Sunnydale was absolutely crawling with vampires. It was only when trying to walk through the graveyard at night that it became apparent just how many of them there were. Normally Willow wouldn't brave the graveyard on a night like this but she needed to see Spike. It was quite urgent. Dawn was missing again.
She slipped around behind a tombstone, trying to keep out of sight of the vampires, and promptly walked backwards into one. The large vampire spun round and grinned at her. Willow took a quick step back.
“Don't be afraid little girl,” she vampire told her, grinning. A second later the tip of a stake appeared through his chest. He exploded into dust with a surprised look on his face and Willow found herself looking at Spike who with Dawn close behind him.
“What are you doing out here?” Spike asked, stepping closer to her.
“Looking for her,” Willow replied, gesturing at Dawn. “We didn't know where we went, we were all really worried.”
“So Buffy sent you of around graveyards on your own?”
“Buffy wasn't in,” Willow protested. “She's round at Giles’ trying to catch this daemon thing. We didn't want to worry her.”
“I don't need looking after all the time,” Dawn muttered from behind Spike. Spike glared at her and shook his head. He grabbed the young woman's arm and began walking through the graveyard again, Willow walking at his side. A few of the vampires gave them shady looks but most just stayed away.
As they turned from the cemetery into a street Dawn pulled her arm out of Spike's grasp and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. Willow glanced at her and sighed, she just knew they were in for it.
“You can go now Spike,” she said. “We don't need you just to get home,”
“Not happening. You know this town is crawling with vamps since Ozzfest is in town, better to walk with you just in case.” Willow nodded her agreement. They walked in silence for a moment but then Willow just had to ask.
“Dawn, why were you in Spikes crypt?” The teenager shot her a dark look and tossed her hair.
“I wasn't. I was out with my friends.”
“Your alcoholic college friends?” Spike asked, sarcastically.
“It's none of your business who I hang around with anyway,” Dawn told him angrily, beginning to walk faster. She tried to get out in front of them but Willow ran after her and grabbed her arm.
“Why were you handing around boys so much older then you?” she asked, concerned.
“If you must know I went out with my high school friends and we ran into them. I was getting on really well with one, he was called Brad, I think we might have made out if Spike hadn't found me.”
Dawn glared at Spike but apparently the bleached blond vampire had had enough. He spun around pushing Dawn to the wall and planting a hand on either side of her body. Dawn tried to pull away but he didn't let her move.
“You listen to me,” he growled. “Those boys were only after one thing from you and it's a damn bit more serious then kissing.”
“I wouldn't let them,” the young girl told him defiantly.
“And how the hell would you stop them? They were pissed Dawn, they had no bloody idea what they were doing and they probably wouldn't think twice about raping you if you said no to them.”
Dawn didn't say anything for a moment, a little shocked. “They wouldn't,” she managed after a long silence.
“They were drunk Dawn, and also they probably would, they wouldn't see it as rape, they'd just see it as fun. Making you have fun.”
Dawn had paled considerably now. She had no argument so Spike moved of and let her step away from the wall. THe long haired girl just stood there for a second then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Spike.
Willow watched them and for a moment it was like it had been when Buffy was dead. That both scared and elated her. She had been sad when Buffy died, she had missed her best friend. Now Buffy was back but she never had any time to spend with Spike anymore.
Sighing, Spike put his arm around Dawn and started guiding her back towards the house. Willow followed, letting herself remember, remember while Buffy was gone. Every night they would all meet at Buffy's house, even Spike. Then they would go out patrolling and leave Dawn with Anya and Tara. When they were done patrolling everyone would go home except Spike who would come back to Buffy's. They would sit in the kitchen and drink hot chocolate with the little marshmallows in and talk about the way things used to be.
Spike had been so sad then. It was like his every action hurt because she wasn't there. THere was no point pretending he didn't like them because she wasn't there to disapprove of if. Sometimes she still saw the hurt in his eyes. It was something to do with the fact that she hung around him all the time but wouldn't even admit he loved her, let alone return the feeling.
Coming back to reality Willow realised they were almost home. Spike walked them up to the door and let go of Dawn.
“I’de best be going,” he said, turning to leave.
“Do you want some hot chocolate?” Dawn asked. Willow smiled, she had been about to ask the same thing. Spike hesitated a second then nodded and followed the two women in.
As Willow set about making the hot chocolate Dawn and Spike sat down at the counter. Dawn started talking abut Ozzfest. Some of her friends were going and she was trying to persuade Buffy to let her go with them. Willow had been trying to avoid talking to Spike about it as she knew the vampire had opted to patrol with Buffy rather then go, and he really wanted to go.
