Know Your Enemies
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Know Your Enemies
By HW
Jac@blackplumes.freeserve.co.uk
Rating: PG-13 (This part. Each part rated individually)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I merely borrow
Summary: Buffy must achieve enlightenment before she can return home.
Author’s Note: Excerpts from part 1 based on shooting scripts for ‘Fool For Love’ and ‘The Prom’.
Know Your Enemies
Prologue
Giles and Spike sat in the Summers’ living room together sharing a bottle of Scotch. For once Giles had decided to put aside his dislike of the vampire and instead share in his grief. If one thing had become painfully clear this past week it was that Spike loved Buffy and Dawn irrefutably; so they sat together now, not talking just wallowing together in their misery and loss.
When they heard the scream from Dawn’s room, both jumped violently, sharing one look of sheer panic before they raced upstairs. They found the teenager sitting up in bed, her eyes wild, and her breath coming in harsh stokes, sweat pouring from her body. She stared at them for several seconds before reaching for the vampire.
Spike was beside her in an instant, enfolding her in a fierce embrace, while Giles moved to the other side of the bed and sat down on the chair. For the last week Dawn had been unable to sleep alone, when she slept at all that was. Giles had moved in temporarily, but she had been unwilling for anyone but Spike to look after her. Now the two had formed a bond so close, drawing some sort of comfort from the others’ presence.
“I was on top of the crane,” Dawn sobbed into the vampire’s chest, “and Buffy was there… and you were reaching for us… and you were so close… and Buffy held out her hands to you but she couldn’t reach you… and then the light came and started surrounding her and we were screaming for her but it wouldn’t stop…”
She wept uncontrollably and Spike clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes tightly shut to stop himself joining her. He couldn’t bear this. He had to be strong for Dawn, but it was so hard. He wanted to scream and shout and rage at the world that had created perfection and then brutally snatched her away from her loved ones.
“I know love,” he whispered into her hair, rubbing her back gently to try and calm and soothe her. “Shh, nibblet. If there’s one thing I know about your sister it’s that she wouldn’t want you to hurt because of her. Because of anything. She loved you so much Dawnie. We just have to strong.”
“It’s too hard.”
“No, no. We’re here. We’ll help you through this. We’ll help each other.”
Dawn sniffed and pulled back slightly to look at him. “I just keep thinking what would have happened if I wasn’t the key, or if those monks hadn’t given me human form. If it wasn’t for me, Buffy would still be alive.”
“Don’t think that Dawn,” Spike’s tone brooked no argument. “Don’t you dare blame yourself. It is not your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”
“But…”
“No. I could have stopped it… I promised and I failed. It’s my fault.” He raised his fingers to her lips as she began to protest. “The point is we’re all blaming ourselves. Each of us are imaging ‘what if’ scenarios. We can’t change anything, no matter how much we hate it, so we find some way of saying it was our fault. But it wasn’t yours.”
“Or yours,” Dawn whispered looking him straight in the eyes, forcing him to listen.
“It was supposed to be me. I was supposed to go down in blaze of glory… no pun intended.” Dawn smiled slightly at the vampire’s words. “I wish it had been me sweet bit. Hell if we’re going to get into that, I wish she’d never been the bloody Slayer in the first place, then there’d be no chance of her being in perpetual danger. Maybe if I’d been the Slayer, Buffy would still be here for you.”
Part One
Brazil, 1998
“...and you couldn't ever do it. He brought blackness upon us.”
Angel was screaming at the top of his lungs. Buffy knew she’d be a fool if she didn’t feel just a little afraid. She’d seen that look in his eyes before. Knew what it meant to be on the receiving end of that deadly gaze. Still there weren’t many ways out of this one. She knew he had every right to be angry, but so did she and she wasn’t shouting. No she was trying to make a go of it. She just had to stay calm and hope that Angel eventually calmed down too.
“So, Sunnyhell was not our finest hour. And yes, I made a deal with the Slayer. But you were shagging
Dru and bringing about an Apocalypse to end all life as we know it. So? Every couple's got their ups and downs, love. Point being, we got through all that, it's behind us now. Isn't it?”
He stared at her, his anger barely restrained. She was going to pay for this, Buffy knew. She dropped the arrogant display and leaned forward slightly in her seat. “Just tell me what you want,” she offered gently.
“I want the Slayer dead, Buffy,” Angel gritted out dangerously.
Buffy had had enough. She jumped out of her seat and started pacing in front of her lover. She was angry too. “You're the one who keeps bringing him up! I haven't said a word about the bloody Slayer since we left California! He's on the other side of the planet, Angel!”
