Summary: Set after the end of Cast Me Not Away and its follow up stories. This sequel is longer and darker than the intervening short stories. It deals with family, children, immortality, life and death, and making amends. We will also be jumping around in time a bit, so look sharp.
Author's Notes: I debated for a long time before writing this one, although the idea was there before I even finished CMNA. Some of you will believe that I have ruined the previous stories, which is fine. All I ask is that if you're unhappy with where this goes that you'll go back, re-read Cast Me Not Away through Silver Bells, and then you can flame me if you'd like. I'll calmly pull out the fire-extinguisher and ignore you, but that's alright. The themes have been there; I just hadn't quite managed to elaborate on them yet. (Oh, and before anyone screams Nika, Wesley, Spike and Buffy will survive. More than that I won't promise.)
Rating: PG-13
Chapter 6: October 2014
When Hannah woke that morning, it was to the sound of childish giggles. She opened her eyes sleepily and saw two identical faces peeking around her door, staring at her as though she was the eighth wonder of the world.
As soon as the boys saw she was awake, their giggles ceased abruptly, and they ducked out of sight. They had obviously not counted on being discovered in the act by someone other than Hannah. "I told you two to leave Hannah be," Nika's whispered words came through the door clearly to Hannah's enhanced hearing. "She was up late, and you were to let her sleep."
Their voices faded down the hallway, and Hannah briefly considered getting up. On the other hand, she had been up late, and like any teen she wasn't going to pass up a chance to sleep in.
When she woke again, it was late morning, and Hannah dragged herself out of bed reluctantly. She would have much rather stayed there, where she didn't have to face all these new people again. Not that they weren't nice, but the first few days in a new home were always awkward.
Still, it was better to get it over with, really.
Hannah rose and pulled on her jeans and sweatshirt, thinking longingly about a shower. She wasn't comfortable just going ahead and taking one without saying good morning to whomever was still around, though. She pulled her hair into a quick ponytail and headed out of her room, following the sound of voices.
Wesley and Giles were seated at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking as Enid bustled around behind them. Wesley spotted her first and gave her a warm smile. "Good morning, Hannah. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, the bed was really comfortable," she said. Hannah felt strange in this bright kitchen with these people she didn't know, but who were obviously close. She had stayed with a family of six before, but all the other kids had been from the foster system too, so it had been different.
These people belonged together.
Enid and Giles were both looking at her now with similar expressions of welcome, although Enid spoke first. "Sit," she said firmly, pointing to an empty chair. "You're probably hungry."
"A little," Hannah agreed, watching as Wesley pushed a plate full of scones towards her.
Enid nodded. "Of course. A growing girl like you is hungry all the time. Do you want coffee?"
" Nain , I don't think—" Wesley began, only to be cut off by the older woman's words.
"She will be doing a grown woman's job; she deserves to have a choice of beverage." Enid turned kind eyes back towards Hannah. "Coffee?"
Hannah hesitated. From what Dawn and Connor had said, Wesley was supposed to be in charge of her, and she didn't want to make him mad right off the bat. Although, he didn't look angry, just amused. "Please."
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the coffee cup was placed in front of her, with cream and sugar pushed her way. Hannah doctored the brew liberally and then sipped, sighing happily. Coffee was something she didn't often get the chance to drink, but she loved it.
Giles gave her a perfunctory smile before going back to his conversation with Wesley, taking up where he left off. "Buffy said that she and Spike would be over this morning. I imagine they'll get here any minute."
"Who are they taking with them?" Wesley asked. He was feeling ambivalent about being left behind. On one hand, it only made sense that he should remain with his Slayer. On the other hand, Spike was his partner, and Wesley felt as though it wasn't quite fair that he should stay safe while Spike put himself at risk.
Giles reached out and took a scone, taking a bite absent-mindedly. "Connor for certain, and I believe Angel and Willow will both be going."
Wesley nodded. It was a good team. With all of them along for the ride, there was less of a chance any would be lost. "Good. I think that's wise."
Enid cut in when she realized that Hannah had yet to start eating. "You need to eat," she scolded. "You need more meat on your bones."
