Family Ties
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfic
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything Buffy or Angel related, Joss Whedon does ( but he probably did a deal with a demon to get them - allegedly) I also have no connection to any descendents of the Tennyson family and Spike’s branch is totally fabricated.
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A/N Hello, it’s good to be back. Sorry for the delay but I just couldn’t juggle a 4000 word research project and my fics so they all had to go on hold. This chapter is a little shorter than normal because I’m playing catch up on all my fics but it’s still a fair length so I hope you enjoy. Also, I have included what I hope will be seen as a light hearted scene at the airport involving security. It was only on completion that I realised the significance of the date next week. I mean no disrespect and like many my thoughts are with the people of America and especially New York at this time.
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Wesley watched with growing concern as his older, and supposedly wiser, fellow watcher fussed over the quietly panicking blond vampire. Nothing that he had been told about the night spent saving Tara, and he suspected that he hadn’t been told anywhere near everything which was an insult to his status as second in command to Angel…well technically third if you included Buffy but since she hadn’t been functioning at optimum levels of late she was more of a burden than an asset….He dragged his thoughts away from the disturbing little idea growing in his mind that that was exactly what Angel wanted her to be and brought himself back to the far more comfortable arena of his disapproval of Giles and his closeness to the soulless vampire; anyone would think that the creature was his long lost son by the way he was fussing. As he watched the ludicrous sight of a creature that didn’t even need to breathe hyperventilating he wished that he had one of those army tazers in his possession…that would shut him up.
“Please Spike, you need to stop breathing. Everything is fine; there’s no danger…Spike?….Spike I never thought I would hear myself saying this but please remember that you are a vampire and stop breathing!”
Spike felt like the biggest fool on the planet. He really should have foreseen this. As much as HE enjoyed new experiences his other two elements had sometimes had problems in adjusting. Well, if Angel, the great poof, could pin the blame for his failings on his ‘other’ half then so could he. There had been the humiliating reaction of William to the wonder that was the motor car, and they would never ever mention his big bad demon’s reaction to LSD…suffice to say that it hadn’t been William who had cried over the beauty of a daisy for two hours before trying to drain its sap in a sudden and extremely short lived conversion to vegetarianism.
It hadn’t helped. Spike had hoped to embarrass his other parts into calming down but the horrible truth was that it was he, Spike, who had subconsciously decided that if he were meant to fly he would be named Dracula and would be able to turn into a flying mouse. He had to admit, though, that his respect for the great cloaked twit had gone up a little…flying was not for wimps. Not that he was in any way wimpish himself…just cautious, yeah that was it. He was the only one with the common sense to not want to be 10,000 feet up in the….Oh God!
“William please calm down!” Giles was getting alarmed; after a moment when he thought that the afflicted vampire was getting better he had suddenly taken a downward turn and he felt at a loss as to what to do…although shoving Xander out of the nearest door sans parachute was a definite option right now. If he heard one more snigger or petty comment directed at his charge the immature child would discover just what the nickname Ripper stood for…and it wasn’t his childhood impatience at unwrapping his Christmas presents!
Buffy watched with fascination as her Watcher treated Spike like a frightened colt. Had she been so out of it lately that she had slipped into another dimension without realising it? Her gaze scanned round her friends and other than the expected smug look on Xander’s face…and when had that stopped looking so comical and begun looking quite so vindictive?…and the constipated expression on Wesley’s features…nothing new there then! Nobody seemed to be having any problems with treating the vampire with respect. That was a big change in Scoobie world!
She had denied her growing feelings for the blond because of how it would affect her friends and to avoid the condemnation of Giles, her father in all but DNA. Angel had warned her that her developing feelings for Spike would alienate them all and leave her completely alone…her greatest fear since her return. Could Angel have been wrong? He had also told her that without a soul his offspring couldn’t genuinely care for her or love her as he had claimed but she had heard what he had done for Tara and seen how he still cared for Dawn despite being pushed away. She bit her lip as she realised that the unfathomable look in his ocean blue eyes on those occasions hadn’t been, as she had assumed, obsession but love, and sorrow at his alienation. Her eyes narrowed slightly as the thoughts crossed her mind, a mind which seemed to be seeing things a whole lot clearer of late, that Angel might have known all along that while she had been on her own little mental vacation those around her had changed, had grown; she was seeing that maybe even with a soul Angel was lacking in humanity or conversely that even without Spike was still in possession of his human qualities.
