The Undiscovered Country

Phoenixheart70 aka Carl/theblondiebear

Author; Phoenixheart79 aka Carl/theblondiebear
Rating; PG, but may get higher (Features m/m relationship)
Disclaimer; I do not own BtVS, that privilige goes to Joss Whedon and M.E. I guess I own Sebastian, but the rest I'm just borrowing. I promise to put them back in the toy box when I'm done!
Continuity; Starts ten days after the events of "Chosen"
Distribution; Please ask unless I post it somewhere where you archive it (like some of the yahoo groups I'm on), in which case I bow to that authority.
Feedback; Please! I write for me, but it's a boost to know what people think of my work.
Authors Note; This fic is the sequel to my last story, "A Childe Awakens". If you haven't read that, you should, as portions of this story just won't make sense.

Chapter 4

Day 1

The next morning, the group gathered in the kitchen. The gang was seated around a warm oak table, a bowl of fresh fruit in the centre. Buffy looked at Dawn and smiled. Their night in each other’s comfort seemed to have helped the younger Summers woman no end, for which Buffy was glad. That it had benefited herself as well was a bonus, one that she had needed for a while, but had barely admitted even to herself.

Buffy poured herself a glass of juice and leaned against the counter, staring out of the window at the rolling fields that surrounded them. A light mist still clung to the fields, turning the landscape into a sea of undulating grey and mysterious shadows. "Wow, nice day." she commented.

Giles looked up from the cup of tea he was drinking whilst reading a leather bound book. "It’s okay Buffy, the mist will be cleared in an hour or so."

Buffy set her empty glass down, staring out into the mist. "That’s good. I’m gonna take a shower." She turned and left the kitchen. Willow watched her friend leave and turned back to the group, "She seems better, did anyone else see that? She seems better today."

Dawn nodded, "We held each other last night. I woke up and she was talking in her sleep. I think she misses Spike more than she’s letting on. But she’s getting there."

Giles sighed, "I wish she’d move on, he was no good for her." he set his book and tea down, moving to the counter and preparing his breakfast. Returning to the table with his bowl of Weetabix, he sat down again and poured milk over the two wheat blocks. "Spike may have saved the world, but he was not good for her."

Xander watched Giles before speaking, "You know, I wasn’t the worlds greatest Spike fan, but if what Buffy said about him after he got his soul back was true, plus the whole pushing me away from Caleb thing before he skewered my brain, I’m kind of leaning towards giving him a get out of jail card."

"Be that as it may, he still had the potential to cause harm."

"Giles, leave it already." Willow cut in, "Buffy made her choice and it turned out to be the right one."

Giles sighed again, "You’re right, of course. Besides, the point is mute, Spike is gone."

Silence gripped the small group for a while, before Kennedy broke the uncomfortable silence, "So, giant dog, any leads?"

Giles took a mouthful of his cereal before addressing Kennedy, "Not as yet, but we will continue our endeavours today. Plus Buffy and Sebastian will be looking for tracks as soon as the mist lifts, to see if they can locate the creature."

An hour later, while the others returned to Giles’ library to continue their research, Buffy and Sebastian set out to track the creature. The mist that had shrouded the countryside has lifted and a cool Autumn day was upon them. They jumped the fence to the paddock and spread out, searching for some hint or clue. The grass was still damp underfoot, dew still clinging to it. Buffy inhaled deeply, the scent of the country air filling her nostrils. She let out a contented sigh. She liked it here, even with the pressures on them, to find the Slayers, the Watchers, to stop the latest creature feature, she was relaxed. She took another deep breath, revelling in the sensation of breathing in the still cool morning air.

"Buffy, over here!" She turned in the direction of Bastian’s voice. He was about twenty metres away, crouched down, his long dark green coat pooled around him. She wandered over towards him,

"Say, just how many jackets have you got?"

He looked up and flashed her a lopsided smile, "Oh, at least seven, I hate to be seen in the same thing to often in a single week."

Buffy chuckled softly, "So, what you got?" She wrinkled her nose, "Aside from a jumbo pile of dung?"

"Not the dung, Buffy, what’s in it. Look." She looked down in the direction he was pointing. A large pile of horse muck had been trodden in, a large animal print clearly visible. "I’m no animal expert, but I’d guess that there aren’t many dog type animals that big in the UK. We should have Giles look at it."

Buffy shook her head, "Nah, there can’t be many critters with feet that big around, I say we follow it." She pointed to the ground, "Look, there. This one just stands out ‘cos it’s framed by the muck, but there’s a definite trail." They set off, following the faint trail of prints across the paddock, heading towards the woods that lined the far side. In the distance a pair of horses, including the one that had bolted the evening before, grazed peacefully, as if nothing untoward had happened only hours before.