The corners of Wesley's lips twitched, and he nudged the plate of pastries a little closer to Hannah. "I have to warn you that Enid and Nika are in charge in the kitchen. You'd best do as she says or she'll most likely have both our hides."
Wesley's tone of voice let Hannah know that he was kidding, but she reached for a scone anyway, nibbling on one corner experimentally. In another second, she'd taken a good-sized bite, and Enid gave her a satisfied nod.
Giles went on as though there had been no interruption. "There's a good possibility that they'll be successful where Faith was not," he said. "While Faith changed quite a bit these last years, she was not a team player."
"One might say the same about Spike," Wesley observed mildly. "He's not known for playing well with others."
Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Spike is something else altogether."
The sound of the front door banging open filled the house, and Hannah felt a little tingling sensation at the back of her head start up. She'd never experienced anything like it before, and had to wonder what was going on.
No one else seemed alarmed, however, and in a few seconds they were joined by a petite blonde woman and a wiry man who looked to be ten years younger than Wesley. "I'm glad you two are here," Giles said. "We can get down to business."
Wesley rolled his eyes at Giles' rudeness. "Spike, Buffy, this is the new Slayer, Hannah. Hannah, this is Buffy and Spike. I think Connor and Dawn will have told you about them."
The other Slayer looked her over and responded with a weary smile. "It's nice to meet you." She turned back towards Giles. "Do we know anything else yet?"
"Very little, I'm afraid," Giles replied. "I get the sense that you won't know all of it until you actually arrive."
Hannah felt as though she had been very neatly dismissed, and she wondered if now wouldn't be a good time to go catch that shower. Then Spike caught her eye and winked, causing Hannah to realize exactly why she was getting a tingling sensation.
Spike was a vampire.
Hannah had blurted out the words before she could stop herself, flushing deep red as all eyes turned to look at her. "Sorry. It's just—"
"No need for apologies, snack-size," Spike replied easily. "It's the truth. Dawn and Connor tell you that?"
She nodded and then motioned vaguely. "I got this feeling, too. I don't know—"
Now both Wesley and Giles were looking vastly pleased. "She's already sensing the presence of vampires," Giles said approvingly. "Well done."
Buffy made a face. "You aren't going to make her hone?"
"This is her first day on the job, luv," Spike pointed out reasonably. "She hasn't had time to eat her breakfast yet."
Buffy scowled. "Well, sometimes you don't get time to eat. That's just the way it goes." She stalked out of the room, Spike watching her go rather helplessly.
"Sorry 'bout that," he finally said. "She's been a bit off since we dropped Meg at school this morning."
"It's understandable," Giles soothed. "I'll go talk to her."
The older man left the kitchen, and Spike took his place at the counter. "You ready for this gig?"
Hannah wasn't sure if he was talking to her or to Wesley, but since his eyes were on her, she answered. "Not really."
Spike smiled with what she thought might be approval. "No one is," he agreed.
~~~~~
Buffy knew that Spike hadn't followed her. She understood that, in fact, since she'd been on his case all morning. After the truce of last night, the Slayer had found herself out of sorts and off kilter.
Seeing Hannah had only made it worse. This was the third Slayer who had been called since the line had split with Kendra. Maybe three wasn't so bad since Faith had lasted a long time, but it didn't change the fact that there had been three more. Three more Slayers who weren't Buffy, and two of them had been her friends.
This girl was very nearly young enough to be her daughter.
"Buffy." There was reproof in Giles' tone, and she winced. Only Giles could use that tone of voice and make her feel two inches high. Buffy knew that probably would never change, no matter how old she got.
"I'm sorry, Giles." She turned to face him, and saw the compassion on his face.
He hugged her then, and Buffy could smell that familiar scent that had always been Giles. He looked older every time she saw him. His work with the Council was not easy, but he didn't want to give it up. It was his life.
Just as Slaying would always be hers. It seemed neither one of them would ever be able to outrun their destinies, even with time and age.
"She is very young, Buffy," Giles said quietly. "And she is no Faith."
"No, she's not," Buffy replied, thinking about the girl's watchful eyes. She was not much like Kendra either. The Slayer knew she needed to remember that Hannah wasn't either of her predecessors. "It doesn't seem right, Giles."
