Latter Days by Enigmaticblue

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Chapter 12: Munich, Germany

“…Giles was right about there being a new Hellmouth popping up. Willem helped us pinpoint it, and we’ve been trying to figure out how to seal it off, or at least figure out how to prevent someone from opening it. I know that Giles said he had some sort of important task for you, but if you can make it to Germany, I’d appreciate it. I miss you…” ~Excerpt from an email from Buffy Summers to Spike

Buffy scrubbed her shirt under cold water, hoping she could get the blood out. She didn’t have all that many clothes to be throwing away a ruined shirt.

The knock on the door heralded Willem’s concerned voice. “Buffy? Are you alright?”

“I’m good,” she called. “Gotta love that Slayer healing.”

“Very well.”

She stared at her stained blouse and sighed, knowing that it was a lost cause. Pulling a spare t-shirt over her head, she smiled faintly. Buffy had stolen one of Spike’s shirts when he wasn’t looking, and she could still smell him on it. It was currently serving as sleepwear.

“Still missing him, huh?” Vi asked when she came out.

“What gave you that idea?”

Vi gave the shirt a pointed look. “If your choice of pajamas wasn’t enough, the twice-daily emails would have given it away.”

“Are you referring to Spike?” Willem asked, sounding intrigued. “I would like to meet him.”

“If Giles will let him, he might come to Munich.” Buffy tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice; she knew that the circumstances were more at fault than her Watcher.

Willem offered her a sympathetic look. “This is my girl.” He held out a picture, which Buffy took as she sat down on his couch.

They had been staying in his small apartment because it was easier and cheaper than getting a hotel room. Besides, both she and Vi had been stuffed into the house in Sunnydale; three people in a one bedroom flat was luxurious in comparison.

Of course, they had ditched Andrew within the first week. He’d tried to get involved in a fight against a few vampires and had been bitten. She and Vi had sent him back to Giles to recover—with strict instructions to the head Watcher to keep him in England.

The girl in the picture was blonde and laughing, her arms around Willem’s neck. He looked happier than Buffy had seen him in the few days since they’d met. “She’s really pretty.”

“She is studying to be a doctor,” he explained. “But she was accepted at Bonn, and my job is here.”

“Does she know what you do?” Vi asked.

“Ja.” He gave them both a boyish grin. “She says she will be able to put her skills to use.”

Buffy smiled in return. “We could definitely use a doctor or two.”

“More than two.” Willem put the picture back on his table. “What are we to do about the Hellmouth?”

Buffy shook her head. “I have no idea. The last Hellmouth I saw was closed by a vampire and an amulet that another vampire gave me.”

Willem’s expression grew worried. “This is not good news.”

“We’ve dealt with a Hellmouth before over the long term,” Buffy replied, wanting to encourage him. “It just takes a Slayer, plus a few other people.”

Vi leaned back against the cushions of the couch. “The only problem is that we’re short on people.”

“Right now we are,” Buffy agreed, “but in time we’ll have enough to spare a few to watch over whatever Hellmouths might show up.”

“I hope that what you say is true, Buffy,” Willem replied solemnly. “I would not want to keep you from your Spike.”

Buffy took a deep breath. “Yeah. Me, too.”

~~~~~

Vi put a stake in her fourth vampire of the evening and spat out the resulting dust that entered her mouth. The alley was full of the stuff, with Buffy staking another vampire just behind her, and Willem hitting a second with a bolt from his crossbow.

That was the thing about being on top of a Hellmouth. The energies drew all kinds of demonic activity, including vampires from all over.

The sudden silence in the alley was broken by the ringing of Buffy’s cell phone. Vi nodded to let her know that they were clear, and she answered it. “Hello?”

Vi couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but she knew it was Spike from the expression on Buffy’s face. “Why?” she demanded, keeping her voice low. Her eyes closed, taking in his answer. “We’re still out on patrol. Can I call you when we get back to the apartment?”

He must have given his assent, because she said, “Talk to you soon.”

“He’s not coming?” Vi asked sympathetically.

She shook her head. “Giles needs him to stay. We’re supposed to talk about it later.”

“I’m sorry, Buffy.” She felt awful for the older Slayer. “Why don’t you go back to Bath for a quick weekend? We can take care of things here for a while.”

Willem added his voice. “Of course.”

“I’ll check with Giles,” Buffy replied. “Maybe if he can send someone else to replace me, but we’ve got enough to handle right now.”

“We could check with the coven,” Vi suggested. “They might have a way to put a seal on it without an amulet-wearing vampire.”

“They’re working on it,” Buffy replied. “Let’s get back.”

The walk back to the apartment was made in silence. Vi wasn’t sure what to say to comfort her friend; she and Buffy had grown pretty close over the last few weeks. The two of them had been teamed up every time there was an emergency, and she’d gained an intimate understanding of the way Buffy’s mind worked.

She was so used to being the Chosen One, and so used to putting duty in front of her own needs, that she was unlikely to go to Bath to see Spike, even if it had been feasible. The only way that was going to change was if somebody with more authority ordered her back, and that was highly unlikely to happen.

As soon as they got back, Buffy retreated to the tiny balcony for privacy, leaving Vi with Willem. “She will not go to him?”

“She’s pretty dedicated to her calling,” Vi responded. “Unless Giles can spare somebody to replace her, I don’t think so.”

“I believe that we could handle it.”

“But Buffy doesn’t, and if either of us were hurt, she’d never forgive herself.” Vi shrugged. “That’s part of what makes her a hero.”

Willem raised an eyebrow. “But not a martyr?”

Vi snorted. “Of course she’s a martyr. She died to save the freaking world. I think she’s allowed.”