She placed the mugs on the table and sat down when they heard the door bang. They all turned and Spike half rose from his seat. Buffy appeared around the door. Her head was hung and her arms were wrapped around herself.
“What happened?” Willow blurted.
~*~*~*~
Giles opened the door to his apartment and went in, Buffy close behind him. They were both carrying heavy bags of groceries, Buffy managing hers much easier then Giles was. He sat the bag down in the kitchen and Buffy followed, taking an apple out of a bag and taking a big bite.
“So, what now?” Buffy asked.
“Apparently, I should go to bed,” Giles replied, cleaning his glasses nervously. “If you wait here Ill go and wash up, help yourself to anything from the kitchen.” He quickly exited and Buffy poured herself a glass of milk and sat down on the couch. Leaning back she let her thoughts run away with her. She imagined Spikes chest. So cold, so still. Walking up on it, his arms around her, softly stroking her hair. Her nightmare-less night.
Quickly she put a stop to those thoughts. It wasn't right. Spike was evil and dead, she couldn't think things like that about him. Riley used to hold her when she had nightmares to make her feel better, not Spike. Spike was all fangy and he drank blood and... and...
Giles entered the room again, serving as a welcome distraction from her unruly Spike thoughts. He had washed up and changed into pyjamas and a dressing gown. He made his way over to the kitchen and made himself some tea silently. Buffy waited for him, eating her apple silently. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was the type of silence you could have with someone you were perfectly comfortable with. She had this type of silence with Spike a lot.
Giles finished making his tea and joined her on the couch. They sat in silence for a moment as they drank and ate. Finally Buffy got bored of the silence and started making casual conversation about slaying and dreams and job hunting. Safe subjects. Subjects that didn't make her think about Spike. It was getting harder and harder not to think about him.
She moved closer to Giles as she explained to him about the job she had been interviewed for earlier that day. It was a waitressing job and she didn't think she would get it but she had tried anyway.
She turned and looked at him. There faces were very close. She could smell the tea on his breath. She paused for a second, breathing in the scent that was uniquely Giles, then tried to move away.
She wasn't fast enough as the older man lent in and kissed her.
She almost jumped out of her seat. He had kissed her, on the lips. She couldn't stop herself making a disgusted face, he was like a father to her.
I'm sorry Buffy,” he said. “It shouldn't have been like that. I should have found a better way to tell you how I feel. I'm...”
The slayer didn't catch the rest of it as she ran from Giles house. She ran and ran, half way around the town, unable to stop. He couldn't. He couldn't love her. She was his pupil, she was meant to be like a daughter to him.
Finally she managed to slow down and stop to think. She knew she had to go back. THere was a reason for her being there, a daemon. And she had to straighten this out. For a second she longed to be in high school again where should could have gone home and told her mom what had happened and it would all be taken care of. Now she was the one who had to take care of things.
She walked back to Giles. It wasn't that she didn't want to make sure he was safe from the daemon, it was just that she didn't want to have to deal with what he had said. As she approached his home she realised all the lights were off and his bedroom window was open. Without a second thought she let herself in and ran up the stairs and into Giles room.
THere it was, the daemon. It sat on the side of the bed, staring at her. Giles lay sprawled out behind it, unmoving. The slayer ran from the room and back to the living room. She pulled open a chest and grabbed a sword. A flutter of wings told her the creature was following her. She swirled around quickly, sword held high, but it was nowhere to be seen.
She started back towards Giles room and it rumpled her from above, throwing her to the floor. She landed on her back and quickly thrust her sword up into the creatures guts. It screamed in pain and tried to roll of her but she rolled with it, pulling the sword out and bringing it down again into the creatures chest. She jumped up and turned, bringing the sword down through the creatures neck, it howled for a split second then burst into a small cloud of dust.
Never wasting a second Buffy ran into her watchers bedroom. She sat down on the bed and took his wrist, checking for a pulse. When she didn't find one she tried his neck, the she lay her hand on his chest, hoping that somehow she had missed his pulse both times.
She turned and ran from the apartment.
~*~*~*~
Buffy appeared around the door. Her head was hung and her arms were wrapped around herself.
“What happened?” Willow blurted.
At her friends words Buffy collapsed into tears. She felt her legs grown weak and she almost fell over but strong, cold arms caught her and held her close, keeping his from falling.
Spike carried her into the living room and sat down on the sofa, holding her in his lap. She sobbed against him as her friends watched her, worried. It took her a few moments to get herself together and when she did she looked around at the people there for her, the people she loved.