And she, herself, hadn’t really matured at all had she? Like Xander she chose to take the easy route and live by the Egyptian river. Though it had been a little different for her, she supposed. She hadn’t been allowed to grow…to think for herself or be herself, if she could ever figure out who that was. Could it be that who she really was, the woman her innermost core cried out to be, was not someone that fit in with Angel’s idea of the perfect Buffy? Angel and her would be having a little talk later, well after they’d unpacked him, she thought wickedly.
Buffy’s attention, like the others, was suddenly commanded by the two wiccas who had gestured to Giles and Anya who had been seated either side of the embarrassed vampire that they wanted to swap. Anya and Giles rapidly complied and Tara and Willow took their seats. The moment his two girls touched him, each taking a hand, he calmed.
Buffy would never admit it, even to herself…especially to herself… but she was a little jealous at the instant connection that the three made. Her jealousy turned rapidly to shock as, along with the other open mouthed members of the party they watched a soft silver glow surround the trio.
Andrew practically drooled at the sight of his silvery knight while Dawn kept Xander from interfering by the power of a glare that was the equal of her sister’s any day - well that and Anya’s whispered list of non-fatal but humiliating diseases she could have her friend Halfrek wish on him if he moved so much as his pinkie.
Giles sighed and ran his hand through hair that was probably turning greyer as he sat in his seat. Explaining Spike’s accidental vamp out earlier to a stunned flight attendant had taken all his charm and a rather natty line in pseudo scientific gibberish involving light refraction and optical illusions. He didn’t need to be a clairvoyant to see some serious sedation involved in their return journey.
Spike felt like he was floating, his senses were dulled and his mind, for once, was not a frenetic jumble of thoughts and ideas. It was rather like being asleep while being awake…and overlying everything was the sweet yet subtle scent of roses. If he could be bothered to care he might wonder why everyone around him was staring but even shy William was too busy basking in the warmth of the girl’s affection and the calm of the Goddess to be self conscious. Maybe this flying lark wasn’t so bad after all!
Doyle watched with fascination and slugged back another miniature bottle of whiskey.
B*T*V*S
“Mr Giles…Mr Rupert Giles…Would Mr Giles please report to the security desk.”
The landing had been smooth, thank God, and they had made it through customs without losing anyone…not even Andrew, despite Xander’s fervent hopes, when the call came over the speaker system. Everyone waited nervously as Giles returned to the customs desk where a man in a uniform greeted him. Several minutes later they saw Giles shake the man’s hand and solemnly walk back to them. As he neared they could see that his features were held in an expressionless mask. Something had obviously affected him greatly.
“Giles?” Buffy gently touched his arm in support as she made the enquiry that was on all of their lips, “What’s wrong?”
Giles didn’t answer, he couldn’t let his feelings show while they were still within sight of the customs official. Instead he guided them all to a relatively quiet spot around the corner. Once there he let the façade slip.
“Giles!?”
“G-Man!”
“Rupes? What the bleedin’ hell’s goin’ on?”
They had expected to have to make a run for it… for Spike’s fake documentation to have been discovered…in fact they had expected anything but what they were witnessing, and Buffy, Xander and Spike’s exclamations weren’t the only ones tinged with disbelief at Giles…
Laughter!
It took the normally serious Watcher several moments to calm down, knowing that as soon as he revealed the details of his meeting the groups reaction would probably set him off again.
“I…I do apologise. Please be assured that there is no danger…merely a minor inconvenience” At that he spluttered into another short laughing fit that brought fresh tears to his eyes. He duly removed his glasses and used the time polishing the spatters of salty teardrops from them to regain his composure.