Angel stood and stopped Buffy in her tracks, holding her in front of him, gripping her arms brutally. “But you're lying, I can still see him. Floating all around you. Laughing. Why don't you push him away?”
“But I did, Pet. I did it for you! And you're still punishing me,” Buffy had no idea what he was talking about. Yes she had made a truce with the Slayer, but there was no feeling in it, other than an intense desire to keep the world going and get Angel as far away from his bitch of a Sire as possible.
Angel looked down at her and his eyes softened slightly. “It’s over Buffy. You taste like ashes to me.”
Buffy stared up at him confused, refusing to believe this was the end. “This is my fault?”
“You're covered with him. I look at you, all I see is the Slayer.” Angel brought his hand up and backhanded Buffy with all his strength, sending her flying across the square, to rest unconscious on the ground.
****
Sunnydale, 1999
William turned to leave. He couldn’t bear to hear this anymore, but Drusilla held him back. “I'm sorry. Will, you know how much I love you. It kills me to say this…”
The Slayer exploded. “Then don't! Who are you to tell me what's right for me!? You think I've never thought about this stuff?”
“Have you? Rationally?”
“No, I'm just a little kid, right?”
“I'm trying to do what's right here, I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart…”
“What heart?” He raised his hand cover her heart, angry and upset that she was doing this to them. “You have a heart? It isn't even beating!”
Drusilla flinched slightly. “William, please don't.”
He shook his head, angry tears rolling unbidden and unnoticed, down his face. “Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry, nobody told me I had a choice! I can't just change… I'll never change. I want my life to be with you.”
Drusilla stopped and looked and him. This was the moment. The choice Joyce had been talking about. “I don’t”
“Don't - want to be with me?” She continued to look at him, not saying a word and the harsh truth began to settle over him. “I can't believe you're breaking up with me...”
“It doesn't mean I don't…”
He didn’t want to hear anymore, gestured for her to stop explaining. They stood for several more moments before he asked “How am I supposed to stay away from you?”
“I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor. If we survive, I'll go.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
There was a pause. A long moment where William finally took everything in. “Dru?”
“Will...”
“Is this really happening?”
****
Brazil, 2000
Nia knocked once and entered the room. It was dark and smelled strongly of blood and fear. Nia hated this. It made her wince still to see her Sire like this. She walked forward into the darkened room and laid the dish she carried down on the floor. She quickly picked up the empty bowl lying next to it and backed out of the room. She closed her eyes and let out an unnecessary sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her.
“Something wrong Nia?”
The vampire’s eyes shot open instantly and were immediately caught in a deadly black gaze. “N, n, no Master. All is well.” He smiled broadly down at her, but Nia was not deceived.
“Run along then,” he gestured for her to leave. Nia bowed her head and walked away, glancing back over her shoulder once, in time to see her Master take the whip and chains from the wall and let himself into the room. Nia shuddered slightly and made her way out into the night, unable to bear another night of her Sire’s screams.
****
Sunnydale, 2000
He ran. He ran through Sunnydale as if all the minions of hell were after him, Xander’s words ringing in his ears the entire time. He had to get there. He had to try. He hadn’t given her a chance. His eyes were stinging, his mind was racing. He couldn’t let her leave like this. It wasn’t fair on either of them.
Was it? Was Xander right? Could he ever love her? He didn’t want her to think he hated her, but was it giving her false hope turning up like this now? What if he couldn’t do it? What if she wasn’t the one?
No. No point thinking like that. He had to try. He had to.
He shouted and screamed and called her name, but it was too late. She was gone. And she didn’t look back once.
Part Two
Sunnydale, 14th February, 2001
William entered the Magic Box wearily. He’d been through a lot lately and he was tired. And he was certainly in no mood for Valentine’s fun. He hadn’t heard from Harmony and wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that. It was getting easier, but he still didn’t want to spend tonight as a fifth wheel on the Willow/ Tara, Xander/Anya wagon of love.
So he was prepared for a night of slayage, happy for once to be able to kick some demon ass, but still tired beyond belief. Every minute these days was taken up with some sort of worry. His mother, Dawn, Harmony, college, the dark side of the force. He needed something to take his mind off it.
Giles looked up from the counter as he entered and smiled. “’Evening William.”
“Giles,” Will nodded at the older man.
“I have something for you,” his Watcher told him, and he raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.
“Why Giles. This is all so sudden. And here I was thinking that romance was dead.”
The Watcher looked at him sternly. “Very funny, William.” He pointed across to a large box, which lay near the entrance to the training room. “This came for you today.”
The Slayer wrinkled his brow as he moved slowly towards the box. “What’s in it?”
