Love Brings You, Chapter 10/14

Title: Love Brings You
Author: maryperk73703
Season: 5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Buffy’s talk with Glory’s dying monk has surprising revelations.

Chapter 10

Spike couldn’t decide where he wanted to confront Buffy about what he’d learned from Drusilla. Joyce was at home recovering from her surgery. So, that wasn’t an option. Spike quite liked the Slayer’s mother. She was a classy lady. Not to mention, the Slayer’s little sister would sure to be hanging around there. Spike wasn’t sure what to think about her meeting up with Drusilla.

There was the Magic Box. However, that location had the Watcher and Scoobies to avoid. Spike had no idea how much Buffy’s friends knew about what was going on.

The Bronze and Willy’s were both too public. It was obvious that the Hell-God bitch was after his ass and the confrontation didn’t need any witnesses. Spike no idea who might be an informant for the bitch.

That left Spike’s crypt.

Now, how to get Buffy to come for a visit that didn’t involve fists, bloodshed, or kidnapping? Spike found that he didn’t want to go back to the way he was treated before. Nice Buffy was so much easier on the nose than Bitchy Buffy.

Little did he realize that there were other plans in the making concerning time to talk to Buffy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

“You need to go talk to Spike,” Dawn said. “I need to convince Grandma to go to the doctor for a checkup.”

“What? Why does Mom need to go see the doctor?” Buffy blurted out.

Dawn shook her head. “I never met Grandma. She died before I was born, just like Tara and Anya. She has an aneurysm at the site of the tumor surgery.”

“When?”

After a long pause, Dawn answered Buffy’s question. “Tomorrow. I have a plan though, but it involves Daddy.”

“What is it?” Buffy eyed Dawn.

“We tell him who I am and how I know about Grandma dying.”

“I don’t know about this. Why would he even believe you?” Buffy had a disbelieving look on her face.

“About that. One, Daddy loves you already. I’m pretty sure he’s loved you since he met you. Two,” Dawn paused to pull a grimace. “Grandma Dru was in town and even though I threatened her, I’m pretty sure that she probably spilled all the beans.”

“And the details of this plan?”

“Daddy pretends he can smell something is wrong and we can convince her to go have it checked out.” Dawn smiled. “I got you to believe me. Daddy should be easier. I can always bring on the bloodshed and let him taste a little.”

“You will not,” Buffy blurted out. “I’m sure he won’t want you to either. Can we trust him?”

Dawn gave Buffy a disbelieving look. “I told you he loves you, Mom. Spike’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met. Bar none.”

“Okay.” Buffy sighed. She was tired. The past few days had been very long and very tiring. She hated that she couldn’t do more to help her mother feel better. She hated that there was a Hell-God in her town, going after her people, and she wasn’t any closer to figuring out a solution to the problem. “How do we get Spike to come to our house?”

“Duh, we ask him, of course.” Dawn rolled her eyes at Buffy. “Which I already did. I stopped by the crypt earlier and asked him to come over after dark.”

Buffy shook her head. “Of course you did.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Thirty minutes after dark, there was a knock on the front door. Dawn hurried into the foyer to answer it. “Spike’s here, Buffy,” she called out. Then, to Spike she said, “Buffy’s in the kitchen trying to cook. We need to spring for cooking lessons before she poisons one of us.”

“I heard that,” Buffy shouted back.

“Come on in, Spike,” Dawn said to the vampire.

Spike chuckled. “Don’t need an invite, Nibblet.”

“I know. I was just being polite.” Dawn led Spike into the kitchen where Buffy was standing at the stove in an apron and stirring a pot.

Buffy turned to smile at Spike. “Glad you’re here. We need to have a talk.”

“Those are words that no bloke wants to hear,” Spike commented.

“Nothing bad,” Buffy assured him. “We just need to talk about what’s going on around here. Right now, it just involves the three of us. Only Giles knows anything.”

Spike arched an eyebrow. “You’re keeping secrets from your little band of friends?”

“For now.” Buffy turned back to the stove. “The floor is yours, Dawnie.”

“Gee thanks.”

Spike turned to Dawn. “So, what do you need to tell me, Nibblet?”

“You know, Daddy, that’s one thing I love. You still call me Nibblet even though you have no bloody clue.”

“Daddy? What are you talking about?” Spike turned to Buffy. “Slayer, what is she talking about?”

“Congratulations, William. We’re parents,” Buffy replied, her tone held a fair amount of snarkiness.

“Come on, ladies, quit pullin’ my leg here.” Spike dropped into a chair.

Buffy turned around to face Spike. “Look at my face, William. We are not pulling your leg. This is not a practical joke. Dawn is our daughter, here from the future to help us fight our latest Big Bad.”

“The Big Bad is that bad?” Spike looked back and forth between Dawn and Buffy.

“Buffy dies.”

Spike leapt to his feet. “What?” he shouted. “There is no way I’m lettin’ the Slayer die.”

Dawn gave Buffy a look that clearly said ‘I told you so’. Then, she bounced over to Spike, and she kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so glad you said that, Daddy. There’s more you need to know about the Big Bad.”

Buffy turned back around to the stove, and she stared into the pot of food she was trying to cook.

