Title: Epoch 1: Darkness, Will Rise: Part 1

Author: JINXwatcher

Feedback: Constructive comments always welcome: Feedback Forums @ Spangelish

Pairing: At this stage in the series most of the pairings will merely be referenced to as past tense relationships which may include the following: Spike and Buffy (I can hear the screaming now and I assure you, their relationship was barely even a blip on the radar by the time she jumps off the tower. For good or ill, it did happen and had an influence on Spike so I’ll have to address the fallout of some degree.) Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow, Angel/Buffy, and Spike/Angelus will all be referred to at various points in the series. The main relationships dealt with in this story will be the friendships that begin to develop or deepen between Spike, Dawn, Anya, Tara and various characters. You can expect romantic pairings to begin evolving through the series probably beginning in book two of this series.

Rating: This story contains slash and adult content so MATURE READERS 18+

Spoilers: Some for Buffy:tVS up to the point of Buffy’s death and the subsequent events immediately following it but she will *not* be resurrected for this story so any events following that event will not occur in this story arc. There will be minor references to the movie Van Helsing but you won’t need to have seen that to follow the story I believe. There are no spoilers for the Angel series as this goes pretty AU early on in the series.

Warnings: One major character death (Buffy; who will remain dead in this series.) and the darker sides of several characters will be brought out by grief and other ‘negative’ emotions. Graphic violence, language, situations, and concepts will appear in the series. If you like your Scoobies as fluffy bunnies, this is NOT the series for you.

Disclaimer: I’m just borrowing them for a bit of harmless fun. All characters, recognisable likenesses are retained by their owner and accredited license holders. After all; I’m only obeying the sage that is Joss who told us fans to go forth and write so who am I to deny the Father Whedon?

Writer’s Notes: This story takes place in an AU setting. Please excuse any minor discrepancies or artist license. This version of the story is un-beta’ed so please excuse any mistakes and let me know when you find one by contacting/emailing me at the address above.

Writer’s Credits: (If Any)

Writer Websites: My Personal Archive: Nightshades

JINXI’s GreatestJournal: http://jinxeffect.greatestjournal.com/

The Crypt: http://home.att.net/~lubakmetyk/crypt.htm#buffywatcher

Email: CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK WELCOME

Distribution: The Crypt is the exclusive website source to my body of work other than my GJ and personal website; which is updated more intermittently. I’m sorry but I’ll no longer be archiving anywhere other than the sites listed here.

Series Notes: Xander and Anya are still living in separate apartments at the time of this story. Tara and Willow are already having problems and Tara spends the night at her dorm room occasionally when things take a bad turn with Willow.

Summary: When they discover a conspiracy to use Dawn to resurrect Buffy, Spike, Anya, and Tara scramble for a way to prevent it and it leads Spike to embrace the legacy he’s denied for well over a century.

Chapter One

The quiet crunch of metal collapsing shocks Tara out of her horrified stupor and her eyes dart around to find the source. She quickly sees the cause; as the metal frame on the backrest of the chair Spike is gripping deforms under his clenched hands as if it was made from soft clay.

A quiet sniffle gets her attention and she sees that Dawn has darted forward to cling to Spike’s back, her body huddled into the curve of his back. Her face is pressed into indentation between his shoulder blades, she’s fisting the leather of his duster in her hands as she quakes and silently cries,

Hearing two people that you thought were your friends, your family, plotting to kill you, is certainly a good reason to be upset, Tara thinks to herself. And it’s something that will happen over her dead body! She thinks quickly, darts forward, and grabs Spike’s shoulder and shakes him out of his rage.

“Take Dawn and get out of here Spike. Take her to the mansion; we’ll meet you there later. Go!” She orders and she says a silent prayer to her Goddess that Spike doesn’t argue but rounds on Dawn and sweeps the weeping girl up and bounds out through the open alley door with his precious cargo.

She turns her attention to Anya; who is standing frozen, with a look of resignation and sadness on her face. “Are you with us Anya?” She asks quickly, in a rushed whisper.

“Yes.” That is all that Anya says in reply; as she swiftly and visibly composes her self.

If Tara hadn’t seen it happen, she wouldn’t have known how upset she was just seconds before. “Good, I’m glad. Follow my lead and play along with whatever I say.” She tells her, tries to follow Anya’s example, and hides her turbulent emotions behind a clam façade. Spotting the deformed back on the chair that Spike ruined she quickly whips off her shawl and flips it over the back of the chair to hide it.

It’s just in time as Willow and Xander push through the doors from the storeroom and look shocked to see them. Tara hides her disgust as the pair shares an uneasy glance with each other before pasting on fake smiles and greeting them cheerfully. Even if she hadn’t heard the heinous conversation that guilty look between them and the poor acting would have aroused her suspicions regardless.

She endures the hug and kiss from Willow, wishes that should could have thought as quickly as Anya; who deftly avoids Xander by walking around the other side of the counter; putting the heavy cash register between them.

“Where is Dawn?” Willow asks with false concern.

“She has a book report to finish and needed to go to the Library so I asked Spike to go along and keep an eye on her.” Seeing the stormy look on Xander’s face, she hurriedly adds. “I didn’t want her to go alone since it is dark outside and we need to talk. Mr. Summers called the house tonight. He wants to see Dawn, right away. He wants to take her with him on vacation for a week; he said that they have things to that they need to discuss. I didn’t see a way around it so I said we’d take her down to LA tomorrow.”

Willow doesn’t bother to hide her displeasure. “Dawn can’t leave!” She snaps but seeing the shocked looks aimed at her, she quickly adds. “She has school… and everything….”

“And I have to work tomorrow, I can’t driver her down there.” Xander adds as Willow sends him a silent look of helplessness.

“That’s okay, Spike can drive us. I wanted to buy some new school clothes and supplies for Dawn anyway so I’m planning to go along. We can do all the shopping before Mr. Summers takes her on vacation. I’ve already asked Spike and he said that he’d do it as long as he didn’t have to see Angel.”

“You should have told him no Tara or made up some story why she couldn’t go!” Willow exclaims.

“Have you forgotten that technically none of us have custody of Dawn? I didn’t think it was wise to rock the boat when he could just decide to take Dawn away and have her live with him. If we antagonize him, he could do just that.” Tara points out.

“She’s right Willow. We can’t have him taking Dawn away! If this keeps him happy and out of our hair then that’s good right; it is just a week.”

“I wanted to discuss some books that Giles wanted to find copies of for his library with Wesley. Do you mind if I go along Tara? I’m sure that Willow can mind the store for me.” Anya interrupts to state, as she opens the register and starts counting the money carefully. “Xander, you can help her after you get off of work right? I don’t want to close the store and Giles was supposed to be sending me a new shipment of spell components within the next couple of days. Someone will need to be here to sign for it. Some of it is perishable and has to be stored correctly or it goes bad. Willow will know what needs to be done.”

Eager to get her hands on some supplies to replenish her stores, Willow nods and agrees happily and Xander is forced to go along by the majority; comforted by the fact that Tara and Anya can keep an eye on Spike.

“All you have to do is check the invoice against the actual contents of the shipment and write down any shortages or substations on a sheet of paper and I’ll talk to the suppliers when I get back.” Anya informs her. “Oh and be sure to check everything really well. One of the suppliers tried to pass off Yak hair for the Yeti fur that we ordered. I was very upset with them since yak hair is only a third the cost of the Yeti fur. It was most upsetting to be overcharged.”

Willow listens eagerly. “What do I do if someone wants to order something?” She asks, trying but failing to hide her greedy expression.

Anya keeps her eyes focused on the money and her expression passive. “It depends on what it is.” She replies. “If it is something that is simply out of stock, I keep the supply catalogues in the office and there’s an inventory in the computer that will tell you how much to order. We have an account with the suppliers and that information is in the computer and also written on a sheet in the catalogue.”

“What if it’s something we don’t carry in stock?” Willow asks, trying to act nonchalant about it but there is a glitter of excitement in her eyes. “Someone was in earlier asking about an Urn of Osiris….”

Anya hides her disgust and manages to reply civilly. “The last Urn of Osiris was destroyed long ago so they’re out of luck. There aren’t any more to be had; just useless replicas that disreputable dealers try to pass off as genuine. We couldn’t sell one of the fakes certainly, it would ruin our reputation and Giles would be very upset with us regardless. He chooses not to carry anything related to blood magic here and I agree with him. It would be asking for trouble since we’re on a Hellmouth. Did they leave a name and number? I’ll call and explain….”

Willow blanches pale. “Oh, don’t worry about it! They said that they would come back tomorrow to see if I’d found out anything. I can explain it to them.”

“Okay then.” Anya agrees. “Any other special orders have to go through Giles or myself, rarity dealers rarely deal with anyone they don’t know personally. We charge half the cost, plus a twenty percent mark-up and plus shipping and handling when we place the order. The other half must be paid in full when we receive confirmation of the order or it won’t be shipped. We retain the twenty percent mark-up for our trouble if they cancel the order once it’s confirmed but before it’s shipped out and no refund at all if they cancel after it is shipped and we’re going to be stuck with it. You need to make sure they understand the policy Willow and they sign the small form at the bottom of the order sheets that says they understand it. I keep a book of order forms under the counter here; it’s the one with the dark red cover on it. I think that I may do some shopping of my own while we’re in LA. There are many good deals to be had if you know where to go, so it will be a good time to visit some of our suppliers. I need to get a new cell phone too. Mine is dropping calls and my voice mail isn’t working. It’s really annoying!”

Tara honestly believes that she could Anya in that moment! “Why don’t we just arrange to stay down there for the week? There are always cheap rooms around for the tourists. You can do your thing for the shop here and I’ll get what Dawn needs and then we’ll just drive back together when she gets back with her Father.”

“That sounds agreeable.” Anya states. “We can rent a car from this guy I know. Spike will probably take advantage of the fact that we’re not that far from Vegas, so we’ll probably need one.”

“Great, so it all works out then. Dawn can spend time with Mr. Summers, we’ll get our errands done, and Spike can go gamble in Las Vegas and we’ll all drive back together.” Tara says happily.

“I guess it’s alright as long as Fangless isn’t making a pest of himself.” Xander says then brightens. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll stay gone! If that happens, give me a call and I’ll come and get you.”

“I would feel better knowing that Spike wasn’t hanging around so much.” Willow agrees.

“I can’t believe that I’m the one pointing this out… but I just thought of something. Don’t we need Spike here to patrol? The Bot is okay but the more it’s out running around, the greater the chance that something is going to damage it and every Demon in town is going to know it’s a fake in a few hours. Spike may be useless for anything else but he can fight okay.” Xander offers the petty praise with visible reluctance. “Maybe we should have him come back after he drops you off.”

Tara curls her fingers into her palms and deliberately drives her nails into the flesh and uses the brief stab of pain to distract her before she says something that may make things worse. She learned the mind-trick as a little girl. Defiance and speaking out only got her punished more by her family so she taught herself to control her impulses.

She blinks in wonder as she realizes that maybe that’s why she seems to understand Spike better than anyone other than Dawn does. She can see the same ingrained ability to override his impulses, the same core of willpower and she realizes that he’s probably known far more abuse than anyone could know and survive it. The sound of Anya’s voice snaps her out of her reverie,

“He’s a Master Vampire not a German Shepherd you can send out to guard the junkyard.” Anya retorts. “He stays here because of Dawn. With her being gone, your ability to manipulate him goes too. You should be nicer to him! He doesn’t have to do half the things he does around here.”

Tara silently cheers Anya on and silently wishes that she could be a quarter as outspoken as she is.

“He’ll do what he’s told or he won’t be able to see Dawn!” Xander snorts. “He’s still looking out for his own interests.”

“And what would those interests be with Buffy being dead and all?” Anya asks. “She’s not here to impress anymore.”

