CoF - Saber ShadowKitten - Five Years of Change

AUTHOR: Saber ShadowKitten
EMAIL: daschus@attbi.com
RATING: PG-13
PAIRINGS: Spike/Drusilla, Buffy
SETTING: Post Becoming
DISCLAIMER: Joss and Carrie, not I.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prologue

I'm sorry for not being the daughter you wanted. I'm leaving now and I won't be back. I've hurt too many people, done too many wrong things. I've been expelled again; the police think I killed Kendra, which, in a way, I did; I got Willow, Xander and Giles hurt and they almost died for the hundredth time; I killed Ms. Calendar; I killed Theresa and Sheila; and I killed my love. I'll miss you. Be careful when you go out at night. Tell Giles that I love him and that he was closer to a father than a Watcher to me and tell him to have the next Slayer come to the Hellmouth, because I won't be back. I love you.

Part One

"Well, if you insist." Spike gave her a cheeky grin, pretending to rise from his seat. Buffy rolled her eyes at the woman next to her, who let out a small laugh. The vampire retook his seat and tossed a card at the Slayer. "Jacks are high. Looks like the Slayer could get lucky."

"What about me, luv?" Drusilla asked. She tapped the table. "Do I get to be hit, too?"

"Of course, darling," Spike answered, turning over a card. "It's a black queen for my Black Queen." Buffy made gagging noises as Drusilla clapped happily. Spike turned dealt one to himself, grumbling under his breath at the bad card.

Five years ago, a scene like this would have made him want to end his long life. At times, he was still tempted, especially when the two women with which he was playing five card ganged up on him. His eyes lovingly roved over the vampiress seated to his right. His Princess. The woman he loved beyond sense, beyond the fact that he was a demon. She was the reason he'd made the deal with the other woman seated at the table.

The Slayer. The little bitch he was suppose to hate but couldn't any longer. She'd helped him search for his kitten and that was before he'd gotten his soul returned to him, which was like having an exceedingly annoying voice in his head, telling him not to do certain things. Most of the time he ignored it and could care less about what was ‘right.' It did put a damper on his feeding habits, however.

"Full house," Buffy said, flipping over her two face down cards. She smirked at him.

"I have four pretty ladies," Drusilla answered, turning over her cards. "And the one-eyed man. I don't like him."

"Rats," Buffy grumbled as Spike pushed the poker chips towards the vampiress. "I think she cheats. Dru, has Miss Edith been telling you what the cards are again?"

"No, Slayer, she has not," Drusilla said. "Miss Edith is a good girl. Just like her mummy."

Spike smiled affectionately at her as Buffy shuffled the cards. He'd been so afraid that when she had gotten her soul back, she would kill herself. It wasn't a choice on either of their parts. One day he'd gone to bed, the Slayer idly flipping channels on the television in the hotel room, and that night he'd woken up with a searing pain in his chest, the room glowing yellow for a moment.

The Slayer figured out almost immediately what had happened. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad for him, thinking he would be buried with guilt. But since he wasn't a very pleasant chap before he'd been turned, he shrugged it off. The Slayer thought that the red head must have decided to do the restoration spell again and wondered why on him. Then they both realized that if he had a soul, Drusilla might also have received one and they sped up the search for his Princess.

Five years had passed since he'd met up with the blond in Los Angeles on accident. Drusilla had run away from him almost immediately after leaving Sunnyhell and after a quick trip back to that hell hole, he'd gotten word that she had gone to the city. But instead of finding his ducks, he'd literally run into the Slayer on the street. He'd been so surprised to see her, even more so the dead air that surrounded her petite form, the pain and lifelessness coming from her hazel eyes. He could have killed her easily that night, but he didn't. Instead, he took her out for coffee and she ended up telling him she'd help him find Dru. She said that at least someone should have happiness.

A year after that he got his soul back and two weeks later they found his goddess in a church. They'd heard on the news about a girl who refused to leave the sanctified grounds, who begged for mercy every night, prostrating herself in front of the altar. The clincher was that she kept crying out Angel, Spike and Miss Edith's names. The unconventional friends got there in fifteen minutes and he had taken Drusilla into his arms and held her as she wept.

"Sweets, can we get something to eat now?" Drusilla asked him as she looked at the cards Buffy dealt her.

"Are you hungry, pet?" Spike said. "The Slayer got us some nice blood from the infirmary last night. Would you like some?"

"Get me a coke while you're up," Buffy told him, tossing a chip into the center of the small table.

"Yes, master," he replied with a bow. Leaving the living room of their small, two bedroom flat, the vampire went into the kitchen to warm up dinner in the microwave. He grabbed a bag of Oreo's from the cookie jar and thought back to the night he'd asked the Slayer to stay.

She had stuck with him for over a year in his search, then spent another month helping him with the ensouled Drusilla. Somehow the Slayer had managed to convince his Princess that everything that had happened over the years had not been her fault. When she began to believe it, the Slayer decided it was time for her to go and "leave the two lovebirds in happiness and peace."

He asked her to stay, told her that he enjoyed her company and brought up the fact that she had no where else to go. Too his surprise, she agreed, as long as they refrained from mentioning Angel or Sunnyhell. The three of them found a place to live, the Slayer got another job and she returned to slaying. However, she still carried so much guilt and pain on her small shoulders it pissed him off. He wanted to beat the bloody crap out of whatever god or higher power decided to put her through everything.

Removing the blood bags from the microwave, he poured the contents into two mugs, pocketed the soda, grabbed the cookies and returned to the living room. "Here you go, my lovely ladies," he said, setting the stuff on the table.

"Oh no, this is not good," Drusilla suddenly said, her hand shaking as she looked at the card clenched in it.

"They'll all be gone, their little lives snuffed out," Drusilla continued. She turned wide, dark eyes on Buffy. "Mummy doesn't want the Slayer to hurt more than she does." The female vampiress stood. "I'm coming Miss Edith, don't fret."

Spike watched after her as she left the living room, knowing the vision was over. He straightened and turned his attention to the blond. "Slayer?"

Buffy stared up at him with tears in her eyes. "I don't want them to die, Spike. That's why I left, so they wouldn't get hurt."

"I know, pet," Spike replied, walking over to her. He crouched at her side as he did for Drusilla. "What do you want to do?"

"What about the other Slayer?" Buffy asked him. "You said there was a new one..."

"There's been several, luv," he said. "I don't know who the new one is or if she's even in Sunnyhell."

"Then I have no choice," she whispered. "I can't let them die, not if I can prevent it."

"I'll tell Dru and then we'd better get packed," Spike told her. "It's a long flight back, but since we're heading west, we'll get there long before the sun comes up."

Part Two

Spike went into the bedroom to inform Drusilla of their trip and to pack. His plum was sitting on the bed, holding a conversation Miss Edith. It was too bad that his sire made her insane before he made her a vampire. It would have made life interesting once she got her soul back if she was sane. Then again, he might not have fallen in love with her if she'd been any different than her wonderful, wicked, batty self. "Pet?"

"Miss Edith says we're going back there," Drusilla said. She looked up at Spike. "She also says that the Slayer doesn't want to go, but she will for her friends. Are we the Slayer's friends?"

"Yes we are, ducks," Spike answered. He pulled out his duffle bag and Dru's dress bag. "And I know the Slayer doesn't want to go back, I don't want to go back to that bloody hell hole, but we are."

Scooping clothes from the drawers, he shoved them in his bag, not caring about keeping it neat. In fact, most of the small apartment wasn't tidy. Clothing landed wherever it had been taken off; magazines, books and open cd cases were stacked on every available surface; his Princess's dolls could be found in the most interesting places. Once he'd found Lady Lynn in the freezer wearing a small parka made out of one of the Slayer's socks holding a plastic spoon with a paper flag taped to it. Drusilla told him she was on an expedition. He wondered for days where she got that idea from until he found her watching the Discovery Channel one night and Constance in the oven, or ‘the Sahara.' It had taken him close to a month to get rid of all the melted plastic.

It was strange being chums with someone you were suppose to hate. And all three of them were very close, although he did nothing to help the Slayer in her actual slaying duties. His ‘specialty' was to stay in close contact with the vampire community and aid her that way. Through his contacts, he was also able to keep an ear on what was happening in Sunnyhell and with her old friends and Watcher. So far as he could tell, they'd done an admirable job of taking over where she had left off. It helped that the new Slayers appeared there every so often.

