Chapter 50 – Q&A
Everything
was exquisitely done. The crepes were light, the strawberries juicy and sweet,
and the ham held the merest hint of maple. Buffy’s plate was overflowing as she
helped herself to a second serving. Starving as she and her baby was she didn’t
care how bad she looked; food was the order of the day.
Elijah had
already eaten his fill and was playing in the drawing room with Drusilla. Buffy
only allowed him out of her sight as long as she could still hear him. She
trusted Dru with her son but the minions that occasionally scurried about
bothered her. Even with strict instructions they might decide that the boy was
too tempting to pass up.
“I see you
are enjoying your meal,” Dagon said, effortlessly appearing beside her chair.
He kissed her on the cheek and fingered the lace on her dress before sitting.
“You are very beautiful. That era would have suited you quite well.”
His eyes
skimmed over her and Buffy hid her repulsion behind her glass of milk. The clothes
he had made for her were all recreated fashions from the Edwardian age. The
dress was white tulle with a layer of embroidered batiste. It was totally
feminine and Buffy would have found it lovely if it wasn’t Dagon’s little gift.
To perfect the image a maid had come to their room earlier that morning to help
them dress and to do her hair.
Buffy
continued to eat and ignored Dagon. It didn’t seem to bother him as he leaned
back in his chair and played with the place setting.
“After the
baby is born,” Dagon said his voice seductive and careful. “I will enjoy
dressing you up and showing you off…as my paramour.”
“You’ll rot
in hell first,” Buffy said, pushing her plate away.
“Such defiance,” Dagon, said, laughing while a finger caressed her hand. “You’ll find it is more of a
coveted spot than to merely be a wet nurse.”
Buffy
snatched her hand away. “I will never give myself to you.”
“Please do
not tell me that you really think that your husband and Angelus will come for
you,” Dagon said, tilting his head in a manner reminiscent of Spike. “Drusilla
once had that fantasy. She thought that she could make her Daddy come back and
he would come charging in to save her. Twice now he and William have failed
her. Now she, how did you put it, oh yes, now she gives herself to me.”
His words
only confirmed Buffy’s earlier assumptions about the night Spike found her
straddling Angel. Drusilla had been using her body to try and release Angelus
unknowing of the spell to anchor his soul. Angel and Spike may have locked the
raven haired beauty away where they could forget her but Angelus wouldn’t
abandon her. Even if it was only a show of possession he would have gone and
returned her to his side.
Buffy stood
unable to bear the vampire’s scrutiny anymore. His words made her uncomfortable
because they echoed her own doubts. Angel had abandoned her once already, would
he come now once he knew the truth? Would Spike’s love extend far enough to
want her back or would he only come for his children? She turned to the china cabinet
and made a show of looking over the small collection of birds that aligned the shelfs.
“Drusilla’s
whims,” Dagon said. “Since I freed her she dreams only of birds,” his hand rested
on Buffy’s lower back and stood beside her, “but you know that don’t you? She
wants to fly away and never return. Do you dream of flying away, Buffy? Where
you don’t have to face the repercussions of these past months…in my arms?”
“I have
never been in your arms,” Buffy spat, backing away.
“It may not
have been your body but there have been times, my love, don’t deny it,” Dagon
said, following her; so confident of a prey that had no where to run. “That I
have looked down into Drusilla’s face and seen you while I enjoyed her charms.
Just as I am sure that Spike has enjoyed hers again.”
Buffy ran
out of places to run as her body hit the wall. The monster in her nightmares
became reality as he cornered her. His touch was cold as he leaned forward to
kiss her and she pushed him. He laughed as he staggered back.
“I fought
you then and I will you fight you now,” Buffy declared.
They were
at standoff for a moment as they stared at one another. She knew Dagon wouldn’t
push the issue too far because he wouldn’t run the risk of hurting the baby.