“How the devil should I know?” Giles asked exasperated, removing his glasses and cleaning them nervously. “Open it and find out. I’ve been dying to know.”
“Dying to know what?” a third voice joined the conversation and the two men turned to find the Scoobies watching them intently.
“What’s in the box,” William answered Xander’s question, turning his attention back to his ‘gift’.
“When did it arrive?” Willow asked as she moved to stand next to her best friend.
“Around one, this afternoon. I knew you were at college and that you’d be here tonight, or I would have called earlier,” Giles told them.
“Open it,” Anya ordered, not understanding why they were still standing around talking when there was a huge present to be opened.
William smiled at Anya’s impatience and moved closer to the box. There was something weird about this. Something he didn’t understand. “Open it,” he whispered to himself wryly and quickly forced the lock. The Scoobies held their collective breath as the Slayer reached out and slowly raised the lid.
Inside he could see a blanket, wrapped loosely around the item and he reached down to pull it away. The movement disturbed the object and the Slayer suddenly found himself on his back with human shaped creature crouching on his chest.
The Scoobies had backed away slightly and were all staring at the creature intently. Whatever it was had a human form and was clearly female. She was completely naked and crouched like an animal waiting to pounce. Her hair was matted and obscured her face, keeping her features away from their eager eyes.
Giles stepped forward to try to aid William but the creature leaned toward him and growled, forcing him to step back a couple of paces.
William knew this was a vampire, although why it was in such an animalistic state was beyond him. He had a strange feeling he knew this vamp, however he couldn’t tell whether or not he had met her before because of all the hair hiding her face. He knew he had to be careful, but really didn’t know how to get away without staking her, and he wanted to know whom this was and why she was here.
The vampire stilled and sniffed, bending close to William and sniffing him thoroughly as though inspecting him. William lay still and let her inhale him, hoping the fact that she hadn’t bitten him immediately was a good sign. Suddenly the sniffing stopped and was replaced by a rolling purr that came from deep within this vampire perched on top of him. His face took on a confused, slightly apprehensive look as the vampire leaned close and licked his neck.
“Umm, Giles? She’s licking me,” he managed, breaking the Scoobies out of their shocked contemplation of the scene. As one, they moved closer to the vampire and Slayer, still unsure as to what to do.
As she continued to lick his neck and face, William considered that whatever had happened to this creature must have been considerable, to revert her to her roots. As her frenetic movements slowed he opened his eyes and met a pair of grey-green ones he knew he would never forget.
“Buffy?!!”
Part Three
“What?!” Willow, Xander and Giles exclaimed as they looked, astonished, upon the vampire before them.
“Who?” Tara and Anya asked, confused at their friends’ reactions.
“Buffy,” William said again, more gently this time as he carefully reached up to brush the hair out of her face.
The vampire leaned into his hand, the purr deepening as she rubbed herself gently against him. The Slayer lay still in shock. Here was his mortal enemy, his greatest adversary, the only vampire he had not been able to beat, reduced to an animalistic state. And she was sitting on his chest. Purring.
“Well stake her,” Xander’s voice cut through the silence and shook the others out of their shock.
“No!” Both Willow and William cried out, causing Buffy to look sharply up at the gathered Scoobies, before turning her attention back to the Slayer.
“We can’t just kill her,” Willow continued, “She hasn’t hurt any of us. Something awful must have happened to her.”
“Am I the only one who remembers the whole, ‘kill evil vampires’ deal?” Xander asked the room at large.
“Who is she?” Anya asked her boyfriend again, feeling a little annoyed at being ignored earlier.
“Big bad vampire master from a couple of years back. Tried to kill us all, end the world, that kind of thing. The only reason she’s alive now is that she gave Will a helping hand in the final battle with Drusilla. Then she took her boyfriend and skipped town, never to be heard from again. Or at least, that’s what we hoped.”
“Look, no one is staking her until we know what happened to her and why she is here,” William told them firmly, gently easing himself up into a sitting position. “Giles, what could have happened to her to revert her to her roots like this?”
“Um, well, I suppose there could be a spell of some sort,” Giles began, carelessly rubbing his glasses as he explained the possibilities. “If it had been a human, or even another vampire, I would have put it down to mistreatment of some kind. But it would have to be prolonged and incredibly violent to reduce a vampire this way. As it’s Buffy… Well she was never the kind to let herself be put in such a position. She was strong and resourceful. Any demon that could do this her to her must be a tremendous threat.
“Ok. Um, Willow can you and Tara start researching any spell that could do this to a demon, while the rest of you try researching incidents of similar things happening and the demons most likely to break a vampire like this.” William slowly raised himself to his feet; leaving Buffy crouched on the floor before him, rubbing against his legs.
