Destiny - Chapters 7 & 8
Oct. 27th, 2003 12:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: The search for Dawn is on, but Buffy and William find more than what they ever expected...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Worst Case Scenario"
"We really should have called Cecily to have her help look for Dawn," Anya chided as they walked along the darkened street. "The more people looking for her the better, right?"
Even though Xander knew that Anya had a valid point, he still rolled his eyes at her. She had been droning on about Cecily and William for the past hour and it was driving him crazy. He didn’t care about either one of those, dare he say it, people. If it were up to him, he would send them both back to England where they belong. Or was that belonged? At this point in time, he didn’t care anymore.
"An, we need to focus on looking for Dawn. Cecily doesn’t know the town that well, yet. She would just get lost and then we’d have to look for her, too." That sounded reasonable, didn’t it?
"You’re right," Anya sighed. "It’s just that Cecily really cares for Dawn, god knows Buffy doesn’t."
"Hey," he shouted angrily as he spun to face her. "Buffy cares about Dawn! Buffy just went through a...thing last year, which we caused. Buffy gave her life for that girl, so don’t tell me that she doesn’t care about Dawn."
"Fine. I’m just saying that if Buffy hadn’t been off on her own little pity party, Dawn wouldn’t have been stealing from me to get attention. We wouldn’t have gotten trapped at their house. Cecily does care for Dawn. That’s all I’m saying."
"Right. In her own warped little way." Xander hadn’t liked Halfrek as a demon and he certainly liked her even less, if that were possible, as a human. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way.
"Are we done yet, Xander? Because I, for one, would like to go back home and get more sleep. A woman needs her beauty sleep. This is going to wreak havoc on my flawless complexion. Besides, shouldn’t we go back to the shop to see if they found her yet?"
Xander closed his eyes and shook his head. This was the woman that he loved. Amazing. Xander Harris, you chose. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. "Okay. We’ll go back to the Magic Box to see if Buffy or William has found anything yet. Then we’ll go from there."
"Good because my feet are killing me!"
For the first time that night he looked down at her feet and noticed that she was wearing heels. He gave her an exasperated look.
"What? This was all I had at your place."
He shook his head again and grabbed her hand, leading the way back to the Magic Box.
The time had slipped away from them while they had talked, so now Steven was asleep on Wesley’s couch. It hadn’t been difficult talking the teen into staying at his place; he could see the look of exhaustion in the boy’s eyes. Gently he covered him with an extra blanket he had found in one of the unpacked boxes. He studied Connor’s features; even in sleep, he looked tense and ready to fight. For a brief moment, Wesley felt guilty. He was to blame for Connor’s hatred towards Angel. He should have known Angel well enough to realize that the vampire would have never hurt his child. All the pain that he had caused in that one moment of weakness haunted him.
"All in the past old boy," Wesley whispered as he backed away from the couch. He quietly made his way over to the phone. He was well aware of the boy’s supernatural hearing so things would have to be kept brief.
"Do you know what time it is?" The female voice on the other end demanded before he could say anything. "You better have good news for me."
"It’s done."
"Very nice, Wesley. I’m impressed."
"Thought you might be."
"The senior partners will be in your debt."
He remained silent.
"Perhaps I’ll thank you...in person."
Wesley closed his eyes. "Very well, we shall talk later." He hung up the phone and glanced back over at the boy.
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
William had refused to leave Buffy’s side. She had thought that it would have been better to split up, cover more ground; but he had been insistent about staying with her. Now she was happy to have him along, his presence gave her the stability that she wouldn’t otherwise have at the moment. Her thoughts kept drifting to him, even though her first priority was Dawn. Every time she let her mind wander there, her stomach would do little somersaults. No doubt about it, she was definitely in love, and at such an inopportune time.
Before he even looked over at her, he felt her eyes on him, and his body yearned for her touch. He couldn’t believe that she was his now and that they were going to be together after all of this time. Finally. It was all he could do to keep himself from grabbing her and making love to her right here in the cemetery. "Focus man," he demanded of himself. This was neither the time nor place for these thoughts, especially since Bit was still missing. There would be plenty of time to ravage his love’s body after Dawn was safe, and sound. He took a deep breath.
"Luv," he said quietly. "Maybe we should head back to the shop. We’ve checked every cemetery and we’ve found nothing to go on. Maybe the whelp and Anya have found her."
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. He was right, they should check in with the others to see what, if anything, they had found on their search. "I’m not ready to give up yet. I want to stop by Willy’s first. I figure if anyone knows anything, it’ll be him. Besides, I’m up for a little round of kick the bartender. How ‘bout you?"
He chuckled softly. "All right then. Off to Willy’s we go."
They continued to walk through the cemetery on their way to the demon bar, when they came across several fresh graves.
"Probably more fledglings," she sighed. "There’s been a lot of them lately. Guess we’re gonna have to wait for them to rise before we go to Willy’s."
William looked at his watch. "Shouldn’t be much longer now if they are..."
Sure enough, as if on cue, two of the three began pulling themselves out of the loose earth.
"Good morning sleepy heads," Buffy quipped, as she stood in front of them. "Oh, did I say good? I meant to say too bad for you that it won’t be good."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stake. The first vamp was barely out of the ground when she turned him to dust, the second one was slightly luckier; she had gotten all the way out and was now trying to stand.
"Oh," Buffy snarked, "bet you’re really hungry, huh?"
The female vamp licked her lips and stared at the Slayer.
"Sorry," Buffy stated as she staked the vamp, "but the kitchen is closed."