Drusilla helped the Slayer in her own way, as well. At first, he'd been afraid to let her out of his sight for too long, thinking she'd do something to brand her a traitor and end up being killed. But, to his proud amazement, she frightened off the other vampires by claiming whatever human they were about to snack on as her own. They'd run, she'd lead the victim off, then let whoever go when she was sure they weren't being watched. She was a smart one, his ducks. Nutty, but smart.

Moving to the closet, Spike took out several of Drusilla's dresses and put them carefully into the dress bag. He threw her toiletries in with his stuff, then glanced at her thoughtful expression. "Sweets, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that it is not fair that I have my Spike and the Slayer does not," Drusilla answered.

"You love your Princess with all your sweet gooshy insides," she told him. "But no one loves the Slayer's insides. She's all dark and alone. Can you love her like you love me?"

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, sitting next to her on the bed. "I can't love the Slayer like I love you. It doesn't work that way. Besides, she wouldn't want me to love her like that. She only wants Angel's love and seeing as the blighter's in hell, there's nothing I can do."

"Of course I do, pet," Spike replied. "I've always liked her, even when I hated her. Now I just like her more."

"I hate my daddy for hurting her," she said, standing without Miss Edith. "That was wrong and I know right from wrong because I have a soul, just like my daddy did and my Spike."

"But you came after your Princess," Drusilla replied. She turned to face him, her eyes clear and bright. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Spike."

Spike stood and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "It's ok, baby. You're here with me now and that's all that matters."

Drusilla raised her head from his shoulder and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips. "I love all of your parts," she whispered.

She giggled, then spun out of his arms and danced around the room. "We're going in the big metal bird. I get to eat those little nuts. I like the little nuts." She stopped and looked at him. "How does the bird fly if he doesn't flap his wings?"

Drusilla got her chance to talk to the pilot, leaving Spike and a sullen Slayer alone. He could feel the tension rolling off of her like waves, making him uncomfortable. She got in these moods every so often and sometimes it took bloody weeks to get her out of them. He wondered what went on in her pretty little head that caused this to happen. "Slayer, I'm sure your mates will be fine," he said.

She looked up from the magazine she was reading and gave him a look. He hated those looks. Made him feel like he was about to get his bollocks ripped off. "Maybe," she replied, then went back to the magazine.

Growling, he opened the book he'd brought with and tried to get back into the story. He wasn't the fastest of readers and had gotten two pages read when he heard a quiet chuckle come from his seat mate. Turning his gaze to her, he saw she had a sardonic half smile on her lips. "What?"

"How old are you again?" Buffy asked. Her eyes darted to the book, then back to his eyes.

"Shut up," he growled. "You'd love them if you read them. Number fourteen was bloody hilarious. The Animorphs had to sneak into an Area 51 type place to find out what was so special, so they morphed into horses and then they had to..."

Buffy's laugh was full this time, ringing out in the cabin and making people look in their direction. He scowled at her and shrank down in his seat. "‘Laugh it up, fuzzball,'" he muttered returning his attention to the book.

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual, Slayer," Spike retorted. He stuck the worn photo he used as a bookmark in between the pages and shut the book. It was a picture of him, Drusilla and the Slayer from two years before when he'd found an old camera at a flea market, complete with several slides of film. Only one of the pictures had come out. In it, he sat between the two women, leaning his head against Drusilla's with the Slayer sprawled across them both, holding Miss Edith. The funny part was that his ducks was holding rabbit ears above the tiny blond's head. He didn't know she knew about that sort of thing. But his Queen was always surprising him like that.

He hated to break the laughter, but they would be landing soon and he wanted to talk to her before Drusilla returned. "Slayer, I need to know what you want to do when we get there," he said. He watched as her jovial air dissolved and he cursed himself for being the one to do it.

"I guess first we need to find a place to stay," Buffy replied. "Then tomorrow night you can find out if the new Slayer is there, maybe beat up Willie the Snitch and see what he knows about whatever is coming to hurt them."

He noticed that she said ‘them' with a detached voice, as if she were speaking about some distant relative instead of her old chums. Since they rarely brought up any mention of her old life at all, he wasn't too surprised. "What about you, pet?"

"Me? I'm going to find out who all is still in Sunnyhell, where they live and see if they still hang out together," she answered. "Of course, that means getting up earlier than three in the afternoon like I do for work."

"Up yours, blondie," Buffy replied with a small grin. That relieved him. If she could joke with him, she wasn't as depressed as she sometimes got. "I'm glad my bloody boss let me take this time off. He is definitely a wanker."

She didn't know it, but living with the two undead vampires over the past five years had resulted in her speaking with a slight accent. Also, working at an English pub in the city didn't help matters either. It amused him that this happened, especially when she inserted words she normally wouldn't use in her sentences, like ‘bloody' or ‘mate.' He'd read somewhere once that was normal, humans tended to adapt to their surroundings. Luckily, he hadn't started to use her words. Then again, he couldn't figure out what some of them meant. His ducks, however...

"Spike, Slayer, the nice men let me fly the bird!" Drusilla said excitedly as she came down the aisle. She slid past their legs to her window seat, picked up Miss Edith, then bounced in it as she went on. "It was much fun. And they gave me wings, see?" She pointed to a plastic, gold pilot's wing pin on her chest.

"It's lovely, pet," Spike told her, leaning over to fasten her seatbelt. "Do you know how the plane flies now?"

"Oh yes," she answered. "The engines make fire and it turns a big fan. Then they go really, really fast and up, up and away!" She emphasized the last part of her sentence by throwing her arms straight up and wiggling her fingers.

"Watch it, Spike," Buffy said, leaning forward to look past him at Drusilla. "Or you may end up having to send Dru to flight school."

Spike groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. His Princess would have to be having a good day. "Thanks bunches, Slayer."

Part Three

Spike pocketed the motel room keys and headed back to the two ladies waiting on the curb. His Black Queen was telling Buffy more about her adventures of being a pilot, using Miss Edith as a plane. The Slayer listened attentively, her eyes darting to the shadows every so often, his and her bags at her feet. She was nice enough to hold Drusilla's bag so as not to wrinkle the dresses. Sometimes she did things like that and it made him realize how good a human she really was and he liked that he was her friend. Especially because she treated his ducks as if she was not nutty as a fruitcake, but as a sister.

"Are we ready to call it a night?" Spike asked as he came up to them. He bent and picked up his bag, taking Drusilla's from Buffy. "I got us connecting rooms on the north side of the building, so it won't be too hard to keep the sun out."

"There are over a million flights every day," Drusilla told him in an informative voice as they headed for their rooms. "They fly in the sun and it doesn't burn them."

"That's because the pilots are human, ducks," he replied. He set his duffle down and dug out the keys as they came to rooms 14 and 15. He handed one to Buffy, then opened the door. "Unlock the connecting door, Slayer. I'll do the same on this side."

Buffy entered her own room after nodding to him and he escorted Drusilla into theirs. His Princess went over to the double bed and flopped back on it. "It's not as soft as ours at home."

"That's because these bloody motels are cheap," Spike responded, opening the inner door between the two rooms to see the Slayer in a position similar to his pumpkin. He rolled his eyes and entered her room. Without a word, he unzipped her bag and pulled out two of small stash of blood bags she carried for them.

"I'm glad the airport people didn't search that," Buffy said, sitting up. "It would have been interesting to try to explain why I was carrying those. ‘You see, mate, my chums are undead and they need it so they don't eat the flight attendants.' That would go over real well."

"You would have thought of something, pet," he replied. He returned to his own room and went into the small bathroom to retrieve the provided plastic cups. "Drusilla, would you like something to eat before bed?"

"I'm all full up on little nuts," she answered. She stood and walked into the Slayer's room after retrieving her hairbrush from his bag. She sat next to the small girl on the bed. "Are you unhappy, Buffy?"

Spike moved to lean against the open door frame, drinking his lukewarm cup of blood. He watched as his kitten slowly ran her silver brush through the Slayer's hair. She was the only one who called the blond by her real name when she went into her caring mode. It was sickeningly sweet to watch when the two women bonded in this manner.