“He’s just trying to stay in our good graces since he can’t hurt anything. He needs us.” Xander retorts. “Who else would bother with a broken Vampire?”

“His Order would for one.” Anya replies with obvious surprise. “He could always leave and any Aurelian would offer him sanctuary.”

“Then he’s doing it for some sick and twisted reason of his own!” Xander snaps. “That is all the more reason that we should dust him or make him leave!”

“If you did that Dawn would never speak to you again.” Tara blurts out. “She loves Spike like a Brother, even if you can’t stand him, she cares about him, and he takes care of her. When was the last time you offered to do that?”

Xander looks stunned at receiving the scolding. “I’ve got to work; bills have got to be paid….”

“Speaking of bills... we’re going to have to start paying some of them or we’re going to lose services and not to mention the house.” Tara states pointedly. “I’ve been paying what I can but I’m barely chipping away at the balance due. I can’t submit a new housing voucher request until the start of next semester so my grant won’t be any help at all.”

“I hate to say it but maybe we should sell the house and look for something smaller for you guys.” Xander suggests. “There are only three of you, you could move to one of those townhouses by the campus. You could afford the rent there.”

“You’re forgetting that the house isn’t yours to sell, technically Dawn inherited it when Buffy died and since her Father is her legal guardian he’d have to agree to the sale. If you did that, I guarantee you he’d probably take Dawn. I think he’s only letting us keep her because she’s living in Joyce’s house and he thinks Giles is still here. I can help you come up with a financial plan. How much do you each pay in rent and board?”

“I gave Buffy two hundred every month that I was living there and I paid a third of the utilities.” Tara volunteers helpfully. “Mrs. Summers set up a small trust fund for Buffy but she couldn’t touch the principal until she turned… until she was thirty, and the interest only came to about one thousand a month and most of that went towards the mortgage payments, food and utilities. Mrs. Summers didn’t count on getting sick, her insurance was barely enough to pay the hospital bills. Buffy was considering dropping out of school and finding a job… but that all got lost when Glory started messing things up.”

“Since Buffy didn’t leave a will, everything will go into probate. Custody of Dawn defaulted to Mr. Summers when Buffy died so it’s likely that the court would make him the executor of the estate and he would have to set up a new trust with Dawn as the recipient. It would probably take a year to untangle the legal mess and Dawn’s Father would just end up taking her away to live with him rather than deal with it, so we won’t find any help there.” Anya muses as she turns and looks at Willow. “How much rent are you paying Willow?”

“Umm, I’m not paying anything. Buffy never asked me to.” Willow stammers in reply.

“She didn’t ask me to either, I offered.” Tara replies; looking disappointedly at Willow; who drops her eyes under the weight of that look. “It didn’t seem right to live there and not chip in.”

“I contributed in a lot of ways!” Willow defends herself. “I helped her with the magic stuff and… and… stuff. I helped with stuff! Couldn’t the Bot pretend to be Buffy and collect the interest from the trust?” She asks hurriedly to try to change the subject.

“I’d have to look at the terms of the trust. If the account has a password and none of us knows it then the money may as well be locked in a vault permanently. The Bot looks like Buffy but it doesn’t know everything that Buffy knew and it wouldn’t pass for her very well, it’s too literal. If the child protection service in this town actually bothered to do its job half the time Fake Buffy wouldn’t have fooled them as long as it has. No, the less attention we draw the better it will be.”

Tara thinks quickly and comes up with an idea. “Buffy showed me where the papers are. Dawn asked to spend the night at Janice’s house, so Spike is going to drop her off there after they’re done at the library. Why don’t I bring the papers over to your place and you can look them over?”

“Sure, that’s a good idea. Why don’t you just spend the night? It will take a while to go through the papers and we’re leaving tomorrow so we may as well just leave from my place? I can pick up Dawn after school and bring her to my apartment and Spike can just pick us all up there instead of running across town and back again to the highway. Willow and Xander can practice locking up the shop and I can take you back to the house and you can pack a bag for you and Dawn if you like?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea Anya. Let’s do that.” Tara agrees; impressed that Anya has calmly followed her leads so easily. She can feel that Willow and Xander have no clue that their conspiracy has been discovered and they aren’t suspicious at all. “Maybe we can find a probate lawyer while we’re in LA and ask some questions while we’re there.”

“Well we won’t have much time for sleeping as busy as we’ll be with everything that we need to get done in only a week but it would be a good idea. This stuff can’t be left to fester; it only gets worse.” Anya agrees. “I’m sure that I know someone who knows someone who can help us and won’t charge us a lot for it. Let’s go.”

Within a few seconds, Anya has the keys to the doors handed off to Willow and given her a fast explanation of where to find anything she needs, and she’s swept out of the shop carrying Tara in her wake. She powers them through the march to her small compact car and in less than a minute after leaving they’re on their way down the street and Anya finally relaxes.

“You did terrific Anya. You followed my lead perfectly and even thought of some things that I didn’t and they don’t suspect a thing!” Tara praises.

“We need to get to the mansion before Spike comes looking for us.” Anya replies, her cheeks are flushed and rosy from the unexpected praise for her acting skills.

“Or worse, he’ll go looking for them.” Tara worries.

“I think we’ll be okay on that score. Spike won’t leave Dawn alone now that he knows she’s in danger and he wouldn’t risk taking her with him to confront them. He won’t have had time to send someone else after them either.” Anya assures her.

“Do you think that he would or could send someone else to after them?” Tara asks in surprise.

“The chip doesn’t work on Demons and Spike is the strongest Demon on the Hellmouth since he killed any other Demons who challenged him. It wouldn’t be hard to convince or intimidate weaker Demons into doing whatever he wanted them to do.” Anya explains. “I kept telling everyone that it was pure stupidity to antagonize Spike and make fun of him or call him names for just that reason but no one listens to me, well except you and Spike and neither of you was guilty of the offences.”

Tara reaches out and pats Anya’s shoulder consolingly. “I think they just have a problem believing anyone else can have an opinion that matters more than theirs do. Since Giles left, they’ve gotten a lot worse without his influence.”

“Giles hasn’t been much of an influence over anyone since Buffy died.” Anya comments bitterly. “Maybe he had the right idea and leaving this place was the best thing any of us could have done. The least that he could have done is taken Dawn and Spike with him when he went back to London. He had to know that staying here wasn’t going to be pleasant for either of them. Dawn has to live in a place where everything she sees reminds her of Buffy and Spike… well… we know how they treat him.” Anya makes the turn down a street sparsely lined with increasingly fancy homes; most of which show signs of disuse or outright neglect. Despite the length of the street, the Mansion can be clearly seen and within a minute, she pauses at the end of the driveway.

“I think that his drinking was a lot more of a problem than Giles let on when he made the decision to go back to England. I don’t believe that he meant to stay there for this long much less for good. If he had, I think that he would have at least taken Dawn with him and just pretended that he didn’t see her Vampire-shaped Nanny tagging along.”

Anya flips down her sun visor to reveal a slim black and silver box. She taps the large central button and flips the visor back up as the door on the garage slowly rises. “He still should have done more when he realized he’d be staying in London Tara.”

“I didn’t know there was a garage door opener. I thought that this place wasn’t used much?”

“Spike spends as much time here as he does at his crypt. Dawn and I helped him to get the place liveable again but he asked me not to tell anyone about it. He didn’t want Willow and Xander to find out that he is spending most of his time here. In retrospect, I’d say that was wise.” As the door lifts to its full height, Anya pulls her sporty coupe into the empty place beside the large SUV that used to belong to Joyce.

“So this is where Mrs. Summers’ car ended up.” Tara comments as she opens her car door and gets out.

“It was Dawn’s idea to park it here and let Willow and Xander think it’d been repossessed by the dealer. The truth is that it’s paid for but Dawn figured that Xander or Willow would eventually try to take it over as his or her own. I had some contacts arrange for the windows to be specially treated so that Spike can drive it during the day if he had to. It’s like a rolling crypt if he needs it to be. He can drive it anywhere and spend the day without anyone being the wiser.” Anya explains as she climbs out of her low-slung car, after tapping the door remote again.

The door is barely closed when the inside door is thrown open and Dawn explodes into the room on a torrent of questions. A sombre Spike follows closely at her heels.

Tara staves off Dawn’s questions with a hasty explanation of the plan they’ve set into motion. “So then Anya suggested that I spend the night with her supposedly to go over the paperwork and here we are.” She explains. “I didn’t sense any suspicion for either of them. They bought it.”

“Let’s go back inside.” Spike suggests, steering Dawn around and gently nudging her towards the door. “We’ve got some things to figure out.”

“Spike, wait!” Dawn calls out. “I think we need to go! I think we should just get out now! We can find somewhere to stay when we’ve got enough space between us and here.”

“I agree in theory but there are things we need to arrange first and it will be easier to do it here and make the most of the time these clever women have bought us.” Spike replies, calmly herding the three women inside. “First we need to deal with a way to keep the Witch and the Whelp clueless to what we’re doing, where we’re going, and how far away we are.”

They walk into the mudroom and then through into the kitchen; Spike pausing only long enough to turn the heavy dead bolts and slide the two heavy chains into place to secure the door. He repeats the action on the heavily reinforced kitchen door as well. Then he moves to the stove and removes the tea kettle that has been gently boiling on the stove. Four cups, saucers, a silver creamer, sugar bowl, a plate of lemon wedges. and two small trays of sandwiches and small cakes are already set up on the table. He pours the fragrant tea into the cups before taking his seat between Anya and Dawn.

As soon as he sits, Dawn is leaning against his side and he wraps his arm around her shoulder, strokes her hair gently, and murmurs softly to her and Tara is struck by the tableau they’ve created. It’s striking and compelling yet just a little against the laws of nature. It reminds her of a sculpture she saw once of a Lamb laying curled up against a Lion’s side; trusting that its love would be enough to overcome its instincts to feed. A Princess and her Dragon, Daniel, or rather Daniella in this case, in the den of lions, or the Maiden and the Unicorn, she thinks fancifully and almost smiles. Wouldn’t Spike be horrified if he could see the strange turn that her mind has taken?

“I think that Anya’s given us a solution about the phone problem.” Spike starts to say; as he slides the cup of still steaming tea pointedly closer to Dawn, who understands the gesture and starts to sip the warm brew. His gaze shifts to Tara. “I need for you to do another bit of acting. Can you arrange to break your phone in front of the Whelp or the Witch or both? Drop it accidentally?” he nods with satisfaction as the three sip their tea and have something to eat.

Tara nods with a slight blush. “It won’t be the first time I’ve fumbled something and dropped it. I’m sure they won’t give it a second thought.”

“Good and that will take care of them calling us on our cell phones right?’ Anya realizes. “They won’t think it’s strange if they don’t hear from us much. What if they call the hotel though?”

“I’ve got contacts in LA and one of them runs a motel out by the amusement parks. He’ll doctor the records to show you girls as staying there and he can relay any messages from Red or Whelp and you can return them later. They won’t have a clue that you aren’t talking to them from LA.” Spike reveals.

“So that will give us a week maybe ten days if we tell them we’re staying a few extra days before they miss us and realize something is wrong.” Tara concludes. “So I guess the major questions are who can we trust, where do we go, and how do we get Dawn there? Wouldn’t we need her Father’s permission to take her or they could try and say that we kidnapped her?”

Dawn smiles and leans her cheek against Spike’s bicep and hugs his arm. “Spike took care of that.”

Spike looks a little uncomfortable as he confesses. “I… arranged… for their Wanker of a Father to sign over all his parental rights to Joyce, so he isn’t an issue at all.”

“But who did Joyce name as Buffy and Dawn’s Guardians then? Well Dawn mainly as Buffy was almost grown.” Anya asks. “Is it Giles?”

“She had asked Giles to care for Buffy if anything happened to her but when Dawn came along and she knew that Dawn was special and that she was sick, she made other arrangements. She left Giles as Buffy’s Guardian but Dawn….”