This whole charade was for her child that Dagon wanted. His games with her were
just a bonus to while away the time until that moment came. It was afterwards
that frightened her if Spike didn’t come through. She shuddered as the memories
of waking and finding herself in Drusilla’s body as Dagon rutted on her flooded
her mind. She wondered if she would ever feel whole or clean again.
“Mummy,
Mummy,” Elijah called, running into the room. “We’re going to explore the
house. Will you come with us?”
Dagon
stepped back allowing the child access to his mother.
“Go on,
Buffy, take the child and explore,” he said, waving his hand. “I will come and
find you when he takes a nap. We will finish our discussion then.”
~~~~~~~~~
The house
was filled to capacity as the family worked to find Buffy and Elijah. There
wasn’t a member that wasn’t there to contribute, gathered around tables and
reading books or working on deciphering ancient codes.
“Nothing,
zilch,”
A
collective sigh was issued and heads bowed again, returning to the work they
were doing before the interruption.
“Damn it,”
Spike said, pacing from his spot at the table to the doorway and back again.
For hours at a time that’s all he did, up and down the hallway, through the
kitchen back through the living room to the hallway again. His emotions making
him a walking time bomb that the next discouragement would bring about a
devastating explosion. He just wondered if it was worry for his children or
anger at his wife that was taking him over the edge. “We need something,
anything, because this is bloody useless.” He swept a pile of books off the
table and headed down the hallway.
“Thank
you,” Angel said, squeezing her shoulder knowing she needed the encouragement
that she and
The phone
perched on the table rang, bringing heads up again as they waited to see who
was calling. Spike stopped his rounds and hovered impatiently while his Sire
answered.
“It’s Max,
Drusilla’s gone. She’s been gone since the middle of October, left with some
vampire named Dagon…”
“Dagon,”
Angel exclaimed. “Who the hell is he?”
Spike felt
like he’d been physically struck when he heard the name and he rushed to grab
the phone away from Angel. “Max, are you sure it was Dagon?”
“Yeah, I’m
sure man. The demons are singing quite nicely with a little persuasion. The
funny thing is from the description they gave I thought they were talking about
Angel. I’m heading back but I’ve got some contacts checking on how they got out
of
But Spike
didn’t really hear beyond ‘I’m sure’ his mind was reeling with the implications
of Max’s news. His hand went slack and the phone slid from his grip crashing onto
the floor. It couldn’t be but yet it was. This was his fault. If he had only
taken care of business years ago instead of being bewitched by green eyes
looking into his right before she kissed him. If he hadn’t hurried home to
follow the candy trail to his Little Red Riding Hood this might not be
happening.
“Spike,
what is it?” Angel asked, gripping his shoulders. He gave them a shake to try
to bring his Childe back to the present. “Talk to me, boy.”
“He was the
one…” Spike stuttered, trying to focus, trying to accept. His eyes met his
Sire’s. “He was the one I rescued Drusilla from seven years ago.”
Spike
watched as Angel’s eyes showed the trail his mind was taking. From the moment
when Spike had disappeared from Sunnydale, to his return to find Buffy living
in his crypt, through the preceding years until Drusilla had once again called
them for help.
“And most
likely the one that was with her two years ago,” Angel said, with acceptance
that they had failed by refusing to take care of Drusilla themselves. “When we
ordered Wesley and Gunn to imprison her in
“What the
hell have we done?” Spike asked. He rubbed his eyes in frustration and glanced
at the family whose faces were filled with confusion.
Wesley
broke through the silence and reminded them there were things to be done. It
wasn’t the time for recriminations.
“Who is
this Dagon?” Wesley asked, standing. “Is he a special vampire? Or just a
vampire with a yen for power? What does he want from Drusilla and apparently
now Buffy?”
“The first
thing that came to my mind when I heard the name,” Kate said, sitting back and
crossing her arms. “Is that story by H.P. Lovecraft; the one about the sea
monster.”
