by melWinter

Chapter 7

Canterbury, England

Brown eyes swept over the lush landscape with a well trained eye. This was her temporary patrol area. If she did well she might soon be promoted with a proper watcher and a town to safeguard. At least, if she lived long enough. She was left with no illusions, the watchers that inhabited the Council speaking plainly about her chances of surviving the first year.

She was a ‘late start’, someone who was rather pitied by the other girls. At least, that was what she saw whenever she looked another girl in the eye. Pity. She was seventeen and just called to her slayer powers. Apparently most girls get that special something at twelve or thirteen. Even fourteen and you were still considered trainable. Not seventeen. She was called willful. Headstrong. Difficult. Grumbling between clenched teeth, ignoring the presence of her council observer twenty feet back, “Excuse me for having an opinion about my life.”

She stopped short as she felt the warning tingles of a supernatural presence not too far away. Wielding the crossbow with expert grace, she absently flicked her shoulder length blond hair out of her way and she froze when she caught sight of what had caused her to react. It was a tiny, golden-haired werewolf. No more than the size of a dog. Not even that if she were honest. Couldn’t be more than a child and she silently wondered what in the hell was a child doing out in the middle of the night.

The little werewolf caught sight of her and his tiny little tail started to wag. She sagged and dropped the bow. There was no way in hell. Brisk steps of finely polished shoes approached her, the voice as stiff as the rest of him. He really needed to get laid, in her opinion. Not that she would ever help in that department, “Miss Rabon, it is your sacred duty to put down all manner of dangers to the local population.”

Snorting, Lilly ignored him and carefully approached the little werewolf. The poor thing had to tilt it’s head way back to look up at her and she felt a strong urge to pet him. She didn’t, if only to make sure she didn’t get bitten by accident, “Where’s your mum, little one?” A piercing howl sounded through the town, causing the skinny watcher to speak rapidly into his walkie talkie about backup. The little werewolf started dancing excitedly in place and Lilly grimaced to herself, “Oh. Right. That’s your mum.”

***

London, England

Five in the morning held an early morning chill to it that made lesser men shiver in their coats. A fine mist covered the streets and street lights dimmed as dawn approached, giving the land an almost ethereal quality to it. But there was nothing ethereal about this morning. On this morning the promise of death hung in the air and any good witch would take one look at the dark cast of the moon and the band of power surrounding it to know trouble was coming. On top of a lone building, taller than it’s neighbor, a great grey beast leaned slightly over to glare amber eyes down on the Watcher’s Council. It was lupin in appearance but this was no mere dog. It was a wolf and a great old one at that.

He’d followed the scent from Canterbury to here and he was anxious for the rescue to begin. In the sleepy town he’d caught scent of a slayer there, but there was something in her scent that held no malice. Potential, it whispered to him. Which reassured him the wolf cub went unharmed in her presence.

His eyes moved over the building below him, sensing his kith and kin within and growled softly in protective anger. As prone to being impulsive as he was, he knew it would be better to wait for daybreak. By then they would have all shifted back to their human forms and their chances of escape greatly improved. And he silently vowed they would escape, no matter the cost.

Those knowing eyes turned to where dawn would appear, the moon disappearing for the night in preparation of the sun. Bones cracked and creaked as the werewolf shifted back to man, his hand fanning out as the sun slowly peaked over the horizon. Clouds kept the rays from being felt but it was still a magnificent sight to behold.

But the werewolf didn’t focus on the beauty, mind preoccupied with other matters as he turned his attention back to the Council’s headquarters. He felt a surge of a familiar power and a scent traveled to him on the breeze. A man in a tweed outfit and an overcoat moved with less grace than he had a lifetime before in Sunnydale past the gate and the two female slayers standing as guard. But the werewolf could care less about the slayers. He could kill them easily, scenting that they were young and weak compared to his innate strength. It was the man that he would have to be cautious around.

Physically weak, he could sense the magical power. That and the knowledge that the man carried would always make him a formidable opponent not to be trifled with. Arms crossing over his silver shirt and sneering to himself, “Watcher.”

***

Kensington, England

Willow paced back and forth, speaking rapidly into her cell phone, “...I don’t care what you have to do Linda, just stall them!” She listened for a moment, nodding, “Yes, whatever you two can think of, just don’t let them move them. I’m on my way, I promise.” Her brow furrowed, “Okay, Angel could really foul this up. Oh, he did?” She shook her head with a frustrated sigh, “Alright. I’ll meet you there. Bye.” Dawn and Buffy were both leaning against the kitchen counter, one eyebrow raised by each of them. Neither had a lot of sleep and a call this early was annoying to say the least. Sighing softly, “That was one of the Slayers in the Council. Apparently they stumbled across a pair of werewolves last night and are holding them in containment cells.”

Dawn frowned with a shrug, “But it’s not night anymore, why wouldn’t they just let them go? I mean, they’re not wolves during the day so the danger is gone.”

Buffy scowled at the hesitant expression on the witch’s face, “Spit it out.”

Willow looked down, her red hair hiding her face, “They have connections with certain organizations that are...very interested in demons.”

Nodding slowly, her cynical side having flourished as the years had passed, “And even if a werewolf is human most of the time, that one night is all they care about. They’re taking after the Initiative, aren’t they? Dissecting them and whatever else they do.”