"Tell mummy about it," Drusilla instructed, the brush going over and over in the girl's hair, lulling her.

"I don't want to be here," she said quietly. "I don't want to put them in danger again by being here."

"Don't worry, dearie. Mummy can take care of herself and Spike is here to protect us. Isn't that right, my love?"

"That's right, poodle," he answered. "I won't let anything happen to you or the Slayer."

Buffy turned her head to smile at her. "Thanks, Dru. What would I do without you two?"

"You'd be lonely," she replied wisely. "But you could always learn to fly the big metal birds, like me."

The Slayer laughed and Spike chuckled. His Princess was the most wonderful woman in the whole bloody world.

The next night Spike woke to find Buffy gone, her scent which he knew almost as well as his Dru was missing from the next room. Snuggling closer to the woman in his bed, he tried to push back the feeling of worry that he had for the Slayer. He'd become protective of her, and at times it pissed him off. Having a soul wasn't all blood and roses.

Sighing, he pressed a kiss against Drusilla's pale neck, then got out of bed. Padding naked to the bathroom, he took a quick shower before retrieving more blood from Buffy's room. By the time his love woke up, he was dressed and ready to go out. "Hello, baby."

"Miss Edith had a wonderful dream," Drusilla said as she accepted the cup of blood he gave her. "She was riding a beautiful horse so fast, she flew."

"Did the horse have wings?" Spike asked, mentally banging his head on the wall for letting her visit the pilot.

"Sounds like a beautiful dream, pet," he agreed. He bent and kissed her. "I'm going to go out. You behave while I'm gone."

"Will you bring me a present when you come back?" Drusilla asked in a hopeful voice.

"Of course," Spike said. He gave her a loving smile and left as she began conversing with Miss Edith about what he was going to bring her.

He made his way to Willie's Alibi Bar, feeling the buzz of the Hellmouth beneath the streets. He never liked those who tried to mess with it, thought they were all bloody fruitcakes for attempting to harness the power by opening it. In the corner of his eye he could see a vampire feeding, but it wasn't his job to get involved, even though it now irked him. He growled at his conscience and it retreated back into its corner where it belonged as he walked into the dimly lit bar.

The look on Willie's face almost had him in stitches and he had to control himself from not showing his mirth. "Hello, Willie."

"Spike!" Willie exclaimed. "Long time, no see. What has it been - like five years or something?"

"Hey, is Drusilla with you still?" Willie asked, pouring him a complimentary drink.

"Yes," Spike replied, ignoring the shot glass on the bar. He reached out and grabbed the other man by the shirt, hauling him halfway onto the wooden counter. "I didn't come here for polite chit-chat, mate."

"Not at the present moment," the barkeep replied. "She got killed a several months ago. Pretty little thing, too. Would have done wonders for my cousin's business."

He gave him a look that said he could bloody care less and Willie shut up. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"Um...that Slayer you fought with last time you were here - Betty or Bunny or Busty, whatever. Anyway, her old friends are the ones you want to watch out for, not the Slayer. They're what keeps the Hellmouth and all the wonderful beasties who flock here under control."

"Those pathetic humans?" Spike asked in derision. "When I was here, they couldn't fight there way out of a paper bag."

"They're not all human," Willie warned. "They have two witches, a werewolf who knows how to control his change, two vampires and that Watcher is also a magic user. The only two real humans in the group are that Benny's mom and some former prom queen. But I'd watch out for that prom queen. She's got a tongue on her that would eat the lead off your car."

"Two vampires, you say?" he commented, lighting up a cigarette. "I take it they're all soul having." He wondered which two of the Slayer's friends got turned.

"Well, thanks, mate," Spike said, swallowing the drink still sitting there. He set the glass upside down, gave the man a wink, and sauntered out.

Smoke curling upwards from the cigarette in his hand, he made his way back towards the motel, his mind on what the unconventional bar owner had told him. The Slayer's old chums sounded like they were a pretty powerful force to be reckoned with. Was it a possibility that his Ripe Wicked Plum had a faulty connection?

"Princess, I'm back," he said, opening the door to the motel room. No one answered him. "Ducks?" Upon further examination he found both rooms empty and cursed, quickly leaving to go after his girl. He literally ran into Buffy on his way across the street.

"Dru's not in the room," Spike quickly explained. It wasn't as if he didn't trust his kitten not to get hurt, but this was Sunnyhell and what he'd heard about the Slayer's old mates worried him.

"The Bronze," she suggested. "That's were the most people would be this time of night."

"Your bloody friends better not hurt her," he growled. Buffy raised a quizzical brow at him as they ran. "That bloody bastard told me they're the real Slayers."

"They looked normal to me when I saw them this afternoon," she told him. "Then again, I only saw Willow and Giles. They were both at the school. I couldn't find anyone else."

The Bronze came into view and the two slowed down. Spike looked over at her and she nodded. At the door, they split up with him heading around back and the Slayer going in. He quickly scanned the alleyway for Drusilla, circling around the building. He saw several piles of ashes and a panic settled over his heart. Tearing for the door, he yanked it open and rushed inside, his blue eyes wild. He was up the stairs in three leaps, scanning the crowd. He almost fainted in relief when he saw the familiar blond head leading his love off the dance floor.

Bounding down the stairs, he pushed passed the teens and scooped Drusilla up in a tight hug. "Don't you ever bloody scare me like that again!" Spike said fiercely into her hair.

"Spike, we're kinda attracting attention," Buffy spoke up, nervously eyeing the teens around them.

Spike set his kitten back on her feet. "Promise me you won't go off alone again, luv. They don't know that you're a good girl now."

"Mummy promises," she replied, pouting at him. She saw something over his shoulder and pointed. "Look, there's one of the Slayer's friends."

He turned to look where she was pointing and saw the whelp he never liked enter the club with a tall brunette. "Xander and Cordelia," Buffy whispered. He looked over at her and saw the panic in her eyes.

"Come on, pet. Why don't we go back to the roach palace..." Spike saw Buffy's eyes widen and she suddenly whipped her head around. Frowning, he looked back over his shoulder and saw the whelp staring right at them. "Bloody hell."

Grabbing Drusilla with one hand and the Slayer with the other, he dragged them past the crowd towards the door. Once outside, they broke into a run back towards the motel, his pet's heeled shoes clacking on the street. "Spi-i-i-i-ke," she complained as he dragged her along. "Why are we running? You're hurting me."

"Sorry, luv," he said, immediately stopping. He looked back and saw there was no one following them. Turning back to his companions, he took one look at the Slayer and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, now, none of that."

"I think so, pet," Spike answered. Drusilla walked over and put her hand on Buffy's back in a soothing gesture. "We may have to come up with a new plan."

"We didn't have a plan," she said, forcing her tears away. She took a step back and he released her. "We went flying off, half bloody cocked, with no clue on what to do once we got here."

"Why don't we go meet with your old Watcher or one of your chums and tell them about Dru's vision, then leave?" he suggested. "It's early enough yet."

"Don't know," he shrugged. "But they'll be prepared and we can get out of this bloody hole and go home. The less amount of time we're here, the better." He hated Sunnyhell with a passion.

"My Spike doesn't like it here," Drusilla said, linking her arm with his. "It has too many memories that are not fun much."

He noted his Princess' use of Buffy-slang and groaned silently. Maybe a trip back to London was in order. They could bring the Slayer with, give her a taste of the real life. Probably changed, though, and not necessarily for the better. They hadn't been there since before Prague. Prague. Bloody mob. Maybe they'll go back there and rip the pillocks to bits. His conscience spoke up again at that and he cursed. He hated that little voice.

"I guess Giles would be the best person to tell," Buffy said after a few moments. "Will..." She trailed off, giving him and Dru a hopeful and sad look. "Will you guys come with?"

"Did you bloody think we'd have it any other way?" Spike replied. "Wither thou goeth and all that rot."

She gave him a relieved smile, then linked arms with Dru, so the vampiress was in the middle. "Well, then we're off!"

"To see the wizard," Drusilla said. Both Spike and the Slayer turned startled glances at her. "Isn't that where we are going? To see the Watcher. He is a wizard with a dirty arm. He needs to take a bath. Spike, can we take a bath when we go home?"