Giles
smiled at his wife before facing the others. “Well, Dagon is a Philistine deity
whose parts of his body resemble a fish.”
“I don’t
think the meaning of his name is going to help us,” Angel said. “Not that we
don’t appreciate a little lesson in…”
“Wait a
minute,” Fred said, moving to stand beside Wesley. She fanned through notes
until she found what she wanted. “Here it is…remember when Spike was telling us
about the day he had to ch...I mean restrain Buffy. She said that ‘things were
set in motion the night he died’. Didn’t Dru say something about fish before
she turned you?”
Spike stiffened
as he remembered Drusilla’s words that night. “Burning baby fish all around
your head.”
“It’s a
coincidence,” Angel said, his voice uncertain.
Raven
looked up to meet her father’s gaze. “If the baby is born within the next three
days it will be a Pisces; the sign of two fish.”
Cordelia
dropped her pen as realization washed over her. Buffy wasn’t trying to be cruel
in the conversation they’d had only yesterday. The Slayer had been giving her a
message. She looked up and waved her hand. “Buffy has been giving us clues.
These things she’s been saying haven’t necessarily been random. Like telling
Spike about the night he died. When we talked yesterday she made a point of
mentioning Connor’s conception.”
“What about
me?” Connor asked, sitting up straighter.
“You were
conceived under the sign of Pisces,” Cordelia answered.
~~~~~~~~~
Buffy
closed the door leading into the bedroom before making her way to the couch. It
had been an interesting afternoon as Elijah, Drusilla and she had explored the
house. There was always someone a few steps behind them but they ignored the
minion guards and took amusement in the secret passages and dark corners that
littered the old mansion. Buffy wasn’t sure who had a wickeder imagination, her
son or the vampire. The telepathy between them was also astounding and they
communicated with ease without uttering a word. Drusilla had asked Buffy if she
considered her son evil for having the sight and Buffy had told her no. It was
a gift to be treasured not feared. Her maternal instincts were taking over
where Dru was concerned and she had wanted to throttle her parents for telling
her she was an abomination of God.
The two
vampires were waiting for her as she returned to the sitting room. She sat on
the couch and Drusilla curled beside her. They both were more comfortable if
they were touching in some way as if they could merge into one being. Buffy stared at Dagon waiting for him to start
his show. This was his chance to preen and impress her with his power. He
wouldn’t though. Buffy figured that any information she could garner would
eventually help her and her son to escape taking Drusilla along with them.
“Would you
like some tea?” Dagon asked.
Buffy shook
her head. She just wanted him to start his explanations. Most of it she
understood because Drusilla had already told her of her vision that had started
this in motion. She knew what Dagon had planned but she wanted details and his
thoughts to complete the picture of the madness he had conjured.
“What exactly
are you planning on doing?” Buffy asked.
“Oh, Buffy,
you do amuse me,” Dagon said, laughing. “You know what this is about. Why do
you pretend that you don’t? Is it to impress me or seduce me? It doesn’t matter
either way. I’ll be happy to spell it out for you. It’s quite simple; I’m going
to restore the Order of Aurelius. It has been destroyed by those fools that you
two hold in such high regard. Eight hundred years of power and it lays in ruins
now. I will be the one to bring back the reign of terror it once held.” He
leaned forward. “And to think the Slayer that destroyed our Master will help to
bring us back.”
“How am I
helping you?” Buffy asked. It terrified her that this fiend held the lives of
her family in peril. And she would do anything she could to stop him.
“Your
children, sweet, your children,” Dagon said, sipping a glass of whiskey. “Raven
has changed the world by making demons acceptable. By the time I am ready to
declare war on the human race they won’t even see it coming because we will
have become your neighbors and co-workers. And no one will think they’ve cause
to be afraid of what will be so common. Elijah will be raised to be my right
hand man. Drusilla has shown me how valuable the sight can be but her lunacy
makes her a liability. Elijah is already on our side and will make a fine
prophet for the new Order. And the baby you carry will be the one to usher in a
new age of evil.”