William had already taken care of the third fledgling by the time Buffy had finished with the first. He didn’t think he would ever tire of watching her work. She loved the dance and he loved watching her. He walked over to her and kissed her passionately. Things would have gone further if she hadn’t reminded him of their task at hand.
"Searching for Dawn and then going to Willy’s remember?"
"Right," he sighed heavily. "Let’s go."
Anya and Xander were sitting at the table drinking coffee when Buffy and William finally arrived at the Magic Box.
"Anything?" Xander asked as he quickly stood up.
"We were just going to ask you the same thing," Buffy replied.
"So we can go home to bed now," Anya asked hopefully.
They all stared at the ex-demon.
"What? Tell me you’re not tired!"
"We’re all tired," William stated, trying to avert tempers flaring.
"So, you guys didn’t find anything at all?" Xander asked.
"No," Buffy said dejectedly. "Nothing. But we did get to beat up Willy for a while. That was fun."
"Good for you Buff," Xander laughed.
"I shouldn’t say we didn’t find anything cause Willy did give up some information, it just didn’t have to do with Dawn."
Xander wrinkled his brow. "Anything we should be concerned about?"
"Yeah, but not right now; we need to find Dawn first."
"I’m sure we’ll hear something soon," Anya chimed in. "Usually when there’s a kidnapping, those responsible will make demands, usually of the monetary variety."
"Thanks oh so much for the help sweetie," Xander said glaring at her. Then he looked over at Buffy and continued. "What do you think happened to Dawn? I mean, where could she have possibly gone and who would have taken her? Think it might have something to do with what you found out at Willy’s?"
"I’m thinking no," she said, shaking her head. After a moment she continued. "Earlier William brought up the idea that maybe Dawn went through one of her portals and it closed."
"Well if that’s the case," Xander mussed, "doesn’t that mean she can get back here by opening one to us?"
"We’re not sure how it all works yet. But that’s a good point." Buffy hadn’t thought about that. Did Dawn’s powers work both ways? They didn’t know enough at this point, but somehow Xander’s statement gave her some hope.
"Look," William stated, "Anya’s right. If Dawn has been kidnapped I’m sure we’ll hear something soon. Pet, why don’t you check the answering machine at home and see if there’s any messages."
"Good idea," Buffy said, as she walked over to the phone and dialed her home number. After a few moments, she set the receiver back in the cradle and shook her head. "There’s nothing."
"Right then, let’s do this," William said taking charge. "We’ll all go home and get some sleep and meet back here first thing in the morning. Maybe by then we’ll have heard something."
"Sounds good to me," Anya replied. "Come on honey, let’s go home." She grabbed Xander’s hand and began pulling him towards the door.
"If you hear anything..." Xander started.
"We’ll call you immediately," Buffy finished.
Outside the Magic Box, William and Buffy watched Xander and Anya walk away towards Xander’s place.
"I should get home," Buffy sighed, as she stifled a yawn. She was exhausted and the thought of her going back to that house alone wasn’t thrilling. What she needed most right now, other than Dawn returning home, was to be comforted.
"Why don’t you come home with me, Pet?" William suggested as he took her hand in his. "I’m only a block away." He didn’t like the idea of her going home alone and by the looks of her she was about to fall asleep standing up.
"What if she calls?"
"You can check the machine regularly. It’s not like you’re going to be able to do much without a good night’s rest."
"You’re right, but I still think I should go home since that’s where Dawn will try first."
"Bit has my number as well and I’m sure she has it memorized, at least that’s the impression I’ve gotten from the amount of times she’s called it."
Buffy stared at him incredulously. "She has your number? I don’t even have your number! Oh, wait. I do. Never mind. Brain drain."
"Come on, Luv. Some rest will do you good."
Buffy looked at him and then looked towards home. He was right. It was a far walk and she was tired. She decided that she’d rest for an hour or so and then go home to shower and check the machine.
"I’m not taking no for an answer," William commanded.
She gave him a slight smile. She really didn’t feel like arguing with him right now. "Okay. But only for a couple hours."
"Agreed."
It had only taken them five minutes to get to William’s apartment. As soon as he had turned on the lights, Buffy had been speechless. The apartment was a nice sized loft in an old warehouse and it was tastefully decorated. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised at his decorating capabilities, since he had been able to make the crypt look somewhat homey, but she was in awe here.
"This is beautiful," she exclaimed.
He blushed somewhat at her compliment. Then he turned to her and said, "I’ll sleep on the sofa, and you can take the bed."
"Are you sure? I don’t want to impose." She loved the fact that he was being such a gentleman.
"You’re not imposing and I insist."
Their eyes met and suddenly she didn’t feel so tired any more. So much for focusing on Dawn, she thought. It wasn’t that Dawn didn’t matter to her, because she did, it was just that she longed to be with him and being with him would make things a little more bearable. Surely her seeking comfort in the arms of the man she loved wasn’t wrong, was it?
She looked up into his blue eyes and smiled seductively. "I’m not really tired now."
He grinned back at her like a silly schoolboy. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. "Are you sure, Luv," he asked, not wanting her to do something she would come to regret in the morning.
"I’m sure," she said huskily as she placed her arms around his neck.
They stood staring into each other’s eyes for several moments. He wanted to remember every detail about this night and about her. Tenderly he brushed her lips with his and he felt her shudder. She returned the kiss, this time more passionately. As the kiss intensified, he picked her up in his arms and slowly made his way to the bedroom. Gently he placed her on the bed and lay down next to her, never breaking the kiss. Her tongue sought his as their hands explored wildly, trying to touch as much flesh as possible. They broke off the kiss to come up for air. His deep blue eyes searched her pale green ones.