“Do you think she recognises you?” Willow asked quietly, edging closer to him as the others settled down to research.
“I don’t know Wills. If she did don’t you think she’d have ripped my throat out by now?”
Willow smiled slightly. “Maybe. Or maybe she just trusts you.” The redhead looked down at the vampire who was staring up at them as they talked. Carefully she reached out her hand and the vampire hesitated slightly before moving closer and sniffing it. She nudged the palm of Willow’s hand with her head and the young witch relaxed slightly as she gently stroked the vampire’s hair.
After about a minute, Buffy turned away from Willow, rubbing her cheek against William’s leg, before moving to inspect the others. She crawled across to them on all fours; her movements quick and fluid like a cat. She made her way around the table, examining each of the Scoobies in turn before rubbing gently against them for a minute and moving on. When she had finished examining them all she returned to her place at the Slayer’s feet.
The others endured the whole procedure in silence, one disbelieving, one afraid, one curious and one accepting. As Buffy began purring again Giles decide to take action.
“William, what are you going to do with her? How will she feed? Where will she stay? And for God’s sake boy, cover her up this instant!”
Looking down at Buffy’s naked form with a start, William moved to retrieve the blanket she had been wrapped in, in the box. The vampire moved with him, staying slightly behind him as she crawled. William managed to pull the blanket around her, finding he’d have to hold it in place if he didn’t want her to shake it off in a second.
“I’ll take her home with me,” he answered Giles’ question, causing a troubled reaction from his friends. Deaf to their arguments he scooped the vampire up in his arms, chuckling slightly as she wriggled to get closer to him. “Enough. She won’t hurt me. She’ll stay in my room. I’ll lock the door so she won’t be able to get out to hurt anyone else. If she attacks me in the middle of the night, I’ll stake her. Ok?”
****
William opened the front door soundlessly and managed to carry Buffy through. He realised as he did so that he had never revoked her invitation and frowned at his own carelessness. At any time over the past three years Buffy could have entered his house and killed his family while they slept. Looking down at the sleeping vampire now, it was hard to imagine her ever harming a fly. She looked so innocent and gentle.
“Wow. New girl. Took you long enough,” Dawn interrupted as she passed by him on her way to the kitchen. “Although from the look of it, you’ve been keeping quiet about this one.”
“Dawn,” William growled warningly at his sister. “It’s not like that.”
“Noooo,” Dawn drew out mockingly, looking back and forth between her brother and the woman in his arms. “I mean, you always carry beautiful sleeping women around, wrapped in blankets.” She laughed softly at him. “Doesn’t matter to me. I’m sure she’s a vast improvement on Harmony, which is the main thing. Although, if you’ve thinking about,” she leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice, “you know, doing it, you might just wanna take her straight up now ‘cause, mom’s in the kitchen.”
She turned with a smile and continued on her way before William had time to answer. He grimaced slightly at her back before following her.
“Oh my God, Will, what happened?” Joyce asked as her son entered the kitchen. She tilted her head to look more closely at the girl and she frowned as she thought. “Don’t I know her?”
Dawn moved across to stand with her mother and looked properly at the woman for the first time. “She looks familiar…”
“She was here a few years ago. You saw her a couple of times mom. Before I ran away,” William informed them as he sat down at the kitchen counter. “It’s Buffy.”
“The vampire?!” Dawn exclaimed, stepping back a little, fearfully.
“William,” Joyce began, using the tone Will knew was going to mean trouble. “How could you bring a vampire into the house? She’ll kill us…”
“No, mom. I don’t think she will,” William soothed as he settled Buffy a little more comfortably in his lap. “She, uh… Well she was sent to me. Something’s happened to her and I want to know what before I… well you know.”
As Joyce was about to ask what had happened to the vampire, Buffy awoke. Seeing new people surrounding her, she instantly launched herself at them, making Dawn scream and sending Joyce crashing to the ground. Buffy growled for a second before sniffing Joyce and licking her neck heartily when the inspection was complete. She then moved on to Dawn who was backed fearfully into a corner. The vampire repeated the process, licking the teenager’s hand before nudging her under Dawn’s arm and cooing softly as she pressed against her.
“William,” Joyce spoke to her son, but her eyes remained trained on the vampire, “what is going on?”
Part Four
Once Will had explained the situation to his mother, Joyce had taken control. She and Dawn had taken Buffy under their wing, feeding her, cleaning her and making her feel more comfortable in what was to be, for now at least, her new home.