“Ahem…it would seem that in today’s world of threats to national security and highly specialized smuggling operations all potential threats have to be thoroughly investigated…”
“Oh please tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying!?” Spike was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he jumped ahead of the Watcher. Wesley too got the idea immediately but his reaction was less jocular.
“You can’t mean to say that you would allow them to…”
“Of course I did. The implications if I were to be less than cooperative could be quite troublesome.”
Gile’s reply almost achieved the impartial professionalism that he was hoping to portray but the Ripperesque gleam in his eyes and the determined effort not to burst out laughing which failed dismally as Spike chuckled with unabashed mirth while Buffy snorted inelegantly and the two Wicca’s clamped hands over their mouths in amused shock gave the lie to his efforts. Those who were still in the dark were soon enlightened and Wesley found himself in a disapproving minority of one.
“Yes, well, I could hardly refuse them their request to check the contents of the coffin without it seeming suspicious, after all we didn’t have him listed as being of any faith where it would be a problem. And if I expressed concern at even the merest hint of the possibility that my dearly beloved cousin’s remains might have been tampered with for nefarious purposes and insisted that they make the search of both the coffin and the…um..b…body as thorough as possible it only went to prove my standing as an honest citizen.”
Andrew’s chuckle was uncertain and triggered by the general response, after all he didn’t reallyknow the elder vampire; but if Spike hated him then he obviously deserved to be hated, and somehow what little he had seen of him reminded him of Warren which was so not of the good.
“He’s not going to be happy” declared a petulant Wesley who knew that he would be the one to bear the brunt of the inevitable brooding and tantrums.
The chuckling died down as the group progressed through the crowds towards the entrance, Dawn and Andrew already acting like the excited teenage tourists that they were at the sight of a real British ‘Bobby‘ as Spike had told them the cops were called here. As they entered the area filled with friends and relatives awaiting loved ones arrivals Giles kept a look out for Council representatives. They hadn’t given Travers their exact arrival details but the slimy man had his ways of finding things out. His wandering eye was brought back to his companions as an awed yet nervous sounding Spike stopped dead in his tracks.
“Bloody ’ell.”
The tone of his voice gained the attention of all his fellow travellers and they followed his gaze to see a well dressed man and elegantly clothed woman in their early forties standing smiling widely and holding a sign that read ‘WELCOME HOME WILLIAM’
“Giles, why are the Council welcoming William instead of you?” Buffy’s tone was not, Spike noticed with some surprise, angry but genuinely puzzled and curious.
Willow and Tara could feel their brother’s shock but since only Tara could in any way read his thoughts and not when they were in such turmoil as they were now neither knew why the attractive couple inspired such feelings.
Wesley frowned and wondered if Angel knew the suspicious strangers and if they weren’t Council then why were they not welcoming the senior vampire…in fact why on earth were humans welcoming vampires at all. Oh this was a fine start to proceedings!
Spike stepped forward slowly as the couple moved toward him, lowering the hand drawn sign crafted in multi coloured fibre tip pens by the hands of others much younger and reaching out towards him instead.
Just as the two men were about to clasp hands a dark shape moved in between them and a pair of long arms widened to form a barrier.
The couple frowned at the intervention.
Spike growled very quietly, only heard by the Slayer’s extra sensitive ears.
Xander looked at the couple as though they were either total innocents or completely insane and figured that since they were British they were probably both. He lowered his arms and gestured back toward the embarrassed vampire as he spoke.
“Whoah folks! I don’t know what you think you’re doing but whoever you think this is he isn’t … at least not anymore. So back away because he’s a dangerous monster and he’ll hurt you if you give him the chance.” Mistaking the look of outrage on the woman’s face for one of fear he hastened to reassure the ‘civilian’.
“It’s oklay though ma’am. He’s been neutered and we’ve got the best in the business here to protect you from him if he should try anything.”
By now Spike had recovered his equilibrium and had exchanged an amused glance with his cousin.