~~~~~

She clutched the phone to her ear. “How long did Giles think?” The long pause made her heart sink. “He doesn’t want you to come at all.”

“This weekend,” Spike said. “I’ll leave Friday afternoon and stay through Sunday.”

She sighed. “How did you talk him into it?”

“Didn’t. Just told him that even the best teachers get weekends off, an’ I was takin’ mine to see you.”

“Teachers?”

“That’s what I’m gonna be doing.” His tone was wry. “Rupert talked me into it, but it was your sister’s idea.”

“What was?” Buffy asked, still not understanding.

“The Bit suggested recalling all the Watchers who are too decrepit for field work to carry the academic load. That leaves yours truly to make sure they get the physical training they need.”

Buffy couldn’t help the snicker that escaped. “You’re going to be the phys ed teacher for a bunch of Watchers and Slayers?”

There was a humorous note in Spike’s voice. It was clear that he appreciated the irony. “And the final examiner. Rupert said I’d know if they were ready to go out or not.”

“You?”

“Others, too, but yeah. That’s why it’s only for the weekend, pet. Classes run Monday through Friday.” He sighed. “I sound like a bleedin’ ponce.”

“You sound like someone who’s going to be really good at what he does,” Buffy replied. “I want you here, but Giles is right. We need someone who can train them, and there’s no one who can do a better job than a vampire.”

“Glad you think so.” There was real pleasure in his voice.

“It’s pretty close quarters here,” she warned him.

Spike snorted. “You crazy, Summers? I’ll get a hotel room. We can shack up during the day and hunt at night.”

“Just like old times, huh?”

“We never.”

“No, we didn’t. I’m sorry about that.” She felt the pang of regret for lost time and lost opportunities yet again. Maybe Spike was alive again, but they still weren’t together, not in any real sense of the word.

Then again, they were closer in heart than they had ever been.

“Don’t be sorry. We’re here now, an’ I’ll be there on Friday,” Spike promised. “You want to talk to Giles?”

“Yeah, sure. And tell Dawn that I’ll call her tomorrow?”

“Sure thing. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

There was a pause, and Giles’ voice came on the line. “Buffy?”

“Hey, Giles.”

“I’m sorry I can’t send Spike onto you, but it’s imperative that we begin training the Slayers and Watchers immediately. We’ve wasted enough time as it is, and—”

“I know,” Buffy assured him. “I’ll deal.”

“Good. Thank you. How is Munich?”

“From what I’ve seen of it so far, it’s a beautiful city. Not that I’ve seen much.”

“Perhaps you and Spike will have some time to see the city while he’s there,” Giles suggested.

Buffy frowned. “It’s hard to see the city after dark; that’s been my problem so far.”

Giles cleared his throat. “Oh, of course. Forgive me. I hadn’t realized…”

“Hadn’t realized what?” she asked suspiciously.

“Nothing,” Giles assured her. “I just hadn’t realized that you were unable to see much of the city yet.”

Buffy knew that there was something that he wasn’t telling her, but she decided not to push it. “We’ve been pretty busy. Has the coven figured out a way to seal the Hellmouth yet?”

“No. I’m sorry, Buffy, but they seem to think that as long as there is unbalance, it will be impossible to close or seal the Hellmouth. Our best chance is to train enough Slayers to take up permanent residence at each and keep them under control.”

She heard the hard truth in his voice. “That’s where Spike comes in.”

“Yes.”

“It makes sense,” she admitted. “We’ll be fine, Giles. I have plenty of practice in dealing with a Hellmouth.”

“Indeed, you do.” Giles paused. “I should let you get some sleep. Be careful, Buffy, and please keep me informed.”

“Will do,” she promised. “I’ll call soon.”

Buffy ended the call, but stayed out on the balcony, staring off into the darkness. She had been both relieved and grief-stricken after leaving Sunnydale—relieved because she’d thought it was over, and grieving over the loss of Spike, Anya, and the Slayers who had been killed.