"Buffy, I love you."
She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I love you too, Spike."
He pulled her to him in a tight embrace.
Softly she whispered, "Make love to me."
Everything he had ever been hoping for was now right in front of him. Looking into her eyes, he saw her love for him and as a result, he began showering her face in soft kisses.
On the other side of town, the phone in the Summers’ house began to ring.
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: R - Some language, violence and adult content
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn tries to reach Buffy at home while things heat up at William's...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Lost & Found"
Dawn lowered her hand. Her eyes widened. "Angel?"
Angel frowned as he recognized Buffy’s not-so-little sister; at least he was fairly certain that the thin, tall brunette was Dawn. "Dawn? What are you doing here?"
She limped over to him as fast as she could considering her injured ankle and threw her arms around him. "Oh my god, Angel! I’m so happy it’s you and not some psycho-demon stalker!" She was extremely relieved that her attacker turned out to be a familiar face.
Dawn’s embrace had taken Angel by surprise. Instead of trying to extricate himself from the overly happy girl, he returned her affections. He really couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Dawn, maybe it had been after her mother died, he wasn’t sure, but she had grown up a lot since then. He noted that she was much taller now and quite a bit stronger. He noticed her wince in pain when she finally released him from the hug.
"Are you hurt? Let me help you to the couch." He slipped his arm around her back to support her.
"I’m fine, nothing I can’t fix. I guess I shouldn’t try swinging axes that are bigger than me yet."
"Yeah. I was going to ask you where you learned to do that. I guess I already know the answer."
"Buffy’s been teaching me. I started getting Slayer-like powers around my sixteenth birthday, along with a few other ones, so Giles thought I should learn how to use them." By this point, she had lifted her injured ankle and placed it on the couch. It looked bruised and swollen.
"Dawn, you better let me get some ice for that, it looks pretty bad."
"No," she said, grabbing his arm before he could walk away. "It’ll be fine, really. I have this really cool power that let’s me heal stuff. Watch!" Slowly, she traced her ankle with her finger and concentrated all of her energy on the injury. In seconds, the swelling went down and the bruise disappeared.
"How’d you do that?" Angel asked incredulously.
She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "No clue. Isn’t it neat though?"
The only reaction Angel could give her was raising his eyebrows. Then he gave her a crooked smile. "So Dawn, wanna tell me how you got here? I’m pretty sure Buffy didn’t just drive down here and drop you off for a weekend with me."
Willow and Tara happily walked hand in hand on their way back to their flat. It was a beautiful day in Devon, in more ways than one. The sun was shining and Willow had just received word from the Coven that if she passed her next trial successfully, she could return home. That had been the best news she had heard in the last few months. She was feeling better and doing well with magic, she no longer felt the need to have power. That was a step in the right direction for sure! She glanced over at Tara. The young woman had really come out of her shell over here in England. She sensed that Tara was more confident and definitely much more powerful than before. Everything was really coming together for the two of them.
"So, do you think Buffy will tell Sp...uhm, William how she feels about him?" Tara asked as she slowed their pace and led Willow to a bench by the pond.
Willow frowned and thought for a second. "I’m not sure. I’m still trying to get over the whole fact that Spike is human and that Buffy loves him!"
"Yeah. It’s all so strange, but not really I guess. Buffy’s the light and Spike’s the dark. It’s balance, or at least it was before Spike became human."
"I guess. Why does Buffy always have to go for a vampire? I mean, first there was Angel, which was understandable cause, well, soul...good. Then there was Spike...not so good. I don’t get it. Why can’t Buffy just have a normal boyfriend, like she did with Riley?"
"Willow, Buffy is who she is. Who better understands what she needs? A normal human guy isn’t going to be enough for her. Riley wasn’t. He wanted to protect her from her calling instead of just letting her be who she was."
Willow sighed. "You’re right. But still...Spike? Ick factor plus twenty."
"Not really, not when you think about it in terms of how Spike was while Buffy was gone. He protected Dawn when he had nothing to gain and he loved Buffy without conditions. He’s not really as bad as all of you make him sound."
"I guess you’re right, but he did try to kill us..."
"So did Buffy. Does that mean we should hate her too?"
Willow frowned when she realized her lover was right on the mark. "No. I guess it’s just going to take some getting used to."
"Come on," Tara said with a seductive smile. "Let’s go back to the room and get used to some other...things."
Willow grinned and let her lover lead the way.
"Where do you want me to start?" Dawn asked.
"Is it that long of a story?" Angel wasn’t sure why the girl just couldn’t tell him how she had gotten there. Was it that difficult to explain?
"Well...it could be."
"Alright then...Start from the beginning."
Dawn told him in detail, about their confrontation with Warren and how her powers started to surface around that time. She noticed the pained look on Angel’s face when she got to the part about Buffy being buried alive in the rubble.
"She got out okay. She saved the world, again. I think that’s what she needed, especially after how she handled coming back from...you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she wasn’t exactly herself when the gang brought her back. At first we thought it was ‘cause she had been trapped in hell and it would take a while. But then we found out she had been in heaven..."
"She was in heaven?" Angel asked incredulously.
Dawn sighed and lowered her eyes. "Yeah. She was really happy there. After they brought her back, it was just too much for her to deal with and I didn’t help things any."
Angel looked down at his feet. Buffy had needed someone and he hadn’t been there for her. Why did he always feel like he let her down? "I’m sorry she had to go through that alone."