Buffy looked over at him and they both burst out laughing. For a moment, he'd thought she made a joke, but it wasn't intentional. He loved his ducks so very much.

Part Four

"Looks like he's the only one in there, pet," Spike said, rejoining the two women who meant the most to him outside the school.

Buffy took a deep breath, gearing herself up. "Make sure you two stay behind me. I don't want him to dust you before we have a chance to explain."

Spike nodded and took Drusilla's hand. Silently, the three close friends made their way into the darkened high school towards the library. He watched the Slayer out of the corner of his eye, noting the way her body was tense as memories assaulted her. As they stopped in front of the library doors, he saw her square her shoulders and put on her game face - stony and cold. It was one of those ‘looks.'

They entered the library, the doors swinging shut behind them with a soft swish. Staying behind the Slayer as instructed, Spike nodded to the small blond as she looked back at him for extra courage. "Gi-Mr. Giles?" Buffy called.

"Yes, can I hel-" Giles came out of the office and cut off in the middle of his sentence. His expression was one of disbelief and he whipped off his glasses as if to get a better look. "My god."

"Actually, it's Buffy, but if you feel more comfortable calling me that..." Buffy trailed off with a small quirk of her lips. She gestured with her head to Spike and Drusilla. "Don't hurt them. They have their souls and are my friends."

This seemed to shake the Watcher out of his stupor. He replaced his glasses and cleared his throat. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, I won't be long," she said, shoving her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. "Dru had a vision that someone was coming to hurt all of you, maybe even bloody kill you."

Spike watched the play of emotions on the Watcher's face, the obvious war going on in the man's mind. He was probably thinking about how the Slayer could be alive and in his library, speaking with a slight British accent, standing in front of two vampires who'd tried to kill him and his chums again and again. Five years can bring a lot of changes.

"Nope," Buffy answered. "Just thought I'd warn you then get the hell out of Dodge before my being here causes someone to get hurt or killed." She turned to face Spike and Drusilla. "Let's go."

"Buffy, wait!" Giles exclaimed, hurrying across the room to stop her with a hand on her shoulder. The loud gasp which came from the Slayer caused Drusilla to growl a warning to the man. He immediately let go. "Please, don't leave."

"What?" Giles said, perplexed. Then realization dawned on his face and he quickly said, "Dear heavens, Buffy, no. How could you even think such a thing?"

Spike growled this time, making the Watcher back up several steps. He looked down at the petite blond still facing him and Dru, noting the tears streaming down her cheeks and made a quick decision. She needed to let go of the pain and guilt, and the only way to do that was to confront it head on. "Slayer, I think the Watcher is right."

"It's not your bloody fault people got hurt or killed. Just like it wasn't Dru's," he told her. "I've been wanting to tell you that since we got Dru back, but I promised I wouldn't mention anything to do with Sunnyhell."

"And you find fit to tell me now?" Buffy sneered. "That's just bloody terrific! Next you'll be telling me that it was a mistake to have me stay with you guys."

"Don't even," Spike growled. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "Slayer, you are my friend, you're like a sister to Drusilla and you can be sure that next to her, you are the best bloody thing that's come into my life. So don't even go there, or you'll be finding yourself on the receiving end of my fist!"

The Slayer was bawling by now. Harsh, ragged sobs tore from her throat and he cursed up a blue streak. Drusilla pushed him away and took the girl into her arms, stroking her hair. "Don't cry, Buffy. Mummy doesn't like it when you cry. It makes Miss Edith sad and then she won't talk to Princess. Spike, why did you make the Slayer cry?"

He rubbed a weary hand over his face, pushing back the emotions that plagued him. "I'm sorry, ducks. I didn't mean to make the Slayer cry." Cursing again, he spun and stormed out of the library, punching the nearby locker doors making several of them spring open. He was about to do it again for good measure when he heard voices coming from around the corner, up the hallway. "Bloody hell, can this night get any worse?"

Re-entering the library, he saw that the Watcher was still hovering nervously a few steps away from Buffy and Drusilla. His Princess had calmed the girl down somewhat and he felt the love he had for the vampiress swell. Then he remembered the voices and growled softly. "Slayer, I think your old mates are coming," he said quietly.

Buffy looked over at him with red, puffy eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, stepping away from Drusilla. "Do you really think they'd want to see me after all I did?"

"Of course they would, pet," Spike told her. "Although they might be scared away with you looking like that." He gestured to her tear streaked face.

She socked him in the arm, then stepped over and gave him a hug. "Why haven't I staked you yet?"

"And ruin your nightly fun of teasing me?" he replied, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Never happen."

Spike groaned. Of course the Slayer's old chums would have to arrive at the time he was giving her a hug. It never failed. Bloody soul.

"Um...hi guys," Buffy said quietly, slowly stepping back from him. She wiped tears from her face for the second time that night. "Long time no see."

Spike walked past the Slayer and put his arm around Drusilla's waist. He nodded in encouragement to Buffy when she looked over at him. "Go ahead, pet. We're not leaving."

"Buffy?" Willow said in amazement. The red head suddenly launched herself at the blond. "Oh my goddess! You're here! You're alive! As in not dead! You're not dead, are you?"

"Oh, heh, sorry," Willow said. Spike noticed she suddenly became pale and exchanged a look with the Watcher. He wondered what that was about.

"Hey Oz, hi Amy," the Slayer said. She noticed the two were holding hands and frowned.

"Um..." Buffy looked over at Spike, who shrugged. "We could stay for a bit, I guess." She suddenly gave the red head a puzzled look. "Hey, not that I'm not happy, but how come you're not trying to stake Spike and Dru?"

"That you did, pet," Spike replied, then looked over at the red head. "Remind me to kill you later."

"He's kidding, Will," Buffy told her. "He wasn't too happy when he got it. Cursed for over two bloody hours. But, in the end, it helped us find Dru."

Buffy shrugged and walked over to the counter where Spike and Drusilla were standing. She hopped up onto the surface. "‘Bout five years," she answered.

Spike could hear the nervousness in her tone, feel the tension radiating from her once again like it had been on the plane, even though she acted cheery. Dru looked up at him with worry and he squeezed her in reassurance. His ducks didn't like it when the Slayer was hurting.

"But I only did the spell four years ago when Xan-" Willow cut off in similar fashion as Giles had, but Buffy caught on.

"He's one of the two who got turned, isn't he," Spike surmised. He looked over his shoulder at the Slayer. "Willie said your old band of merry men had two vampires as well as a couple of witches and a werewolf. Plus a prom queen, scary as that sounds."

"No, it's ok. Xander has his soul," Willow said. "We got to him pretty quickly, right Amy?"

"She's a pretty witch," Drusilla commented. "Lots of power running through her veins, like soup. Mummy likes soup. With little chickens in it. Can we get some soup?"

"Yes, luv. With little chickens," he replied. He nodded at Oz. "I take it you're the werewolf, then."

"You know, Slayer," he said, turning his head to look at her. "You have a bloody hell of a lot of non-normal chums."

"Hey, enough about everyone's not-so humanness," she interrupted. "Dru had a vision that someone was coming after you guys. Thought maybe you'd want to know."

She was doing it again, and Spike didn't like it. Pushing her feelings away as well as those who cared for her. He'd seen it often enough. Whenever on of the regulars at the pub or a fellow employee tried to make friends, she'd be stand-offish. If someone were to ask who her mates were, he could only answer Dru and him. Not that he was rolling in them.

"No prob," the Slayer replied. "Well, I'm gonna get gone. Promise of Spike's soup has made me hungry." She slid off the counter and towards the door. "Coming guys?"

"Dru, why don't you run ahead," Spike said, giving her a quick kiss. She smiled at him and floated out of the room in her usual graceful way. Once gone, he turned to the Watcher. "The Slayer didn't want to come back to Sunnyhell - ever. She's got it in her bloody thick skull that she's at fault for everything, as you heard. When I met up with her in LA, it was maybe three weeks after the whole Acathala thing, she was literally a walking dead person. There was no life in her what-so-ever, so don't expect her to be all rosy while we're here. I'll try and get her to come back, but no promises, eh?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Pushing through the swinging doors, he walked quickly out of the school, catching up with his two favorite women on the steps outside. "Ready, pets? Le chef is making soup tonight. With chickens."