As they strolled across the grass, Buffy looked around her, "I kinda like it here." she said, "It’s really peaceful."

Bastian chuckled, "You’ll get bored soon enough, not many vamps around here. We’re going to have to head to one of the big cities if we want to make a real impact."

Buffy nodded, "Yep. That and we’ll stand a better chance of finding Slayers in areas like that. It’s a nice place to come back to though. Good, thick walls that block out sound at night." She turned and grinned at Bastian. Her companion laughed softly and shook his head,

"Nothing to hear last night, I’m afraid."

"Really? Everything okay with you two?" She asked.

"Yeah, everything’s fine. We just had a late night and an early start. No time for anything more than a kiss and cuddle."

"Shame, you two seem to be getting along well."

Bastian nodded, "He’s a sweet guy, he’s hard not to get along with. Plus he’s cute, which helps."

Buffy smiled, "Can’t say as I’ve paid much attention to Xander’s cuteness quotient."

"Damn good thing as well, he’s mine I tell you, all mine!" He let out a long cackle that would have been right at home in any Hammer Horror movie. Buffy looked at him, a grin on her face, but Bastian’s face remained completely serene, no hint of humour on it. Buffy couldn’t help it, his business like face pushed her over the edge and she started laughing. At this, a grin spread over Bastian’s features. Buffy reached out and punched him softly on the shoulder.

"I can tell you two are well matched, your sense of humour is almost as strange as his. If I hear one more eye crack from him, I’ll do something unpleasant!"

Bastian smiled, "It’s his way of coping. That and the knowledge that you kicked the guy who did it’s arse."

Buffy nodded, "I know and I love him for it. I don’t think I could ever harm him or Willow."

"He’s lucky, you know, having a friend like you."

Buffy smiled softly, "He’s family." She looked up and with a start realised they had reached the tree line. The trees towered above them, ferns lapping around the base of the trees like a green ocean. The soft sounds of woodland animals could be heard, the rustle of leaves moving in the wind. The two Slayers moved forward, following the tracks in amongst the trees. Within moments they had to stop, the tracks having disappeared in the undergrowth.

Buffy looked around, frustrated and put her hands on her hips, "Damn, we’ll never find it in this."

Bastian looked up, "I know. But at least we know it came here. Maybe we could have Willow come out and take a look, see what she can find."

Buffy’s head bobbed up and down in agreement, "Yeah, see if she can do a spell or something."

Grudgingly the pair turned and started walking back across the field, towards Giles’ country house, a small dark shape in the distance. As they walked, Bastian felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked back at the woods and Buffy turned with him,

"What’s wrong?" she asked.

Bastian simply stood and stared into the trees before shaking his head,

"Nothing, I just felt like I was being watched is all."

Buffy peered with him into the woods, "There’s nothing there, must have been your imagination."

"Yeah, must have been." Bastian replied, rubbing his arms. They turned and resumed their walk back to the house. Behind them, a pair of orange eyes appeared amidst the foliage, watching their progress patiently for a few minutes before melting away into the gloom cast by the trees.

Later that evening, having returned from their tracking mission, Buffy and Bastian were gathered with the others in the library, once again lost in the books, having spent the remainder of the day searching for any information they could find on the Barghest. Bastian sighed and closed a book with a gentle thump before pushing it towards the ‘read’ pile. Xander looked up from his book,

"I know what you’re feeling." He followed Bastians’ lead and shut his book with a thump. "This is hopeless Giles, we’ve been looking for hours. There’s nothing here."

Willow looked up from Olivia’s laptop, "Hate to say it, but the boys are right. I’ve been searching for hours and the most I’ve found is conjecture. It seems that everyone who’s encountered a Barghest has died, so there’s hardly any details." She stopped and put a hand on top of Kennedy’s, looking into the younger woman’s eyes, "But don’t worry, we’ll find something soon, I know it." She managed a small smile.

Kennedy smiled back, "It’s okay. If push comes to shove I’ll kill it first." A sad look passed over Willow’s face and Kennedy placed a hand on the other woman’s cheek, "Hey, at least it won’t get anyone else. I’ll search those woods from end to end if I have to, but it won’t hurt anyone else."

Willow was about to answer when the door to the library opened and Olivia entered, carrying a tray of refreshments in her hands and a rolled up newspaper under one arm. She set the tray down and moved towards Giles, unfurling the newspaper as she walked.