They sat down on the couch, Giles gently leading her. "No, it doesn't, but look at it this way. You might not have lived to see her. Surely you can be thankful for your own blessings."
Buffy knew what he was telling her. She had her daughter and Spike and good friends. She had lived longer than any Slayer in history, and there was a very good chance she'd live longer yet.
Those were important things to remember.
Buffy gave him a sour look. "You do realize she's young enough to be my daughter, don't you?"
Giles blinked. He hadn't thought of that, but his Slayer was correct. A smile hovered around his mouth. "Now you know how I feel most of the time." She made a face at him, and Giles smiled, then grew serious. "She will need you, Buffy. You're the only one who truly knows what she's going through right now."
Buffy sighed. "Yeah, as first impressions go, that wasn't my best. She probably thinks I'm a bitch."
Giles decided to ignore that comment in favor of being diplomatic. "We do need to discuss this upcoming mission."
Buffy nodded, and Giles thought he could see a veil coming down over her eyes. It was time for her to be the Slayer.
~~~~~
Connor watched his father pack. They hadn't had many opportunities to go into battle together in the last few years, especially since he had started working for the Council. Technically, his services were at Giles' disposal these days, although he still free-lanced for Wesley or Angel Investigations.
Sometimes, he even put his law degree to good use.
"So what's she like?" Angel asked, trying to sound casual.
Connor and Cordelia shared a look. "Who?"
"The new Slayer," Angel replied impatiently. "You know who."
"You weren't very specific," Connor pointed out.
"Connor—" Angel growled.
He smirked. Connor had to agree with Spike. There was nothing quite like winding Angel up. Besides, their relationship was hardly one of parent to child these days. They looked and acted more like brothers. "She's young."
"How young?" Angel asked, curious.
Connor shrugged. "Fourteen. She's had a rough time." He spoke without emotion, but the girl had touched him. She had looked so lost—he could well remember feeling that way the first time he'd found himself in L.A.
Cordelia looked surprised. "She's just a baby!"
Connor shook his head. "She's the Slayer, Cordy. There had to be some reason that she was the Potential activated. She seems like a good kid, although I'd guess Wesley will have his hands full." Pushing himself away from the wall, Connor headed out the door. "I'm going to keep Gunn company. We'll head over to Wesley's as soon as you're ready."
Angel finished putting his clothes in the bag and zipped it up, looking over at Cordy. "Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Please, Angel. I'm perfectly capable of holding down the fort."
"I know you are, but—" He hesitated. She hadn't changed much in the last few years. Apparently, having a little demon in her meant slowing the aging process, and Angel was grateful for that. Cordy kept him honest; he loved that about her.
So much had changed; he had so many regrets. Losing Wesley's friendship was probably the biggest. He still felt a pang when he heard the twins say "Uncle Spike," while they called him Angel. He still wished he hadn't been so hasty, that he had given Wesley another chance.
There were regrets that never eased.
Gunn and Fred were still around, but Angel was beginning to sense their need to move on as well. Fred was talking about going back for her doctorate. Gunn was spending more time with Anne at the youth center.
It felt wrong to be the only one not changing.
Cordelia was the same, though, and that gave him comfort. Angel could fool himself into believing that Cordy would never change, that she would always be there. When Gunn and Fred decided it was time to leave, she would stay, and Angel would find others who shared his vision.
Or maybe they would find him. That's usually how it worked.
Angel kissed Cordelia soundly, wishing he didn't have to leave, glad that he had someone he could rely upon while he was gone. "I'll be back soon," he promised.
"You don't have to hurry," Cordelia replied with a smile. "I'm planning on going shopping with your credit card while you're gone."
~~~~~
Spike fought a sigh, wishing that there was no need to plan things out so extensively. The sooner they left, the sooner they could get back. The sooner they could return to what passed for normal.
There had been some debate as to whether or not Hannah was to be allowed to sit in on the discussion. Buffy had been against it, and had asked Wesley point-blank why she wasn't in school. The Watcher had patiently replied that they were keeping Hannah out for the rest of the week, and that Hannah was a Slayer. Therefore, she deserved to at least listen in. It would not be long before she would be the one going on missions of this nature.