Part Five

Shopping with Drusilla was like letting a kid go free in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Spike rarely took his Queen with him when he went to the grocers because he never got anything accomplished if she was with him. He'd been cooking for the Slayer since a few months after they met up. He had been sick of watching her slowly starve herself to death, so he learned how to cook her favorite dishes on a hot pot. When they'd finally moved into an apartment with a stove, he'd become a better chef and his ducks liked to eat what he made, despite not needing it.

The Slayer had gone off to get some soda and snack food, putting distance between herself and her mates as she tended to do after an emotional confrontation. He wanted to go find her and shake some sense into her, but he knew from experience that would only piss her off and he'd end up with a boot to the head. She'd calm down and be her normal, annoying self in a few hours, especially after she'd had something to eat.

"We don't need it, luv," Spike replied, taking it from her and putting it back on the shelf as he did almost everything she wanted. "We're here to get ingredients to make soup." Which was located in the canned goods aisle, but he didn't mention that fact.

"Miss Edith likes soup," she informed him. "She likes the ones with the fun guys in them."

"Fun guys?" Spike asked, confused. Then he realized what he meant and he rubbed his temples. Perhaps he was getting one of those dreaded headaches the Slayer sometimes got, as she claimed, from hanging around him too much. "Oh, mushrooms."

"Whole rooms of mush, yum," Drusilla said, snapping her teeth at him playfully. "Ooh, look. Can we get this?"

"No, Dru, we can't get the diapers," he told her patiently. "They're for babies."

"I like babies, with their chubby cheeks," she commented. "They smell of sunshine and fluffy clouds. What does your Princess smell like?"

"Like roses and blood, kitten," Spike replied, grabbing her around the waist and nuzzling her neck. "You smell delicious."

"My Spike, you are attracting attention," Drusilla said, repeating Buffy's words from earlier.

"I don't bloody care," he growled, nipping at her. Her laugh curled his toes in happiness and made his heart swell. "Come on, luv. Let's get the food so we can go back to the room."

"Are we going to be naughty?" she asked coyly, batting her lashes at him, then dancing away.

Spike groaned and trailed after her like the whipped sod he was. He'd do anything for his Black Queen and she knew it. The Slayer told him once that he was pathetic, but he only shrugged and agreed with her. He didn't bloody care what people thought, human or otherwise. He loved his plum and that's all that mattered.

He rounded the corner and saw his ducks pressing her nose against the glass of the lobster tank, talking to the inhabitants. Knowing now was as good of a time as he was going to get, he went off in search of the Campbell's soup. Buffy had packed the electric hot pad as she normally did when they traveled. In fact, he doubted she'd even removed it from her bag from their last jaunt.

Engrossed in looking for the chicken soup, he didn't see the object hurling towards him until it smacked him in the side of the head. He looked down at the floor to see a package of toilet paper rolling away, then raised his head in time to get smacked by a bag of marshmallows. With a scowl, he turned to see the Slayer at the end of let go with a bag of powder sugar.

He caught the offending bag and white powder wheezed from it, covering his black shirt in a light sheen. Buffy was laughing at him and he growled, dropping the bag to the floor as she threw something else at him. He caught the small box of Jell-o and had to drop it immediately as she began to pelt him repeatedly with the little boxes.

Finally, she'd run out of ammunition, took one look at his murderous expression and ran. Laughing under his snarl, Spike loped after her, sliding around the corner and back up another aisle. He saw her hair as she tore around another corner and he picked up his pace. "Slayer," he called. "You're going to regret that."

Laughter was his answer, soothing his worry for the little girl, and he chuckled in return. He slowed his pace, carefully looking up each aisle for her. He saw Buffy coming up the cookie aisle and he waited until she was more than halfway to him before he showed himself. She froze and gave him the ‘deer in the headlights' look, pressing her lips together to hold back her laughter. He sauntered confidently up the aisle, knowing he could catch her if she ran. What he didn't expect, however, was to be ganged up on by both the women in his life.

Spike was suddenly tackled from behind, knocked to the floor by his goddess. She giggled delightedly, grabbing his arms and holding them above his head so he was pressed face first onto the floor. The Slayer ran over and slid to him on her knees in mimic of that John Travolta movie...or was it Kevin Bacon? Either way, she was at his side and was using her deadly fingers to tickle him mercilessly.

"Slayer! Ducks! Stop it!" Spike yelled, squirming under his kitten. Laughter was coming from all three of them, and tears from his own eyes as he continued to be tickled. It was so bloody unfair, the two of them against him. He hadn't a prayer. "Bloody hell, will you two quit it!"

"Now this is something you don't see everyday," a male voice said from just beyond them. "Spike getting tromped by two beautiful women."

The three looked up to see Xander standing there, leaning casually against the shelves. "But I wouldn't protest if I had two women holding me down."

"Xander?" Buffy said in a quiet voice. Spike pushed himself up, then helped his Dru to her feet. The Slayer stood on her own power, not removing her eyes from the young man standing there. "Are you..."

"Makes for interesting make out sessions," Cordelia said as she came around the corner. "Hi Buffy. Get tired of being a run away?"

"What? I was only asking," Cordelia said. "I know you're dying to find out why she's back after all this time. Oh wait, you're already dead."

Xander rolled his eyes at them. "She's going to haunt me for the rest of my unlife."

"Pet, you stay and chat," Spike told the Slayer. "Dru and I will go get the soup." He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed in reassurance, then put his arm around his sweethearts waist and led her away.

"That boy has dark and light in him," Drusilla said as they walked back towards the canned goods aisle. "He's like us."

"I like him, then, because I like my soul," she said. "It sings beautiful music to me. Like a rainbow."

"That's because you are beautiful like a rainbow," Spike told her. He frowned, wondering where he'd heard that expression before. Perhaps it was a song. Now it was going to bug him until he figured it out. With a mental growl, he began to search the cans for the chicken soup once again.

The Slayer appeared a few minutes later with her small shopping basket, looking a bit worn around the edges, but not unhappy. "Hey, my two favorite fiends. Ready to blow this pop stand?"

"Did you have a good talk, pet?" Spike asked her as they headed up the aisle for the check out.

"Yeah," she replied. "Cordelia is a tactful as I remember and Xander gave it to me straight. I guess that they are still together, even after the whole vampire thing."

"Just some random attack," she answered. "He said that Oz was with Amy now and that, get this, my mom is married to Giles."

"Wiggy is a better descriptive," Buffy said. She frowned. "He didn't say much about Willow, though. Only that she was a full-fledged witch, like Amy and a teacher at the high school."

"Well, luv, you can always ask her tomorrow," he suggested, hinting strongly. He wanted her to see her old chums and get over her pain so she could get on with her life. "I'm sure she'd love to see you at lunch."

"I know," he replied. "Why don't you give her a bell when we get back to the motel? I'm sure your old Watcher has her number."

"Maybe," Buffy said. Spike knew that she would by that answer. Perhaps the little red head would put her guilt to rest like the Slayer did for Dru. Then all they had to do was stop whoever was coming and life would be good.

"Spike, can we get this?" Drusilla asked, holding up a pack of Bubbaliscious Bubble-gum. He saw that she'd already opened it and was chewing on a piece. With a groan, he grabbed the gum and tossed it on the conveyor belt with their other purchases, wincing when the loud bubble popped. He had yet to figure out when she learned how to blow bubbles when she didn't even need to breathe. He looked over at the Slayer and saw her grinning at his ducks. He had a sneaky feeling....

Part Six

Spike was sitting up in bed, reading his book when the Slayer returned. He looked up to see her come into the room through the connecting door and flop down on the end of the bed. He glanced at the clock and noted that she'd been gone for several hours. "Pleasant lunch, pet?"

"Without. I managed to convince her the doll already had her bath," Spike replied. "I don't want to have to dry that bloody thing out again. It was a bugger the first time."

"Maybe we should get her one of those bath time dolls for Christmas this year," Buffy suggested. "I think they still see them at the toy shop."

"As long as I don't have to get her anything to do with planes, my unlife will be good," he told her.

She chuckled, reaching over to tickled the bottom of his foot. "How's the book?"