"She really didn’t go through it alone, she had Spike..."
"Spike? What does Spike have to do with this?"
She had forgotten that Spike and Angel didn’t get along. There was no need for her to tell him about the relationship, or about what happened between Spike and Buffy before Spike left the country. "Nothing really...he just protected me and helped Buffy out as much as he could."
"I see. But what does any of this have to do with you being here?"
She then explained that her latest power included the opening and closing of portals. "Giles says it has something to do with some prophecy, that my powers were foretold or something like that. I am the Key after all."
"Right." The Key? Did he know about this? There was so much about Buffy’s life that he didn’t share in anymore.
They continued their discussion about her powers and then moved to all things Sunnydale. Before they both realized it, a couple of hours had passed.
"Oh my gosh!" Dawn exclaimed, as she looked at the clock above the desk. "Buffy’s probably worried sick. I’m sure she heard me scream. I should call her!"
"You can use the phone over on the front desk. Let her know you’re okay and that I’ll bring you home later in the evening."
Dawn smiled brightly and hurried over to the phone. She heard the phone in Sunnydale ring...and ring some more. Why wasn’t the answering machine picking up? "That’s weird. The machine isn’t picking up and there’s no answer. I bet Buffy’s out looking for me right now. What should I do?"
"Why don’t you get some sleep and I’ll keep trying to get through. If not, I’ll leave a message at the Magic Box. How does that sound?"
"I guess that’s okay. She’s gonna be so pissed off at me, Giles too. They yelled at me about going through the portals. Guess I should listen, huh?"
Angel smiled. "Guess you should."
They sat on the bed, facing one another. William looked longingly into Buffy’s eyes. Everything about this night had been unbelievable and now he was about to make love to the woman of his dreams. This wasn’t going to be like that night they had brought a house down. That had just been about her needing to feel alive again. No, this was going to be him making love to her without any fears of her bolting from the room the minute they were done.
He leaned over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She shuddered in response. He pulled her onto his lap and began kissing her passionately. "I want you so much, Buffy," he said breathlessly.
She pulled back so that she could look him in the eyes, they were tender and full of love for her. She let her hands roam over his back and under his shirt, needing to touch his skin. How different it felt now, it was warm and full of life. She felt his hands explore her body and whimpered slightly when he cupped her breast in his hand. The need for flesh to touch more flesh became overwhelming. She pulled his shirt over his head and quickly discarded it. He was still as fit as he was before, maybe even more so.
He closed his eyes as she ran her hands over his chest. When she began softly kissing his collarbone, he thought he was going to pass out. Her touch drove him crazy. Quickly, he undid the buttons of her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders as he had done earlier that night at her place. This time there would be no interruptions. In one smooth motion, he unhooked her bra and pulled it down her arms.
They laid back down on the bed so that their skin was touching, hot flesh against hot flesh. He kissed her neck and then moved down her body, gently taking her hard nipple in his warm mouth. He felt her body quiver.
Colors were exploding behind her eyes as she let him relish her body. She couldn’t help but grind her hips against his thighs. "Spike, I need you now," she said between gasps of ecstasy.
In response to her request, he kissed her fervently on the lips and began removing her jeans. She could feel his need for her as well. Reaching down, she undid his belt, then the button and then finally the zipper. She pushed his pants down over his buttocks. Happily, she noticed that he hadn’t changed all that much from vampire to human, he still didn’t wear any under garments.
He broke the kiss only long enough to remove her jeans and then his. Slowly, he lowered himself to her. "I love you so much, Buffy."
Buffy could see the tears well up in his eyes. She could tell that this act of love meant more to him than just hearing her say the words. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him tenderly.
He returned the kiss as he slowly entered her. They both shuddered at the sensation of their joining. Soon their need for one another became overwhelming. Buffy grabbed onto the mattress on both sides of her and screamed in pleasure as their pace quickened.
She was certain she was going to pass out as her orgasm washed over her. He held her tightly and matched his pace with hers until he could feel her starting to relax.
He felt his release draw closer. Buffy closed her eyes and he gently brushed his hand across her cheek, willing them open. She was so beautiful. She was looking at him, almost in awe. That was all it took to send him over the edge into pure bliss, consummating their love and passion for one another. He held her gently as their breathing calmed, and when their eyes met, she smiled. The tears that had threatened to fall subsided as she pulled him closer to her and stroked his hair. Through their lovemaking, they had exchanged silent promises of never ending love and devotion.
Buffy closed her eyes and smiled softly to herself. She had finally found what had been missing from her life.
Angel motioned for Dawn to follow him up the stairs. "Nice thing about this being an old hotel, I have plenty of space for guests."
"This seems like a pretty nice place, but isn’t it lonely living here all by yourself?" She looked down the empty hallway and saw door after door. The place was huge!
As Angel was about to explain that he didn’t live alone, a dark haired girl with a southern accent interrupted them as she popped her head out of one of the doors. "Angel? Is everything okay? I thought I heard voices..."
"Everything is fine, Fred. Fred, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s sister."
"The Buffy? As in ‘love of your life’ Buffy? She has a sister?"
Angel looked embarrassed as he nodded and stepped over to the side so that Fred could meet Dawn.
Fred’s eyes widened as she recognized the girl.
Dawn’s mouth dropped open. The portal: Fred was the woman she had seen through the portal when she was with Steven...
Angel watched their reaction with curiosity. "Something wrong?"
"Angel. She’s the one I saw with Connor!"