Spike had added his vote, and Giles had abstained. With Nika at work and Enid making herself scarce, he and Wesley had outnumbered her. That was why Hannah was sitting on the couch next to Connor, listening nervously. For some reason, she was getting along quite well with Hell-Boy.
Wesley had asked earlier if Buffy would be willing to assist him with Hannah's training when they returned, but she had given an unequivocal no. Spike had immediately offered to help out, but Buffy's attitude startled him, and he couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
Normally, Spike knew his wife like the back of his hand.
The rest had started bickering again while Spike had let his thoughts drift, and he rolled his eyes. "We don't know anything," Spike reminded them. "What are we tryin' to make plans for?"
"This is a very powerful vampire, by all accounts," Giles pointed out with ill-concealed irritation. "We would like to minimize the risk."
"You mean you'd like to minimize your risk," Spike retorted. "Plan's only as good as the people making it an' the information they feed in. We're wastin' our time."
Angel spoke up. "As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with Spike. There isn't anything we can do from this side."
Buffy gave a sigh of relief. She hadn't wanted to talk things to death any more than the two vampires, but Willow and Giles had insisted on discussing their options. "We don't have time for this, Giles. You know I work best under pressure."
Willow nodded. "They're right, Giles. I think we've done all the talking we can do at this point."
"I'll call for the plane tickets," Giles said with a sigh, knowing when he was outnumbered.
Wesley looked at Connor. "I take it Dawn won't be joining us?"
"Dawn had to leave for that conference this morning," Connor replied. "She had a paper to present." By the look on his face, it was obvious that Connor would have preferred to be there.
"I had forgotten," Wesley admitted. He appeared wistful. "A linguistics conference would be nice to attend."
Buffy smiled. "That's because you're the only one who would understand any of it."
"I don't know," Willow said. "Dawnie let me read over her paper, and it was really good." She stopped and flushed. "And I'm revealing my current-nerd status, aren't I?"
"We already knew," Angel teased. "That cat was out of the bag a long time ago."
There were a few chuckles before silence fell over the room, uncomfortable in its intensity. Everyone had forgotten about Hannah, who had no idea what they were talking about, but also thought that maybe she should offer her help.
Wasn't that what Slayers did?
"Shouldn't I be going?"
"And get yourself or someone else killed?" Buffy asked. "I don't think so."
Wesley gave her a sharp look. "You're not trained, Hannah. It's not a good idea right now."
At Hannah's crestfallen expression, Connor moved in to intervene. "We've got enough people, Hannah. Trust us. There'll be plenty of times to test your skills in the future."
Hannah acquiesced, wondering why Buffy didn't like her. Willow , who knew what it was like to feel left out offered her own brand of consolation. "It doesn't make any sense for us to take both Slayers with us. Just in case."
"Right," Hannah muttered, still feeling quite sure that the older Slayer wanted nothing to do with her.
"The flight leaves in a few hours," Giles announced as he came back into the room, interrupting the conversation. "Wren will meet all of you at the airport, and you'll call when you arrive. Once you locate the vampire, it shouldn't take long to kill him."
It wouldn't take long one way or the other.
Chapter 7: July 2015
Hannah knew this had been a mistake. She had wanted to prove a point, but now that she was out in the cemetery, by herself, she was beginning to wonder what had possessed her.
Other than the insane desire to let everyone know she was capable of taking care of herself.
It really wasn't fair, though. She knew that Buffy had been out on her own slaying vampires soon after she was called. Hannah had to be accompanied every time, and when she complained, Wesley always pointed out that things were different now.
It didn't help that Buffy had not warmed up to her in the last year. In fact, the older woman would often comment on the fact that she never had that much backup. She was alone. She had saved the world a couple times when she was Hannah's age.
Buffy was special; she had died twice, and everyone seemed to be doing their best to make sure Hannah didn't die at all.
The girl laughed at herself, knowing how insane that sounded, even in her own head. She was grateful that Wesley and Nika cared, and she knew that most of their protectiveness had to do with her youth and relative inexperience.
She missed Connor and Dawn intensely. The Cleveland Hellmouth had needed permanent guardians, and they had accepted the position. For a while, the couple had been going back and forth, trying to decide whether or not to make the move. In the end, neither had really had a choice.