Willow flinched before slowly nodding and Dawn balked in disgust. The red-haired witch sighed softly for what felt like the millionth time, “I have to help them. I can’t just leave them there and....” She knew exactly what kind of horrors they would be subjected to. She had to act. But ever since Sunnydale using magic had always left her uneasy. She wasn’t as afraid of becoming addicted as she was in falling back on using her magic for selfish reasons. That was the road that led to badness.

The two Summers glanced at one another before Buffy straightened a little, a familiar slayer stance and damn but it felt good, “These wolves...are they the same ones Spike’s with?”

Willow frowned almost imperceptibely but both Summers caught it, “Yeah...”

Buffy shook her head in disgust at the watchers council. She threw up her arms, pivoting on her heel and stalking out of the kitchen, “Fuck! No good watchers and they’re stupid...”

Willow turned to follow and Dawn put up a halting hand, “Give her a minute, she’ll be back. So, what’s the plan?”

Shrugging uneasily, thinking about the wards around the building, “Get myself fired and rescue them I suppose. I just wanted to tell you why I was leaving-...”

“How?”

Sighing yet again, “No clue. The Council has wards against teleportation spells so I can’t pop in and out. All I know is if her mate is as close as I think he is it won’t take long to bring the whole clan down on them.”

Dawn tilted her head, “Why?”

“Because he’ll do anything to protect her. Wolves mate for life, in human form or not, and they’ll kill to protect their mate. And the clan will instantly protect each other.”

Shrugging, “I say those watchers get what’s coming to them then.”

Shaking her head with a considering look, “They have it coming but there has to be another way...”

Dawn blinked once before being hit with startling clarity. Willow was lying. Not all of it, just the part where she didn’t have a plan. It didn’t make her automatically not trust the witch but it did make her cautious. Buffy stalked back in, outfitted for a night of slaying and what an outfit. It was an old favorite Willow hadn’t seen in a long time but the jacket was new even if the concept wasn’t. Blood red leather pants painted onto her shapely figure, black sleeveless top and a fitted black leather duster thrown over it. Willow’s eyes widened, “So, what are we dealing with?”

Shaking her head, “Buffy. Wait, I can’t ask you-...”

Lifting her head, “You’re not. Besides, this is the perfect way in if Spike really is where you think he is.”

Sighing, “What about your kids?” Willow gaped as the twins marched in a split second later. Each were identically dressed in black denim and red t-shirts. They each wore a thigh length leather jacket, Joyce’s red and William’s black.

Joyce sighed, “It’s too bloody early.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and ignored her daughter’s whining. She knew there was no force on this earth that would keep her little girl from going, in spite of her protests, “...it’s not like I couldn’t train them.” Then she turned hard eyes on both of her children, “But you two are not about to engage. Defend and run, got it?”

William rolled his eyes in an obvious ‘duh’ expression while Joyce pouted, “But mo-om.”

Half growling, eyes narrowed, “Don’t ‘mom’ me or I’ll hire a babysitter.”

Raising a hand slightly, “I’m voting for the sitter, Buffy. Or Dawnie watching them. This is so a bad idea.”

Dawn crossed her arms stubbornly, “I’m going.”

Buffy sighed for a minute before nodding at her sister, “Change.” The former key grinned and ran for her room. Buffy turned, facing her former best friend. The connection between them was tenuous at the moment but she had a feeling this time around Willow would follow through, “Look, Wills, I get that you’re not cool with me coming and it goes double for them but...this may be our only chance. I want my family back and if I have to go down into the bowels of the Watcher’s Council or the den of a giant werewolf clan to do it then so be it.”

Billy blinked with wide eyes, “Werewolves are real?”

Buffy grimaced to herself, thinking about all the lies she’d told her children over the years. No demons or werewolves or magic, just vampires. And the only reason she’d even mentioned vampires is because of who their father was. That was the one truth she would never deny them. Any detail about Spike, big or small, she told them. Nodding slowly, “Yes.”

Both twins scowled at their mother. Billy’s was slightly more fierce, “What about magic?”

Buffy glanced at the redhead before sighing softly, “Will’s is a witch.”

Willow flinched back from Joyce’s excited squeal while Buffy just rolled her eyes to herself. Both children were grinning widely in excitement, definitely inheriting Spike’s mercurial mood swings. Willow gave Buffy a hesitant look even as Dawn walked back into the kitchen, brown jacket thrown over jeans and a t-shirt, “Buffy...it’s been a long time. What if...” She didn’t say it specifically but she didn’t have to because it’s what Buffy dreaded. What if he didn’t love her anymore?

Her lower lip trembled before she nodded. It didn’t appeal, not at all, but at the same time she knew the risk going into this. He’d been alive all this time and he’d never tracked her down. She knew there was a real possibility he’d moved on. And while it hurt, for her babies she was going to risk it, “As long as they get him back I’m willing to accept that.” She made a vague gesture to her children and her sister, the explanation easy now. If Spike walked away from her, she would be a big girl about it so long as their children had their father back and her sister had a chance with making up with her former best friend. Whispering softly, sounding hopeful, “Besides, you know how wolves are about family...who knows. Maybe they’ll accept me.”

Willow nodded slowly, “Maybe...” There were so many things she knew she couldn’t talk about. She wanted to warn Buffy so badly to be cautious but to do that would be to reveal secrets forbidden to outsiders. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, “Okay, let’s go out to the garden. I need some room to work.”