Chapter 10

Without thinking, Buffy grasped Spike's arm. Suddenly she felt weak.

Spike looked directly at the British watcher. "Right. Say it's true. Say I love her. Makes no difference to you lot. Just means I'm fighting on your side."

Lydia blushed and bit her lip.

"Seems to me that's not the important part. What's important is the other tidbit of news you dropped in our laps just now. What the bloody hell do you mean Buffy's an abomination? She seems OK to me. Doesn't matter one jot what her blood type is."

Quentin Travers considered the vampire and the Slayer with suspicion. "We don't like being lied to, Mr. Bloody. And both you and Ms. Summers deliberately tried to deceive us about your motivations - your selfish motivations - for bringing her back."

"Wait just a bleeding…"

"Silence." Travers shot an icy glare at the vampire. "Your actions have grave consequences. How can we trust a Slayer that has that," he gestured imperiously at the offending slide, "running through her veins?"

"Oh please, Travers! If you prick her, she bleeds, right? Come off it mate! She's still there. Her soul's still there. She still fights the good fight, no thanks to you lot. I didn't see you figuring out ways to bring her back when the Hellmouth was going straight to hell. Every nasty was coming here for a big demon jamboree and her sister, the sister she'd died to save, was the main entrée at their little buffet."

"Yes, yes, we know all about her sister, the Key, that almost destroyed the world." Travers glared at Buffy. "Not that either one of you were terribly forthcoming. Luckily, we have other sources. In any case Ms. Summers, that night you neglected your birthright, your duty. You chose emotion over reason. How do we know you won't do the same again, particularly now you've been contaminated by the blood of a demon?"

Buffy slammed her fist down, shattering Travers' laptop. She didn't feel weak anymore. "For your information, Quentin, it's not the first time I've been contaminated. Dracula came to town last year and I had a little blood tasting then too. It didn't hurt me. In fact, it let me see things more clearly. You know, Drac told me something interesting. He said there was darkness in me. Spike here sees it too. So maybe, MAYBE, you're afraid that I'm too much like the enemy. I kill, just like them, right? I hunt, just like them. I enjoy it, just like them. But you're forgetting, there is a crucial difference, Quentin. I've worked for five, FIVE, goddamn years, getting up everyday, slaying, sacrificing my normal life, any chance of being a normal girl and why? Because it's my birthright. Oh, I understand duty all right. But my duty doesn't extend to killing my sister. And you know what? I saved the world, so you have no right to lecture me about anything."

Buffy took a step closer to Quentin. "You see, Quentin, I STILL have the power. Things haven't changed. I can either let you in on the action or not. You can either pay me, or not. Either way, I'll still be the good little Slayer. But don't EVER imply again that I don't take my duty seriously. You have no idea what I've given up to be here. I gave up peace."

Spike's heart wrenched.

"So what do you say, Quentin? Are we friends again?"

Quentin Travers ground his teeth together and reluctantly smiled. "As always, Ms. Summers, you know just what to say. We accept your terms. In exchange for continued, accurate reports to the Council, you will be paid. But before you leave, we need to tell you some information about your condition…

***

Whap!

Spike considered the Slayer as she executed a perfect roundhouse kick, decapitating the vampire with a single blow from her daintily-clad foot. How had he not noticed this? Oh, that's right. They hadn't really been on patrol together since she'd been… back. She'd stood him up.

Buffy staked two newly-risen vamps without even looking. Impressive. Spike wasn't mad at her anymore. He felt something else altogether.

"So pet, enjoying those new powers of yours?"

Buffy smiled and answered, slightly out of breath. "This is fun Spike. More powers, more slayage, less risk. And they're paying me! It's all good."

"Couldn't agree more, luv." He raised one eyebrow in appreciation.

She continued to smile and met his eyes. "I haven't felt this… happy in a long time. Before I died I was worrying about my mom, then about Dawnie, then about you, then about Glory. And when I came back everything was just so weird. I had all these memories, some not-so-nice memories," she paused and Spike looked down guiltily. "It was a lot to deal with. Plus, I was wondering why the sun hurt my eyes, wondering why the slaying was so easy. And now I know. It's kind of a relief."