Dawn had been like a big sister, though, and Connor had often taken her out with him on patrol. He was more likely to let her take chances than Wesley was, and Hannah missed that. There was a part of her that wished she could have gone with them to Cleveland .
She sighed and straightened her shoulders. It didn't matter. She was the Slayer, and therefore she would do her job.
She just wasn't expecting to have to take on four vampires at once.
They came up on her, one still dirty from clawing its way out of the grave. Fledglings weren't hard to handle, but the other three appeared older.
This was not a good thing.
"What have we here?" The male vampire who spoke was obviously the leader of the pack. "Looks like dinner just got delivered."
Hannah clutched her stake a little tighter. "I'm not dinner."
"Oh, no?" The lone female in the group looked her up and down. "You know, she's probably right. She's more like a hors d'oeuvre."
Hannah decided that it was time to get the bantering over with. She silenced the female with a roundhouse kick to her chin and followed it up with a quick stake to the heart.
It might have been the wrong move. The leader was obviously incensed, and with a growl he went at her, his two companions not far behind.
Hannah found herself trying to fight off three vamps, two of them skilled fighters, and she knew she was in trouble. She ought to be fully capable of handling three at a time, but one of them managed to grab her arm, and before she could shake him off, a second had grabbed her by the shoulders.
In that moment, she was certain that she was going to die.
Suddenly, one of the vampires disintegrated, and Hannah broke free of their hold to dust another. The third was busy fighting a black-clad shape. She recognized the bleached hair immediately and her knees nearly gave out in relief.
Hannah had no idea how Spike had managed to find her, but she definitely wasn't complaining.
With a final flourish, Spike dusted the last vampire and turned to face her, the fury on his face causing her to take a step backwards. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?"
"Spike, I—"
"You're just lucky that Nika called me when she realized you'd gone out on your own!" he exploded. "Those idiots very nearly had you. Did you think that just because your Watcher was on retreat the rules had changed?"
Hannah was torn between rage and tears. Rage won out. "I'm the friggin' Slayer, Spike! You guys never let me go out on my own! Connor was the only one who ever let me take chances, and now he's gone! What the hell am I supposed to do?"
"You let one of us come with you," Spike snapped back, reigning in his own temper, sensing that the girl was on the verge of tears. She was only a few years older than Meg, and right now he was reminded of a young Dawn who was bound and determined to find out what the Slayer was hiding from her.
The tears she was fighting back started to leak down her cheeks, and Hannah replied, "Buffy was fighting vamps on her own when she was my age! It isn't fair."
"We're tryin' to keep you alive," Spike said. "'s not safe for anybody to be out on their own, luv. It's one of the reasons Wes an' I partnered up. It's just good sense to have somebody watch your back."
Hannah's lower lip trembled, and she scowled at him. "I don't need a bloody babysitter." She started stalking off, and Spike sighed deeply. Wesley had warned him before he left that Hannah would need careful watching in his absence. The girl had taken Dawn and Connor's move badly, and she was beginning to test him.
They should have been expecting this, Spike thought as he followed her over to where she perched on a gravestone. Hannah was as strong-willed as any of her predecessors, but this was the first time she'd disobeyed a direct order. She had told Nika that she was going to a friend's house after school and would walk home, but when she didn't show up for dinner, the woman had called him.
Buffy, of course, hadn't wanted to come.
He came to stand next to her. She was crying in earnest now, and Spike bit back yet another sigh. The last year had been a rough adjustment for all of them, and it had probably been hardest on Hannah. "There, now, Sweet, don't cry."
"It's not fair," she said. "I suck at this. I can't even kill a few stupid vamps."
Spike put an arm around her shoulders. "You got two of them," he pointed out consolingly.
"If you hadn't shown up they would have had me," Hannah replied stubbornly. "She's right. I'm never gonna be good at this. I never should have been Chosen."
Spike knew exactly who Hannah was talking about, and he winced. He was going to have to speak with Buffy. As long as Dawn and Connor had been around, they had served as a buffer between the two Slayers, but that wasn't the case anymore. It was all too obvious that Hannah had taken some of Buffy's more catty comments to heart.