“Mom gave me to Spike!” Dawn says happily; wrapping her arms around his and squeezing it tightly. “She went to see a Lawyer and didn’t tell anyone but Spike what she was going to do. Legally Spike is my Guardian until I turn twenty-one.”

“Joyce wanted to make sure that there would always be someone Dawn could depend on, who would put her first, and do what is necessary to keep her safe. So she asked me to promise her that I would take Dawn as one of my own and I gave my word that I would. When Buffy asked me to protect her it only strengthened the bond that my Demon has to her.” Spike explains.

Tara smiles with relief. “You’re the reason why we haven’t had many problems with the authorities’ red tape right? You’re her legal Guardian, so you can say where she lives and with whom.”

“That is welcome news, we could leave the country and they couldn’t possibly claim that it was kidnapping. In fact if they did manage to take her, you could have them charged with kidnapping!” Anya claps with delight. “So that’s one problem solved; we can go anywhere but I think that leaving the country has merit and we should consider it.”

“The more distance between my girl and those Bastards, the better I’ll feel about it.” Spike comments.

“So maybe we need to think about that ‘who can we trust’ question? Do we try to make it to Giles? Do you think that we can trust him or is he part of this mess too?” Tara asks aloud.

“Giles doesn’t have a clue whet they’re doing.” Anya says.

“The Watcher doesn’t know what they’re planning to do.” Spike says at the same time.

“Are you sure?” Dawn asks, her eyes moving between spike and Anya and relaxes when they both nod without hesitation.

Anya smiles and motions for Spike to explain; knowing that they both have reached the same conclusion for the same reason.

“The Watcher knows that resurrection spells rarely if ever work and that they never work with ‘white’ magic because no good types would think to try something so heinous to nature. A good witch could only cast such a spell if directed to do so by a Deity figure because they’re the only ones powerful enough to provide the energy needed to return someone who has died to true life.” Spike explains. “I hope that you never see what happens when one of those spells goes wrong.”

“And that is something that would only be done in the direst of circumstances. Buffy was a Slayer but she’s not the last one so there’s no reason to go ripping her out of heaven and bringing her back.” Anya adds in disgust.

“But I heard… Willow said that she thought Buffy was in a hell dimension….” Dawn says in a broken tone of voice as tears fight their way out from beneath her clenched eye lids.

“Your Sister was a Slayer, Pet. She gave her life selflessly out of pure love to save an innocent life. There isn’t a Hell dimension… anywhere… that could hold a spirit that pure from her rest. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that your Sister is with your Mum, Nibblet.” Spike gently dries her tears with his hand as Dawn sends him a brilliantly wide smile.

“That urn of Osiris that Willow asked you about; that was something that she wanted wasn’t it? There wasn’t a customer who asked her about it, was it?” Tara asks. “What is it used for?”

“It is one of the few resurrection spells that can be cast by anyone strong enough to pay the price but the price is a terrible one.” Anya confides. “It is blood magic, for every life returned Osiris requires not only a life but the one casting the spell must pay as well. Even then Osiris doesn’t always hear the petition much less grant it and to even attempt to try it when a Slayer is the focus of the spell…?”

“The advantage evil would have to balance the scales for something that major isn’t something that I ever want to think about.” Tara shudders in reaction. “Blood magic… Willow is using blood magic. It’s no wonder why the Goddess hasn’t been answering her requests or her prayers! She’s gone dark.”

“So are we going to go to Giles in London?” Dawn asks.

“I don’t for a second think that the Watcher knows what they’re up to but that is the first place they’re going to think to look for us, so it’s the last place we should go.” Spike replies. “At least until we’ve had time to come up with some way to stop them permanently.”

“So should we go to see Angel and ask him for help? They’d never expect you to go there Spike.” Dawn suggests.

“Can we trust him is the question.” Anya interjects.

“Cave-Brow is so bloody white that you have to wear sunglasses to avoid being blinded by the light glinting off that forehead. Ordinarily, I’d say we could trust him to help us to help Dawn but they’re trying to bring Buffy back. I don’t think we can trust him not to be swayed to their side for the chance to get her back but I don’t think he’d actually stand by and let them hurt Dawn either. Can we trust him? If it is about anyone else but Buffy… no, we can’t take the chance. We’ll let him know what’s going on but we’re not going to tell him where we’re going until we’re sure we’re safe. Eventually he’s going to wise up and realize that Buffy is gone and that bringing her back would be cruel but until he discovers that on his own, we’re not going to count on him.” Spike replies. “I agree that leaving the country would be the best choice.”

“So where do we go?” Dawn asks.

“We’ll have to think about that.” Anya states and turns to Tara. “We’re going to need to buy things to take with us. I think it would be safer to leave everything of ours here, just to be safe. It will preserve the illusion that we’re coming back. I think we should use tonight to do as much of that as possible so that we can travel farther tomorrow. We don’t want to fly out of LA that’s for sure. It’s the first place they’ll think to try. We need to catch a plane somewhere they won’t have expected us to go. We won’t have time to arrange for decent false papers right away; though we can and should start the process now.”

Spike leans away from Dawn, reaches into one of the hidden pockets in his duster, and pulls out a nice black leather wallet. He opens it, pulls out two platinum credit cards and slides them across the table to Tara. He draws out a third one that he slides over to Dawn. He reaches back into the same pocket, pulls out several bank books and sets them on the table. Another three platinum cards from the wallet are added to the pile. Several fat check books are drawn from another pocket adding their bulk to the growing mass. He slides the whole pile over to Anya; who peeks into the wallet and sees that there are still more credit cards inside before he closes it.

“Spike these have my name on them.” Tara squeaks in shock as she glances down at the cards.

“And this one has mine!” Dawn squeals happily, hugging Spike’s arm again and bouncing in her chair with excitement.

Anya; who hasn’t commented on the fact that she too has cards with her name on them; is distracted by looking through the bank passbooks spike has passed to her. Her eyes widen as she realizes that she’s looking at literally tens of millions in pounds safely banked in three separate Swiss banks. She suspects that these are only some of the accounts Spike has squirreled away too! “Spike…?”

“It strikes me as wise to pick someone to handle the money and frankly I can’t think of a better choice than you. Spend it, invest it, I trust you to do whatever you feel is necessary. I have more….”

Anya smiles widely, leans over, and hugs Spike tightly. “Thank you Spike.” She lets go, sits up straight in her chair and says, “Money isn’t going to be a huge issue thanks to Spike. We’re not talking Bill Gates here but I’d say none of us will have to take a job flipping hamburgers any time this century.”

“What are the limits on these, Spike?” Tara asks nervously, fingering the cards as carefully as one would pet a strange dog.

Spike clears his throat and says gruffly. “Yours are a million each, the Bit’s is half that, and Anya has the no limit cards.” He confesses.

“Let’s go, there’s shopping to be had!” Dawn encourages all of them with her excitement.

“I think we should head for that new Mage mall they built a couple of towns over.” Anya suggests. “We won’t run into Xander or Willow there.”

“Just get the essentials for now; we don’t have unlimited room in the SUV. We’ll buy anything else that we need or want when we get where we’re going. I have an idea about the ‘how’ to get there. I can look into that while you birds handle the shopping part.”

“I think that Tara should take me home and let me pack a bag and leave a goodbye message for Willow and Xander since I’m supposedly going to see my Father for a week. They’re going to expect me to and it will let them think everything is normal and we’re clueless.” Dawn suggests.

Seeing the concern on Spike’s face, Anya says, “It should be safe enough Spike. The store is open for another two hours so Willow and Xander should be busy there for a while. Plus I think that Tara should do a little cleansing spell while she’s there. I know just the one to use. It will sever any lingering essence clinging to anything that you’ve touched in there or that has touched you. Willow won’t be able to use any of your things as a focus for a location spell once the spell is cast. I can go with Spike and do the same at his Crypt and at my apartment too. Then we’ll meet back here, cast it on the mansion, and then leave town immediately after and spend the night somewhere else.” Anya suggests.

“Are we going to need spell components?” Tara asks.

Anya explains the spell and reassures her. “I keep a private stock of things that I may need at my apartment. I have everything we’ll need there. You’ll probably want to cast the spell in each room of the house and then a general blessing over the whole of it, to protect its effects from being tampered with.”

“We’re not going to split up again. We’ll head for Anya’s apartment and do what we need to do there and pick up what we need for the spells. Then we’ll do the crypt, then head for the house, and then back here to do this place before we leave for good. Once we’ve done here and we’re ready to leave, I don’t think any of us should see Red or Xander again. We don’t want her slipping any mojo on us once we know we’re clean. Tomorrow Tara will call Willow and tell her that she dropped her phone while she was packing and it’s broken. Then in a day or two, you’ll call her, and give her the number for your new phone. I know a bloke in LA who can cast a spell on cell phones to ‘scramble’ the signal so it can’t be traced back to where you are. If Red tries, the spell will show you as being right where they believe that you’re supposed to be.” Spike decides.

Anya settles her hand on Spike’s shoulder and hides a pleasant shudder at the feel of his muscles shifting under her hand. He truly is a most marvellous specimen of male-hood. “I know that you want to be there to protect us all but Tara isn’t weak and the others don’t know that we know what they’re planning. Even if they run into them, Tara and Dawn can fool them easily, and we’ll be done in half the time and away from here. We’ll all head for my condo and get what we need then split up?”

“When you’re right, you’re right. Whatever; as long as it gets us out of this bloody fucked town faster then that’s for the best!” Spike agrees, forcing his feelings aside in favour of doing what’s best for his girls. He reaches into his pocket, takes out a heft ring of keys and hands them to Tara. “You and Dawn can take Joyce’s truck and I’ll ride with Anya.”

“Don’t worry about us Spike. We’ll be on your bumper all the way to Anya’s place and we’ll be very careful and very quick at the house.” Tara promises and Spike nods and they all make their way back to the cars.

Chapter Two

Spike and Anya arrive back at the mansion first but then they have the fact that neither of them had much to leave behind to thank for that. Perhaps it is their shared experience with how life works, neither of them had much baggage to regret leaving behind. Clinging to things gives an unkind world things to take away that can hurt you.

“We need to talk about something Spike.” Anya begins tentatively. “I think that we should go to England, to Beaumont and Meridian.”

“Where did you hear that name?!” Spike demands in an angry tone but he looks shaken.

“I’ve always known who you are Spike. I was there when you were born.” Anya confesses. “She didn’t know what she was saying, she was in pain, and blamed the world for taking her husband away. I heard her pain and I came to investigate in time to see you being born. She swore that she would never let ‘them’ take you away as they’d taken your Father. She wished for a way to hide you from them; to give you a chance to grow up and b strong enough to stand up to them. I granted that wish. They came searching for you but my protection was strong on you then and they never found you or your Mother.”

Anya steps closer and when Spike doesn’t back away from her, she steps forward and wraps her arms around him. He looks like he’s absorbed the news calmly but she can feel his muscles quaking against her. “As you grew, the protection I placed on you eroded, as it was meant to do, and eventually it was gone almost gone. I was returning to check on you when I found out that you had been taken by Drusilla. To my shame, I have to confess that the fault lay with an aspirant who was being courted by D’Hoffrun to become one of his Demons. She hurt you and sent you straight to Drusilla fangs and he was so impressed by her malice that she was one of my kind before the night passed. I was furious but I was forbidden to interfere.”

“I turned her you know? I didn’t understand what I was… then.” Spike says softly.

“I am sorry Spike. I think that part of the reason you’re so different from other Vampires has to do with me and with your Father. His blood is strong in you but you weren’t even born yet when my magic touched you and I think that it changed you a little too. It’s as if you absorbed some of it. I think that and the strength of your Father’s bloodline made it so the Vampire in you wasn’t as dominate as it is in others of your kind. You were able to keep a lot of what made you special as a Human.”