Dru stirred
beside her. “It was to be the other one, the child of Angel, but the bad
Englishman stole him away.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Let’s
piece this together, shall we?” Giles said. He stood in front of the blackboard
that had been brought in; writing down details as he spoke. “We have Dagon,
whose name literally means ‘little fish’, also the name of a Philistine deity,
Drusilla said she saw burning baby fish all around Spike’s head, Connor was
conceived under the sign of Pisces and Buffy’s baby if born in a few days will
be a Pisces. And does anyone have a clue what this means and why this Dagon
wants this baby.”
“I think
the first thing we need to find out who is Dagon and where did he come from?”
Angel asked, walking around the room as he spoke. He would lay his hand on
shoulders as he passed, drawing attention to his words and to let them know
that everyone was valuable. “How did he meet up with Drusilla? And how is Buffy
and Drusilla linked? The control started before she left
“This Dagon
guy,” Gunn said. “He has Drusilla and Buffy who have been with both of you.” He
nodded towards the two vampires. “So, it looks like he has to have a personal
grudge against the two of you. I would think because it would be kind of
unusual for him to meet Drusilla and then want Buffy. What about Darla? Did he
ever try to get to her since she was having a Pisces conceived baby?”
“Yeah, I
would think it would take more than fish to want to pull off a coup,” Spike
said, leaning back in his chair with his hands linked behind his head. “I’ve never
met him myself. The closest I got was when I picked Dru up in
“Did you
say
“Yeah,”
Spike said. “What about it?”
“Darla was
in
“Okay, more
links,” Giles said, writing on the board. “Drusilla, Dagon and Darla were all
in
“I have an
idea,” Dawn said, uncomfortable as everyone’s attention turned to her. “I may
be way off base but…”
“No,” Spike
said, leaning on the table again. “Anything is helpful. Even if you don’t have
it just right someone else may have the conclusion. So, talk to us.”
“It was
what you were saying about clues and things in Buffy’s tirades,” Dawn said,
reaching for her husband’s hand. “In the beginning when all this started
remember…” she stopped and took a deep breath. “It was when we were fighting
over Spike and she was telling me to stay away from him. But she said something
about the cruelest pain of all is having a taste of what you want but then you
can’t hold onto it. What if she was talking about Darla and Angel?”
“You mean
about Darla losing Angel but what would that have to do with Dagon?” Fred
asked.
“Max said
something about Angel and Dagon’s description,” Spike said, shaking his head.
“I was kind of out of it but I think the gist of it was that Dagon looked like
our boy here.”
There was
silence as the new information was digested. Many stared at Angel as they
considered the implications of the similarities between Angel and Dagon.
“Maybe
Darla sired Dagon hoping to replace Angel,”
~~~~~~~~
Dagon’s
agitation was evident as he returned to the chair. In his hand was a glass of whiskey,
his second, since he had started his tale of his death and rebirth. His prior
life was one of hardship and pain as the child of a factory worker in the early
twentieth century. It seemed his only wealth lay in his looks and by twenty was
already the companion of a wealthy married woman. He had great ambition to be
more than what he had been born into but Darla had stolen it all away from him.
“The whore only
wanted a playmate to replace her Angel,” Dagon spat, taking a sip of his drink.
“She told me how to act and how to dress so that she could pretend that she had
her champion back. I was even beaten once because I didn’t get the room with
the fucking view. I hated her with a passion.”
“Why did
you stay with her?” Buffy asked, shifting on the couch. “Wouldn’t it have been
easier just to leave? I know she sired you but you could have gotten away.”
“You still
haven’t figured me out yet, have you?” Dagon said, smiling. “I had to prove
something to the world. She told me of her Sire and the Order. I begged Darla
to take me to the Master. She refused saying I wasn’t good enough to meet with him.”