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: The search for Dawn is on, but Buffy and William find more than what they ever expected...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Worst Case Scenario"
- 7 -
Lost & Found
Lost & Found
"We really should have called Cecily to have her help look for Dawn," Anya chided as they walked along the darkened street. "The more people looking for her the better, right?"
Even though Xander knew that Anya had a valid point, he still rolled his eyes at her. She had been droning on about Cecily and William for the past hour and it was driving him crazy. He didn’t care about either one of those, dare he say it, people. If it were up to him, he would send them both back to England where they belong. Or was that belonged? At this point in time, he didn’t care anymore.
"An, we need to focus on looking for Dawn. Cecily doesn’t know the town that well, yet. She would just get lost and then we’d have to look for her, too." That sounded reasonable, didn’t it?
"You’re right," Anya sighed. "It’s just that Cecily really cares for Dawn, god knows Buffy doesn’t."
"Hey," he shouted angrily as he spun to face her. "Buffy cares about Dawn! Buffy just went through a...thing last year, which we caused. Buffy gave her life for that girl, so don’t tell me that she doesn’t care about Dawn."
"Fine. I’m just saying that if Buffy hadn’t been off on her own little pity party, Dawn wouldn’t have been stealing from me to get attention. We wouldn’t have gotten trapped at their house. Cecily does care for Dawn. That’s all I’m saying."
"Right. In her own warped little way." Xander hadn’t liked Halfrek as a demon and he certainly liked her even less, if that were possible, as a human. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way.
"Are we done yet, Xander? Because I, for one, would like to go back home and get more sleep. A woman needs her beauty sleep. This is going to wreak havoc on my flawless complexion. Besides, shouldn’t we go back to the shop to see if they found her yet?"
Xander closed his eyes and shook his head. This was the woman that he loved. Amazing. Xander Harris, you chose. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. "Okay. We’ll go back to the Magic Box to see if Buffy or William has found anything yet. Then we’ll go from there."
"Good because my feet are killing me!"
For the first time that night he looked down at her feet and noticed that she was wearing heels. He gave her an exasperated look.
"What? This was all I had at your place."
He shook his head again and grabbed her hand, leading the way back to the Magic Box.
******
The time had slipped away from them while they had talked, so now Steven was asleep on Wesley’s couch. It hadn’t been difficult talking the teen into staying at his place; he could see the look of exhaustion in the boy’s eyes. Gently he covered him with an extra blanket he had found in one of the unpacked boxes. He studied Connor’s features; even in sleep, he looked tense and ready to fight. For a brief moment, Wesley felt guilty. He was to blame for Connor’s hatred towards Angel. He should have known Angel well enough to realize that the vampire would have never hurt his child. All the pain that he had caused in that one moment of weakness haunted him.
"All in the past old boy," Wesley whispered as he backed away from the couch. He quietly made his way over to the phone. He was well aware of the boy’s supernatural hearing so things would have to be kept brief.
"Do you know what time it is?" The female voice on the other end demanded before he could say anything. "You better have good news for me."
"It’s done."
"Very nice, Wesley. I’m impressed."
"Thought you might be."
"The senior partners will be in your debt."
He remained silent.
"Perhaps I’ll thank you...in person."
Wesley closed his eyes. "Very well, we shall talk later." He hung up the phone and glanced back over at the boy.
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.
******
William had refused to leave Buffy’s side. She had thought that it would have been better to split up, cover more ground; but he had been insistent about staying with her. Now she was happy to have him along, his presence gave her the stability that she wouldn’t otherwise have at the moment. Her thoughts kept drifting to him, even though her first priority was Dawn. Every time she let her mind wander there, her stomach would do little somersaults. No doubt about it, she was definitely in love, and at such an inopportune time.
Before he even looked over at her, he felt her eyes on him, and his body yearned for her touch. He couldn’t believe that she was his now and that they were going to be together after all of this time. Finally. It was all he could do to keep himself from grabbing her and making love to her right here in the cemetery. "Focus man," he demanded of himself. This was neither the time nor place for these thoughts, especially since Bit was still missing. There would be plenty of time to ravage his love’s body after Dawn was safe, and sound. He took a deep breath.
"Luv," he said quietly. "Maybe we should head back to the shop. We’ve checked every cemetery and we’ve found nothing to go on. Maybe the whelp and Anya have found her."
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. He was right, they should check in with the others to see what, if anything, they had found on their search. "I’m not ready to give up yet. I want to stop by Willy’s first. I figure if anyone knows anything, it’ll be him. Besides, I’m up for a little round of kick the bartender. How ‘bout you?"
He chuckled softly. "All right then. Off to Willy’s we go."
They continued to walk through the cemetery on their way to the demon bar, when they came across several fresh graves.
"Probably more fledglings," she sighed. "There’s been a lot of them lately. Guess we’re gonna have to wait for them to rise before we go to Willy’s."
William looked at his watch. "Shouldn’t be much longer now if they are..."
Sure enough, as if on cue, two of the three began pulling themselves out of the loose earth.
"Good morning sleepy heads," Buffy quipped, as she stood in front of them. "Oh, did I say good? I meant to say too bad for you that it won’t be good."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stake. The first vamp was barely out of the ground when she turned him to dust, the second one was slightly luckier; she had gotten all the way out and was now trying to stand.
"Oh," Buffy snarked, "bet you’re really hungry, huh?"
The female vamp licked her lips and stared at the Slayer.
"Sorry," Buffy stated as she staked the vamp, "but the kitchen is closed."
