me if I did just walk out of here though so what’s the point? I know my body and it’s saying my Slaying powers have taken care of the blood loss. Besides Spike didn’t take all that much.”
“So…..” Wolfe tried to be as casual as he could as he spoke. “Spike came to talk to you huh? How’d that go?”
Buffy frowned as she thought back to their little chat. Well hell not even that. Spike had apologized and then he’d proceeded to demand to know what she felt for him, whether she wanted him. Then he’d kissed her as if there was no tomorrow and she had reciprocated matching him move for move. After that, there hadn’t been much talking and she hadn’t wanted to talk to him. Still didn’t, that kiss—kisses had been a mistake.
“We talked,” was all she said.
Wolfe frowned slightly as he watched her revert inside herself. This was not going the way he had thought it would. He knew she and Spike had made with the kissage a few hours ago and yet it seemed to have made no difference to Buffy’s feelings.
“I assume he apologized? When I saw him he was pretty torn up about what he’d done.”
Buffy looked at him, meeting the eyes that were a perfect replica of her own. She regarded him steadily for a minute or two before she spoke.
“You’re a good person Wolfe. A nice young man. Did you have a happy childhood? Did you have everything you wanted besides Spike and I?” she asked side stepping his question neatly.
Wolfe’s head cocked in surprise at the question. He hadn’t expected this. But it was a pleasant surprise. This meant she was interested in his life. She might change her mind about having him, he thought in sudden excitement.
“Well yeh. It was great…..fun. I was like the little orphan you know? No parents but a hell of a lot of aunts and uncles. It takes a village to raise a kid and all that rot. True here though. They all raised me. I spent most of my time with Giles until I was five or so. We lived in London so I didn’t get to see everyone here, but I talked to them, they sent me birthday presents and Christmas presents. I got presents on almost every holiday so it seemed like everyday was my birthday. I was one spoiled rotten kid!”
Buffy laughed shaking her head.
“I doubt that,” she said.
Wolfe grinned.
“Really. I was impossible, used to having everything I wanted cuz I usually got it. So when we moved back to the States I was five going on ten, figured myself for one badass dude. Here I was a little boy who wore tweed, spoke with the most proper English accent imaginable and had a superiority complex. You can imagine the reaction of the kids at school. Beat the hell outta me. I didn’t understand why they didn’t bow down to me and pay me homage because I was the son of a Slayer and one of the most feared vampires ever! I was special, I’d been told that my entire life and it went to my head. So in the States we moved back to the Hell mouth where the Council was setting up shop. Giles wanted to keep an eye on them.
“About this time Willow came up with the idea for the museums. That kept everyone busy, kept me occupied so I didn’t care too much about the bullies at school. No one knew about it, I kept it quiet because I figured I could handle it, I was six by then. But one day I came home with a busted lip and two black eyes. Usually they kept the beatings to my upper body. Giles saw and immediately called a Scooby meeting. Everyone was suitable upset and it was decided Dawn—“
“Dawn? Who’s that?” Buffy asked with a small frown.
Wolfe frowned too, wondering if he should tell her about Dawn. Then he would have to explain all about Glory and his mother’s subsequent death. He didn’t feel like going down that path.
“Dawn’s a friend, a future Scooby. You’ll like her; she can be a whiner though. But she’ll stick by you no matter what. She learned from her sister. Dawn took it upon herself to handle the situation. I have no idea what she did but the next week no more rounds of beat the Wolfe. To this day, she won’t tell me what she did. She loves her secrets!”
Buffy gazed at him with affectionate eyes as she pictured him at six. He would have been adorable she was sure. All brash and polish. A little miniature Spike in the guise of Giles. How cute. Something bothered her though.
“Wolfe. That’s an unusual name. Were you teased for that too? How on earth did you get that name?”
Wolfe smiled slightly as he settled more comfortably in his chair.
“Well the story goes…..after you had me you brought me home. Somewhere around that time while you were gone with dad preparing for the battle I was left alone with Anya another future Scooby, she’s a vengeance demon. Now she’d been around for a good thousand years or so, she’s real money hungry bless her heart. She was caught up in watching Wheel of Fortune. Some one knocked on the door and she told them to come in. Turned out it was Drusilla—“
“What?!”
“Yeh. That’s what you said then too I’m told but with a lot more curses thrown in. She kidnapped me. This is the funny part. She took me to church. Baptized me. Christened me Wolfe Benedict Winthrop. She had one of her minions drop me back to you with a message to dad. Some stuff about the stars and the Wolfe in the guise of a child would destroy the world. This turned out to be accurate. I was almost the cause of the world ending. How weird is that?”
Buffy looked at him in shock, she shook her head slowly.