"The day I believe that is the day I'll cut my own bloody head off," Spike said. He stuck the photo in the book and closed it. "Now, I know you want to chat with me, so spit it out."

The Slayer sighed and rolled over onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. "Lunch was...weird."

"I kept getting the feeling Willow was not telling me something. She use to not be able to lie at all, but now..." Buffy trailed off thoughtfully. "It was like talking to Xander last night. I heard about her job and her witchcraft, lots of stories about the others and the baddies they've fought, but nothing about her personal life."

"Sounds like she's hiding something to me, pet," Spike told her. "Either that, or she really doesn't have much of a personal life. But with her looks, I couldn't tell you why."

"We're meeting them for dinner at Mario's at 8:00," she answered. "I still can't believe Giles is now my step-dad. That's bloody wig-worthy."

"Yup," she replied. "I'm not going to this one alone, so be sure you two eat before we leave. I don't want you eyeing the bus boys as a la carte meals."

"Are you certain you want to bring Dru?" Spike said. He loved his Princess, but taking her to a restaurant was flirting with disaster. Especially if they were meeting important people in the Slayer's life.

"Yes, I sure," Buffy answered. She reached up and snatched the book off his lap. "Don't you think you should go see if Dru drowned?"

"She can't drown, she doesn't need to breathe," he said, frowning in the direction of the bathroom. Then again, this was his ducks. With a sigh, he stood and ambled to the bathroom. "Dru?"

Spike couldn't see her in the mound of bubbles and he wondered if the Slayer was correct. He went over to the tub and sat on the edge, reaching his hand down into the foam to find his plum. He did not expect to be suddenly pulled into the tub with her.

Drusilla's laughter filled the bathroom as she slid above the surface with him on her lap. His clothes were getting soaked, but he wasn't about to move for anything. "I got you, my Spike."

"That you did, my water nymph," Spike replied, smiling at her. "You're a clever girl."

"Are we going to see the Slayer's mum tonight?" she asked, scooping some bubbles and putting them on his peroxide blond head.

"Yes," he answered, letting her play. "You have to promise me to be on your best behavior."

"I'm a good girl, Miss Edith says so," Drusilla said. She blew at the bubbles on her hand. "The Slayer is not happy with going to meet her mum. She is frightened."

"I suppose she would be, luv," he replied. "She hasn't seen her in over five years. Lots changed since then."

"The Slayer hasn't been here since she went with you to find your Princess," she said. "I'm happy she took care of my Spike for me while I was gone. I like my Spike."

"Your Spike likes you, too, ducks," Spike said. "Are you ready to get out of the tub?"

"No," she pouted. "I like it in here with all the bubbles. They make my skin tingle."

"Ok, luv, but not too much longer," he told her. He pulled himself out of the tub. "And don't bloody drown."

He bent to give her a kiss and found himself being yanked back down, half falling back into the water as Drusilla took control and kissed him passionately. He may not need to breathe, but he was panting pretty heavily after that.

Several hours after he'd kicked the Slayer out of the room and closed the connecting door, the three friends made their way to the restaurant to meet Joyce and Giles. Drusilla kept up a happy chatter of conversation, trying to distract Buffy from the upcoming dinner. Except for his ducks, they were somewhat underdressed for the restaurant, but he didn't care. The Slayer was going to see her mum and that's what was important, not their bloody wardrobe.

Spike itched to snap the maitre de's neck as he stared down his nose at them. Luckily, before he could give into his urges, Giles walked over to them and escorted the trio back to the table. He was happy to see Buffy immediately engulfed in a hug by her mum. "Buffy, I've missed you so much," Joyce said, holding her daughter close.

"I missed you, too," Buffy admitted. When she stepped back, both ladies had to wipe the tears from their faces. "Um, mom, you remember Spike don't you?"

"And this is Drusilla," Buffy introduced the female vampire. "Dru, this is my mom, Joyce."

"Hello Slayer's mum, Joyce," Drusilla said, curtseying. Spike winked at her when she turned to him for approval.

"And you both already know Giles," the Slayer said. She pulled out her chair and took a seat, followed shortly by Joyce and Giles. Spike pulled out the chair for his ducks and once she was seated, took his own. A short, uncomfortable silence fell over the table as Dru examined the silverware. "So, um, how's being married? That still sounds weird."

"It's good," Joyce replied. "We would have loved for you to be at the wedding, but we eloped, so it didn't matter anyway."

Spike barely suppressed his snort and Buffy kicked him under the table. The waiter came around to take drinks and he ordered a Scotch Rocks for himself, a beer for Buffy and a Virgin Mary for Dru, having done this sort of thing before. He watched as the Slayer blushed when her mum and Giles looked between her and him. He gave her a smirk.

"So, uh, how are things with you?" Joyce finally asked, breaking the second silence of the night.

"Pretty good," Buffy replied. "I have a job at a pub in the quarter, working five to two. I slay on my nights off or after work, depending on what Spike finds out. We have a pretty decent place in the city, a two bedroom flat. Of course, it's a bit on the messy side, seeing as someone doesn't bloody pick up after himself."

"Do, too," Spike shot back. "It's your bloody magazines all over, and your smelly socks."

"And who's twenty-five Animorphs books are piled on the floor next to the couch?" Buffy asked sweetly. "Right next to all the Goosebumps ones?"

"Bugger off," he scowled at her. "At least I read, you just look at the pictures."

"I do no-" Buffy stopped speaking when she caught Joyce and Giles' looks. She gave them a sheepish smile. "Sorry. We tend to bring out each others...colors."

"The Slayer and my Spike like to yell at each other," Drusilla said, picking up the pepper and shaking some on her bread plate. "Sometimes they'll fight. It's much fun. But I can't play unless I'm tagged first. Right, my love?"

"That's right, pet," Spike replied to her. He watched as she picked up the salt and added it to the pepper on the plate.

He looked over at the woman, clearly surprised by the question. "Well, I cook. Do the laundry and go to the grocers, that sort of thing."

"He's a regular Mr. Mom," Buffy teased. He scowled at her again. "Dru and I got him a ‘kiss the cook' apron for Christmas last year, but he refuses to wear it. Says he looks like a bleedin' nancyboy."

Spike closed his eyes for a moment and counted to ten. When he opened them he gave her a fake smile. "You are just too cute, Slayer."

"That's why you love me," she replied, grinning at him. She got another look from Joyce and she blushed. "Not like that, mom. We're not having a threesome."

"Not that I hav-mmph." Spike's sentence was cut off by another sharp kick to the shin. "No. Not like that."

"How about you, Drusilla?" Joyce continued the conversation. She frowned when she looked at the vampiress.

Spike looked over at his love and saw that she was drawing in the salt and pepper on the plate with her finger. He reached over and took the dish from in front of her. "Luv, Joyce asked you a question."

"We're at a restaurant, ducks," he explained patiently. "You don't create designs in a restaurant."

"Drusilla," Spike warned. "Be good or Miss Edith will be mad at you." He gave Joyce and Giles a small smile. "Dru helps the Slayer out with her duties."

"I scare the bad men away," Drusilla added, catching onto the conversation. "I take there food and set it free, like birdies. Did you know that I got to fly the big metal bird? My Spike made it so I could fly."

"Here's your drink, kitten," Spike interrupted her as the waiter placed her drink in front of her.

Drusilla's eyes widened as she looked in question at Spike. "If I eat it, will I be a human or a bunny?"

The Slayer got her mum and old Watcher's attention, beginning a new conversation with them while he explained to his poodle that she would be neither a bunny nor a human if she ate the celery. Then he had to convince her that she did not need to use the utensils to eat it. By then, the waiter returned with their menus and conversation fell silent as they each read the selections.

"Yes, but we had that last night, ducks," Spike replied. "Wouldn't you like to have something else. It's not often we got to go to a fancy restaurant."

"Drusilla, you are welcome to have anything on the menu," Joyce said. "All of you are. Our treat."

"Slayer," Spike leaned over and whispered as the two ‘adults' at the table began to talk about what Joyce should have. "Do me a favor and bloody pick something for Dru and me, will you?"

"Fine, either of them," he replied, closing the menu. "I'm going to run outside for a smoke. Keep an eye on Dru, please?"