“Pillock’s channelling his inner Riley again” he muttered to no-one in particular but was delighted to hear Buffy’s tinkling laugh. His humiliation had been worth it if it made her laugh. She hadn’t been doing enough of that as of late. He might have come to terms with the death of his hopes of having her return his love but it wasn’t as though he could turn his own feelings off and on like a tap. That was Angelus’s territory.
Giles hadn’t had the time to question his young friend on his family name but if he was connected to THE Tennyson family then it didn’t surprise him that there might be descendants living. After all the great poet himself had been one of eight children and even the most bloodthirsty vampire couldn’t have possibly eliminated them all after his turning as was vampire tradition. It did however astonish him that they would know of the vampire’s existence and would welcome him with open arms. He wondered for a moment whether they knew exactly what he was or whether they believed him to be a member of the current generation but one look at their faces, filled with wonder and their lack of surprise at Xander’s talk of monsters told him differently. He stepped forward and grabbed the collar of Xander’s jacket, pulling him backwards unceremoniously as he apologised to the patient couple.
“So sorry but he’s a bit of an idiot I’m afraid.”
Spike managed not to snigger at that as he finally got to meet the people he had watched over from afar through the generations, the descendants of his older brother Alginon.
His family.
His greatest triumph over his Grandsire.
David Alfred William Tennyson looked with awe on the face of his ancestor, technically his great great great uncle he supposed but cousin was the term they all used to save confusion. If it weren’t for the peroxide hair he would be the spitting image of both his own father and his own son. He had been a legend to each generation and now he was here in the flesh!
A handshake no longer seemed sufficient which was why William Alfred James Tennyson found himself in a hug that would have put the Slayer to shame with it’s force.
All through his letter writing over the years a little part of him wondered if he was merely being tolerated. All through the plane trip, well when he wasn’t panicking like a girl, he had wondered if he would truly be welcome.
Now he knew.
He was home. And he was wanted. Finally after over one hundred years there were people who truly wanted him! It was overwhelming.
By silent agreement both Spike and the demon backed away slightly to let William have his moment. Even the rest of the group quietened at the sight of the genuinely emotional meeting. Wesley realised that he probably knew more than most what that look of disbelief and joy on the vampire’s face meant. His own life had been one of yearning for acceptance from family and learning to live with the constant disappointment of rejection. Perhaps Giles had a good reason for treating the vampire like a man the younger Watcher mused as he passed a travel tissue to a sniffling Dawn, then another to each of the wiccas. One look at the blubbering wreck that was Andrew had him handing over the rest of the pack with a much put upon sigh.
B*T*V*S
Introductions had been made and David and his wife Katherine led the troupe out to their vehicles. They exchanged bemused and slightly incredulous looks, it wasn’t every day that two perfectly normal humans played host to vampires, demons, half demons, slayers and glowy keys after all. Katherine smiled softly. She had always suspected that William wouldn’t do anything by half. As she herded her half of the Californian contingent into her people carrier she felt a twinge of sympathy for the young man who had stepped between them and their William. It had been quite brave really, if one were to view it from the boy’s perspective but he did seem awfully insecure and not a little prejudiced which was a surprise considering the wide mix of beings he travelled with. There was obviously more to his story and she was determined to unravel the mystery. Their Wil needed all the support he could get, not condemnation and distrust.
Doyle watched quietly as he had the entire trip. He knew from his vision that there would be rough times ahead and that Spike and Buffy would need them all to be on-side to win the fight. He was glad that the group had been largely supportive but he had a strange foreboding that there was danger ahead…danger that came from within, from family…but not human family. He would have to warn Giles to keep a very close eye on Angel, he just didn’t know why.