She slept in William’s bedroom, lying curled up at the bottom of the bed near the Slayer’s feet. He tried to get her to sleep in the bed but it was impossible. She would do nothing that put her in a better position than him, something that took a lot of getting used to.
The Scoobies searched for spells and demons with the power to break a vampire this way for a week but couldn’t find anything. They seemed to accept that Buffy was now not a threat and therefore turned their attention back to Glory.
William spent as much time as possible with the vampire. She seemed to trust him more than anyone; always knowing when he was around, purring and cooing with delight when he touched her. He found she no longer responded to her name, nor had any verbal way of communicating beyond the basic sounds of fear and contentment.
It was difficult and messy feeding her, and they found that she would eat best from a bowl placed on the floor, that she could lap at whenever she needed to. At first she only fed at certain times, as if expecting the blood only to be there then. When she discovered that the bowl was kept full at all times, she began feeding at regular intervals, slowly building her wasted body back to health.
The Slayer had been shocked and annoyed when Buffy had first been delivered to him, but also a little curious as to how and why something like this had happened to his once great enemy. After the first week these feelings had given way to anger and disgust at the person responsible, and a great sympathy for his former foe. He was determined to look after her and restore her to former self.
Giles was apprehensive. If Buffy were restored wouldn’t she just attack them all? Kill them as she had tried so many times in the past? Will didn’t agree. He trusted the vampire now as she had trusted him and he didn’t believe for one second that she would ever hurt them. And even if she tried, he was the Slayer. He would simply stake her. At least if she were restored it would be a fair fight.
****
William lay in bed, Buffy curled around his feet as usual, staring at the ceiling. It had been a month since Buffy had been delivered to him and he was still no closer to finding out why. The Scoobies still searched for information and possible leads whenever they had a chance, but right now all of their attention was focused on Glory.
‘And yours should be too,’ he thought to himself. They had discussed the possibility of Glory being the one to do this, but had dismissed it, as it was highly unlikely that the hell god would ever take the time or effort to involve herself. Besides, Glory seemed to hate vampires almost as much as she hated Slayer’s, considering them common and unworthy.
Buffy stirred, shaking Will out of his thoughts. She raised her head slightly to look at him and he smiled down at her, causing a beautiful smile of her own to appear on the vampire’s face. Languidly, she raised herself up a little and crawled up the bed to lie next to him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her, her movements startling him somewhat as she had never before changed her position like this. She lay half across his chest, looking down at him thoughtfully. She placed her hand on his cheek and opened her mouth slightly, concentrating hard as she inhaled deeply.
“W…” she managed hesitantly and the Slayer stilled, hoping that she could manage to say his name. “W, w,” she stuttered, and pouted as she struggled to get the word out, tears forming in her eyes. William brought a hand up to gently smooth the hair out of her face.
“It’s alright Buffy. You’re doing wonderfully,” he soothed, glad that she now leaned into his every touch, instead of flinching away occasionally as she had in the early days.
She had been very apprehensive of being touched by the others, after that first inspection, and she was especially nervous of Giles and Xander. The Watcher thought that her abuser must have been male, which would therefore make her wary of other men like himself and Xander. She trusted him though and the knowledge had made him promise that he would do nothing to hurt her and would protect her as long as he could.
“W, w, w…” she tried again, and Will grinned up at her, continuing to stroke and comfort her. “W, w… William,” she breathed eventually and the Slayer’s eyes widened as he heard his name on her lips.
“Buffy, you did it. That was amazing,” he was laughing now, cupping her face between his hands as he let her see his delight. “I’m so proud of you.” He brought her face down to his and softly kissed her lips.
She froze and then, inexplicably, rolled over and lay on her back next to him; her teeth clenched together, her eyes closed tightly. William turned onto his side, sitting up slightly to look down at her in confusion. “Buffy? What’s wrong? I’m sorry, if I upset you. Really I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything.”
In answer Buffy took hold of his right hand and guided in under the covers and down her body to the juncture of her thighs. William pulled back sharply, jumping out of the bed in horror as he realised what she was doing. She had been shaking with fear; her hand trembling as she tried to give him what she thought he wanted.
His rage at the monster who had done this to her threatened overcome him as he looked down at her again to see her now staring up at him with nothing but fear in her eyes. Realising his current behaviour couldn’t be making her feel any safer he stepped back towards her, but stopped short when she cringed with fear.
He closed his eyes so she couldn’t see the anger in them; he crouched next to the bed and spoke softly to her. “Buffy. It’s ok, I promise. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you understand? I’ll never hurt you.” He managed to get himself under control and opened his eyes to look at her again. She still lay in the same position, her face displaying nothing but dread.