William had already taken care of the third fledgling by the time Buffy had finished with the first. He didn’t think he would ever tire of watching her work. She loved the dance and he loved watching her. He walked over to her and kissed her passionately. Things would have gone further if she hadn’t reminded him of their task at hand.
"Searching for Dawn and then going to Willy’s remember?"
"Right," he sighed heavily. "Let’s go."
******
Anya and Xander were sitting at the table drinking coffee when Buffy and William finally arrived at the Magic Box.
"Anything?" Xander asked as he quickly stood up.
"We were just going to ask you the same thing," Buffy replied.
"So we can go home to bed now," Anya asked hopefully.
They all stared at the ex-demon.
"What? Tell me you’re not tired!"
"We’re all tired," William stated, trying to avert tempers flaring.
"So, you guys didn’t find anything at all?" Xander asked.
"No," Buffy said dejectedly. "Nothing. But we did get to beat up Willy for a while. That was fun."
"Good for you Buff," Xander laughed.
"I shouldn’t say we didn’t find anything cause Willy did give up some information, it just didn’t have to do with Dawn."
Xander wrinkled his brow. "Anything we should be concerned about?"
"Yeah, but not right now; we need to find Dawn first."
"I’m sure we’ll hear something soon," Anya chimed in. "Usually when there’s a kidnapping, those responsible will make demands, usually of the monetary variety."
"Thanks oh so much for the help sweetie," Xander said glaring at her. Then he looked over at Buffy and continued. "What do you think happened to Dawn? I mean, where could she have possibly gone and who would have taken her? Think it might have something to do with what you found out at Willy’s?"
"I’m thinking no," she said, shaking her head. After a moment she continued. "Earlier William brought up the idea that maybe Dawn went through one of her portals and it closed."
"Well if that’s the case," Xander mussed, "doesn’t that mean she can get back here by opening one to us?"
"We’re not sure how it all works yet. But that’s a good point." Buffy hadn’t thought about that. Did Dawn’s powers work both ways? They didn’t know enough at this point, but somehow Xander’s statement gave her some hope.
"Look," William stated, "Anya’s right. If Dawn has been kidnapped I’m sure we’ll hear something soon. Pet, why don’t you check the answering machine at home and see if there’s any messages."
"Good idea," Buffy said, as she walked over to the phone and dialed her home number. After a few moments, she set the receiver back in the cradle and shook her head. "There’s nothing."
"Right then, let’s do this," William said taking charge. "We’ll all go home and get some sleep and meet back here first thing in the morning. Maybe by then we’ll have heard something."
"Sounds good to me," Anya replied. "Come on honey, let’s go home." She grabbed Xander’s hand and began pulling him towards the door.
"If you hear anything..." Xander started.
"We’ll call you immediately," Buffy finished.
******
Outside the Magic Box, William and Buffy watched Xander and Anya walk away towards Xander’s place.
"I should get home," Buffy sighed, as she stifled a yawn. She was exhausted and the thought of her going back to that house alone wasn’t thrilling. What she needed most right now, other than Dawn returning home, was to be comforted.
"Why don’t you come home with me, Pet?" William suggested as he took her hand in his. "I’m only a block away." He didn’t like the idea of her going home alone and by the looks of her she was about to fall asleep standing up.
"What if she calls?"
"You can check the machine regularly. It’s not like you’re going to be able to do much without a good night’s rest."
"You’re right, but I still think I should go home since that’s where Dawn will try first."
"Bit has my number as well and I’m sure she has it memorized, at least that’s the impression I’ve gotten from the amount of times she’s called it."
Buffy stared at him incredulously. "She has your number? I don’t even have your number! Oh, wait. I do. Never mind. Brain drain."
"Come on, Luv. Some rest will do you good."
Buffy looked at him and then looked towards home. He was right. It was a far walk and she was tired. She decided that she’d rest for an hour or so and then go home to shower and check the machine.
"I’m not taking no for an answer," William commanded.
She gave him a slight smile. She really didn’t feel like arguing with him right now. "Okay. But only for a couple hours."
"Agreed."
******
It had only taken them five minutes to get to William’s apartment. As soon as he had turned on the lights, Buffy had been speechless. The apartment was a nice sized loft in an old warehouse and it was tastefully decorated. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised at his decorating capabilities, since he had been able to make the crypt look somewhat homey, but she was in awe here.
"This is beautiful," she exclaimed.
He blushed somewhat at her compliment. Then he turned to her and said, "I’ll sleep on the sofa, and you can take the bed."
"Are you sure? I don’t want to impose." She loved the fact that he was being such a gentleman.
"You’re not imposing and I insist."
Their eyes met and suddenly she didn’t feel so tired any more. So much for focusing on Dawn, she thought. It wasn’t that Dawn didn’t matter to her, because she did, it was just that she longed to be with him and being with him would make things a little more bearable. Surely her seeking comfort in the arms of the man she loved wasn’t wrong, was it?
She looked up into his blue eyes and smiled seductively. "I’m not really tired now."
He grinned back at her like a silly schoolboy. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. "Are you sure, Luv," he asked, not wanting her to do something she would come to regret in the morning.
"I’m sure," she said huskily as she placed her arms around his neck.
They stood staring into each other’s eyes for several moments. He wanted to remember every detail about this night and about her. Tenderly he brushed her lips with his and he felt her shudder. She returned the kiss, this time more passionately. As the kiss intensified, he picked her up in his arms and slowly made his way to the bedroom. Gently he placed her on the bed and lay down next to her, never breaking the kiss. Her tongue sought his as their hands explored wildly, trying to touch as much flesh as possible. They broke off the kiss to come up for air. His deep blue eyes searched her pale green ones.