"You've only been at this a year, luv," Spike said gently, much as he would have spoken to Meg had she been crying. "Give it some time."
Hannah shook her head and then buried her face in Spike's shirt. "I don't have time."
Spike pulled her closer, knowing what she meant and wishing he had the right words to say. It seemed that by trying to protect her, they may have done more harm than good. "I'm goin' to call Nika an' let her know you're alright," he said. "Then we'll go out together, yeah? I promise to let you take a few chances."
He felt her nod against his stomach and pulled out his cell phone to call his friend. They needed to find a different way of doing things for Hannah's sake, because she was right. She needed to get good at this, and she didn't have that much time.
~~~~~
Nika breathed a prayer of thanks as she hung up the phone. Spike had promised to keep an eye on the young Slayer, and she knew she could trust Hannah to his capable hands. "Did William find her then?" Enid asked, a touch of concern in her voice.
"Yes, and she's fine. Apparently, she was holding her own against a group of vampires when Spike found her." Nika shook her head. "I have no idea what has gotten into that girl."
"You know very well what's gotten into her," Enid said severely. "Wesley's being overprotective, and hearing the others talk about the good old days when the Slayer was stopping an apocalypse every year isn't helping any. You expect her to do a woman's job, and then you treat her like a child."
"She is a child," Nika replied, although her expression was rueful. "But you're right. Something is going to have to change."
Enid gave her granddaughter a look. "Hannah also knows very well that the only reason she's here is because she's the Slayer. I think she's trying to prove herself worthy of staying."
Nika made a face. With Carwen's birth, things had been more than a little stressful. Hannah had been quite helpful with the boys and helping around the house, but in the last couple months she had been showing quiet signs of rebellion. She spent more time in her room, emerging only when absolutely necessary. She wouldn't speak unless asked a direct question, and then would give as short a response as possible. Davey had been the only one she would talk to, although Will would sometimes just go into her room and sit with her.
Really, both she and Wesley had been so busy with Carwen that it had been easy to let Hannah disengage. The girl wasn't any trouble, or hadn't been until tonight. With Wesley out of town on a Watcher's retreat, Nika hadn't seen a problem in letting Hannah go to a friend's house after school, skipping her usual training regimen. Honestly, she'd just been grateful that Hannah was finally showing some interest in other kids her age.
Apparently, that wasn't the case at all.
"What do you suggest I do?" Nika asked. "She lied to me about where she was going."
Enid raised an eyebrow. "What would you do if she was one of the boys?"
That was an easy question to answer. "I'd ground them, of course, but I can't very well do that with the girl. It's not as if there is anything I can take away from her that would make an impression."
Enid shook her head. "Not for punishment, Danika," the older woman said impatiently. "What if it was Will, and he was showing signs of being unhappy?"
Will was the one who would withdraw, Nika knew. Davey had no trouble voicing his needs, and very loudly too. "I would take him somewhere, and talk." She rolled her eyes, impatient with herself. "Bloody hell. Of course." She rolled her eyes, impatient with herself. "I'm such an idiot."
"It's not just you, cariad ," Enid replied. "Wesley is just as guilty, as are the rest of us. Hannah's a quiet one, and so it's easier than it ought to be to forget that she's just as needy as the rest of the children."
"Maybe even needier," Nika murmured. She shook her head. "Well, Spike said he was going to keep her at their house tonight and bring her back tomorrow. Would you mind watching the boys?"
"Of course not," Enid replied. "And I'll make her favorite for dinner. It's time Hannah realizes that being the Slayer isn't everything she is."
~~~~~
She had been as giddy as the child she was. Spike had taken Hannah to some high traffic areas where he knew there would be plenty of vampires, and then he had mostly stayed back and let her slay.
There was a natural grace in her movements that was often hidden by her rather awkward manner. She needed some confidence, since she had all the ability and all the training. Unfortunately, building that confidence would take time, and it was for that reason that he and Wesley hadn't been allowing her to go out on her own.
They had kept her safe, but they had also kept her from blossoming.
Hannah executed a perfect flying kick, taking out the last vampire of the evening with style, and Spike began applauding. "Well done, Sweet."