Swiftly, he pulled the cover over her, careful not to touch her in any way. Then he dressed and went to wake his mother. He told her exactly what had happened, any embarrassment he might have felt under other circumstances pushed aside by anger, his hatred and contempt for Buffy’s tormentor finally overtaking him. Joyce promised she would look after Buffy that night while William went to talk to Giles.
****
“William, please calm down. You’re not going to be any help to Buffy if you continue this way,” Giles tried to pacify the Slayer as he paced angrily around his Watcher’s apartment.
“I can’t calm down Giles,” Will answered his Watcher never ceasing his anxious movements. “ You should have seen how frightened she was. I want you to find this guy, this monster. I want you to find him and I want you to take me to him so I can…”
“Will, I understand your anger. I do,” Giles assured William as he interrupted. “But you can’t let your feelings overcome you, not to this extent anyway. If you want to help and look after Buffy, and I really do think that it’s a wonderful thing you’re doing, then you should be there for her, supporting her. Help her to let go of the past.”
The Slayer finally collapsed on the couch next to Giles, letting the anger slowly drain away. “I’m sorry Giles. It’s just when I think of all she must have gone through…” He trailed off and inhaled deeply as he fought the anger back once more. “She’s been so brave with us, so strong. I would kill anyone who tried to hurt her now.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, the two men taking in the significance of those words. Finally Giles spoke. “You’re in love with her.”
“Yes. I think I am.”
Part Five
“That’s it. Nice and slow. Good girl. That’s right,” William coaxed as he led Buffy by the hand into the magic shop. It was two months now since she had arrived in Sunnydale and she was slowly but surely, regaining her sense of self.
William had been working hard to develop a strong trust between them ever since the incident in the bedroom. He had worked with her every day, helping her to walk and talk. They had discovered that Buffy couldn’t remember anyone’s name but William’s, a small detail that made Willow smirk at him every time it was mentioned. He kept meaning to ask her about it, but time always seemed to get away from them.
Today was a special day for Buffy. With a little help from Joyce and Dawn she had managed to wash and dress herself, and had walked hand in hand with William from the Summers’ house to the Magic Box. The others hadn’t seen her progress with walking and talking, as she shied away from them when they tried to observe, but William kept them up to date, his pride in her achievements always shining brightly through his words.
Now as he led her down the steps to the others who were watching, for the girls’ part at least, in delight, he beamed at her, congratulating her on every step.
She looked up at them nervously when she reached the table, squeezing Will’s hand for support as she moved on to the final part of her task for the day. She wrinkled her brow in concentration as she opened her mouth to speak.
“G, g… Good evening,” she said faintly and then looked across at William who nodded at her with a smile. Buffy turned back to face the others in turn as she continued. “Mr. Giles… An, A… Anya.” She sucked in another deep breath of air. “Xander… Will, uh, Willow…” she smiled at the young witch who beamed back at her, before catching her best friend’s eye and winking at him. Will frowned at his friend and turned his attention back to Buffy, not knowing what Willow meant by her actions.
“Ta, Tara,” Buffy finished triumphantly and then, as if losing all her new found confidence, bit down on her lip and turned to the Slayer for reassurance. He grinned widely at her and opened his arms, which she flew into willing, unable to stop the purr that emanated from her body, allowing the room to hear her contentment and relief.
****
“W…W, w… Willow…” Buffy stuttered out later that week as the redhead sat with vampire in the Magic Box while the others were out searching for Glory or any of her little minions they happened to find.
Willow looked up from the book she was reading and focused her attention fully on the vampire. She had to admit she liked this new Buffy. She wasn’t the scary, arrogant vampire of three years ago, she was more a frightened animal who had been hurt terribly and needed protecting. She was like a newborn, having to learn her place in the world and Willow didn’t think that Buffy would ever hurt them, as she once would have.
“What is it Buffy?” Willow asked slowly so that the vampire could understand her properly. William had told them all to talk with the blonde vampire as much as possible in order for her to redevelop her communication skills.
“William is, is, is… good man, yes?”
Willow nodded, waiting for Buffy to continue.
“Buffy,” the vampire continued, pointing to herself, “good?”
Willow considered the question and found she didn’t really know what to say. She was good now, but she hadn’t always been so. And as Xander kept reminding them, this could all be a temporary arrangement. She watched Buffy as she continued to struggle for an answer and was shocked when the vampire’s eyes filled with tears.
“Buffy, bad?” she asked, looking at Willow for confirmation. She looked afraid of what the answer was going to be.
Willow shook her head hurriedly. “No, no! You’re not bad. It’s just… in the past, you did some bad things. But now you’re good. You’ll see, when you’re all better again you’ll… well you’ll try to make up for it, I think, and then you’ll fit right in here with us.”