"Well, you've always been a freak," Spike teased.

"Takes one to know one."

Suddenly Spike didn't feel like teasing anymore. "Listen Buffy, I have to tell you something."

Buffy shook her head, "Spike it's not your fault this happened. You don't have to apologise. I needed to come back. It wasn't my time yet. Besides, in my line of work it's nice to be difficult to kill. Only stakes, fire, and decapitation…"

"No, luv, that's not what I wanted to say."

"Oh."

"It can't be easy knowing all the things you know about me, about my past. But you should also know exactly how I feel about you and the Niblet, and that I would never do anything to hurt you."

Buffy took Spike's hand. "Spike, I know. And I'm sorry I was so cold to you. You didn't deserve it." Chastely, she kissed him on the cheek.

Spike began to tremble. Her name escaped from his lips. "Buffy."

Buffy squeezed his hand and released it. Another vamp had just risen from the ground, and it was her job, her duty, to slay it.

Spike watched her, wanting to hold her, wanting so much… He shook his head and lit a cigarette with shaking hands. "I don't deserve you, luv."

A dark figure observed the scene from behind a twisted oak. "You're right, vampire. And I still have to send the lady your regrets." He considered the Slayer. "Soon, Buffy Summers. Very soon." Doc left the graveyard whistling. He'd always liked Prokofiev.

***

"Hey guys, we're back!" Buffy unlocked the door and held it open for Spike.

"Dawnie!"

"Buffy!" Her little sister bounded down the stairs. "How did it go?"

"Yeah, Buff. Tell us everything. Did you kick Quentin's ass? Did you tell him about all the field time I've clocked?" Xander winked.

"I certainly hope you didn't mention that I was a powerful-ex demon again. You can't be too careful, you know. Honey," Anya tugged on Xander's sleeve, "should I make more muffins, just in case?"

Xander smiled indulgently. "Anya, I don't think your cooking will help."

"So Buffy," Willow turned to her friend, "spill."

"It went really well. I put that nasty Quentin in his place, he agreed to pay me, and I got some interesting information."

Tara took Willow's hand. "R-really? W-what's that?"

"I'm an abomination."

"You're a what?" Tara's normally placid features contorted with disbelief.

"I have vampire blood coursing through my veins, with a little Dawnie mixed in for good measure."

Five faces gaped back at her. Spike looked amused.

"Apparently, it makes me pretty darned invincible. Cool, huh?"

"What! Buffy, this is horrible! That would make you a monster just like…"

"Like me, right Harris?" Spike shot an angry look at the boy.

"Listen, I know it's hard to understand, but I'm still the same old Buffy. I just have a few perks from communing with the undead."

Spike winced at her flippantly chosen words. Xander glared.

"I'll need to buy some good sunglasses, but it's an OK tradeoff. I get increased strength and heightened senses. And I'm still soulful."

Willow sat down heavily on the sofa. "How is this possible?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. The Council doesn't know either. But we think it might have something to do with the properties of Dawn's blood." She hugged her sister. "It's pretty special."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Every demon within a fifty-mile radius thinks so too."

Buffy laughed. "Well, that's why I came back, to take care of that nasty hellmouthy demon infestation. And thanks to you and Spike, I have some new tricks up my sleeve."

Xander shook his head. "You're taking this awfully well Buffy."

Buffy shrugged. "Xander, I've come back from the dead. This is nothing." Her voice lowered. "Besides, it's better knowing. The uncertainty, the worry… it was horrible."

"I get that Buffy." Xander looked sadly at her. "But now you've gone so far beyond me, how can I possibly help you? I mean, Will and Tara are witches, Anya's got all this ex-demon knowledge, and Spike… well, Spike is Spike. Even Dawnie's got the magic key thing going on. What can I do to help? Use my amazing carpentry skills to make really effective stakes?"

"Oh Xander!" Buffy hugged her friend. "You're my heart."

"Can I puke now?" Spike gagged.

Anya forced a smile and whispered, "I let them do that."


End of Part Ten

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