His eyes narrowed as he remembered her refusal. It still stung even after all
these decades. “Angelus tossed aside the invitation to join the Order. He
refused to take his place in line to rule. And the bitch still thought he
walked on water.”
“You wanted
what Angel refused?” Buffy asked.
“Yes, I
wanted it,” Dagon walking behind the couch. His fingers drifted through Buffy’s
hair. “I still want it,” He leaned over her shoulder. “And I’ve learned since
then to take what I want.”
~~~~~~~~
“I found
something,” Fred said excitedly, looking up from the Watcher’s diary she had
been reading, “About the ritual Spike did with Buffy.” Her finger continued
down the page. “Oh, maybe it’s not too good after all.”
“What is
it?” Wesley asked, leaning over so he could view the passage she was reading.
“Oh…”
“Would the
two of you please explain?” Angel said his hands on his hips as he moved closer
to them.
“It appears
in the thirteenth century that there was a vampire who also had the gift of
sight,” Fred said. “His Childe had a Childe also and those two performed the
ritual. But because the Sire had the telepathy he was able to gain control of
his…grand-childe.”
Spike
looked down at his hands as another damning piece of evidence was laid against
him. He had allowed Dagon to live, he had left Drusilla alone, he hadn’t
listened for Buffy’s clues, and he had performed the ritual with her. He was
waiting for them to turn on him, accusing him, hating him like they once did. Like
he now hated himself.
“What
happened to these vampires?” Angel asked.
“It appears
as time went by they became almost one being,” Wesley said. “Their
personalities merged until others couldn’t tell who was in which body. They
changed out at will.”
“Well,
that’s just fucking wonderful,” Spike said, slamming his hand down on the
table. “Don’t you think so Daddy? You can get your exes in one convenient
package if we can find them. Two bodies, one delusional personality.” He stood
and threw his arms wide. “Oh, I forgot I get the castoffs to take care of. This
should be a helluva lotta fun.”
Xander
rushed to his side and grabbed his arm. “Come on, Spike, let’s go take a walk.
Grab a smoke, breath some fresh air.” Spike pulled away from him but Xander blocked
any path of escape. “I mean it. Let’s go clear our heads.”
Spike
yielded to his friend’s pressure. His life was crashing down around him and all
he could feel was fear as things took him over. Just a few days ago he felt in
control. He felt like he could handle anything and then his precious Buffy had
walked out taking his security with her. It had all been for her, all of this
and she was gone along with his son and baby. He knew he was losing it and he
followed Xander outside to the side yard away from the lights of the house.
“Spike, you
need to pull it together,” Xander said. “I know, man, I know how much you’re
hurting but you’re not doing anyone any good. Not us and not Buffy.”
Spike
nodded. He needed to be strong but he just didn’t know how to get back his
power without his wife. Tears welled in his eyes and ashamed at another sign of
weakness he turned away from Xander. He was pulled back around and into a hug.
It was then that he released the poison that was destroying him. Months of fear
and pain were released while he sobbed.
“I just
want her back,” Spike cried. “It’s destroying me to think that she may never
come back.”
“Get
angry,” Xander said, patting Spike’s back. “Fight for her. That’s what we need
from you and so does she. We have to get her back and then we can deal with
everything else. But right now you’re focus has to be on getting Buffy and your
kids back.”
Spike
nodded. He threw his head back and drew a deep breath to clear his head. They
had been through too much, loved each other too much to let go of it now. He
forced himself to think of the night that he’d regained his power, recalling
how it made him feel and let it flood his being again.
“Let’s go,”
Spike, striding toward the house.
“He’s so
easy,” Xander said, snickering as he followed him.
Neither was
expecting the explosion that was happening in the living room.
“You make
me sick,” Angel said, leaning over the table toward Cordelia. “I can’t believe
you would even for a moment think of doing that.”
Cordelia
pushed back from the table and ran from the room. The look of devastation and
loss plainly etched on her face and Kate hurried to follow her. Spike looked
around the room at Angel looking angrier than he had seen him in forever,
Connor had disappeared along with Raven and everyone else looked uncomfortable
and embarrassed.