“With William?” Buffy asked hopefully, appearing to have grasped the basic points of Willow’s lengthy answer.
“With William,” the redhead agreed and she sighed a little in relief when Buffy grinned.
“Love him,” Buffy said simply as she turned back to the book that lay open before her and continued to flick through the pages of demons, which she had been using to point out to Willow those she recognised.
“You love him,” Willow sputtered, reaching over to turn Buffy’s face to look at her again. “You love William?”
Buffy nodded with a smile as she repeated the witch’s words in answer. “I love William.”
****
Nia peered through the window of the shop as she pulled her large coat around herself tightly. She saw her Sire sitting with a pretty redhead at the table near the back of the store. She glanced quickly around, making sure she was not being watched and then hurriedly made her way inside.
Willow and Buffy both looked toward the door when the bell rang and the blonde vampire stood shakily when the recognised the woman who had entered. Willow squeaked with fear as she saw the stranger’s vampiric visage and reached for a cross and stake.
“Do not worry,” Nia told the young witch as she saw what Willow was reaching for. “I haven’t come to harm you. I merely wish to be of use to my Sire.” With that she dropped to the floor in front of Buffy and bowed her head.
Buffy looked back at Willow you was watching the scene unfold with interest and then gestured for Willow to do the talking. “What is your name?” the redhead asked and the vampire looked up at the two women before her. Buffy signalled for Nia to stand and nodded that she should answer Willow.
“Nia,” the younger vampire answered briefly.
“Do you know what happened to Buffy?” Willow asked excitedly, hoping that finally the mystery could be resolved.
Nia sneered with disgust as she answered. “It was my master, my Grand-sire,” she spat, and then clarified as Willow stared at her uncomprehending. “Angelus.”
“Angelus did that to her? But he lov… Oh God Buffy that’s awful!” Willow exclaimed, turning her attention back to her almost-friend. Buffy winced as the memories assailed her and she nodded at the witch. “Ok, so what are you doing here? Why does she need help?” Willow continued her conversation with Nia.
“Once Angelus got word that his plan had not played out exactly as he thought he set out to finish what he started himself. He’s back in Sunnydale now.”
Part Six
William finished his final sweep of the cemetery and headed back towards the Magic Box. He was more impatient than usual tonight, feeling something was wrong, that something bad was gong to happen. He wanted to get back to Buffy and make sure she was alright.
He smiled to himself as he walked considering how strange it was that he loved his former enemy and felt so desperately protective of her.
“Well how sweet,” a voice he recognised stopped him in his tracks and he turned slowly, hoping he was wrong. “The Slayer hurrying home to his pet vampire. What is it with you and the undead, boy? Do you know how twisted it is? Vampire and Slayer!”
“Angelus,” William replied, a stake materialising in his hand as if by magic, “Any last requests before you become low grade fertiliser?”
“I don’t think you’ll manage it somehow,” Angelus laughed confidently, “But just in case, why don’t you tell me how Buffy’s doing? You managed to get her to stop drinking from the bowl yet?”
Seeing red at the vampire’s words, William launched himself at Angelus and the two began to fight in earnest, neither one giving an inch as they attacked each other with a brutal force.
****
“You mean he’s out there now? And Will’s still on patrol? Oh man,” Xander exclaimed angrily heading for the door.
“Xander, what are you going to do? He’ll kill you!” Anya said, trying to hold him back.
“Well we have to do something,” Willow sided with Xander, dodging quickly around Giles and heading for the exit.
A low growl from Buffy silenced them all instantly and they turned towards her, the look on her demonic face making them truly understand what Nia had been explaining for the past hour. The Scoobies had returned in time to hear everything that had happened between Angelus and Buffy since they had left Sunnydale three years ago.
Once Angelus’s pride had been hurt at his realisation that Buffy loved the Slayer he had punished her with rape and violence, planning to send her in her broken state to William in the hope that she would kill the Slayer.
But he hadn’t planned on Buffy recognising William.
Now he wanted them both dead.
Looking at Buffy now, it was easy to understand why Angelus thought his plan would succeed. She looked deadly. Not pausing to look at them, Buffy ran from the shop and out into the night toward the graveyard. After a moment’s hesitation the others followed.
****
“She loved you, you know… that’s why she didn’t kill you… couldn’t kill you…” Angelus explained mockingly to William as they fought. “Made me sick… all that power, all that skill and energy and she wasted it… because she loved you.”
William felt ill. For the past two months, when he had considered Buffy’s tormentors, not once had he imagined Angelus as the one who hurt her. Someone whom William had heard Buffy profess her love and devotion for time after time. It was sick.