"Rupert, you should look at this. It’s about Edward." She lay the paper before him and he read silently to himself for a short while, his eyes flashing back and forth across the short article. Finally he closed and folded the paper and smiled up at Olivia,

"Thank you for bringing it up, but there’s nothing new I’m afraid."

Olivia shook her head and smiled gently before tapping him softly on the head, "Your brain can’t be working right. Think about it Rupert, if the local paper reported Edwards’ death, then they might have had some information on the others too."

Giles stared at her for a moment, realisation spreading over his features, "Of course! You’re right!" he stood up and kissed her on the forehead, "Thank you." He turned to the others, "Excuse me for a few minutes, I’m going to make a phone call." With that he left the library. Buffy reached over and picked up the paper, unfolding and opening it to the page Giles had been reading. A small picture of Giles’ friend Edward headed a small article titled "Local expert involved in tragic accident."

After a few minutes Giles returned, wearing a jacket. "I’m going out for a short while, you should all be fine here." He smiled, "I’ll see you all in a short while. Olivia?" With that he turned and left the room, Olivia following after him. Shortly they heard the sound of the Land Rover start and pull away.

"Well, where do you think they’re going?" Buffy asked, addressing no one in general.

"Knowing Giles, it’ll probably be important." Willow observed. "We should just relax, have a drink and read some more." She indicated the tray that Olivia had brought into the room and walked over to it, pouring glasses of juice for Kennedy and herself. She moved back to the table and handed Kennedy her drink before sitting back down. Sipping her drink she continued, "Giles said he’d be back soon and he’ll probably fill us in when he returns."

Buffy sighed and stood up, pouring herself a drink, "You’re right Will, he’ll fill us in." She settled herself in an armchair and picked up another book, scanning the pages, but her mind kept wandering. She read the same sentence six times, but it just wouldn’t stick.

‘Oh, just popped by for a quickie then.’

She sighed, ‘Good. Good, I haven’t had quite enough jealous vampire crap for one night.’

The darkness changed, and she was face to face with herself.

‘Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to... There’s that word again. What you are. How you’ll die. Alone.’ she paused, watching Buffy, ‘Where’s your snappy come back?’

‘You’re right.’

The image of Buffy cocked it’s head slightly to one side, ‘Hmm, not your best.’

Spike stirred on the cot, ‘I’m drowning in footwear.’ She turned to look at him, then back, but she was gone.

Dust and rocks fell, the earth shook, ‘Gotta move lamb, I think it’s fair to say school’s out for bloody summer.’

She looked around at the collapsing hellmouth, then back to him, ‘Spike!’

He held his hands up, palm outwards, light pulsing from the amulet resting against his chest, ‘I mean it, I gotta do this!" He grimaced in pain, bathed in sunlight from above, the amulet protecting him while he acted as it’s focus.

She was bathed in daylight, stood before the crater that had been Sunnydale. The dust was slowly settling, great clouds of it that had been thrown into the air as the town collapsed. To one side, the invisible mystical wave that had extended outwards from the hellmouth, destroying the town, faded out of existence and the ocean that had been held back came crashing in, flooding the immense crater in moments. The small group watched as nature reclaimed that which had resisted it for so long. Dawn stepped up beside her and hugged her sister, staring out at the turbulent waters.

"You did it Buffy, you saved the world." she said softly.

"Again." Xander said, stepping up beside the pair.

".....again."

Buffy shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, "I’m sorry, what?" she asked.

Dawn gave a soft a laugh, "I said, wake up, you’re day-dreaming again. Honestly Buffy, I don’t know where you go most of the time."

Buffy smiled thinly, "Memory lane." she said softly. Dawn stopped laughing, it hit her in an instant, she was dwelling on Spike. Looking around, she saw the others gathered in separate corners, Xander and Bastian were... a small hint of red crept into the young woman’s face as she saw what the two men were doing. Her gaze drifted to Willow and Kennedy and she almost screamed in frustration. Still, while the two couples were occupied, they wouldn’t be interfering with her and Buffy’s conversation.

She turned to her sister, laying a hand on the older woman’s and spoke softly, not wanting to distract the others, "Buffy, you can’t let this get to you. Spike is gone, but he died a hero. Not the everyday hero, but a hero in the purest sense of the word."

A tear crept down Buffy’s cheek, "I know Dawny, but I should have saved him, it’s what I do. I failed."

Dawn reached up and brushed the tear away, "Don’t talk stupid, you did exactly what you were chosen to do. And so did Spike. This was his circle Buffy, it couldn’t have ended any other way. We both know that if you had pulled him out, the amulet wouldn’t have finished what it began and we’d be right back where we started. Spike was destined to sacrifice himself," she gave a small shrug, "And if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from two witches, a Slayer and a Watcher it’s that destiny can’t be changed. It can be manipulated, but never changed outright. What happened was meant to happen."