She grinned at him, all traces of her tears gone. "Thanks!" A worried look crossed her face. "You aren't going to tell Wesley about this, are you?"
"Don't think I'm goin' to have a choice, luv," he replied gently. "You did fib to Nika 'bout where you were goin'." Hannah winced, and Spike sighed. "I'm not gonna tell him you almost got yourself killed, though. Told Nika you were holdin' your own, an' there's no reason to tell Wesley anything different."
There was a measure of hero-worship in her eyes when she looked at him, and Spike was oddly reminded of Dawn again when she was that age. His Niblet had looked at him like that too, and he felt Hannah tug on his heart-strings as she hadn't before.
"Come on, then. Let's get home," Spike said, heading back towards the motorcycle.
Hannah hesitated. "Won't Buffy be mad that I stayed at your place?"
"Buffy's not the only one who lives there," Spike said wryly. "I think I can make the decision on this one." When the young Slayer's expression didn't change, he sighed. "I'll talk to her, luv. Buffy's just—she never did adjust well to change."
"She doesn't like me," Hannah said glumly, trudging behind him.
Spike frowned, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "'s not that, Hannah. It's more that you're the third Slayer other than herself she's seen Chosen . It's—it's hard for her."
Hannah didn't really understand, but she wasn't sure she was supposed to. It sucked that Buffy didn't like her, but she hadn't done anything wrong.
Unless you counted getting Chosen in the first place, and Hannah was fairly certain that wasn't her fault.
"It'll be fine," Spike said encouragingly. "She just needs a little more time."
"It's already been a year," Hannah muttered under her breath, pulling on the extra helmet Spike kept with his motorcycle.
Spike pretended not to hear that. While he agreed, Buffy wasn't always willing to listen to reason.
~~~~~
When Hannah woke the next morning and came downstairs, she was relieved to that no one awake except for Meg. "Hey."
Meg glanced up from her Saturday morning cartoons. "Hey." She was unsurprised at finding the other Slayer there. Her dad had a habit of letting people crash at their place when they had been
out late on patrol the night before.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching cartoons."
Hannah frowned. Davey and Will always watched cartoons Saturday morning. She realized, with something akin to surprise, that she missed them. "Where's Spike?" She didn't really want to run into Buffy.
"Sleeping. He and Mom aren't up yet."
"Oh."
They watched TV in silence, Meg munching on dry cereal by the handful. While the girls had spent time in one another's company, it was rare that they were alone together. Normally, they only saw each other when both families got together for dinner. The sheer chaos of such gatherings prevented any real bonding from taking place.
At a commercial break, Meg turned and looked at the older girl. "All the good shows are over," she announced. "It's all going to be boring ones now."
Hannah gave her a wary look. "Do you want to do something else?" she asked, wondering if she was going to get herself into trouble as she did so.
"Let's play Slayer and Vampire," Meg suggested. "You can be the Vampire."
It would figure that the daughter of a Slayer and a Vampire would want to play something other than the typical cops and robbers. Hannah hesitated and then shrugged. She doubted she could be in any more trouble than she probably already was. "Okay."
Meg graced her with a broad grin. "Cool. Dad plays with me all the time, but Mom yells at us for making too much noise. Sometimes he can get her to play too, though."
"When you're hunting vampires, it's better if you're quiet," Hannah replied. "Besides, if we wake your mom and dad up, they'll probably get mad."
"Dad won't," Meg replied with perfect assurance. "He hardly ever gets mad unless I do something really bad. Mom might though, so we should be quiet." Then, without fully realizing exactly what she was saying, Meg added, "Mom and Dad are always up really late wrestling after patrol and stuff. Mom said it was because patrol always gets them wound up."
Hannah nearly choked as she realized what Meg was referring to, and she blinked, trying to get the mental pictures out of her head. Sure, Spike was hot, but—
They were old .
~~~~~
Buffy lay next to Spike contentedly. She loved Saturday mornings. Meg was always occupied with the television, and they could take advantage of the alone-time.
They didn't get enough of it these days.
"I need to ask you somethin'," Spike said quietly, and Buffy knew she wasn't going to like it. She never liked what he had to say when he used that tone.
"Shoot."