Anya lets Spike go but doesn’t move very far away. This is her sin and she can’t run from the consequences of it but maybe some good can come of it. “When you burned down your house, I made sure that the word got out to the men who were still looking for you and your Mother. They believed that you had both died in the fire. It was the only way that I could make amends. If they had discovered that your Father’s bloodline continued on, they would have torn the world apart to find you. They still will to this day if they even had any idea of who you are.”

“What threat could I possibly be to them now? I’m a Vampire Anya.” Spike protests.

“You’re a Master Vampire, Spike. William the Bloody, the only Vampire to take two Slayers in single combat, and the only one to have survived in the company of the strongest Slayer called so far. You’re one of the strongest of your kind and you’re the son of Gabriel Van Helsing and Vampire or not, his blood is yours too. You are the scion of a mighty dynasty Spike and I think that it’s time that you claimed what belongs to you.”

“Why risk it now when we’re already courting enough trouble for four lifetimes?”

“Meridian is worth the risk. We’ll be safe from Willow there. The estate lies over a natural power sink. Magic and even a lot of modern technology have trouble functioning there. Willow’s magic would be almost useless. Meridian welcomes only its own to its land and you are Master there. It will accept you as it would take no other to it. If you claim us, we would belong as well and it would go a long way to assuring our safety from many threats. I have to be honest and tell you that it won’t be easy for you.”

“A Master Vampire claiming all that is Van Helsing would be a Vampire who is quickly dust.” Spike points out.

“If you were anyone else yes but as much as your Mother taught you to deny it, you are your Father’s son. You are a Van Helsing, William Matthew Lucas Van Helsing, and it’s time to go home.”

“And if I don’t survive the trip down memory lane?”

“If I had even an atom of doubt that you would survive I’d have gone to my final end without revealing your secret. I had occasion to cross paths with your Father and I see him in you. I know that it will be damned difficult and painful but I truly believe that everything that has happened to you was for a reason. I think that you were meant to be the bridge between what the Van Helsings were and what they could become. You are the key to one of the greatest legacies in this plane of existence and it has been too long since the world trembled with the knowledge that The Hunter walked amongst them.”

“And when I do survive? What will it mean for me, for all of us?”

“The Slayers are no longer as effective as they were and the Watchers Council is nothing but a gaggle of old men who can’t see passed their arrogant beliefs. Do you know that Faith wasn’t the first Slayer to have turned on those she was meant to protect? It has happened before and when it did, it was necessary to track them down and remove them so another could be called. When it was unavoidable and no options were left, the Council would send for The Hunter.”

“The Van Helsings have killed Slayers?” Spike looks shocked and off-balance at that revelation.

“Only The Hunter is strong enough to take a prime Slayer who has gone bad. It was unpleasant but few beings can go as dark as a warrior that once served the good. It has only happened three or four times in all the millennia of time since they were created but it has happened. It will again. You’ll have to be prepared for that. However, the Council can’t command you to take a Slayer’s life. That command can only be issued by the Powers; they will send a Messenger or Seer with their judgement to you as The Hunter and the Council both. You are no one’s assassin.” Anya reassures him. “In times passed before, The Hunter has also been called to take the Head of the Watchers Council but it is rarely done. The Powers don’t seem to regard them as much of a threat compared to their Slayers.”

“They would be wise to cut the head of the serpent off; hacking away at the tail never fixes the problem permanently. The Watchers used to be as feared as the Slayers but now they’re useless tossers sending little girls out to be killed while they scribble away in their pointless journals.” Spike growls. “You’re over a thousand years old Anya, I’m going to need your counsel and advice to do this.”

Anya blinks away the sting of tears and slowly lets her leg collapse under her until she is kneeling on one leg, with her head bowed. “I am Anya. I claim no family name, no Clan, no Lord. I am free-born and owe allegiance no one and the choice that I make, I make willingly. All that I am, I offer to you. Teach me, train me, claim me, and command me Lord and I will serve you faithfully for all of my days.”

Spike’s eyes widen as he recognizes the Oath of Fealty but he’s not surprised that Anya knows it and understands the ramifications of saying the words. “I accept your Oath and pledge mine in return. I will be your Lord. We shall walk together, stand as one, and should trouble find us, it will find us together. These I give to my Sister. I give you my name and the freedom of my House. We are family.”

Anya feels like weeping as Spike takes her Oath of Fealty and instead of granting it as her Lord, he’s welcomed her as a Brother would. “Do we go to Meridian?” She asks gruffly as she rises with Spike’s assistance and relaxes as he pulls her into a gentle hug.

She shivers as Spike slides his palm slowly along her abdomen, his fingers spreading protectively wide as he rubs her flat stomach tenderly.

“If I am to be the head of my own Clan, I would have a safe haven for all of you to live. We go to Meridian and if I am found worthy to survive the tests to come, we will be safe.” Spike lets his hand fall away from Anya and his eyes are shadowed by worry. “Then our hardest work will begin.”

“It is work that has gone undone for too long. I truly believe that everything that has happened to all of us has been to lead us to this. The hardships we have all endured were preordained to shape us for the duties we will assume. You know that Dawn is very special, don’t you?”

Spike nods his head once. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while now.”

“Do you think that Giles knows?” Anya asks with a serious expression.

“I don’t think that he would have gone back to England if he had any idea. The Wankers Council are clueless too or you’d bet they’d have a swarm of their damned drones here trying to get her back to England. That’s why we’re not going to tell Giles or let him find out until we’re sure of his loyalties. We’re going to avoid London as well for now. I have a friend that can arrange passage for us on a cruise ship to Dublin. From there we can arrange passage to Anglesey. Hopefully, we’ll be well established by the time that anyone finds out where we are.”

“I’m sure that finding out that the Van Helsing bloodline hasn’t died out will keep them fairly distracted; especially once they realize who the new Hunter is. However I think it would be wise to assure that their attention is diverted from Dawn as well.” Anya worries. “If she dies, the Council is going to know that something is wrong when one of the Potentials they expect to become a Slayer isn’t called and they’re going to panic. Without a Slayer they have no reason to exist,”

“And standard procedure is always to examine any siblings of the most recent Slayer, or Slayers in this case, for any traces that they may have become active Slayers, I know.” Spike comments.

Anya isn’t surprised by Spike’s knowledge of Watcher procedures. She realizes that the Master Vampire is just as dangerous for the knowledge he has as he is as a fighter. “They’re going to make their move on the Slayer in prison any day now; if they haven’t tried already.” Anya muses.

“That’s what I’ve been expecting to hear. A Slayer in a cage may as well not be a Slayer at all as far as they’re concerned. When I realized that Dawn was starting to feel different to me and I realized why…. I knew that I’d have to protect her. I’ve had someone working on getting her out and placed somewhere that the even the Council is going to have a problem getting to her through.” Spike’s smile is coolly enigmatic and Anya is intrigued.

“What have you been up to Spike?” She asks with a twinkle in her eyes. “I knew that you were up to something when you started behaving yourself!” She adds with a chuckle.

“I just arranged for a rumour to reach the right ears about a certain jailbird with unusual talents when it comes to fighting Demons. I expect that the government is going to approach her with an offer to work for them and she’ll agree to it. The Council hasn’t done anything for her but try to control her and betray her at every turn. I don’t trust this government any more than I do the Council but I believe they’ll see the advantage in keeping her alive and out of their clutches.”

“That is so simple that it’s brilliant.” Anya replies with a grin. “They’ll treat her like a Queen and meanwhile they’ll squabble like dogs over a bone and it will cause a rift between the governments that will keep them for cooperating against us.”

Spike nods, satisfied that for the time being his plotting has Dawn off the Council’s radar. There is but one final detail left to address. He lifts his arm and slowly turns his hand until the vulnerable inside of his wrist is exposed. He offers his arm to Anya without hesitation and barely flinches as she strikes swiftly and tears into the tender skin with her blunt teeth and sips at the thick and rich blood welling up from the wound. “Let the blood be a bond between us Sister. We stand as equals and your will be as your own, no dominion do I claim.” Spike’s senses are focused on Anya but some small part of him takes note of other sounds filtering in but he pushes them aside to be dealt with later. His instincts are calm so he senses that there is no danger nearby.

Anya shudders at the sheer power in Spike’s blood and she marvels that one so young should be so strong! She forces her mouth away from the wound after only two shallow swallows of the rich elixir. She presses her palm over the wound and pulls the slender silk scarf from around her neck and she tenderly binds the injury. She leans forward, skims her palms down Spike’s ribcage and slowly trails down to his waist and around to the small of his back. The dagger leaves the sheathe at the small of his back without making a sound and she steps back to press its razor edge against her tongue and draws it across the appendage.

“I offer my blood freely and without fear to create this bond between us. We stand as equals, no dominion do I claim and to no dominion do I submit. I am free to choose and this is my choice.” Anya intones, steps forward against Spike’s body and cupping his head, she pulls his head down until their mouths meld together.

The kiss is slow, deep, but their bodies are as still and calm as a placid lake. The embrace isn’t about passion or sex but intimacy on a level that transcends both to create a bond that cannot be broken except by a final death.

“What the blood has joined together may no man break and no betrayal between us sunder.” Spike and Anya step away from each other as they recite the same phrase and she hands him his dagger back.

As soon as the dagger is safely transferred, Anya finds herself in the center of a teenage-sized whirlwind!

“Welcome to the family Anya!” Dawn shouts as she bounces happily in place and claps her hands.

“I didn’t know that you guys were back.” Anya laughs as Dawn almost picks her up off her feet with her swooping hug, before spinning her around, and letting her go with a dizzy giggle.

Tara smiles and gently hugs Anya and steps away and corrals Dawn with an arm around her shoulders and she soothes the younger girl’s frenetic movements to a lower level of exuberance. “Welcome to the family Sister.”

“I’m happy that Spike brought you into the family Anya.” Dawn states with a happy smile. “When he asked Tara and I to be part of his family, I was wondering if he was going to ask anyone else but he didn’t. Now I’m glad that he didn’t except for you Anya. I don’t want Xander and Willow in my family!”

Spike looks slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to ask you Anya….”

Anya smiles understandingly. “I know that you couldn’t ask me as long as I was with Xander. You’re too fair to ask someone to divide their loyalties that way and I know that you wouldn’t have chosen Xander to bond with under the circumstances. You had to wait and see if I would choose to leave him before you could have approached me. This way is better. Now we both know that I chose this without influence from anyone but my own wish to do it. Are there others in our family?”

“There are three others that I have taken as Brothers but more who are bound to me as their Liege Lord. When we are settled, I shall send for those that wish to join us and make arrangements for those that wish to stay where they are.” Spike explains. “When we have our home, I will sever my ties to my Order. It is time that I was the Master of my own fate and I cannot do that if I am chained to the past.”

“So we’re a real family? No one can take you away from me right?” Dawn asks, looking like the scared girl that she really is behind the attitude and bravado she owes as much to Spike as she does to her Sister’s example.

“No, you’re ours.” Tara promises. “Spike is your legal Guardian, twice over, both of your parents agreed to that and I don’t think that Buffy would object either. She didn’t ask any of us to look after you and she certainly had the opportunity to do it. I think that’s pretty telling as far as whom she felt she could trust to protect and care for you.”

“And Spike is certainly in the financial position to take care of you and give you everything that you need. No one can complain about his being a Vampire without sounding crazy in court.”

“And I plan to make sure that we’re living in a safe and wholesome environment and to that end, I have a confession to make.” Spike explains to Tara and Dawn about his Father and what he and Anya discussed and he waits nervously for their reactions.

“Oh that is so cool!” Dawn squeals and Tara laughs and rubs the ringing echo out of the ear that she has partially deafened in her excitement.