Spike watched Buffy struggle with her words for a few minutes before he decided to put her out of her misery. Before he’d come to Revello Drive, he’d wanted some kind of confrontation with Buffy, but now that he could see she was grappling with the truth almost as much as he was, he just wanted to put his arms around her and hold her. “I know what I am. I’m some Key you need to protect.”

“No, that’s not all you are,” Buffy finally said. She fully accepted the truth of the matter. “You’re more than some Key. You’re more than just some vampire.”

“Not that he’s really a vampire,” Dawn muttered under her breath.

Before Spike could address Dawn’s comment, Buffy continued speaking.

“The Key is mystical and it unlocks the dimensions. There’s a Hell-God looking for it. So, the monks decided to send it to the Slayer.” Buffy paused. “That Slayer was me. They were going to make me a sister, but instead they searched for my soul mate. A man named William Jamison who disappeared in 1880.”

“Me.”

“Yeah. They think you could have been turned by Drusilla in the first place or maybe she just killed you. I don’t know. One of them went back in time to put the Key inside you when you were a baby.” Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. She was scared to look at Spike to see how he was taking all of the information she was giving him. “According to the monk I talked to, your childhood tutor was that monk. He probably did everything in his power to keep you as innocent as he could. To keep the Key’s host as innocent as possible.”

Spike blinked in surprise. He’d always wondered why his tutor had been so protective of him. “I’m a vampire. That’s not so innocent, luv.”

“No, you’re not a vampire,” Dawn interjected. “Not really. That’s magic too.”

“I don’t bloody think so.” Spike slipped into his vampire visage, and he snarled at Dawn. “Does this look like bloody magic?”

Dawn laid a hand on Spike’s arm. “Yes, I do. You see, you’re just like Buffy now, except instead of having inhabited thousands of humans over so many centuries, you’re as close to the Slayer demon as you can be. When Faith dies, the Slayer will jump to another girl. When you die, your Slayer demon will jump to that Slayer’s soul mate.”

“You mean, no Slayer will ever be alone again?” Buffy whispered. “Every Slayer will have a soul mate? Even Faith?”

Dawn nodded. “Even Faith. He’s out there someplace. I just need to find him for her.”

“You can do that?” Spike asked.

“Daddy,” Dawn said in an exasperated voice. “I travelled through time, and then, I made everyone in the world think I’m Mom’s sister. You think finding someone’s soul mate is gonna be hard?”

Spike shook off the demonic face. “I suppose not, Nibblet. If I’m not a vampire, why do I feel like one? You know the whole bloodsucking, burn in the sun thing I’ve got goin’ on here.”

“It was to protect you. Now that you’ve met Mom, you should be start feeling a bit different,” Dawn informed her father.

Spike narrowed his eyes. “By different you mean, wanting food and having a heartbeat?”

Dawn nodded. “Pretty soon you should be able to go out into the sun. That means we need to get rid of the Hell-God before she figures out you’re what she’s looking for. Buffy’s wearing a fake Key amulet, and I’m sorta Key-like. I’m the bait.”

“I keep telling you I don’t like that idea, Dawn.” Buffy finally turned around to face Spike and Dawn. “You’re gonna get hurt. I don’t think Mom could handle that. Not on top of…” She trailed off as she remembered what Dawn had said.

“Buffy?” Spike stepped around the center island, and he put a hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

“My mom dies from an aneurysm tomorrow if we don’t get her in for a checkup. We called you over so we could tell you all this. So, we could get you to tell her you smell something and you know something is wrong.” Buffy looked up into Spike’s face. “I don’t love you yet, but I think I can. Eventually.”

Spike snorted. “Well, Slayer. That’s good to know, because I already love you.”

“You know, you’re reacting pretty great to all of this,” Buffy said.

“I’ve had time to take it all in, pet,” Spike replied. “I’ve known I love you ever since I tried to have the chip taken out. Drusilla told me about the whole Key rigmarole after I overheard you talking about it.” He chortled. “Wait till I tell Angelus all his blathering on about being your soul mate is a bunch of malarkey.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“So, this is where you all are,” Joyce said from the doorway. “William, nobody told me you were coming by.”

Spike turned around to look at the Slayer’s mom. “Hey, Joyce. I just stopped by to check on my favorite Summers lady.”

“Well, I’m sure that Buffy was surprised to see you,” Joyce replied while she stepped into the room.

“Mom, everyone knows that you’re Spike’s favorite,” Buffy replied.

“Don’t sell yourself short, honey.” Joyce patted Spike’s arm on the way to the fridge. “I can’t believe how good I feel. I am definitely feeling more sane.”

Spike remembered what Buffy wanted him to do about Joyce and her sudden death. “I smell blood though. Are you bleeding?”

Joyce shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“This isn’t good,” Buffy said. “Did the doctor say anything about bleeding?”

“No. I feel great, guys. I wish you’d quit worrying.” Joyce shook her head.

Spike turned towards Buffy. “I really do smell fresh blood. I’m not fibbin’.”

“That’s it. We’re calling the doctor. Spike is the blood expert in the room,” Dawn exclaimed. “We’re not losing you.” Buffy and she converged on Joyce.

“Fine. You two are such worrywarts.” Joyce let herself be led from the room by Buffy and Dawn. “You better drive, William,” she called out. “Dawn’s too young and Buffy’s the scariest driver in town.”

“Right behind you.”

 

Originally posted at http://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/539457.html