Spike excused himself and made his way out the front door and around the side of the restaurant. Once there, he lit up a cigarette and took a deep drag. He hated going to fancy restaurants, with all their fancy names for simple food. He hadn't recognized one word on the bloody menu and it really ticked him off. Plus, he was going to have his hands full with his Princess during the meal and he needed a few minutes to himself before the festivities commenced. Luckily, neither of them had problems with eating human food, though it wasn't necessary. His pumpkin thought it was fun, and he'd do anything to please her.

Joyce nor Giles had said anything regarding his plum's mental state, so either the Slayer had filled them in before hand, or the Watcher knew enough about Dru's insane tendencies and told his wife. He agreed with Buffy in the fact that it was ridiculous her mum was married to the tweed clad man. On appearance, he had to wonder what they had in common, aside from the Slayer.

With a final drag, he crushed the smoke under his boot and returned to the restaurant, glaring at the maitre de as he went by. He frowned when he found himself back at the table alone with the Watcher.

"Ladies room," Giles explained. Spike nodded and polished off his drink, flagging down the waiter for a second. "Spike, h-how is Buffy? Really?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "The Slayer is doing alright. She has Dru and me, and we all sort of take care of each other. I think it'll do her good that she's seen you and her mum and old mates. Even if we go back home, maybe she'll stop blaming herself for every bloody thing that has happened here."

"We will do our best dispel that notion," Giles said. "No one blames Buffy for anything, not even for leaving. Once we found out what h-had occurred that night, we worked double to-to try to make things right. Of course, we never did find Buffy, though not from lack of trying."

"We moved around a bit," Spike told him, sipping his refreshed drink. "Looking for Dru. She was a rascal, always eluding us by a few days. Set my teeth on edge, she did."

"It was," he replied. "We made a truce and a deal that I'd help her against Angel if she'd let me and Dru skip town. When I ran into her in LA, I extended the truce. I think she was happy to be with someone familiar, even if it were her bloody enemy. Then I asked her to stay after we'd found Dru and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Don't even mention that bastard's name, especially around her," Spike growled. "That pillock has hurt her enough, still hurts her, even from hell where the git belongs."

Giles looked surprised at the vehemence in his words as well as another emotion he couldn't quite name. Fear, perhaps? His attention was taken away from the man as the ladies returned. He stood and pulled out his kitten's chair.

"Spike, they had magickal water," Drusilla said excitedly as she sat down. "Mummy put her hand under it and it turned on all by itself!"

"Sounds exciting, ducks," Spike replied. The food arrived and he found himself with a plate of lasagna.

"There are worms on my plate," Drusilla said, picking up her fork and pushing the spaghetti around. "I like worms, they're all squishy and mummy gets to slurp their little insides out."

"Dru, do you want the stinky cheese for your worms?" Buffy asked, holding the dish of Parmesan cheese.

They had spaghetti at home every once in awhile, so his pet's reference to eating worms was not new. At her nod, Spike took the cheese and sprinkled some over her plate. The female vampiress dug in right away, eating just like a tot, sucking on one strand at a time. He glanced at Joyce and Giles and was glad they didn't seem to be put out by her childish actions. If they had been, he would have had to take some heads, soul or not. No one teased or looked down upon his poodle and lived.

The rest of the dinner went off without a hitch. Spike ordered ice cream for his pet for dessert while the conversation revolved around bland topics such as work or slaying. The Watcher discussed in more detail some of the creatures they'd fought over the past five years, about Xander's conversion to the dark side and restoration of his soul. That got him to thinking about what Willie had told him and he brought it up.

"Willie told me that you had two vampires in your little bunch," he said. "If that whelp is the first one, who's the second?"

Joyce and Giles exchanged looks and he frowned. This was similar behavior to the red head and the Watcher two nights ago. He felt like he was missing something big, something important and he didn't like it. Not one bit.

Part Seven

"Willow's married?" Buffy asked, astonished. "She didn't tell me that. I also don't remember seeing any rings on her hand."

"They had a-a-a handfasting ceremony," Giles explained. At her puzzled look, he added, "Wiccan marriage ritual."

"No, it's very legal," he replied. "They have both license and a certificate of-of marriage, however, they decided not to ex-exchange rings."

"I wonder why she didn't tell me," Buffy said thoughtfully. "How long has she been married?"

"Huh, imagine that," she commented. "What about Xander and Cordelia? Are they married, too?

"Ac-actually, they are," he said. "They were married before Xander's...uh, change. Oz and Amy are-are-are handfasted, as well."

"Wow. Looks like everyone has it good," she said. She looked over at Spike and he could see the tears behind her eyes. "Bloody hell," she whispered softly, biting the inside of her cheek.

"I think we ought to call it a night," Spike suggested, standing. "Long day and all that rot. Plus, I'm rather hungry and I promised the Slayer I wouldn't munch on the help."

"Um, you're welcome, Buffy," Joyce replied. "Would you like to do something tomorrow?"

"Don't know," she shrugged. "I'll call you." Joyce went to hug her, but the Slayer avoided it by turning towards the door. "Thanks again, guys," she said as she began to walk out.

"Yes, luv, supper's over," he answered. He looked over at Joyce. "I wouldn't hold your breath for that call, Joyce. I'd garner that we'll be going home tomorrow now that the Slayer has seen that her leaving was a good thing."

"What?" Joyce said. "Why would she think that? Everyone missed her so much, we were all miserable without her. I was miserable without her. I prayed every night for my baby to come home, but she never did. Until now. I don't want to lose her again."

"You may have bloody missed her, but everyone is happy and has their own mates," Spike told her. "You and the Watcher, the werewolf and that blond witch, the whelp and the prom queen and Willow and whoever her bloody husband is, even me and Dru. Each of us has someone. The Slayer does not. Being here now that she knows this is going to tear her apart, especially since my wanker of a sire is still in hell. Come on, Dru, time to go."

He quickly led his Princess out of the restaurant. Buffy was standing there, staring up at the night sky, a pensive expression on her face. With a silent curse to the gods, he put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze. "Spike, I want to go home," she told him without preamble.

"I figured, pet," he replied. "We'll catch a plane back home as soon as the sun sets tomorrow, ok?" Buffy nodded and they began walking back to the motel.

A loud knock at the door woke Spike the next morning. Glancing at the clock, he frowned and sat up. Looking through the open connecting doors between rooms, he saw that the Slayer was still sound asleep, as was his ducks next to him. The knock came again and he growled, climbing out of bed to look through the peep hole. On the other side stood a nervous Willow.

He walked away from the door to throw on his jeans. Then, standing well out of the way, even though the rooms were on the north side of the building, he opened the door and glared at the witch. "What?"

"Oh, um, is-is Buffy here?" Willow asked. "The manager told me this room number and..."

"Yeah, she's in the room next door, but she's bloody sleeping, like I should be," he told her.

"I really need to talk to her," she said, nervously shifting from foot to foot. "I have to get back to school in an hour, so I don't have that much time."

Spike sighed and motioned for her to come in. He led her through the connecting doors after putting a finger to his lips not to wake Dru and went to Buffy's side. "Slayer," he said, shaking her slightly. "Your red headed mate is here."

Buffy woke immediately, lifting her head to look at Willow standing by the provided dresser. She thanked him and he left, closing the connecting door behind him. He thought about listening in, but his tired body wanted something else, so he climbed back into bed with his ladylove and went back to sleep.

The sound of a fist breaking glass snapped him out of slumber. Drusilla sat bolt upright as he scrambled from the bed and into his jeans once again. "No, no, no," his Queen repeated, holding her head. "This is all wrong."

That was all he needed to here to rip the connecting door practically from its hinges. On the other side he saw Buffy cradling her bleeding fist in tears, a shattered mirror that once adorned the area above the dresser and the red head looking horrified. "What did you do to her!" Spike yelled, rushing to the Slayer's side. He checked the wound, wincing at the shards of glass imbedded in her skin.

"I-I-I-I-I told her the truth," Willow said. "Angel wants to see her. I didn't want to hurt her."

His head shot up, his eyes burning yellow as what she said sunk in. "Angel wants to see her?" She nodded, fearful of him. "As in Angelus, my sire? The one who's suppose to be in HELL?!?"