“I always thought that Van Helsing was a literary character.” Tara jokes with a small shrug and a blush of embarrassment. “I never thought that he was a real person; based on one maybe; but not a real, living breathing person.” She admits. “Giles never said anything about there being others out there who did the same thing as the Slayer. I wonder why he didn’t tell us. You’d think that would have been something we should know in case we ever needed some help.”

“The Council has always had an uneasy relationship with The Hunters so it’s rare to find one that is going to be willing to discuss them and they did believe that the bloodline had died out.” Anya confides. “Add to that the fact that the Council has no control over The Hunter and you can see why they wouldn’t want to reveal their existence. What they can’t control, they’ll try to manipulate, and barring that, they’ll try to ignore it exists or eradicate it. Watchers have always been singularly narrow-minded that way.”

“They should have been here to help us with Glory but they let Buffy die. As far as I’m concerned, the Watchers, the whole Council can kiss my….” Dawn trails off angrily. “I want to leave. I want to get out of here!”

“We’ll do the spell in just a minute. There’s something else that I have to do first.” Spike replies solemnly and slowly skins off the duster that has become as much a part of him as his skin. He walks to the fireplace with three confused friends trailing him. As he kneels in front of the deep fire well and sets the coat across the fake ceramic logs, Dawn realizes what he intends to do and darts forward.

“No Spike, you can’t burn your duster!” Dawn cries in upset as Spike catches her, gently levers her back and away as she tries to reach passed him to get it.

“The life I want to build for us, for myself, has no room in it for that jacket and what it represents. It’s no trophy to be proud of anymore. It’s fitting to let it burn here where the best Slayer in generations fell, then to carry the weight of it with me.” Spike quietly explains.

Dawn reluctantly nods her understanding but she still sheds more than one tear and clings to him as Spike leans forward and opens the gas valve and presses the ignition switch. The oil that he used to keep the leather supple quickly catches flame and soon the jacket is wreathed in an inferno.

Tara steps up to place her hand on Spike’s shoulder and squeeze it gently. “I understand Spike. It’s like a Phoenix that consumes itself in the fire of its own body to be reborn.”

Anya looks down at her left hand; her eyes lock onto the simple ring on her ring finger as her mind ponders what it represents. Without hesitating, she pulls the ring off her hand and tosses it into the flames to join the memorial bonfire that was Spike’s jacket. “I want to be a Phoenix too.” She states simply.

Tara is struck by the simple simplicity of the ritual and she looks down at the bracelet on her right wrist. She wove it on a mini-loom out of vibrantly coloured slender strands Cashmere yarn and strands of Willow’s hair. She covers it with her palm and focuses her mind on the feeling of it against her skin. She visualizes all of her hurt feelings, sadness, worry, and disappointment towards Willow flowing into it and getting absorbed by the yarn. “I release the negative and I embrace the positive in myself. Goddess, grant Willow the wisdom to learn from her mistakes and ask for your wisdom. I ask that she learn to accept that some things shouldn’t be changed even if the power exists to change them.” Tara tries to break the bracelet but it is much stronger than it looks.

Spike sees what she is trying to do and easily breaks it for her without saying a word.

Nodding her gratitude, Tara skims the bracelet off her wrist and intoning a prayer to the Goddess for Willow and Xander then tosses it into the fire. “Blessed be.”

“I don’t have anything for the fire.” Dawn says sadly, wanting to join in, but she doesn’t have anything to burn.

“Spike would you help me again please?” Tara holds out her other wrist; where a similar bracelet of her own craft; but minus the physical token of Willow’s hair; rests.

He breaks the second one as easily as the first, carefully pulling only on the yarn and not yanking it against her skin to sunder it.

Tara hands it to Dawn and instructs her in how she can will her negative thoughts and emotions into the bracelet. “This is a healing ritual not an attack. Always try to remember that you’re trying to release the negative by inviting the positive into you. So you shouldn’t wish harm to come to anyone when you’re ready to put it into the fire, even when it is deserved. Request that a Higher Power take them in hand and show them the error of their ways instead of wishing them harm. Let go of the bad things you feel about them and try to remember when they did something nice for you. Remember how much Buffy and Joyce loved you, how much we love you, and let that feeling push out the feelings for Willow and Xander. When you’re ready, say a prayer; you don’t have to say anything out loud for us; and then toss it into the fire, say blessed be, and visualize a white nimbus of light around your body.”

Dawn wraps the bracelet in a fist, holds her clenched hand against her chest, closes her eyes, and does her best to follow Tara’s instructions. She opens her eyes and tosses the bracelet into the fire, thinks a prayer, and sighs. She watches at the flammable bracelet is quickly consumed and blinks in surprise. “I do feel better.” She says as her eyes open wide in shock.

Tara, Spike, and Anya all draw her into a four-way hug as they all huddle in front of the fireplace and watch their pasts burning away.

“Glinda, is there a way to make sure this fire burns until everything is consumed including the ashes?” Spike asks.

“I know one that we can use.” Tara thinks for a moment and says, “I think there is one that will do pretty much the same thing as the blessing and cleansing spell we’ve already used. Anya, do you happen to have any Olibanum incense or some garlic in those supplies you had?”

“I have both of them.” Anya admits. “I think that I know what spell you’re thinking of. I have some small sprigs from a budding Flowering Almond Tree and some Obsidian shards as well. I have a small letter opener shaped like a sword that you can use as a token as well.” She hurriedly gathers the things and brings them back to Tara.

“These will do just fine Anya.” Tara praises. She takes the small twigs; still bearing the buds of summer on them; and tosses them into the fire along with the Obsidian. She takes the small sword-shaped letter opener from Anya and rubs it with the resinous incense before setting it at the edge of the fireplace.

“Hephaestus, God of the Forge, Maker and Breaker of things, we ask for your blessing to be on this fire and the things within its furnace. Make it burn, feed it from your divine forge, until everything within it is cleansed, and it can harm no one. Let no one take these things from your protection until they are pure and no harm can be worked through them. Look into our hearts and weigh our request and if it is just and true, grant us this honour. We ask this of you Mighty Hephaestus, and offer you this token of our esteem.” Tara picks up the letter opener and carefully pitches it into the flames.

The flames instantly change hue from white, gold, and red, becoming pure white hot shades of blue and pale silver. The heat forces them to back several feet away from the fireplace.

“It is done. The flames will burn until there is nothing left of what we put in there, not even the logs will remain. Willow will find nothing useful left to use to track us, no matter what spells she tries or powers she calls on.” Tara announces.

“Couldn’t she invoke another God or Goddess?” Dawn asks curiously.

“No, the things in the flames are considered as being dedicated to Hephaestus now and he has granted us his favour. No other God or Power could undo it but the God of the Forge and he will know if the intent of it is to harm someone. He will not grant a reprieve by restoring the things if harm will come to us because of it.” Tara explains and then sighs. “Willow has strayed so far from the Goddess that it is unlikely that Hephaestus would even hear her prayers.”

“Let’s do the blessing and cleansing spells and leave.” Spike decides; seeing the heartbreak in the eyes of women he’s taken as his Sisters is starting to stir his anger and right now, he needs to keep thinking clearly.

“Anya can easily cast those spells. I’m going to mix up something special. I think we should all be anointed, blessed, and cleansed personally before we go.” Tara decides. “That will negate any spells that are on us already and render any graven images or sympathetic tokens from working on us.”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Anya agrees. “We should have noticed things were getting this bad and if we haven’t maybe it’s because Willow made sure that we didn’t see it.”

“Will a blessing hurt Spike?” Dawn asks with a frown of concern.

“It won’t Spike, I promise Dawn. I wouldn’t have suggested it if it was going to hurt anyone. It’s not a ‘denominational’ blessing like during a religious service and the recipe that I have in mind won’t be harmful to Demons.” Tara swears.

“Okay, we can do this. Dawn and I will pack up the SUV while you two do the spells.” Spike decides.

“I’ll start with the cars then.” Anya decides and gets what she’ll need from her store of supplies. “On the way out of town, I want to stop at Timms & Wells automotive and sell my car.” She announces. “We’re not going to need two cars and it makes financial sense to sell mine instead of leaving it here.”

“We should probably sell Mom’s truck too Spike.” Dawn realizes. “If Willow or Xander find out that it wasn’t repossessed, they’re going to do something annoying like reporting it stolen to cause trouble. It’s not like the police in this town are very bright. They probably won’t even ask if it’s their car!”

“We’ll sell it in San Francisco Nibblet. We’ll be long gone from there before doing something like that occurs to them. It won’t matter anyway. Dealerships that deal with Demons are very accustomed to dealing with vehicles that are less than legally obtained. It will vanish into the underground and no one will find it or recognize it if they did see it again.”

“What are you going to do about the shop Anya?” Tara asks. “I’m not sure that leaving Willow and Xander to run it is a good idea. Can you convince Giles to make other arrangements?”

“I don’t have to convince Giles of anything. I haven’t told anyone but when Giles decided to stay in London instead of coming back, he offered to sell the shop to me and I agreed. I own it free and clear and I asked Giles to accept a minority share of the business for using his contacts to keep us supplied with certain rare and hard to find products. You’re right; leaving the shop to them isn’t a good idea.” Anya replies. “I don’t think that I should sell it though. It might be wiser for us to keep some connections here.”

“Is there someone that could run it for you?” Spike suggests. “Someone that you can trust and that can keep those two under control and not be intimidated by Willow that is?”

“I think that I have just the person in mind and she even lives in LA to keep an eye on her Father’s activities and mess up his schemes when she can.” Anya muses. “I think that I can convince her that moving here and taking over the running of the shop as a partner would benefit us both. She’s half Demon so being on a Hellmouth would boost her magic considerably, which is already uncommonly strong to begin with, and no mortal witch is going to intimidate Lillian Vale.”

Tara blanches pale and stutters, “Is that Cyrus Vale’s daughter?”

Anya nods and smiles. “Don’t worry, Tara, Lily isn’t anything like her Father and in fact, she loathes him and would gladly kill him if she could. She doesn’t use black magic. She’s strictly a White Sorceress with a healthy dose of Demon blood that will let her tap into the energies here and transmute them to power her magic.”

Tara thinks it over and finally nods. “And because she is half Demon and can attune herself to the energy better than a Non-Demon ever could, she’ll draw the lion’s share of the power away from Willow, who isn’t one. She’ll be weakening Willow while getting stronger herself. Willow wouldn’t be able to cast many spells with the residual energy that would be left for her to tap into, right?”

“Well in essence, yes. That’s a fair explanation of it. Cut off from the ambient magic that always pools around Hellmouths and denied access to the books and supplies in the shop… she’d be severely hampered.” Anya answers. “We’ll have to warn Giles and that other Watcher working with Angel not to let her get her hands on anything dangerous through them though.”

“Let’s do it then and get on the road. We’ve got a lot to do and a limited amount of time to do it in.” Tara announces, moving over to the chest that holds Anya’s supplies to gather what she needs and beginning to mix the oil for the blessing.

Anya begins to cast the first of the spells as Spike leads Dawn out of the room to attend to their own assigned chores.

Chapter Three

Angel is on his feet with a snarl even as the front door of the Hyperion opens to admit Spike.

“What are you doing here Spike?” Angel asks with a growl, his nerve endings are on fire with the proximity of the fiery blond haired Vampire with iceberg eyes.

Those chilly eyes are on the move as he strolls around the perimeter of the lobby. Those icy chips of blue ice missing nothing, as he herds Angel’s associates into the center of the room; wisely seeking strength in numbers.

“I asked you a question Spike.” Angel growls, growing more uneasy by the moment as Spike doesn’t mouth off as usual but remains silently assessing of all of them.

“Come in Pets.” Spike calls out. “Only the Forehead and his Merry Mortals are here.” He stops with his back to the wall that angles sharply away from the main entrance and watches them all intently. As his gaze passes over Cordelia one of his eyebrows quirks up in surprise and he focuses his attention on her. “Make that the Forehead, three mortals and a half-blood.” He amends as Anya pushes the front door open and strolls in followed by Dawn and lastly Tara.