“Drusilla kidnapped you and named you?! We kept the name? Wolfe Benedict? That’s just…..my God that’s awful!! Why would we do such a thing? No wonder you were teased with a name like that I’m hard pressed to imagine how you survived so long! I am so sorry,” Buffy, gasped out sorrowfully.
Wolfe couldn’t hold in his laughter as he erupted.
“But it’s funny!! Dru’s a nut and she named me after a traitor! Perfectly fitting dad thought and he convinced you too. True the name didn’t win me any points in grade school, but high school? Well let’s just say it added a little something to the mystique that was me back then. I wasn’t lacking for dates let me tell you. Not that I dated a lot, cuz really the only one I wanted was Grace. Oh! I have to tell you the story of how I met her,” Wolfe exclaimed laughing again as he thought back to that day.
Buffy watched him curiously, as he began to speak.
“I was about almost seven then and had been pestering everyone for a dog. That’s all I ever talked about; it got so bad no one would talk to me. But that didn’t stop me! So one day after school I’d stopped by the Magic Box—another future thing mom. I was leaving and I heard noises from the alley behind the shop. I wasn’t supposed to be out by myself but I’d snuck off from school to buy a bag of Burbaweed. Anyway, I went to investigate. I found a whole litter of puppies! A gift from God I was dead certain. Well I took my time studying which one I wanted and picked the cutest one—cuz I wasn’t into the whole manly thing yet, I just wanted the cutest. That happened to be a nice black one and I took it. Hid it under my coat and wandered off. But I didn’t get far. No, I heard the growling even before they caught up with me. Turns out, they weren’t puppies they were cubs. Wolves. The mama wolf was on me, racing after me howling up a storm. I’ll never forget this, I had the feeling my heart was going to fall from my chest and beat its way down the street.
“I was scared as hell! Screaming at the top of my lungs, that’s when some of my abilities kicked in. The speed came and I was outta there. Came home to find the whole gang gathered. I managed to endure the lectures about coming home by myself before I snuck upstairs to play with the puppy. I still thought it was a puppy, I didn’t figure the mama could find me. Didn’t really care. So there I was upstairs in my room playing when all of a sudden, the puppy started to shimmer and whimper and --- it changed. Into a little girl! I’ll admit it I screamed, and screamed like a girl, ran down the stairs blubbering about my puppy turnin’ into a girl. They thought I was crazy but once they heard the crying upstairs…..Well the mama found me and I learned never ever steal a cub from its mama. They balled me out but good. So that’s how I met Grace. I kidnapped her. She was just a bit of a thing no more than three and she was adorable. Now I have my puppy and a woman I love—er that didn’t come out right!”
“Did you do that often? Get in trouble I mean?” Buffy asked after recovering from her laughter at Wolfe’s tale.
“Oh sure! How could I not, I’ve got your blood don’t I? There was this one time at band camp…..”
Buffy spent the rest of the night listening to her son tell her of his childhood.
~*~ ~*~
“How’d your talk go?” Spike asked as he saw Wolfe the next morning over a mug of disgusting Pigs blood.
“Good actually. She asked me about my childhood. I think I bored her with all my tales though,” Wolfe replied as he poured a cup of coffee.
“Doubt that. She wouldn’t have asked unless she weren’t curious. You had a good time then?”
“Awesome. I think we really…..connected. But I doubt it will make much of a difference. She’s not gonna admit she feels anything for you dad. I’ve heard how stubborn she could be, how she wallowed in denial for as long as she could before being hit over the head with whatever she was trying to deny. At least she’ll think about it I think….maybe. I don’t know.”
Spike sipped his blood and stared off into space.
“She can deny all she wants, but it’s only a matter of time Wolfe. It’s not love, not yet for us. But it will be. Sooner or later. I can feel it in m’bones. You’ll be born yet, don’t give up hope,” Spike finally announced with a small grin.
Wolfe grinned back and father and son drank in the silence of the kitchen, some how in accord.
~*~ ~*~
The whole group gathered outside that night. Scoobies of past and future. Willow had found the spell Grace had been looking for and everything was ready. Hugs and whispered words of advice were given as they said goodbye.
Wolfe stood with his parents an awkward air about him as he shifted from foot to foot.
“Well…..” he began feeling immensely sad that he would never see them again.
“Well….” Spike repeated hands fisted in his duster pockets.
Buffy looked from one to the other and shook her head.
“Men,” she mumbled as she gathered her son into her arms and hugged him tight. “You’re a wonderful man. I would have loved for you to have been my son Wolfe. I’m proud of you,” she whispered as she kissed his cheek her eyes tearing.
Wolfe’s own eyes held tears he vowed he would not shed. He hugged her closer and inhaled her scent to memory before he reluctantly let her go.
“I love you,” he whispered kissing her softly on her cheeks.
She gave him a watery smile and hugged him again before she spoke.