She let herself go limp against Spikes chest as he gently stroked her hair. Again it occurred to her how strange it was that his chest didn't move, which just served to remind her of Giles.
Dawn reached out and lay her hand on the older sisters knee. Buffy knew she would have to tell them something, but how much.
“Giles is dead,” she said simple. As second later both Dawn and Willow's faces seemed to crumple in grief. Dawn lay her head on Spikes other shoulder and Willow hugged her legs, fighting the tears.
“How?” the wiccan managed to gasp through her sorrow. Buffy took a deep breath and retold the story of entering his house and finding the succubus and slaying it, only for it to be to late.
“Why weren't you there all along,” Willow asked, anger beginning to seep into the redheads voice.
“He... he,” Buffy couldn't find the words. She didn't want to dishonour Giles memory. And she didn't want to think about it. “He kissed me,” she blurted.
“Is that all?” Willow yelled, “Just a little kiss.”
“He kissed me on the lips and then started talking about loving me and finding ways to display his affection and I got scared and I ran,” Buffy yelled. On the last word she burst into sobs again and collapsed back on Spike who held her close. Willow jumped up and ran out of the room, crying.
Buffy clung tightly to the vampire. Why was everyone she loved leaving her?
~*~*~*~
The space was to small. It was cramped and musty and poorly lit. It was packed with vampires, the surviving members of the masters family. There were only about 20 of them from the 135 who had taken the test. The master had counted them in and back out again, either as sobbing wrecks or piles of dust. Obviously he had not taken the test and he had spared his lover the torment, preferring to let her pass without having to put her through the test.
Now they were in Sunnydale. They were stronger then ever and they were ready, ready to ascend. Ready to be made full daemons.
He looked round at his elite. Tomorrow would be the night, there night of victory. They would make there way in grand procession to the mouth of hell and they would ascend and become a demonic force to be reckoned with.
Very soon.
~*~*~*~
“Very soon,” Danby yelled. His friends laughed and almost fell of the wall they were sat on. “Very soon Ozzy will play on this very stage before us and we, my friends, shall be here.”
His ragtag group of followers yelled and laughed. It was so good that Ozzy was going to play at night so they could watch him. It would have been fucked up if they came all this way then he had played in the day so they didn't get to see him. Ozzfest was gong to rock.
~*~*~*~
Buffy lay out on the floor with her head in Spikes lap. He was sat with his back against the shelves, reading some old book and stroking her hair. She needed him right now. She felt like her world was falling apart. She knew she would have to face The Master soon. It wasn't something she was looking forward to. Who would be? But she knew that she had to do this. She had to stop his ascention or he might be unstoppable. Just another fun day on the hell mouth.
~*~*~*~
Willow slowly entered Giles house. Buffy had left the door wide open when she fled. The wiccan crept through the house to Giles room and found him just as Buffy had described, lay on his back with his arms and legs sprawled. He looked for all the world like he was asleep except for the fact that his chest didn't move. Suddenly she lost all her resolve. She had come here to make sure he was dead, and to bring him back. She knew Buffy wouldn't approve of her using a spell to bring him back but she had to. They needed him.
She couldn't. Just seeing him there, she knew that he would hate her if she brought him back.
Slowly she made her way out of the room and over to the wall where she picked up the phone and dialled 911, she would have to tell the police, she didn't know how they would explain this but al long as they couldn't lay it on her or Buffy it was ok.
~*~*~*~
Dawn tossed and turned, trying to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes all she could see was Giles, dead. She hadn't seen the body. It might have been easier if she did because at least then she would have known how he died. But she hadn't.
She thought about putting on some music but then decided against it. Tara was downstairs and she didn't want to get the blond witch up her unless it was absolutely necessary. She didn't want her pity or her hugs, she just wanted everyone back. Giles, her mom.
But somehow she knew that, in the end, it would be ok. Spike was still here and so was Buffy and they had both promised to take care of her.
But still they might not be here for long. They didn't say anything but something big was happening. She knew it because of the way they were acting. Well either it was something big or Buffy and Spike were having secret sex in the magick box every night. Either way it would only lead to problems in the long run.
~*~*~*~
“Tomorrow night,” Spike whispered. Buffy stirred from where she was laying and looked up at him. “The accession, it will happen tomorrow night on the hell mouth.” “But they've built all the Ozzfest stuff over the old school,” she replied, slightly confused.
“Well,” he replied, “looks like I might be going to Ozzfest after all.”
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