"It doesn’t stop it hurting." Buffy said softly, "He didn’t even believe me when I told him I loved him."

Dawn cupped her hands around her sisters face, "I think, Buffy, he knew more than you think. I think he knew the way you loved him wasn’t the way you did Angel. You said you loved him, he took it wrong in the moment. He knew you loved him." She smiled.

Buffy smiled a little, "Maybe you’re right Dawny. And hey," she added, grinning, "When did you become so smart about these things?"

"The same time you became so lunk-headed." Dawn shot back.

"So, when Buffy became a teenager?" The two girls turned at the sound of the voice to see Giles standing in the doorway, a large bundle of newspapers under one arm and a wry smile on his face.

"How long have you been back?" Buffy asked.

Giles strolled into the room, setting the bundle on the table as the others wandered over to join them, "Not long." He answered, "Just long enough to hear your last question to Dawn."

Buffy smiled, "Good." she said, a hint of her old self resurfacing as she cheerfully responded to him, "So, what’s with the papers, we practicing oregon?"

"Origami Buffy, and no." Giles corrected her, "It’s for research purposes. When Olivia brought me the paper earlier, she reminded me that the previous deaths would have been reported there as well. With a bit of discussion, I was able to get hold of some back copies. Researching the Barghest’s other victims may provide us with some clues that have thus far eluded us, especially some over-riding theme that links all of the incidents together."

Xander spoke up, "I think he means by finding out who’s been killed, we can see if there’s a link."

Giles sighed, removing his glasses to clean them, a habit the gang hadn’t seen him do in a while,

"Yes, that’s exactly what I said Xander."

"No, it’s not." Xander said cheerfully, "I used different words. Shorter ones too." Giles only sighed in response.

"And I greatly appreciate it." Bastian put in, squeezing the other man’s hand in affection.

"Yes, well, I suggest we all get reading." Giles said, sitting down and passing the newspapers around.

For the next two hours the group poured over the papers with Willow entering the names of the other victims into the computer and trying to find something, anything to link them, some clue. So far nothing had presented itself. None of the victims were connected to each other in any way.

Willow sighed, rubbing her eyes, "It’s no good, there’s nothing here, it’s all random. The biggest link we’ve got is that three of the victims worked for a local company interested in removing some of the woods for a small get-away resort. Even those guys, from what I can tell, had nothing to do with each other. One was a manager, one a maintenance engineer and one made the coffee." She pushed her chair back and wandered over to Kennedy, sitting on her girlfriends lap and snuggling into her neck.

"Well, it’s a start." Buffy said, looking up.

"Hardly Buffy." Willow said, looking up, "In a community this small, some crossover like that was to be expected. Three people in eleven does not a chain make. Triangle maybe, but not a chain."

"Still," Giles put in, "It would be remiss of us to completely ignore this information. We will have to further investigate this information."

Willow sighed, "Yeah, you’re right." Kennedy whispered something softly in the redheads ear, "I’ll pick it up tomorrow. We’re going to bed. See you all tomorrow." The pair stood and left the room hand in hand.

Giles glanced over to Buffy, "Just leave them to it Giles." She said, "It’s got to be rough on them and they’re dealing. Besides, we have five days left to find this thing."

"You’re right of course, I would just prefer to have this matter resolved as swiftly as possible."

"Me too Giles, but it’s no good doing this while stressed out, they’ll only feel worse for it and that’ll just makes things harder. We had this conversation last night as well."

"Yes, yes. Fine. Let’s all get some sleep and we’ll continue in the morning."

One by one, the groups left the library heading for their separate rooms. Softly, Buffy shut her door and changed into her night clothes. She opened the door and padded softly over to the bathroom. She twisted the doorknob and paused, blushing slightly. The walls might be enough to stop sound for humans, but she had Slayer hearing. She was used to hearing Willow, but to hear Xander calling another man’s name was....disconcerting. She blushed lightly, entering the bathroom and concluding her business there as swiftly as possible. Quietly she closed the door behind her and returned to her room, doing her best to ignore the sounds coming from two sets of doors now. She smiled gently, at least they weren’t letting the current problems affect their relationships.

She opened her door and found Dawn curled up on her bed, already fast asleep. She smiled again and lay down beside the younger woman, who whimpered softly in her sleep. Buffy pulled her sister into a protective embrace and settled down to sleep. One of her last conscious thoughts was ‘family’.

Back to Chapter Three