The house they all arrived at was a magnificent example of mid-Victorian architecture and told the group that their hosts were quite wealthy. Giles had protested at imposing on the couple and their family, reminding them that they had hotel rooms booked but he knew deep down that traditional English hospitality would be offended if he didn’t take them up on their offer of accommodation. So it was then that rooms were quickly allocated and Spike and the others were encouraged to settle in and relax before the children returned from school. It seemed that once young William and his older sister Charlotte returned nobody would get any peace. Buffy laughed at the normality of family life but it was tinged with a bittersweet taste as she privately mourned what she had herself lost when her Mom had died.
Although the Trinity were loath to be separated they really couldn’t justify sharing a room so Spike willingly teamed up with Giles while Tara and Willow shared the room next door. Buffy and Dawn found themselves opposite and happily welcomed the last female, Anya, who had visions of being expected to share with one of the men…without the opportunity of orgasms, to share the massive king sized four poster bed. Doyle, seeing who was left, grabbed his luggage and dove into Wesley’s room leaving a slump shouldered Xander to the over excited babbling that was Andrew.
Xander was beginning to suspect that Karma was a bitch.
But he cheered up a little at the thought that upon Spike’s insistence Angel would not be issued a permanent invite to the beautiful and surprisingly comfortably decorated house. A house that the vampire had admitted had once been his childhood home. That Spike distrusted his Grandsire despite the anchored soul and put the safety of his living family first sent him up in Xander’s estimation. He didn’t want it to…but to his consternation it did anyway.
Dawn fought the urge to explore the house her father/brother had been raised in. He had gone from knight in shining armour to Prince of a fairytale castle, well mansion; even Buffy seemed impressed and that took a lot of doing these days.
Buffy watched as her little sister prattled on about Spike and how cute he must have been as a child. She felt a sudden stab of guilt that she had kept her away from the man she adored like a brother. The man, not monster, who had been her sister’s only stable influence while she was gone. Well no matter what Angel had to say she wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
Wesley looked out of the window at the heavily overcast sky. If it had been sunny they wouldn’t expect to see Angel until much later but as it was he would probably arrive any time now. Indeed, as he watched a taxi pulled up outside the house…and he would be having words with his boss about letting him think that William The Bloody had been an uncouth common criminal… the vampire himself stormed forth and he was obviously in a bad mood. Wesley sighed having already regretted a million times the necessity of sending him the text redirecting him to this place and prepared to face the music…after warning Willow to have a disinvite spell ready for when he left.
Angel was beside himself with fury! Not for the first time when dealing with these people he wished (though not out loud for obvious demonically related reasons) that he didn’t have the pesky soul holding him back from exacting due punishment.
David stood by the door ready to ‘welcome’ his new and very temporary guest. He was glad that the kids weren’t home; he would hate to have to introduce them to the being who tormented and tortured his cousin. Hopefully he would be gone before they returned, at least until after his twelve and nine year olds were in bed. He left Mr Giles to open the door, just in case the vampire’s temper got the best of him. He spotted William in the shadows by the stairs. He knew that he was nervous; Spike had spent several lifetimes protecting them and the house from his vampiric family and it must seem like a sort of failure to let him in on the secret now.
The doorbell chimed and Giles opened the door with a flourish.
“I suppose you thought that was funny you bastard! Where the hell is this place and why aren’t we in the hotel? I’m in charge here in case you’ve forgotten. Do you realise what those customs men did to me?!” Angel’s tirade ended in a squeak as he remembered his experience of ‘a thorough search’ Caught up in his anger he didn’t notice the gathering crowd of both familiar and unfamiliar faces. He especially didn’t notice an annoyed and very unimpressed Slayer agitatedly tapping her dainty booted foot.
The representative from the Council of Watchers hailed a taxi as he puzzled over the unexpected interception of his party. He had been fully briefed about his mission and the target pick-ups but he hadn’t recognized the strange man and woman. It was something that Quentin would want to know about, he was sure of that. And luckily he had obtained a licence plate so tracking them down should be easy. But he didn’t like variables. The Council didn’t do well with variables…they might have to be eliminated.
TBC
Hope you enjoyed. Next time we get down to business, play tourist…Slayer style, and Buffy and Spike finally begin to talk, much to Angel’s annoyance.