“I…I love you too,” she whispered as she slipped away leaving father and son alone.
They stared at each other for a minute.
“You’re a good boy. You’re my son and……I’m proud of you too. I’m glad I met you Wolfe Benedict Winthrop,” Spike said with a little snicker at the end. He could not believe they’d kept that name for the boy. He stuck out his hand.
“It was nice meeting you too dad,” Wolfe choked out as he took his father’s hand and gripped it tightly. They shook hands and before either was aware of it, they were embracing. Wolfe closed his eyes and shook with silent sobs. He didn’t want them to leave!
“It’ll be alright Wolfe,” Spike whispered comfortingly. “I’ll make sure it is. I promise.”
Wolfe lifted his head and looked at him, unashamed at the tears that streamed down his face.
“Really?” he asked hopefully. “Cuz I’d really like to be born you know?”
“I always keep my promises…..son. I promise. I….I –I love you,” Spike blurted out quickly before he mumbled a goodbye and went to join the others.
Wolfe stood a little apart from it all Grace by his side as Willow recited the spell.
“Do you regret this?” Grace asked.
“Surprisingly no,” Wolfe spoke softly.
“Not even a little now you know there’s the distinct possibility you won’t be born?” she asked in concern as she reached for him encircling him in a tight embrace.
“There’s every possibility I will be born Grace,” he said smugly.
She looked up at him questioningly.
“What makes you so certain?”
“Dad made me a promise and he—“
“Always keeps his promises,” they chorused together as the light of the completion of the spell enveloped them and his parents disappeared as fast as they’d come.
~*~ ~*~
Epilogue:
Buffy strolled arm in arm with Angel patrolling.
“……took you down and bit you? How’d you escape?” Angel was saying in reference to her bite mark on her neck, which now covered the Master’s mark entirely.
“Well….it was nothing special. I managed to kick him where the sun doesn’t shine,” Buffy, said as happily as she could.
“Well Buffy I’m amazed all this happened in one day. I knew I should have looked for you yesterday but….I was worried about other things mainly Spike and Drusilla. And Spike went after you! I’m gonna kill him the next time I see him,” he seethed.
Get in line she thought wanly.
She had been home for little over an hour and had come to a few realizations during that time. Although for the Scoobies they’d been gone nearly a month, here they had been gone for only a day. Nothing bad had gone down, no one had tried to open the hell mouth and end the world. Angel was still in love with her. Her mother was furious with her for skipping class. Some things never changed.
And some things would never be the same, she thought as her Slayer senses went on alert. Her eyes scanned the cemetery as her senses picked up vamp activity up ahead and one certain vamp she needed to talk to.
Detangling her arm from Angel’s she paused.
“Angel up ahead there’s vamp activity. I sense some back that way,” she pointed vaguely and ran off before he could speak.
~*~ ~*~
~Baby, baby, baby. What’s it gonna be?~
Spike watched the Slayer run from the poof and doubled back to intercept her. He met her half way and had her inside a near by crypt before she could speak.
“Slayer,” he whispered as he pulled her close and nuzzled his mark on her neck.
Buffy inhaled sharply and half-heartedly told him to stop it. He didn’t listen.
“Came to see you at your house,” he mumbled as he kissed his way up her jaw line.
“What?” she muttered dazedly as his lips brushed hers, before deviling into a deeper kiss.
“Came to see you at your house…..went to that tree by your window. Was gonna climb up it and see you. But I got a whiff of it—nearly lost m’dinner I did. The bloody things saturated with the Poof! What does he do? Climb it waitin’ to get a peek at m’girl? Bloody bastard. Pervert…always was a peeping tom,” grumbled as he slowly eased away from her lips.
The mention of Angel brought Buffy to her senses. She slipped from his loose grasp and turned away from him.
~Baby, baby, baby Is it him or is it me? Don’t make me waste my time~
“What do you want Spike?” she asked as coldly as she could, she knew she shouldn’t have encouraged him, but he had some kind of power over her. One touch and she was gone. It was scary in the absolute way it consumed her.
“I want a lot of things Slayer,” he answered the flare of his lighter briefly casting his angular face in a soft red light. “Question is what you want.”
~Don’t make me lose my mind baby Baby, baby, baby~
“You can’t always have what you want,” she muttered. “What I want is world peace. The end of the hell mouth. I want to be normal, I want to be happy. I want…….it doesn’t matter what I want Spike. It’ll never happen. You need to leave.”
She walked past him towards the door of the crypt.
~Can’t you stay with me tonight? Oh, baby, baby, baby~
He caught her arm and turned her, lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. He smiled slightly as he dropped a kiss on her nose and rested his forehead against hers.
~Don’t my kisses please you right? You were so hard to find~
“Does this mean nothing to you Buffy? What do you think I want from you? Do you even realize what you do to me? Do you?”
