Replacement by sus

Author: sus
Summary: They were meant to be. The council thought they knew better than The Powers, as well as her friends. An enemy from the future changes the past.
Author's Note:
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Violence, Adult Language, Sexual Situations


Chapter 19: Replacement

When Spike went to bed, Buffy was getting up. She couldn’t sleep, there were too many bad memories in the house. The memories filled her dreams, so many small things forgotten were brought to the surface upon returning.

Wishing she could sleep, she trudged down to the kitchen to make coffee. After coffee was made she sat at the desk looking out into the darkness, wondering what Spike was doing right now. She wanted to know if he was alright, if he was happy and safe. These thoughts plagued her after only seeing him for a moment the other night.

She decided she'd better call a Scooby meeting. After, she could do as she pleased, and what she wanted to do tonight was patrol to see if she could get a glimpse of Spike. Maybe even a rough and tumble. Spike was always good for a spot of violence.

She was startled when she felt something on her hand, a drop of something. She brushed her fingers over her cheek, shook her head in wonder, crying from happiness at the possibility of a fight with Spike. Buffy hurried to brush the remaining tears away, when she heard steps approaching.

"Good morning. You're up early today, something wrong?" Merrick rubbed his eyes before he took a seat at the kitchen island.

Buffy turned away from the red horizon. "Memories." She smiled at him. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please." He yawned behind his hand. "So what’s going to happen today?" Merrick took the coffee Buffy had placed in front of him.

"A Scooby meeting," Buffy said from her seat across from Merrick. "It’s about time they know. You know how Xander sees demons everywhere, and if he sees me out and about without an explanation he’ll scream demon. I don’t want to deal with that."

"I understand completely."

By the time Joyce joined them there was fresh coffee and pancakes.

"Uhmm, this is good. Homemade breakfast, I haven’t made. Thank you, Merrick," Joyce said while sipping her coffee.

"Don’t thank me. I didn’t make it." Merrick pointed at Buffy.

"Huh, you don’t mean that Buffy made those?" Joyce looked from Merrick to Buffy. "Buffy can’t cook."

Buffy smiled softly at her mother. "You are forgetting that I’ve had my own home for years. When you have that, you have to learn how to cook.

"Sorry, Buffy. Thank you, for the lovely meal."

"It’s okay." She started to collect the plates. "Could you do me a favor, mom?"

"Whatever you need, Buffy? I’ll be happy to help."

"First I want you to call a meeting for everybody, the whole gang. It’s about time they get to know who I am." Buffy sighed. "I’m not looking forward to that, better to get it over with."

"I’ll call Giles, he can contact the others. Anything else?" Joyce turned to the doorway. "Good morning, Kendra. I hope we didn’t wake you."

"No. Is there any breakfast?" Kendra took a seat beside Joyce.

Buffy smiled brightly. "Good morning. There are pancakes or pancakes."

"Then I think I’ll have pancakes." Kendra laughed.

"Coffee too?" Buffy had the coffeepot in her hand.

Kendra made a face. "I prefer juice."

After Buffy had served Kendra a plate filled with the remaining pancakes, she turned to her mother again. "Mom, could I borrow the car? I need to go shopping."

"Do you mind if I tag along? It’s been a while, since I’ve been on a shopping spree," Joyce asked Buffy with longing in her eyes.

"I’d like that. What about you, Kendra? Want to join us?"

"Can’t, I have school." Kendra pouted.

"Don’t take it so hard, Kendra. We have a meeting tonight to tell the Scoobies about me, after that we could go patrolling together, and end the evening at the Bronze. What do you say to that plan?" Buffy waited patiently for Kendra’s answer.

Kendra had a sly look on her face. "If you bring home some ice cream, then it’s a deal."

Buffy laughed. "It’s a deal, ice cream for dessert."

Joyce was happy, the girls liked each other. Merrick was pleased to see Buffy having fun.

"And what am I supposed to do with my time while you two are having a day at the mall?" Merrick tried to pout. Joyce and Buffy broke out in hysterical laughter at the sight. "What if I prepared dinner for us?"

Joyce and Buffy looked at each other and shrugged. "Why not? Let me show you what we are having." Joyce showed Merrick a page from a cookbook.

"That’s easy. I can handle that." Merrick nodded, while he read the recipe. "You go on, and have a good day."

"I’ll just call Giles, before I get dressed." Joyce went to the phone.

"And I’m off to school. Remember the ice cream," Kendra said smiling to Buffy, before she grabbed her bag.

"I’m off to get dressed." Buffy bounced up the stairs like the young girl she was a long time ago.

On their way out the door Buffy yelled, "We’ll be home for dinner....Dad." And they were gone.

Merrick could hear their giggling from the kitchen.

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"Buffy, where to first?"

"I need a phone, to make it easier for you to get a hold of me." Buffy linked her arm with her mother’s.

"Merrick should have one too," she mused.

"Can’t he buy his own?"

"He doesn’t have money, or anything else."

"Huh?" Joyce wasn’t really listening. She was basking in her daughter’s company.

"I said that Merrick has nothing other than what he has on his body."

"No money? No change of clothes?" Joyce looked stunned when Buffy nodded her head in affirmation. "But his clothes are always clean and pressed.

"I assume it has something to do with the fact that he's dead, but works for The Powers." Buffy shrugged. "Some things you just have to accept."