"Buffy, I love you."
She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I love you too, Spike."
He pulled her to him in a tight embrace.
Softly she whispered, "Make love to me."
Everything he had ever been hoping for was now right in front of him. Looking into her eyes, he saw her love for him and as a result, he began showering her face in soft kisses.
On the other side of town, the phone in the Summers’ house began to ring.
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: R - Some language, violence and adult content
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn tries to reach Buffy at home while things heat up at William's...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Lost & Found"
- 8 -
The Exchange
The Exchange
Dawn lowered her hand. Her eyes widened. "Angel?"
Angel frowned as he recognized Buffy’s not-so-little sister; at least he was fairly certain that the thin, tall brunette was Dawn. "Dawn? What are you doing here?"
She limped over to him as fast as she could considering her injured ankle and threw her arms around him. "Oh my god, Angel! I’m so happy it’s you and not some psycho-demon stalker!" She was extremely relieved that her attacker turned out to be a familiar face.
Dawn’s embrace had taken Angel by surprise. Instead of trying to extricate himself from the overly happy girl, he returned her affections. He really couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Dawn, maybe it had been after her mother died, he wasn’t sure, but she had grown up a lot since then. He noted that she was much taller now and quite a bit stronger. He noticed her wince in pain when she finally released him from the hug.
"Are you hurt? Let me help you to the couch." He slipped his arm around her back to support her.
"I’m fine, nothing I can’t fix. I guess I shouldn’t try swinging axes that are bigger than me yet."
"Yeah. I was going to ask you where you learned to do that. I guess I already know the answer."
"Buffy’s been teaching me. I started getting Slayer-like powers around my sixteenth birthday, along with a few other ones, so Giles thought I should learn how to use them." By this point, she had lifted her injured ankle and placed it on the couch. It looked bruised and swollen.
"Dawn, you better let me get some ice for that, it looks pretty bad."
"No," she said, grabbing his arm before he could walk away. "It’ll be fine, really. I have this really cool power that let’s me heal stuff. Watch!" Slowly, she traced her ankle with her finger and concentrated all of her energy on the injury. In seconds, the swelling went down and the bruise disappeared.
"How’d you do that?" Angel asked incredulously.
She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "No clue. Isn’t it neat though?"
The only reaction Angel could give her was raising his eyebrows. Then he gave her a crooked smile. "So Dawn, wanna tell me how you got here? I’m pretty sure Buffy didn’t just drive down here and drop you off for a weekend with me."
******
Willow and Tara happily walked hand in hand on their way back to their flat. It was a beautiful day in Devon, in more ways than one. The sun was shining and Willow had just received word from the Coven that if she passed her next trial successfully, she could return home. That had been the best news she had heard in the last few months. She was feeling better and doing well with magic, she no longer felt the need to have power. That was a step in the right direction for sure! She glanced over at Tara. The young woman had really come out of her shell over here in England. She sensed that Tara was more confident and definitely much more powerful than before. Everything was really coming together for the two of them.
"So, do you think Buffy will tell Sp...uhm, William how she feels about him?" Tara asked as she slowed their pace and led Willow to a bench by the pond.
Willow frowned and thought for a second. "I’m not sure. I’m still trying to get over the whole fact that Spike is human and that Buffy loves him!"
"Yeah. It’s all so strange, but not really I guess. Buffy’s the light and Spike’s the dark. It’s balance, or at least it was before Spike became human."
"I guess. Why does Buffy always have to go for a vampire? I mean, first there was Angel, which was understandable cause, well, soul...good. Then there was Spike...not so good. I don’t get it. Why can’t Buffy just have a normal boyfriend, like she did with Riley?"
"Willow, Buffy is who she is. Who better understands what she needs? A normal human guy isn’t going to be enough for her. Riley wasn’t. He wanted to protect her from her calling instead of just letting her be who she was."
Willow sighed. "You’re right. But still...Spike? Ick factor plus twenty."
"Not really, not when you think about it in terms of how Spike was while Buffy was gone. He protected Dawn when he had nothing to gain and he loved Buffy without conditions. He’s not really as bad as all of you make him sound."
"I guess you’re right, but he did try to kill us..."
"So did Buffy. Does that mean we should hate her too?"
Willow frowned when she realized her lover was right on the mark. "No. I guess it’s just going to take some getting used to."
"Come on," Tara said with a seductive smile. "Let’s go back to the room and get used to some other...things."
Willow grinned and let her lover lead the way.
******
"Where do you want me to start?" Dawn asked.
"Is it that long of a story?" Angel wasn’t sure why the girl just couldn’t tell him how she had gotten there. Was it that difficult to explain?
"Well...it could be."
"Alright then...Start from the beginning."
Dawn told him in detail, about their confrontation with Warren and how her powers started to surface around that time. She noticed the pained look on Angel’s face when she got to the part about Buffy being buried alive in the rubble.
"She got out okay. She saved the world, again. I think that’s what she needed, especially after how she handled coming back from...you know."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she wasn’t exactly herself when the gang brought her back. At first we thought it was ‘cause she had been trapped in hell and it would take a while. But then we found out she had been in heaven..."
"She was in heaven?" Angel asked incredulously.
Dawn sighed and lowered her eyes. "Yeah. She was really happy there. After they brought her back, it was just too much for her to deal with and I didn’t help things any."
Angel looked down at his feet. Buffy had needed someone and he hadn’t been there for her. Why did he always feel like he let her down? "I’m sorry she had to go through that alone."