"It's about Hannah."
Buffy pulled away. "Spike—" They'd had this conversation before.
"Buffy, she's a Slayer. You might not like it, but that's how it is." Spike sat up so he could see her better. "You know where I found her last night? In a cemetery, fightin' off four vamps, an' doing a decent job of it before they got the better of her."
Buffy looked away, knowing what he was going to say next. "Spike, I don't—"
"She wants to prove she's just as good as you," Spike said earnestly. "Don't you remember what that was like?"
Buffy more than remembered. She could recall the days not long after Faith had rolled into town, after their friendship became strained. They had both wanted to be the best—both wanted the attention, the acclaim, the recognition, if only from the few people who knew what they were. Faith's sense of inferiority had driven her to the dark side.
That had been part of it, anyway.
"I do remember, Spike, but we're not in a competition," Buffy replied, getting out of bed and pulling a robe on. "She's just a kid."
"Hannah stopped being a kid a long time ago," Spike responded, frustrated that they weren't getting anywhere. He had thought that Buffy's initial animosity towards the new Slayer had everything to do with Faith's death. Once Buffy got revenge and had a chance to mourn, things would get better. Instead, she seemed to resent Hannah more and more as the days went by, and for once Spike didn't understand.
Buffy's eyes flashed in anger. "No, Spike. She gets to be a kid. You and Wesley keep insisting on that. You make sure she's safe, you hold her hand while she patrols. Hannah hasn't had to save the world yet. Everyone knows that she's the Slayer, and they all bend over backwards to make sure she's okay with that. That's not what a real Slayer is."
"That's what this is about?" Spike asked incredulously. "You're jealous that the system changed for her and not you? Your mum didn't know you were the Slayer, and you had to do all this without as much support. That's it?"
When he put it that way, Buffy knew it sounded petty. She shouldn't begrudge Hannah's ability to take advantage of Giles' new system. It was one of the things that had allowed her to draw a pension, and to have some choices about which apocalypses she had to stop. There were other people in place to deal with the emergencies these days, which allowed her some pretense of a normal life.
It was petty. It was also true.
The look on her face was enough to answer Spike's question, and he stood, yanking on a pair of jeans. "You don't get it, do you, Slayer?" he demanded. "Hannah didn't ever get to be a kid, even before she got all Chosen. Wesley or Nika ever explain to you why she was in foster care? Her mum was so depressed she couldn't get out of bed in the morning. There was somethin' wrong in her head, an' so Hannah was the one who made sure rent got paid, an' there was food in the cupboard. She came home from school an' made sure her mum ate an' the house was cleaned. She made sure that the welfare check stretched far enough to last them the month, an' when it didn't, she was the one who went hungry."
Spike took Buffy by the shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. "Wesley makes sure she's safe because he's scared to death she'll go off the deep end like Faith did. He's tryin' to make up for past mistakes. The rest of us just want to make sure she gets to be a teenager once in a while."
He painted a bleak picture, and Buffy flushed deeply. She'd been feeling jealous and put-upon, thinking about all the hardships she'd gone through as the Slayer, resenting the fact that Hannah got to lead a more balanced life than she often had.
In reality, being the Slayer was probably the best thing that had ever happened to her, and Buffy was reminded of some of the hints Faith had let slip.
And maybe that had bothered her too. Hannah and Faith were both so alike and so different—Buffy had her own special regrets when it came to the dark Slayer.
"I hate it when you're right," Buffy muttered rebelliously. "You know that, right?"
Spike tried to bite back a smile unsuccessfully. "Yeah, I do."
"I like her," Buffy finally confessed. "I didn't want to, but I do. She's a good kid."
"That she is."
A shriek of laughter, quickly stifled, came from downstairs."What do you think I should do?" Buffy finally asked.
"I think you should treat her the way you'd want to be treated, were you in her shoes." Spike gave her a warm kiss. "I know this isn't easy for you, luv, but it's not all that simple for her either."
Buffy sighed once more, knowing he was right. "I'll try."
"Then you'll do fine," Spike replied, giving her another quick kiss and heading downstairs. Buffy watched him go, wondering if she'd ever be as good with people as Spike was.
She thought it was doubtful.
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