Angel brightens as he sees Buffy’s little sister and he starts forward with a smile that becomes a frown as Dawn backs away from him and hurries to squeeze behind Spike. She leans around Spike and peeks at him nervously from her shelter in the space between Spike and the wall and he stops in his tracks. It doesn’t take a Vampire to realize that Dawn is afraid or that she isn’t afraid of Spike; to whom she rushed to in order to feel safer.

“What’s going on here?” Angel asks, losing the edge of his anger, but his confusion only gets worse as he realizes that he can feel some strange energy radiating through the room.

“Cast it Tara.” Anya suggests, holding her hand out. “I can provide what you need.”

Tara moves forward to take Anya’s hand, draws the energy that she needs from the willing woman, and casts the simple combination spell they developed together. “Goddess, we ask for the shelter of your power to keep us safe in this place. Let no lies be spoken, no oaths foresworn, and no harm be done to any within the sphere of your influence. With harm towards none I ask this boon, let this place be safe from all who intend us harm or who would be used to harm us. If this is in accord with you High Mother, we ask you to come unto us and bless us with your protection.”

Tara feels the gold, Quartz pendant; that was the last gift she’d received from her Mother before her death; grow warmer, and she can smell the scent of fresh Mistletoe on the slight breeze and knows that the Goddess has heard her. “It’s done, the spell will be in force until we leave or someone breaks the protection seal by opening a door or window to the outside.” She announces as she releases Anya’s hand with a silent squeeze of gratitude for her help.

Anya hurries to the front door and quickly shoves the bolt home to hold the double doors closed and turns the interior deadbolt to the locked position.

Dawn has scurried from behind Spike, rushes to the door leading to the outside courtyard and locks those as well.

“What the hell is going on?” Angel demands again. “What was that spell?”

“It’s a protection spell Angel. A very formidable one if I’m right.” Wesley provides in a soft whisper. “They’re worried about someone or something getting in here.”

“Willow and Xander want to use me as a blood sacrifice to resurrect Buffy.” Dawn announces bluntly. “It’s not safe in Sunnydale so Spike got us out of there.”

“I’m sure that Willow and Xander aren’t going to try and kill you Dawn. Maybe you misunderstood what you heard. We can clear all of this up with a phone call I’m sure.” Angel states with a placating tone.

“Willow is trying to find an urn of Osiris.” Anya replies flatly. “Your Watcher can tell you what that means. And secondly, we didn’t say that they meant to kill her; the ritual would kill her granted; but we don’t know that Xander realizes that but we suspect that Willow is fully aware that it will.”

“They’re right Angel.” Wesley quietly imparts. “An urn of Osiris is only used for one ritual, resurrection spells, and it does require a significant blood sacrifice in order to work. The more significant the soul to be raised, the more powerful the blood used as the sacrifice would need to be. To resurrect a Slayer… well that have to be… significant… and the chances of the spell succeeding increase dramatically if you can find a source that is related by blood to the one you intend to raise. They have a reason to be concerned about this Angel. It’s serious, very serious.” He whispers.

“I do have to question your assumption that Miss Summers would die during the ritual.” Wesley announces in a louder tone of voice.

“Dawn isn’t just Buffy’s Sister. Her blood is very special and the energy contained in it is dangerous in the wrong hands. If Willow draws her blood, she’s not going to be able to handle the influx of energy and maintain Dawn’s human body. She’ll revert to her energy state and we’ll lose Dawn.” Tara explains. “Willow is out of control. She’s working with forces that she isn’t ready to handle and be forewarned, if she continues on this path, she’s going to be irretrievably lost. She’s already starting to cross the line between white and black magic. Xander is just blind to anything but having Buffy back.”

“They’ve convinced themselves that Buffy is in some Hell Dimension.” Anya scoffs in disgust.

“Are you positive that she isn’t there?” Angel asks; looking stricken to his soul at the prospect.

“Are you fucking cracked in the noggin Angelus?” Spike growls, his lip curling back to reveal a slightly descended fang. It’s a silent testimony to his agitated emotional state. “She was a bloody Slayer, the best so far and she gave her life to save Dawn and the world. Of course, she isn’t in some bloody hell plane. She’s in whatever paradise there is for heroes. The Powers always take their Slayers home.”

Wesley puts his hand on Angel’s shoulder. “He’s right Angel. Everything ever written on Slayers, back to the oldest legends and accounts have dire warnings about trying to resurrect a fallen Slayer. I expect the reason why is as your Childe says that it is. They’d be ripping her out of Heaven. The Watchers Council has forbidden the ritual for the harm that it would do to the Slayer being brought back. The Rupert Giles I know would never allow it.”

“Giles has moved back to England. He’s been living there for over a month.” Tara replies in surprise.

Angel and his friends are all shocked but no one more than Wesley is.

“I called there to discuss an obscure myth that I was researching and Willow told me that he was out of town on a buying trip and that she would give him the message when he returned.” Wesley stammers in shock. “Why didn’t she tell me that he’d moved back to England? I would have called him there.”

“Did she by any chance ask you anything about where she could find rare antiquities while you were talking to her?” Anya asks dryly and Wesley pales and nods.

“I told her about some of my more… disreputable contacts in the antiquities trade. She said that she needed a rare dagger to kill a Signi Demon and couldn’t find one anywhere. I hadn’t realized that she was asking me for any other reason!”

“Don’t get your Watcher boxers in a bunch Specs.” Spike drawls. “You couldn’t have told her anything that helped her. Anya told us that the last Urn of Osiris was destroyed. Red can look until her hair goes grey and won’t find one. That just means she’ll try something even worse most likely.”

“Since when are you an authority on what Willow is going to do?” Cordelia asks snidely. “how do we know that you aren’t working some scam….” She stiffens and cries out sharply as she grabs her temples between her hands and starts to sink to her knees.

Angel starts to reach for her when he’s bowled aside by Spike of all people; who has scattered them all like bowling pins to reach the stricken girl and lower her gently to the floor. He arranges her quickly across his lap, his practiced fingertips quickly searching for and finding specific pressure points, nerve clusters, and pressing down gently but firmly in a regular pattern of pressure and release.

Seeing that Cordelia has stopped her pained thrashing, Angel realizes that Spike isn’t harming Cordelia but actually helping her and he catches Wesley and Fred by the arm and stops them from rushing Spike unnecessarily.

Dawn intercepts Gunn with a low body blow that knocks him off balance and sends the stake he’s pulled out of his jacket flying out of his hand. Anya runs over and picks up the stake as Tara goes to her knees beside Cordelia and presses one palm to her forehead and the other on her Sternum.

Angel motions Gunn to step back. “They’re not hurting her, they’re helping her.”

Mollified, Gunn stops glaring at Dawn; who is glaring right back at him; and steps away but doesn’t take his eyes off Cordelia.

Angel looks down at his Childe cradling the partially conscious Cordelia and he’s struck by the resemblance to a scene he’d witnessed many times between Spike and Dru. He can’t help but feel silly as he realizes that no one in the room is as familiar with Seers and how to soothe them as Spike is.

“You’re doing fine Spike. The headache isn’t as bad now so whatever you’re doing is working for her.” Tara advises. “We can speed things up a little to help more.” She looks up at Angel; who has placed his body between them and his friends. “Could someone bring us a washcloth and a bowl of ice water? Some Tylenol and a sugary drink will also help if they’re handy.”

“I’ll get the towel and bowl of ice water.” Wesley announces hurrying to the kitchen.

“I’ll go with you and bring the Aspirin and a drink for Cordelia.” Fred announces and hurries after Wesley.

“You, come here!” Spike looks at Gunn and snaps. “You need to learn how to do this.”

Gunn is grateful for something to do and he rushes to kneel next to Spike; who gently levers Cordelia’s weight across his lap. “What do I do now?”

Spike lifts his hands and shows him how to position his hands. “Press here, here, and here with your right hand. Press gently but firmly until the skin dimples and hold it for a slow ten count, then release it for ten, and then press for another ten count. Do that sequence seven or eight times. Keep the pressure light but constant with her left hand on those points. When she comes out of the vision all the way, stop the pressure sequence but keep up the steady pressure with your left hand until she’s fully aware and strong enough to get on her feet again. If it’s a bad one, you’ll want to keep the pressure sequence going for a while longer. She’ll let you know when she’s feeling better.” Spike shows Gunn another position for his hands and aligns his fingertips. “Sometimes, the only thing that will help her is to sleep off the effects of the vision. So press there and there at the same time until she’s asleep, you’ll know to let up when you feel her muscles relax.” He quietly advises. “The more visions she has close together, the worse each one will feel, it’s cumulative. If you use that first bit I taught you after each one, it will help to drain off the build-up.”

“Would it help if I did that every night?” Gunn asks seriously, listening to Spike’s every word and trying to memorize the right place to put his fingers and press.

Spike nods. “That would help her to rest better and that’s the best thing to do for a Seer after a vision. Let them lie down and just rest if you can. The cold compress and some good pain medication helps as well and will get her on her feet faster. Tara, is there anything that you can recommend?”

“Her body is under a lot of stress from the visions and it’s thrown her biorhythms out of alignment and I can sense some minor difficulties in her adjustment to being half-Demon as well. I can mix up some supplements that will help her body to become accustomed to the changes in her physiology better. If she takes them every day, the problems she’s been having shouldn’t affect her after a few months. I’ll have to scan her again before we leave so that I have a good impression of her needs and then it will take me about a week to mix up the supplements. I’ll send them along with some other instructions that will help her to stay healthy and prevent a lot of this damage from accumulating this way in the future.”

“You won’t have to send them very far. You’re all staying here. We’ve got the room and we can….”

“No.”

Angel looks at Dawn in shock and disbelief. “What do you mean ‘no’? You came to us for help….”

“We didn’t come here for help.” Dawn corrects him. “We came here to warn you that Willow was unstable with the magic stuff and that she and Xander weren’t being good puppies. We aren’t here looking for help from you. We’ve got plans of our own and frankly the farther away we can be from Willow and Xander, the safer I’ll be.”

“You can’t leave Dawn. Buffy would want you to be protected and looked after.” Angel argues.

“I’ve got the best protector that anyone could ever need; Buffy made sure of that.” Dawn refutes; glancing towards Spike with obvious affection. “Spike will protect me.”

“I will until the end of the world Pet, just like I promised Buffy.” Spike pledges.

Angel flinches and grinds his teeth together. “Buffy bound you to Dawn?”

For a moment, Spike isn’t sure if Angel is angry at Buffy for having trusted him with her only Sister or with him for having accepted the promise that bonds him to Dawn as surely as any ritual could. “We were fighting a bloody Hell God Angelus! She asked me to protect Dawn to the last and I agreed. She belongs to me now; all of my girls do. I’ll look after them.”

“And how are you planning to do that Spike? You can’t even defend yourself against humans!” Angel snarls. “Buffy will stay here with me where I can protect her!”

“I’m not Buffy; I’m Dawn. Buffy’s dead. She’s in heaven where heroes go. She fought for a long time and now it’s over, she can rest and leave the world in other hands.” Dawn imparts with surprising maturity. “We’ve made plans to leave the country for Europe.”

Angel visibly relaxes. “I’m sure that Giles has the resources to keep you safe. Spike can drop you in London and return here. We can always use another strong fighter on our team.”

“Spike isn’t coming back; none of us are.” Tara supplies that insight.

“We have all been claimed as family by Spike. Where he goes, we go, and the farther Dawn is from a Hellmouth the better it will be for her. This wasn’t just Spike’s decision. We all made the choice to leave and we plan to make a home together. Spike will protect us, and not just against Demons, but also from anyone else including Humans who mean us harm. Can you say as much?” Anya confronts Angel bluntly.

“He can’t protect himself against humans much less you or anyone else!” Angel denies.