"Let's get the phones then we can go window shopping." Buffy pulled at her mother.

"Calm down Buffy, we have the whole day," Joyce said laughing.

"But I need to go shopping for clothes too. I need a new outfit for tonight."

"You know the clothes in the closet are yours, right?"

"I hadn’t thought about that," Buffy said smiling. "Thanks, mom, however, I still want to have something new for tonight."

"Giles told us you have another half you are to be with, is it him you are dressing up for?"

"I hope," Buffy replied with a secretive smile.

"You don’t know?" Joyce asked bewildered. "How is that? Don’t you know who he is?"

"I know who it is alright. Maybe I’ll meet him tonight, maybe not. I can only hope." The happy face Buffy had been wearing was suddenly replaced by one of misery.

"I don’t understand it? If you know who it is, why not just go see him?" Joyce was puzzled.

"Let’s talk about it later, mom. I want a bit of fun for now."

"But...," Joyce tried.

"Over dinner, I promise you. Let's forget my problems and have some shopping goodness." Buffy looked pleadingly at her mother.

"Okay, Buffy, but at dinner there will be no stopping me, I want to know," Joyce said teasing. "I’d like to know who has taken my daughter's heart."

"We’ll see." Buffy pulled her mother into a shop.

Half an hour later they emerged with a bag containing two cell phones. Buffy was moping. "I should have brought my old cell phone, it would have been cheaper. Don’t remember them being this expensive."

"Stop complaining. You said it yourself: You need a phone," Joyce reminded Buffy.

"I know." Buffy pouted. "Sorry mom. Let’s go look at furniture."

"Why not buy them right away and get them delivered later?" Joyce asked her young daughter.

"You are brilliant, mom." Buffy hugged Joyce, forgetting the bag in her hand hitting herself with it. "Ugh." She rubbed her leg. "Did I hit you?"

"No." Joyce chuckled. "Let's get moving." This time it was Joyce who linked their arms.

At lunchtime they took a break. By this time, Buffy had ordered a couple of beds and bedding, both for the upstairs. Buffy’s was a king sized, four-poster with beautiful carvings. They had also found everything Buffy and Joyce could think of for the kitchen.

Now they were waiting for their food, enjoying a cool glass of juice.

"So, want to tell me who my future son-in-law is?" Joyce couldn't wait any longer.

"I’m sorry, mom. I won't tell you his name." Buffy looked down at her juice.

"Why not, don’t I like him?" Joyce tried to catch Buffy’s eyes. "Is it that vampire, Angel?"

"No, no." She grabbed her mother's hands over the table.

"I’d better tell you why I can’t tell you his name." Buffy’s eyes seemed far away, filled with pain. "They would try to kill him if they know who he is."

Joyce wrinkled her brow. "Who and why would somebody do that?"

"They don’t like him. In my time Giles even conspired with someone to kill him, while he distracted me. Xander thinks that he will have a chance with me if he isn't here. He doesn't understand that he is like a brother to me. The Willow in this time is too scared to have another opinion than Xander’s and Giles’." Buffy was lost in her thoughts.

Joyce squeezed Buffy’s hands softly to get her attention. "It seems to me that you meant something special by that statement about Willow."

Buffy smiled sadly. "You know me too well, but yes. Later Willow wanted to control me, Xander and Giles were behind her."

"You haven’t mentioned Angel."

"He's the worst. He thinks I’m his property. That I’m promised to him by The Powers." Buffy made a face as if she'd tasted something sour.

They were interrupted by the waiter. After some more shopping, they looked in on Buffy’s future home. They had started to put up walls to separate the big storeroom. They greeted Clem, and Buffy gave him her new phone number.

Joyce had to draw Buffy’s attention to the time. They promised Merrick to be home for dinner, and they had the Scooby meeting tonight.

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Buffy dumped her bags just inside the door and went into the kitchen. "Hi, Merrick, did you have a good day?"

"Yes, thank you." Merrick turned slightly from the stove. "How was your day?"

"Good, until mom told me we had to get home." Buffy leaned over the kitchen island.

"You didn’t want to come home for dinner?" Merrick turned completely to Buffy, and arched a brow.

"The meeting." She sighed. "Hell might break loose. I’m not looking forward to it." Buffy grabbed an apple. "You know that Giles already has started. They want their puppet back. I can’t and won't be theirs to command, too much has happened." Tears were threatening.

"Hey now." Merrick placed an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be okay. You are not alone and you are not theirs. You are your own woman, remember that, and you already have a new friend."

Buffy dried her eyes. "More than one friend, there are you and Kendra, and maybe I can even call mom my friend after today."

"I’ll be honored if you’ll call me your friend." Joyce said, joining them.

"Thanks, mom." Buffy hugged her. "There’s also Clem. Give him a bag of chips and he'll be your friend forever."

"How is the dinner coming along, Merrick?" Joyce went to lift the lid on the casserole. She sniffed. "Hmm, smells fantastic."

"Oh, where is the ice cream?" Buffy went to look for it.

"In the red bag, give it to me. I’ll put it in the freezer. Is Kendra home?" Joyce asked.

"Yes she came in an hour ago. She is up in her room, doing her homework. She is a very dedicated girl," Merrick commented.

"That she is." Joyce laughed. "In everything she does. Buffy will you get her? I’ll set the table."

Buffy grabbed her bags and went upstairs.