"She really didn’t go through it alone, she had Spike..."
"Spike? What does Spike have to do with this?"
She had forgotten that Spike and Angel didn’t get along. There was no need for her to tell him about the relationship, or about what happened between Spike and Buffy before Spike left the country. "Nothing really...he just protected me and helped Buffy out as much as he could."
"I see. But what does any of this have to do with you being here?"
She then explained that her latest power included the opening and closing of portals. "Giles says it has something to do with some prophecy, that my powers were foretold or something like that. I am the Key after all."
"Right." The Key? Did he know about this? There was so much about Buffy’s life that he didn’t share in anymore.
They continued their discussion about her powers and then moved to all things Sunnydale. Before they both realized it, a couple of hours had passed.
"Oh my gosh!" Dawn exclaimed, as she looked at the clock above the desk. "Buffy’s probably worried sick. I’m sure she heard me scream. I should call her!"
"You can use the phone over on the front desk. Let her know you’re okay and that I’ll bring you home later in the evening."
Dawn smiled brightly and hurried over to the phone. She heard the phone in Sunnydale ring...and ring some more. Why wasn’t the answering machine picking up? "That’s weird. The machine isn’t picking up and there’s no answer. I bet Buffy’s out looking for me right now. What should I do?"
"Why don’t you get some sleep and I’ll keep trying to get through. If not, I’ll leave a message at the Magic Box. How does that sound?"
"I guess that’s okay. She’s gonna be so pissed off at me, Giles too. They yelled at me about going through the portals. Guess I should listen, huh?"
Angel smiled. "Guess you should."
******
They sat on the bed, facing one another. William looked longingly into Buffy’s eyes. Everything about this night had been unbelievable and now he was about to make love to the woman of his dreams. This wasn’t going to be like that night they had brought a house down. That had just been about her needing to feel alive again. No, this was going to be him making love to her without any fears of her bolting from the room the minute they were done.
He leaned over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She shuddered in response. He pulled her onto his lap and began kissing her passionately. "I want you so much, Buffy," he said breathlessly.
She pulled back so that she could look him in the eyes, they were tender and full of love for her. She let her hands roam over his back and under his shirt, needing to touch his skin. How different it felt now, it was warm and full of life. She felt his hands explore her body and whimpered slightly when he cupped her breast in his hand. The need for flesh to touch more flesh became overwhelming. She pulled his shirt over his head and quickly discarded it. He was still as fit as he was before, maybe even more so.
He closed his eyes as she ran her hands over his chest. When she began softly kissing his collarbone, he thought he was going to pass out. Her touch drove him crazy. Quickly, he undid the buttons of her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders as he had done earlier that night at her place. This time there would be no interruptions. In one smooth motion, he unhooked her bra and pulled it down her arms.
They laid back down on the bed so that their skin was touching, hot flesh against hot flesh. He kissed her neck and then moved down her body, gently taking her hard nipple in his warm mouth. He felt her body quiver.
Colors were exploding behind her eyes as she let him relish her body. She couldn’t help but grind her hips against his thighs. "Spike, I need you now," she said between gasps of ecstasy.
In response to her request, he kissed her fervently on the lips and began removing her jeans. She could feel his need for her as well. Reaching down, she undid his belt, then the button and then finally the zipper. She pushed his pants down over his buttocks. Happily, she noticed that he hadn’t changed all that much from vampire to human, he still didn’t wear any under garments.
He broke the kiss only long enough to remove her jeans and then his. Slowly, he lowered himself to her. "I love you so much, Buffy."
Buffy could see the tears well up in his eyes. She could tell that this act of love meant more to him than just hearing her say the words. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him tenderly.
He returned the kiss as he slowly entered her. They both shuddered at the sensation of their joining. Soon their need for one another became overwhelming. Buffy grabbed onto the mattress on both sides of her and screamed in pleasure as their pace quickened.
She was certain she was going to pass out as her orgasm washed over her. He held her tightly and matched his pace with hers until he could feel her starting to relax.
He felt his release draw closer. Buffy closed her eyes and he gently brushed his hand across her cheek, willing them open. She was so beautiful. She was looking at him, almost in awe. That was all it took to send him over the edge into pure bliss, consummating their love and passion for one another. He held her gently as their breathing calmed, and when their eyes met, she smiled. The tears that had threatened to fall subsided as she pulled him closer to her and stroked his hair. Through their lovemaking, they had exchanged silent promises of never ending love and devotion.
Buffy closed her eyes and smiled softly to herself. She had finally found what had been missing from her life.
******
Angel motioned for Dawn to follow him up the stairs. "Nice thing about this being an old hotel, I have plenty of space for guests."
"This seems like a pretty nice place, but isn’t it lonely living here all by yourself?" She looked down the empty hallway and saw door after door. The place was huge!
As Angel was about to explain that he didn’t live alone, a dark haired girl with a southern accent interrupted them as she popped her head out of one of the doors. "Angel? Is everything okay? I thought I heard voices..."
"Everything is fine, Fred. Fred, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s sister."
"The Buffy? As in ‘love of your life’ Buffy? She has a sister?"
Angel looked embarrassed as he nodded and stepped over to the side so that Fred could meet Dawn.
Fred’s eyes widened as she recognized the girl.
Dawn’s mouth dropped open. The portal: Fred was the woman she had seen through the portal when she was with Steven...
Angel watched their reaction with curiosity. "Something wrong?"
"Angel. She’s the one I saw with Connor!"