“And now you love her… Sweet… But doesn’t it make you a little jealous to know I had her first? That she was mine? That she loved me for a hundred and seventeen years?” Angelus taunted.
This William could handle. He couldn’t remember the last time he had lost a verbal battle with a vampire. No wait, he could. Buffy.
“And it only took one look at me to drive all thought of you away. What does that say about you? Couldn’t make her happy? Couldn’t keep her satisfied? Did she feel loved with you, huh? Did she purr?” As the words tumbled out, William stepped up his attack knocking Angelus to the ground before falling heavily on top of him and continuing to beat him.
“She may have loved you first, but at least I’ll always know who she wants most. Who she loves most. You failed Angelus and now,” William spoke softly as he raised the stake over the vampire’s heart, “you’re going to die.”
“Guess again,” Angelus crowed as he moved swiftly, knocking the Slayer off balance and gaining the upper hand.
Both were so intent on the fight, neither of them noticed the small blonde vampire who approached from behind. When her eyes fell on her former lover and her new love she let out an angry, guttural cry and launched herself at Angelus, hauling him off the startled Slayer.
“Hello lover,” Angelus smirked up at Buffy who was looking down at him with wild eyes. “Ready to come home yet?”
Buffy stilled and a slow smile spread across her face. She leaned down so the she was lying against his chest, her mouth hovering over his. William stared at the couple in shock as Angelus sneered over Buffy’s shoulder at him. “You were saying?”
Buffy caught the vampire’s eyes again and grinned at him as she moved her hands up his chest, leaning close to whisper in his ear. “I love William,” she murmured. “I hate you,” was the last thing Angelus heard before he disintegrated into dust.
Part Seven
One Year Later.
“For God’s sake Slayer! Just stake the bloke sharpish so we can go home,” Buffy called out as she sat on a gravestone, watching her love tease the vampire with a slow fight. “You promised me an early night,” she continued more seductively as William seemed to ignore her.
Her words brought the Slayer’s head up; in one swift movement the vampire was dust, and Buffy was in Will’s arms. “You should have said,” he murmured as he traced a path down her neck with his lips, “I could have finished up hours ago.”
“Now he tells me,” Buffy sighed wearily leaning into him as he caught her lips with his own.
Buffy was almost back to full strength now, though William didn’t like her patrolling alone. As her speech and confidence improved, former aspects of her personality began to reassert themselves. She had had nightmares for months following Angelus’s return, but it had marked a breakthrough in her recuperation and she had progressed in leaps and bounds ever since.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” he asked her as they walked hand in hand through the grave yard.
“Not in the last hour,” Buffy told him, rolling her eyes playfully, before beaming up at him and blowing him a kiss. “Wouldn’t mind hearing it again though.”
“Love you,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her a little tighter against him.
“I love you too William.”
Epilogue
“Spike?”
“Yeah luv,” Spike nodded as he gripped the teenager’s hand tightly. “Giles? Care to fill us in on what the hell that was?”
Giles sat in silent shock for a moment before he stood and started to pace excitedly around Dawn’s room. “I think… Yes, I think I know what that was. Oh God, but that means, and…”
Spike and Dawn shared a look as the Watcher continued to talk to himself. When his eyes finally refocused on the two others waiting patiently for an explanation of what they had just seen, Giles stopped. “I have to consult my books.”
Spike sighed wearily and leaned over to tuck Dawn into bed. “Well who would’ve believed it? Giles consulting his books, it’s such an odd occurrence.” Dawn giggled a little and the vampire smiled down at her and kissed her head. “Night, nibblet. I have no doubt Rupert will have found an answer by sunrise.”
The two men then made their way downstairs. “Bring Dawn by the shop tomorrow around eleven and I’ll try and have an answer. I’m almost certain of what it was, I just want to be certain before I get anyone’s hopes up,” Giles told the vampire as he pulled on his coat and opened the front door.
“Rupert,” Spike stopped him as he almost ran from the house, “What do you think it was?”
“Enlightenment,” Giles answered with a grin and was gone before Spike could ask anything else.
Spike locked the front door and then glanced at the couch in the living room and back towards the stairs. With a sigh he turned off the remaining lights downstairs and made his way up to Buffy’s room, pausing to check on Dawn as he went.
He felt he needed to be close to Buffy tonight and wanted to sleep surrounded by her things instead of in the living room or next to Dawn’s bed. He smiled as her smell hit him when he entered and pulled the curtains closed quickly before curling up on top of her bed and falling asleep immediately, clutching Mr Gordo.