Anya laughs but it isn’t a pleasant sound. “As much as you’ve hurt him, do you honestly believe that the pain from a bit of wire and a computer chip can stop him if he wants something badly enough? The pain from the chip is nothing compared to the tortures you’ve visited on him!”

“Spike can do anything that he needs to do to protect us.” Tara agrees having seen that Spike is more than capable of just that first hand. “He protected me just fine when my own family tried to convince me that I was some kind of a monster.

“I wish that were true….” Angel starts to say but Anya starts laughing, Tara looks almost proud, and Dawn darts forward to hug Spike with a happy laugh.

Angel takes a hurried leap back as Anya’s facial features shift to her Demon-half and she grins as she says. “You should always be careful what you wish for Angel.” Her features return to their normal human guise as Spike starts laughing. She grins at him and shrugs. “You never know who may be listening to you.”

“You’re a Demon?” Angel asks in surprise. He could have sworn the young woman was human.

“Yeah, way to make with the intellect there, Angelus; of course she is.” Spike comments drolly.

“I’m only a Demon occasionally.” Anya replies enigmatically.

“What kind of Demon are you? I’ve never seen one that looks quite like you.” Angel asks.

“Well that’s just rude!” Dawn snaps. “Isn’t that the Demon version of asking a woman how old she is? If Anya wants to tell you, she would have! Can we get back to business and then get out of here? We’ve been here too long already. This isn’t the first place they’re going to look for us but if they’ve figured out we’ve lit outta town, they will try here eventually you know!”

“The Bit is right, we don’t have time to play name the Demon right now.” Spike agrees. “Your girl is coming around.”

Angel’s eyes sink down to Cordelia and he sees that she is indeed stirring to wakefulness on Gunn’s lap. “Are you okay Cordy?” He asks in genuine concern.

“Actually, I feel a lot better than I thought I was going to feel; that vision was a hummer!” Cordelia replies in obvious surprise. She smiles at Gunn and hugs him. “Thank you for helping me Mr. Magic Fingers!”

Gunn stutters and looks towards Spike in shock and then up at Angel, helpless to figure out a way to explain to Cordelia what happened, and he shrugs his shoulders.

Spike gracefully rises to his feet and gently lifts Tara to hers and motions to Anya and Dawn; both of whom quietly move towards the front door. Still holding Tara’s hand, he turns to lead her after them when Angel catches him by the arm and forces him to stop.

“You’ll stay here for tonight at least. There are things that we need to discuss.” Angel decides; his tone brokering no. arguments or refusals.

“Don’t bother to use that tone of voice with me Angelus. You’ll find it doesn’t work any longer.”

Surprisingly, Tara is the one who reaches over, peels Angel’s hand off Spike’s arm, and pushes it away firmly. Unwilling to hurt a human, Angel doesn’t fight her to maintain his hold and lets his hand drop to his side. “Don’t talk to him like a Master giving commands to his Dog. Spike isn’t yours; he’s ours.”

She walks away from a stupefied Angel; her firm hold on Spike’s hand draws him after her as they walk towards the front door.

“He is mine, he’s always been mine. He’s the blood of my blood.” Angel argues, starting to follow them with an angry expression but he’s drawn up short by Cordelia’s hand that whips around his ankle and clings.

“You’re wrong Angel.” Cordelia informs him with a grimace. “Buffy changed the rules when she asked Spike to make that promise. She didn’t understand what she was setting in motion but Spike did when he agreed and made the vow. He isn’t Aurelian anymore and no other Vampire can claim him now; not you and not Drusilla, no one. He is bound to a new Order; one of his making not yours.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying Cordy! He’s too young to be on his own….”

“He’s been on his own for over a century Angel.” Cordy snaps. “Who do you think took care of him after you left? Drusilla couldn’t take care of that stupid doll of hers much less him but he managed to survive and keep her in one piece when she should have been taking care of him. You told me yourself. ‘There’s nothing Spike can’t do if he’s motivated enough’. Buffy gave him that motivation, a purpose.”

“And what purpose is that? He’s going to get himself killed is what it is!” Angel denies.

Their arguing is interrupted by Fred and Wesley; who are rushing as quickly as they can with their burdens.

“I say, where did our visitors go?” Wesley asks; looking around as he hands the bowl of ice water and a towel to Gunn; who reaches out for it demandingly.

Angel looks around and snarls. “Damn it Cordy, you distracted me and he left! Maybe I can catch them or track them back to….” He tries to shake off Cordelia’s hold on his ankle but she’s much stronger than she was before Lorne found the Shaman who could make her half Naiad.

“You have to let him go Angel. What Spike is destined to do… you can’t interfere with what he has to do. You’re on the payroll for the ‘Powers That Be’ but what Spike is going to become they can’t command.”

“He’s going to fight for the other side again and you helped him to get away and with three innocent girls no less! What’s wrong with you Cordy? We have to stop him!”

“He isn’t going to be a bad guy Angel. From what the Powers showed me in that little vision; I’m not sure that his heart was ever into being evil. He was the product of the Freaks that shaped him and Lord knows, Angelus and Drusilla could screw up a straight line! Spike is bound to the Slayer line but his destiny is to be so much more. No Power, above or below, will hold sway over Spike.”

“He’s bound to the Slayer line you say?” Wesley straightens his glasses and looks intrigued and worried at the same time. “The Council won’t stand for the Slayer of Slayers….”

“The Council has misused their last Slayer and their sins have left them vulnerable to the Powers. They have chosen new stewards for their Slayers, ones who will once again fight beside their Slayers as equals and who will remember that they are only Guides and Guardians, not taskmasters. The Watchers and the Council were formed to train and support Slayers, not to command them or treat them as disposable weapons of convenience. The key to the Slayer line has passed beyond the Council’s control.” Cordelia tries to explain as she filters through the massive amounts of information the Powers downloaded into her brain.

Cordelia sighs as Gunn places the cold towel across her forehead and holds it there lightly. She accepts the pain reliever from Fred swallows three, hands her back the bottle, and sips from the deliciously sugary soda that she hands her to wash it down.

She has a brief tinge of guilt over it not being diet but dismisses it as a stupid concern. Her half-Naiad physiology is good for stopping more than just her reaction headaches from killing her. She’s looking good if she does say so herself! “Spike will train the next Slayer and all those that will come after. Who could train them better than the only Vampire in history to take two in single combat? The Powers have manipulated events slightly to make sure that they will have his services in that capacity even though they cannot command him directly.”

“It’s that young girl that was with him, isn’t it?” Fred asks; surprising them all. “The one who’s Sister died, she’s the next one, the Slayer or whatever, right?” She blushes as everyone stares at her and she shrugs her shoulders in silent helplessness. “It makes sense doesn’t it? The Powers can’t give him commands directly you said but if they had some influence over someone that he already cares about and that he already feels responsible for…?”

“Yes, of course, they would have some influence over Spike as well in that scenario.” Wesley agrees; impressed by Fred’s logical assessment of the situation. “But why choose Spike? There has to be another reason than just his past. Angel would have been just as viable a choice if experience with Slayers was the main prerequisite for being chosen.”

“Angel wasn’t a viable choice once he left Buffy to fight her own battles.” Cordelia looks up at Angel with a regretful expression. “I’m sorry Angel, I don’t mean to bring up painful things but when you have a choice between the harder road of staying and leaving, you’ve chosen to leave. The Powers needed someone who was intrinsically inclined to digging in and fighting even when the odds are against him. There’s another reason why they chose Spike though.” Cordy adds.

She looks up at Angel. “Tell me Angel, what do you know about Spike’s life when he was human?”

Angel looks embarrassed as he admits. “I don’t know that much. I know his family name was Pratt and that they seemed comfortably well off if not outrageously wealthy. Spike always refused to discuss much about his human life and when I tried to find out on my own, I didn’t find anyone who could tell me much more than I knew. I always thought that was strange to tell you the truth.”

“Pratt was his Mother’s maiden name. She did everything that she could to hide who her Husband Gabriel was, to conceal the truth about her son’s existence; she even went as far as to lie to him as well. She told him that his Father was a merchant sailor who died at sea. He was grown by the time she told him the truth and he spent a century running from that truth.” Cordelia states enigmatically. “He’s not running from it anymore. I can’t believe it but he really cares for those three women Angel. He’s willing to face the truth, about who he really is, if it will make their lives safer and the Powers mean to let him try.”

She looks up at Angel. “That means no interference from you. You have your destiny and Spike is going to find his own.” Her expression softens. “He’ll be back, Angel. I know that he will.”

“Are you going to tell us what Spike’s true name is?” Wesley asks nonchalantly; while completely failing to hide the maniacal gleam that shouts louder than anything else does that the Watcher in him is still alive and well.

Cordelia looks confused for a moment and then she shrugs. “You know that is one thing that they seem to have left out of that little vision bomb blast I think. When I try to remember that part, a phrase keeps popping into my head. I think it’s a quote from something but I don’t recognize it.”

“What is it? Maybe we’ll recognize it.” Wesley prompts her eagerly.

“And the just man rages in the wilds where lions roam.” Cordelia recites. “I don’t know what that has to do with what Spike’s name is but that’s all I get when I try to remember that part of the vision.”

“You’re right; it is a quote. It’s from William Blake’s ‘Marriage of Heaven and Hell’ if I remember correctly.” Angel comments. “I don’t know what that has to do with….” Angel trails off and turns to look at Wesley as he gasps and pales alarmingly.

“Quod iustus vir saevio obvius torva qua Leo roam.” Wesley mutters roughly as though every word were being torn from his throat. He slumps to the floor, a concerned Fred running her hands over him; imagining that he’s suffered some kind of injury or trauma.

“I’ve heard that somewhere before.” Angel comments, as his brow furrows in the effort to remember where or in what context the words have sparked in his memory. “That is Latin right?”

“I can’t imagine there is a supernatural creature who hasn’t heard of that Angel.” Wesley replies weakly. “It was adopted as part of an ancient family crest. The rest of their credo went something like this. Quod is eram donatus ut Primoris Abbas ; prodeo quod trucido ut quod macies eyes doth ledo iustus vir. Peto malum in suus cubile quod respuo suus caput capitis ut is may semino haud magis quod men may ingredior obvius torva ut men neque nec ut preda ut creatura turpis. Pro vestri muneris , vos vadum gero Filius of Luna quod erigo him sursum in vestri umbra quod teneo haud Vinco tamen vestri dico.”

“Whoa, I’m afraid that is a little too advanced in the Latin for me. Spike was always the one who had a talent for languages. What does that mean?” Angel asks.

Wesley looks pale as he wipes the cold sweat off his brow and he translates, “And it was given to the First Father; go forth and slay that which thine eyes doth offend the just man. Seek evil in its lair and cast off its head that it may breed no more and men may walk in the wild as men and not as prey to creatures foul. For your service, you shall bear the Son of the Moon and raise him up in your shadow and know no Master but your calling.”

Angel’s mouth drops open. “That’s… oh God! That’s… the….”

“Of course, Gabriel… I should have realized who Spike’s Father was.” Wesley chides under his breath. He looks up at Angel. “Spike’s Father was ‘The Hunter’.”

“Oh that explains why the Powers wanted me to tell you that the world has been too long without the hunters. I couldn’t make sense of that part before. It didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of what they….”

Angel looks at Cordelia in shock and weakly sinks to his knees next to Wesley. “They can’t mean that Spike is going to…?”

“He is the only one that can do it, Angel. That Vampire is the last of the most ancient Hunter bloodline ever known. Spike is going to become The Hunter and apparently he is going to be the Guardian of the Slayers.” Wesley replies. “I don’t understand why they ever allowed him to be turned…..”