“What
happened?” Xander asked, stepping further from the room. No one answered and he
turned to his wife. “Anya?”
“It seems
Cordelia once had a thing for grown up Connor,” Anya answered, flinching when
Angel hurled a book across the room.
“How did
this tidbit come about?” Spike asked.
“We were
going over the night that Buffy was asking about family,” Giles said. “It
seemed she was asking about who was sleeping with who and kept using the word
incest.”
“Well, come
on now, vampires don’t give a crap about that stuff when it comes to shagging,”
Spike said. “So, what’s it got to do with anything?”
“Because it
was my wife,” Angel said, “talking about fucking my son.”
The words
surprised the hell out of Spike. It would be like Buffy thinking of sleeping
with Sean and the thought made him ill. But he also knew of the love Cordelia
had for his Sire long before Angel turned to the woman. Loneliness and loss can
make a person consider being with someone that wasn’t appropriate especially if
that someone looked at you in adoration. It was also something that was years
in the past and something that Cordelia had risen above in making the right
choices.
“She’s
human,” Spike said, stepping closer to Angel. “Everyone has weird feelings and
she isn’t his mother. Give her credit for never acting on it. And Buffy was
younger than Connor was when you fell in love with her.”
Angel
pushed him back but Spike could see he had dented the anger a little. At least
Angel might think about it awhile before doing something he’d regret. But it
still didn’t explain why the gang was thinking this was useful information
concerning his child.
“What does
this have to do with Buffy anyway?” Spike asked, turning to face Giles.
Giles
removed his glasses and sighed before answering. “We think he may raise the baby
to become his mate.”
~~~~~~~~
It seemed
all so glorious when told by Dagon. He felt that meeting Drusilla was destiny finally
giving him a chance. Her words of ‘burning fish’ and her pregnant grand-mum had
seemed so easy to fit together with his name. All he had to do was take what he
felt was his. Angelus and Spike had no desire to restore the family to its
former status.
“That fool
of a watcher changed everything for everyone,” Dagon said, sitting again in his
chair. “Connor would have been raised to rule with me. But I knew something
else was coming. The cards foretold it and I knew that Drusilla’s vision of the
family reuniting couldn’t be wrong. So, I waited.” His gaze raked over the
vampire who was now lying with her head on Buffy’s lap. “Dru kept running from
me but they wouldn’t listen would they, darling? They locked you away in that
nasty chateau and forgot all about you.”
“It was
horrible,” Drusilla said. “It stank of humans and they were mean to me.”
“It’s over
with,” Buffy said, running her hand along the vampire’s back to soothe her.
“You’re not alone anymore.”
“I’m all
warm,” Dru whispered, nuzzling Buffy’s leg. “Spike is warm now; his flesh so
hot against ours.”
“He won’t
matter soon,” Dagon said. “He will be gone and his daughter will rule beside
me. Changing the world to a darker place and until then I will have the comfort
of the women that should have rightly stood by the rulers of Aurelius.”
Buffy
wondered if he really thought that he would be able to bring down Angel, Spike
and the rest of the family. Didn’t Dagon know how many demons, vampires and
gods they had destroyed over the years? Wasn’t he even worried that she had
destroyed the Master and Angelus? It was only a matter of time before he would
be history like the others. Her hand stroked her belly as she contemplated the
next month her family would have to find them.
“Did you
know that Pisces is the final sign in the zodiac?” Dagon asked. “It seems
fitting that the baby born under this sign will end the era when humans rule
the earth.”
Buffy couldn’t
hide the fear as she looked up at Dagon.
“What do
you mean?” Buffy asked. “The baby isn’t due for another month.”
Dagon
smiled. “No, my sweet, the child will be born before the next phase of the
moon. Labor will be induced this very night to ensure it.”
To be
continued….