"He-he-he's not in hell anymore. Amy and I got him out a few months after Buffy ran away. We did it for her! But then, we couldn't find her and the weeks became months and the months became years and-and a lot can change in five years," Willow babbled defensively. "Especially since we didn't know if Buffy was alive or dead or undead or-or-or anything."

Willow yelped and threw open the door, tearing outside without a second glance behind her. He stormed over to it and slammed it shut, causing it to shake on its hinges. With a savage growl, he spun and punched the wall, leaving a massive dent before returning to the Slayer's side.

Drusilla scurried through the connecting doors, having put on one of her long nightgowns. She immediately took over for him, leading the sobbing Slayer towards her bathroom to cleanse her wounds. "Mummy's here," she cooed as she led the blond away. It seemed when Buffy was hurt, his Princess became lucid enough to take care of her like a mother would, and it made him very proud of her. He was inadequate to help the girl, wanting instead to lash out violently and kill something, damned his soul.

Growling explicatives under his breath, he grabbed the phone in his and Drusilla's room and got the number for the high school. When the Watcher got on the line, he let the man have it. "Why didn't you tell us that Angel was out of hell?! You stupid, bloody pillock! You've probably destroyed her again!"

"Spike, I-I wasn't at liberty to-to-to tell you," Giles replied over the line. "That was A-Angel and Willow's desires."

"Well, you tell that bloody bastard to meet me at the school as soon as the sun sets," he snarled, then slammed down the phone. He was going to give his sire a piece of his mind that revolved mostly around his fist in the wanker's face. He stopped pacing suddenly when an odd though occurred to him. If Angel was out of hell, why didn't Dru know it? She knew when he gained his soul and when he lost it again, but why not this? Perhaps that witch had something to do with it.

The hours passed slowly for Spike as he waited for the sun to go down. He fed quickly on the blood packets from the stash, all the while listening to his ducks trying to calm the Slayer. He was going to beat the bloody crap out of his sire for doing this to her. He long beyond deserved it for all the shit he put all three of them through.

Finally, the sun slipped over the horizon and he slid on his duster. "I'm going now," he called into the other room. Without waiting for an answer, he was out the door and stalking towards the school. Once there, he lit up a cigarette and leaned against a convenient wall, waves of barely suppressed rage coming off of his body.

Spike didn't answer. He observed his sire, noting that there was no change in his appearance other than the painful look in his eyes. With lightning speed, he lashed out his foot, catching Angel across the face. He followed it with several quick, hard punches to the gut, the older vampire bending in pain. He spun, backhanding him with enough force to send him spinning to the ground. With a growl, he begun kicking the downed vampire in the ribs.

The Slayer's commands stopped his assault and he looked up to see her and Drusilla almost upon him. Taking a few steps back in order to adhere to Buffy's wishes, he shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for them to arrive at his side. Angel pushed himself to his feet, grimacing in pain which he so richly deserved.

Spike wrapped his arm around his kitten's waist, holding her close as soon as she came within grabbing distance. He watched as Buffy halted a few feet from Angel, her expression tense and somewhat hostile. The vampire's own expression was one of sadness. He so wanted to beat the wanker again.

"I'll take your sorry and shove it right down your throat, you git," Spike muttered to himself. Drusilla shushed him, her liquid brown eyes wide as she gazed at her daddy.

Angel continued, "I'm proud of you. You did what needed to be done and saved the world. I'm sorry I was unable to find you and tell you that. We searched..." He paused, his eyes flicking over to Spike and Dru before returning to the blond. "Three years I looked for you, but it was as if you vanished. I thought...I thought you were dead. Willow..."

"You fell in love with her," Buffy whispered. Angel nodded. They stood there for several moments, staring at each other. Finally, the Slayer asked, "Do you...could you ever forgive me for all I've done to you?"

Angel's eyes widened in shock. "All you've done to me? I should be the one asking you that question." He took in the seriousness of her posture and the misery and guilt in her eyes. "Oh, Buffy. Of course I forgive you. I never held anything against you, ever, even sending me to hell. You did the right thing and I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Buffy suddenly launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. It made Spike want to lose his lunch. Drusilla shushed him again for his muttering, laying her head on his shoulder in happiness, a smile on her beautiful face. He had to admit it was a touching scene, if one went for that sort of thing. Something right out of a bloody picture, although he would have chosen someone much more of a man for the leading role than his lapdog of a sire.

The Slayer finally released Angel, smiling up at him through her tears. "I'm glad you're not in hell anymore," she said, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"I'm glad you're alive," Angel replied, reaching forward to run his hand along her cheek.

"And I'm glad this is going to be over soon," Spike said loud enough for them to here. "I'm getting bloody nauseous."

"Ow!" Spike said when his precious did as the Slayer asked. He scowled at both of them.

She beamed at him and scampered over to Angel, pulling him into a quick hug. "My Angel has a soul, just like mummy," she said, releasing him.

"Thank you," Drusilla said, looking shyly down at her feet. "My Spike takes care of me. He loves me lots."

"I know he does," Angel said, looking over at him. Spike glared in return. "He still has no respect for his betters, though."

"Spike, half the population of the bloody world is better than you," Buffy teased, walking over to him and linking her arm through his. "But I still like you anyway."

"You're too bloody hilarious, Slayer," he retorted, seeing the first genuine smile on her face since they'd left home for Sunnyhell.

"Buffy," Angel said. "Willow is anxious to see you. She feels bad about not telling you, which is my fault, not hers."

"Say no more," Buffy said. She stood on her toes and kissed Spike on the cheek, then went over and gave Dru a hug. "You two go out, have fun, terrorize the local vampires. I'll see you later."

"Ok, pet," Spike replied. "Do you still want me to make arrangement to go home tonight?"

"No," she answered. "I'll let you know when I get back to the room. Have fun." With a secretive wink to Drusilla, to which his plum giggled, she and Angel walked off together.

"Ducks, what are you laughing at?" he asked as they turned and headed in the opposite direction.

"Just girl stuff, my love," Drusilla replied with a feminine smile on her face. Spike closed his eyes and groaned. The rest of the night was either going to be very enjoyable or a nightmare.

Epilogue

Drusilla leaned over and smacked the Slayer on the arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

Spike laughed, throwing the blond a new card. The three friends had gone home the next night after meeting with Angel, but it was with an air of happiness. Since then, the Slayer had allowed herself to heal, making new friends and keeping in touch with her old chums through letters and email. At times, she'd get on the phone for bloody hours with Willow, driving him up a wall with their incessant chatter until he was forced to flee for his sanity into his bedroom with a book.

"Watch it, Dru. I may hit back," Buffy replied, playfully scowling at his ducks.

"But that would not be nice," Drusilla said. She picked up her cards and turned them over. "I have five bleeding hearts."

"Slayer, I think you're right," Spike said in disgust as he tossed down his own cards. "Dru cheats."

He stood and wandered into the kitchen as the Slayer shuffled the cards. The ‘bad man' that was suppose to hurt the Slayer's chums had arrived in Sunnyhell only to be easily trounced by them. It turned out to be an old friend of the Watcher's. Buffy said he was the one who turned everyone into their Halloween costumes. He remembered that fun night. It was...neat.

Grabbing three sodas and the pretzels, he returned to the table, catching the end of a conversation between the love of his unlife and his best friend. "I'm telling you, Dru. You have to try it sometime. Gives whole new meaning to the term ‘flying'."

"What are you filling her head with now, Slayer?" Spike asked, setting down the bag and drinks.

"Spike, can we go in the big metal bird again?" Drusilla asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "I want to fly."

"So I can be a pilot in the mile high club," Drusilla replied, her eyes completely clear. She gave him a wicked grin. "Do you think they give you gold wings for that, luv?"

Spike groaned and left the room to Buffy and Dru's girlish laughter. His Princess never failed to surprise him and he loved her so bloody much. He needed her as much as he needed to avoid the sun. He needed her as much as he needed blood to live. Their laughter reached his ears again and he thought of what his Black Queen suggested.

These authors spend lots of time to write these stories. If you took the time to read this PLEASE take the time to give them some feedback. Happy writers write more ;-)

Saber ShadowKitten - daschus@attbi.com