“Don’t you get it yet, Wes? When a Hunter reaches his peak development in strength and skill, he has always fathered a single son to carry on their legacy, no more but no less either. They saw what William could, would, become and they’ve been manipulating everything to take advantage of it.” Angel states angrily. “If William had stayed as he was, he would have fought and eventually died just as the others had before him once he’d bred the son who would take his place. Then Drusilla took him before he could have a son or before he could become what his Father had been and now he is no longer bound to the legacy as his Ancestors were. William became the Master Vampire Spike and as a Master he can sire ‘offspring’ freely.”

“They let it happen so that he could sire an army just by turning them.” Wesley breathes. “It’s always about the blood and because it is his blood that makes them….”

“They’ll all be related to him by blood and share his bloodline. They intend for him to be the progenitor of a new Hunter bloodline, stronger, faster, immortal… and as bound to protect the Slayers as he is. The Powers are going to try and raise an army using Spike and Dawn!” Angel growls.

“You know that means they’ve decided to oppose the Senior Partners and their hold on this plane in a more militant fashion.” Wesley comments. “This is going to change everything Angel.”

Angel doesn’t comment. What can he say to the truth? Everything *is* going to change. He can’t help but wonder if the Powers are prepared to deal with the ramifications of what they’ve been plotting to do.

Spike has always been ruled by love but he has never been a slave to it. They’re handing him an army without understanding that to Spike no one is disposable. It was his one vulnerability as a chess player and as a tactician; he was always spending more time on trying to protect what belonged to him to be overly concerned about winning the match. A successful game to Spike was one that ended with the most of his pieces still on the board rather than the one he had won at the cost of his pieces.

He used to think that was a weakness until the night that he watched as a veritable army of Minions, Fledglings and elders alike, swarmed to follow the hot-tempered Vampire into the lair of a rival Master who had disrespected Drusilla. They killed everyone from the offending Master to his lowest Minion and many of their own Minions were lost in the doing of it but they never hesitated. Spike always had the unlikeliest of talents in instilling loyalty in places were it should have failed to take root.

There isn’t a doubt in his mind that the Slayers will follow Spike and even come to love him with the same single-minded devotion of those long-ago Minions. The Powers are foolish to believe that the Slayers will still be theirs to command and through his relationship to them, Spike. In truth, their loyalty will belong to Spike above all others first and they will have lost their weapons.

No, if the Powers believe that they have Spike, on a leash, it calls into question their self-aggrandized omnipotence that they could be so fooled. He can’t believe in their infallibility anymore and that calls into question their actions in regards to his destiny as well. How has he been manipulated and do they think that they have him on a leash as well?

No, not a leash, they found something much more effective to control him, his pride. Call him a champion, tell him that he has some grand destiny, give him some companions he feels responsible to protect, and hint at some future reward and he’s followed them tamely down the path they set for him. He almost smiles as he imagines the havoc that Spike is going to cause to all of their plans. They may have led his Childe this far but he better than anyone may knows that is as far as it is going to go. They’re going to find out what he learned long ago.

Spike defies the laws of logic in every way that it can be defied. He is a Demon that can easily live among the humans; in fact, he has seen more than one Human drawn to the Vampire, and die to protect him. He has seen Demons do the same despite Spike’s ‘taint’ of humanity. He has witnessed a Demon who could forge an alliance with his mortal enemy to save the world; twice. And he has seen a Slayer give him her Sister to protect. No, the Powers have no clue at all, about what they’ve set themselves up for in their mistaken belief that they can control the uncontrollable. Spike never stops, never gives in, or accepts that things are permanent. He reaches his limits and instead of languishing in those limitations, he only transforms himself into a new incarnation to survive as a Phoenix rises from the ashes. The epoch of Spike’s life so far has ended and a new one is about to begin and still he survives.

Darkness and the forces it commands is coming and Will is going to rise to meet the challenge but Angel knows that it won’t be in the way that they think. He’s going to watch the Powers carefully. When it finally occurs to the Powers that they’ve handed their best weapon to an assassin that they can’t predict or control, they’ll turn to him again. And he’ll be ready to take back what they have taken from him. And this time, what is his, is going to stay his.

Chapter Four

Spike leads his trio of girls through the twists and turns of the labyrinthine streets of LA with unerring skill. It is quite an accomplishment as he’s having a rather terse conversation on his new cell phone at the same time. Several taxis and two buses later they reach the waterfront. They reach the bustling activity of the shipping docks in time to see their new SUV being loaded into a shipping container and loaded onboard a freighter.

“I thought that we were planning to leave tomorrow night?” Dawn asks.

“We’re leaving in two hours, on the night tides. That Bird in Angel’s place is a Seer and I can’t take the chance that she may have seen what we were planning.”

“Hey, isn’t that your friend Clem?” Tara asks; nodding her chin towards the direction of the large; yet somehow sleek looking; freighter’s upper deck. Even as she says it, the answer is obvious as the large Demon calls down a cheerful hello and waves.

“Clem’s been a good Mate to me. It wasn’t safe for him to stay in Sunnyhell; too many Demons know that we were friends and might sell him out if Red came around asking questions. I offered to give him enough money to go wherever he wanted to go but he asked to go along with us and I said yes.” Spike replies with a shrug. “He’s not the violent sort but he looks after his own well enough and he’s sworn to protect you all as best that he can.” He brightens with a faint flush along his cheeks. “Plus he’s a really good cook with an uncanny knack for fixing up anything with an engine.”

“I like Clem, he will make a worthy addition to our group dynamic.” Anya says, as Clem and a handsome dark haired man work their way down from the deck of the ship to the dock.

“Who is the other Hottie?” Dawn quips leering playfully.

Spike’s smile is the easy one that is usually hidden from most people and his eyes melt with intense warmth that make his three companions all do a double-take that he’s kind of enough to pretend that he hasn’t noticed. “That’s my Brother Lawson.” He provides as he steps forward to meet the pair walking down the gangplank.

“I’ve heard about him but I’ve never met him before.” Anya leans closer to Dawn and Tara to whisper excitedly. “There’s been a rumour for years that Angel sired and abandoned a Childe while he was he souled and that he was a Sailor during the war named Samuel Lawson. Obviously, the rest of the Order didn’t abandon him when Angel did.”

“Geez, didn’t Angel have any ugly kids?” Dawn asks plaintively as Tara and Anya laugh at her antics. “And I know that Angel never told Buffy that he sired someone while he had his soul!”

“According to the gossip I heard, Samuel had been hurt, stabbed, but they needed him to fix something but he was dying. Angel turned him so that he could save the rest of the men on the ship.” Anya recalls. “Oh, submarine, it was a submarine I think.” She corrects herself.

Dawn watches with wide eyes as the dark haired man walks boldly into Spike’s personal space and cups his cheek to tip his head back and press their mouths together as their bodies meet. “They didn’t have ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ back then obviously.” She jokes with a giggle that sets off Tara and Anya’s chuckles like a mini-explosion of mirth.

Clem settles for an awkward pat of greeting on Spike’s shoulder as he ambles passed him to meet the trio of women; who welcome him with warm greetings and a hug in Dawn’s case.

“I know where your staterooms are, would you like me to show you so you can get settled? Sam’s shown me around the ship, I can give you a tour too if you like.” Clem offers. “The cooks have some dinner in the galley cafeteria too if you’re hungry.”

“I vote yes to all of the above.” Anya says happily.

“That sounds fine to me too.” Tara decides.

“I think that I’ll wait for Spike if that’s okay?” Dawn asks and watches as Clem leads Anya and Tara to the gangplank. She walks over to a stack of crates near Spike and clamours up easily and perches there to wait for him to introduce her to his Brother.

She feels so much lighter away from the Hellmouth and the depression that has been weighing on her lately is almost absent. If she hadn’t clung to the past, she may have asked Spike to take her away before now. She’s not sure that she would have ever done it without something major like this to motivate it though. Maybe things happen the way that they do for a reason. She’s lost two friends but she’s gaining a family.

Predictably, it takes Spike only a few seconds to notice her and see that she’s alone and releasing the other Vampire, he nods towards her and they glide over to join her.

“Samuel Lawson, meet Dawn Summers, and Dawn Summers meet Sam Lawson, the engineer of our travel plans.” Spike starts to say.

“No, I’m not a Summers anymore.” Dawn knows that she is surprising Spike by saying. “I’m not taking the name of a man that made my Mother and Sister miserable. I want a new name.” She decides. She looks at Spike. “What name is on the ID you’re using?”

Spike chuckles. “William Hunter. It seemed appropriate.” He comments. “I gave a thought to keeping it actually. It’s less… obvious… than my family name.”

Dawn chuckles. “Sure, it’s the difference between black leather and pink polka-dotted spandex, I get it.” She thinks for a moment and reaches a decision. “Could I be Dawn Elizabeth Joyce Hunter?”

“Yes, I can arrange for that.” Spike comments warmly. “I think that your Mum and Buffy would approve of the homage.”

“I think that sounds like a fine name.” Sam comments. He finds himself liking the young woman, and touched by her easy acceptance of him. She hasn’t launched into a thousand questions or acted nervous at all. She merely accepts him at face value because Spike does and he approves of that loyalty. He looks forward to getting to know her and her two friends during their trip. He desperately wants to fit in so that when he asks Spike to remain with them like Clem is that he’ll agree. “I’ll go check on the others and make sure that everything is going smoothly for our departure.”

“Can we trust the Captain and crew Sam?”

Sam smiles and nods, “Yes, they’re all Blood-bound to me so their loyalty is assured Dawn. They won’t betray me and because I’ve made it clear that Spike is my Sire, they won’t betray any of you either. I’ve been very careful to only pick the crew that I know the best to avoid any problems.”

“Thank you Sam.” Dawn’s smile is instant and genuine and sends the handsome Vampire hurrying away with the rush of speed that only comes from embarrassment.

Spike chuckles, shakes his head, and sits on the edge of the crate that Dawn is sitting on. He smiles as she instantly shifts until she is leaning against his back and can wrap her arms around his shoulders. She manoeuvres her body until she can wrap her legs around his waist and pull her chin up over his shoulder so that she can see. She knows from experience that Spike barely even notices her weight.

They silently watch the crew working for a while, Spike’s eyes watchful and Dawn’s slumberous and relaxed, soothed as she is by her proximity to Spike.

“Spike…. Will you teach me how to fight? I want to be able to protect myself and help protect my family too. Do you think that I could do that, be that? Or am I just lying to myself? Could you train me?”

“I don’t even have to think about it. I’ll train you. And I’ll teach Tara too. Anya knows more than you think about fighting and she’s a lot better at it than anyone else knows. We used to spare sometimes. Tara’s strengths lie in other places but I’ve been planning to teach her to look after herself without using her magic. It’s never hurts to know that you can defend yourself.”

“Do you think that I’ll be as good as Buffy was?” Dawn asks nervously.

“I think that you’ll be as good at it as Dawn is. Don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to your Sister Nibblet. Buffy fought Buffy’s way. We’ll train you to fight yours.” Spike replies without hesitating. “Do I think that you’ll be good? Yeah, it’s in your blood. You couldn’t be any other way.”

Dawn tips her head to the side until she can rub her cheek along Spike’s chin. “I love you Spike.” She whispers affectionately. “Thank you for being my best friend.”

“I’ll always be there forever and ever, until the end of the world Nibblet.” Spike promises, standing gracefully, carrying Dawn up with him easily. “Let’s go get you something hot to eat and a warm bed to settle into. It’s getting late and it’s been a long night and it’s getting cold out here.”

Spike stalks to the gangplank, his stride smooth and fluid to avoid jarring his clinging passenger. Within a few seconds, they’re safely aboard and vanish into the warm Warren of passageways and rooms below deck.

Hours later, the dock is silent and still, the ship long departed when the classic convertible cruises slowly passed on what will be a fruitless search.

TBC, in part two of Book One; Spike and the girls reach their destination and Spike ‘meets’ the Father that he never knew as Giles makes a tragic discovery on a return visit to Sunnydale.