She didn’t think it was a stretch to say that things had gone from bad to worse. There were multiple Hellmouths opening, Slayers who were dying, and Buffy was helpless to change it. Once again, she wasn’t in control of her own destiny.

~~~~~

Spike stepped off the plane, feeling the late afternoon sun on his face. He hadn’t told Buffy about the ring Miriam had given him, or that he was coming a day early, because he’d wanted to surprise her. Audra was well-trained enough to take his classes for a Friday, and Giles was still feeling guilty about trying to have him killed.

Before Spike had asked for his soul, he’d appreciated the use of emotional blackmail, knowing how effective it could be. Now that he had his soul—well, he still appreciated it, especially if it helped him to see Buffy.

He hailed a cab at the airport entrance and gave directions to the hotel where he’d made reservations. Spike planned on checking in before walking to Willem’s flat, which was only a few blocks away. He had wanted to be sure that it would be easy to get back and forth, because he knew Buffy well enough to know that she wouldn’t want to shirk her duty.

Checking in didn’t take long, and Spike immediately headed for his next destination. With any luck, Buffy would have stuck around the apartment, rather than heading out into the city for the day. He didn’t want to have to track her down.

Spike slipped inside behind one of the residents, just before the door clicked shut behind her, then made his way up the stairs to the apartment. He knocked briskly, then stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

The door swung open to reveal a fair-haired man of about thirty. His green eyes narrowed at the sight of Spike. “May I help you?” he asked in German.

“I hope so,” Spike replied in the same language. “I’m looking for Buffy Summers.”

“And you are?”

“Spike?” Buffy emerged from another room; Spike caught a glimpse of her over the man’s shoulder. “What are you doing here?” She rushed forward, pushing past Willem to throw her arms around him. “I thought you weren’t coming until Friday.”

“Wanted to surprise you.” He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair. Spike thought it strange, in a way, that he had so much trouble being apart from her when he’d never really been with her. “How am I doing?”

“Really well.” Buffy pulled back slightly to kiss him, her mouth hungry. “Did you just get in? What about the sun?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t have to worry about it.” Spike glanced over her shoulder at the people standing in the doorway. “I know Vi, but you want to introduce me to your other friend?”

“Oh, right!” She turned. “Willem, this is Spike. Spike, this is Willem, the Watcher here in Munich.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Willem said, holding out a hand. “Won’t you come in?”

Spike took the proffered hand and followed him inside. Everywhere he went—or almost everywhere—the Watchers and Slayers had been incredibly welcoming, and he still found it strange. “Thanks. How’s the Hellmouth?”

“It’s keeping us on our toes,” Buffy replied. “I swear that every vampire in Germany decided to come here for a holiday.”

Spike shrugged. “It’s the energies, and that’s the nature of the game, I’m afraid.”

“It certainly isn’t boring,” Vi replied. “How long are you staying?”

“Until Sunday afternoon.” Spike glanced around the apartment. “Not to cut this visit short, but do you want to take a walk, luv?”

Buffy frowned. “The sun is still up.”

“I know.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Does this have anything to do with what Giles wasn’t telling me the other night?”

“A bit,” he admitted. “Want to see my surprise?”

“Sure.” She turned to Willem and Vi. “We’ll meet up with you guys later?”

“No hurry,” Vi assured her. “I think we could probably take patrol tonight if you want to catch up.”

Buffy hesitated. “I don’t—”

“We’ll take patrol,” Spike insisted. “You two take the night off. Go see a movie or somethin’.”

Willem shrugged. “Danke. I need to call Lisel tonight.”

Vi sighed. “I guess I’m going to be reading a book. I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“What’s the big secret?” Buffy demanded as soon as the door had closed behind them.

Spike held up his hand to show her the ring. “The coven decided I might need some sun block.”

Buffy stared at him. “What?”

“Come on.” Spike knew that a demonstration was in order, and he led her down the stairs and outside. She gaped at him as he stood in the waning light; although the sun wasn’t high in the sky, there was still enough sunlight to kill him—if he hadn’t been wearing the ring, of course.

“They made another Gem of Amara?” Buffy whispered, obviously still stunned.

He shook his head. “No. It won’t work for anyone but me, an’ it won’t protect me from anythin’ that would kill a human. The witch said that a stake through the heart or a beheading would still kill me, but I’m safe from sunlight, an’ I can see my own reflection now.”

She shook her head. “But why?”

“What do you mean?” Buffy’s reaction wasn’t quite what he’d been expecting. He’d thought that she’d be happy for him, but instead—“You have a problem with what they did for me? You think I’d misuse it?”

“No!” she exclaimed, clearly surprised that he’d draw that conclusion, although Spike wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to think. “It’s just—they think you need it, and I don’t know why. I get the feeling that the coven knows something they’re not sharing, and it makes me nervous.”

His face softened. “We’re gonna get through this, Buffy. Miriam said that as long as I was wearin’ the ring, the coven could find me. She said you’d be happy about that.”

“Yeah, but that means that I may not be able to find you at some point, that you’re going to be lost.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m telling you, they know something, Spike.”

“That might be,” he agreed. “But we can’t do anything more than we’re doin’ right now—unless it includes getting back to my hotel room. We don’t have much time.”

“No, we don’t,” she agreed. “But maybe we should start with a hunt, then go back to your hotel? Because I don’t know that we’ll leave your room for a very long time.”

Spike gave her a toothy grin. “That sounds like a perfect plan.”

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