“I think you’re horny, I think you’d ,like to get in my pants and see how it is to do a Slayer a different way Spike. I think this is a game to you. Well I’m not gonna play it!”
~The beautiful ones, they hurt you every time~
Spike let her words slide by him as he clenched his jaw and put a lid on his temper. He had to be calm when he spoke. He had to make her see.
“If all I wanted was to shag I could have had you when I bit you luv. Nothin’ like killing and fuckin’,” he mused as he glared down at her. She didn’t bother to deny his statement, only made a disgusted face.
~Paint a perfect picture Bring to life a vision in One’s mind~
“We got a chance Buffy; we got a chance to see what could be! That doesn’t happen all the time! We can change our lives for the better. I……..I want to. I want to be with you Buffy, do you understand? I want everything I can get from you.”
“Spike,” she whispered brokenly. “I can’t! I won’t.”
~The beautiful ones always smash The pictures Always every time~
He released her and stalked away from her, anger in every fiber of his being.
“Why not?! Is this about Angelus? What can he give you Buffy?!! What can he give you, that I can’t?!!! He’s a monster pet, when you shag you’ll wake to a monster and then what? You heard what Wolfe said! You had to kill him, do you want that? The misery that comes with loving him?! DO YOU?”
~If I told, you baby That I was in love With you~
“It won’t. Come that is. Willow has the spell to make his soul permanent,” Buffy’s whisper sailed through the air like a well aimed arrow and lodged itself in his heart. He met her tortured gaze with one of his own.
~Oh baby, baby, baby If we got married would That be cool?~
“That’s bloody fantastic! Wonderful, I hope you and he have a happy life SLAYER,” he spat coldly as he stalked towards the door. This time Buffy did the stopping.
~You make me so confused The beautiful ones you Always seem to lose~
“What do you want from me Spike?! You knew, I never denied being in love with Angel I love him! You can’t possible think because of a few kisses I’d want to be with you did you? Have you forgotten about Drusilla?! Do you think she’ll just let you go?” she demanded angrily.
“No! I know it would be hard, near impossible Buffy but think….think how good it would be luv. We’d be so happy. Is it a crime to want to be happy Buffy? With you?”
Buffy buried her face in her hands silent tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t help the tremors that shook her small frame.
Cursing he gathered her to him and held her close.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he rained kisses over her flushed face.
~Baby, baby, baby What’s it gonna be? Baby Do you want him or do you want me? Cuz I want you, said I want you Tell me baby do you want me?~
“Ask me to stay,” he whispered softly into her ear.
She shuddered at the intense emotions his words evoked inside her.
“No,” she said even as her mind and heart screamed STAY!!!
~I gotta know, I gotta know Do you want me?~
He growled low down in his throat as he kissed her, once twice, parted her lips. His tongue seduced hers in a heated dance.
Muddled her thoughts and strengthened her feelings. God help her!
“Ask me to stay,” he demanded again.
Weakened but not deterred she answered the same.
“No.”
Then there wasn’t any talking as his hands, hers wandered, traveled a seductive dance. Kisses became maddening, clothing a hindrance.
~Baby, baby, baby Listen to me~
“Buffy…..Buffy I’ll come back for you,” he whispered raggedly pulling away from her.
~I may not know where I’m goin’ baby I said I may not know what I need~
“No…..” she pleaded.
“I’ll come back for you,” he repeated. “I’ll make you proud Buffy. I’ll make you love me. I swear.”
~One thing one thing is for certain I know what I want and if it pleases You baby I’m begging down on my knees~
He walked to the door of the dark crypt, left her standing alone and miserable. Turned back to look at her over his shoulder.
“You’re mine Slayer.”
“Never.”
“Forever,” he whispered as he opened the door and slipped out. ~I want you Yeah I want you Baby, baby, baby I want you yes I do~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Angel sunk to the ground his legs could no longer support him as his heart broke. His head bowed and tears fell unbidden.
“My God,” he whispered in disbelief. Buffy and Spike. Spike and Buffy. Together!!!!
Spike.
Spike. Spike.
His name was like an open wound, it would never heal, it was always there waiting to be reopened and pocked and prodded.
Spike had a hold over Buffy he thought suddenly. There was no way she’d let him touch her if he hadn’t done some sort of spell!
An anger, a rage hadn’t felt since he’d been Angelus, and even then it could not match what he was feeling surged through him and he clutched his head, moaning in pain as his body went rigid. Pain laced through him, his chest closed in and he gasped needlessly for air. He clawed at his chest as he fell to the ground.
“Buffy…Buffy,” he gasped out as he felt his soul being ripped from him.
Angelus opened his eyes and smiled a smile of the devil himself.
THE END