Revenge For Love - (2) Repeating History

By Tasha

Disclaimer and Distribution notes are listed on the Index page of this story.

Chapter Summary: Spike watched as Angelus nearly drained Buffy dry in the cemetery. He waited until the coast was clear before he went to the Slayer. More than just one thought nagged in the back of his mind about Buffy dying. He finished the draining and offered her his blood to turn her. Now he has to find a safe place for them once she awakens. What would make Spike think that Buffy won't just kill him? What makes him think that Buffy will want revenge on Angelus and not want to join him in his evil? Why did he really want to turn her in the first place?

Author's Note: The history that I have made up is not based on anything we've seen in the show. It is made up from various lore pieces that I've read and my own active imagination. This is one way that I see things can be at least for this story. All characters not a part of the BtVS universe were created by me.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.


With only moments to spare, Spike carried Buffy into his room at the mansion. He carefully laid the "sleeping" Slayer down onto his bed. He walked over to the bathroom attached to his room to retrieve a washbasin and cloth. Being a vampire he didn't need the bathroom for taking care of waste, but he did enjoy a nice hot soak in the bathtub or an invigorating shower. It was one of the luxuries he allowed himself from his human days.

Spike brushed Buffy's long hair away from her face. Even in death she looked like an angel to him; so peaceful and glowing. He dabbed the washcloth into the warm water. After making sure it was wrung out, he swiped the cloth over the various scratches and dirt blotches on her skin.

Slayer healing, along with her vampiric healing, would take care of the wounds, but he didn't want to chance any infections. The time between human and vampire was a tedious and tense one. The body was changing, and any abnormalities present in death could affect the amount of growth and strength in their new life. Regular human diseases didn't affect vampires once their turning was complete, but he wasn't taking any chances on Buffy's overall being.

'Why are you being so careful with her, mate? She's the Slayer for pity's sake. She's a means to an end.' Spike's demon argued against the gentleness that Spike himself was bestowing on the Slayer.

'She deserved better than what she got. Angelus is a right bastard that took advantage of her.' His inner reason argued back. 'She's too beautiful to die just yet.' He trailed a fingertip down Buffy's brow and along her cheek to her jaw. He always found Buffy to be one of the most sensual women he'd ever met. The way she fought was poetry and passion in motion. She fought with a flair that the other Slayers he battled couldn't have touched upon. Her style was her own, it wasn't trained solely in Council techniques, and it was one of the things that made her such a worthy opponent.

'We did only turn her for revenge on Angelus, right?' Spike's inner demon did not like the way the rest of Spike's thoughts were turning. 'Once the poofter is taken care of we'll have our Dark Princess back.'

Spike's inner reason was normally the more sedate of the two sides that made him whole. Just hearing Dru's name infuriated his other half though. 'We are not taking that bitch back even if she begs us this time.'

The demon was confounded. The other half was usually the more romantic and sappy one of the two. For him to be so adamant about refusing Dru was nothing he expected.

'I do not want to look at her anymore, let alone let her touch us. She used us for the last 80 years just to get back to her Daddy.' The tumult of emotions within put its foot down firmly. 'We may be love's bitch, but the time has come for us to find another woman more worthy of us.'

Golden eyes forced their way to the forefront of Spike's visage. Spike tilted his head to the side admiring the curves of the Slayer, even with her clothing on. 'I suppose we could do worse. I always did find her one very hot babe. She's shaggable. Besides, she won't be able to refuse me since I'm her Sire.'

'No!' Spike's inner humanity forced the demon back. 'She accepted our blood, but we will not force ourselves on her. We'll see how she is when she wakes up before we know if she wishes to remain in our bed.'

'If you think I'm letting this hot, nearly virgin, piece of flesh out of my sight without touching and tasting her, you're crazier than Dru.'

'I'm sure we can reason with her.' His inner humanity countered. 'Surely you felt the emotions as she fought to decide to take our blood or not.'

'It felt like an almost supernatural force ripped through us when she finally drank from our wrist. That doesn't mean I'm letting her tell me no. I've had enough of no from Dru.' The demon argued vehemently.

Spike snarled. He held his hands over his ears. This arguing within himself was giving him a headache. 'You will both work together or I'll just do whatever the hell strikes my fancy at the time and damn the consequences.' He sat on the side of the bed, panting. If only people realized how hard it was to live with yourself as a vampire when so much of your previous humanity remained. That was one reason why vampires usually ignored such things. They forced their humanity away and focused on the primal influences.

Spike finished preparing Buffy for bed. He needed to get her out of the bloodied and dirty clothes, but her size made it difficult for him to find anything that would fit her. He opted for clothing her in one of his t-shirts. It looked more like a 3/4 nightshirt on her anyways. When he was finished he pulled back the blankets on the bed, moved her over to the cleared area, and tucked the blankets back around her.

There would be no crawling out of a grave for his Childe. He still had nightmares of doing that himself. Spike reasoned with himself that he turned Buffy because he knew she would more than likely retain her Slayer attitude which would make her want to kill Angelus even more. He didn't want to face the other reasons he feared her complete death. Seeing her injured and laying there nearly killed him to witness. He wasn't prepared to delve into the reasons why it mattered to him.

Spike dumped the basin out in the bathroom. He was glad again that he moved his bedroom to this corridor. Spike's room was in an entirely separate wing from Angelus'. After listening up close to the shag fest between Dru and Angelus the first night, he moved himself into another wing. It was no easy task to accomplish from the guise of his wheelchair. Luckily not much remained from the factory for him to move. That was another disaster that he could blame Angelus for. If he hadn't played "neck twister" with the Watcher's girlfriend, Giles wouldn't have come to the factory in a rage to kill them all.

With vampiric hearing Spike was still forced to listen to the more energetic outbursts and growls of the other two vampires. At least the distance deadened the majority of the noises for him.

Another reason Spike picked this room was the little hidden passage he discovered when he first inspected it. The nearly invisible door led into a passage from his room to outside the mansion off to the left of the garden in the foliage. He'd used it tonight to stow his wheelchair back in his room before following Angelus and Dru to the cemetery to see what they were up to. It was also convenient to use when Dru "forgot" to bring him a kill of blood.

Lately the wanker Angelus tormented him by ordering only bagged blood to be left for Spike. Dru wasn't allowed to bring a kill to him for fear of retribution, and Angelus could come up with some hellacious kinds of torture even to vampires. Thankfully the blood was of human stock and not pig swill. The bagged blood was Angelus' way of punishing and demeaning his Childe for the sarcastic comments he made at the factory and continued to make. It also served as a painful reminder that Spike was supposed to be dependant on Angelus' "good graces" now. These demonstrations of his Sire's power over him only served to enrage Spike further, demon and man.

Spike looked into the crate of bagged blood at the end of his bed. One of the minions must have set it there for him. It was sitting on top of a small table to make it easier for him to reach if he was in his wheelchair. The minion had to be one that still favored Spike over Angelus. There were few minions still loyal to Spike. He needed to figure out whom he could count on. They'd be needed to help with distractions when the time was right.

Spike was fairly sure that Dalton was among those whom he could trust. The bookish vampire touched a softer spot in Spike. Dalton was a genius, but he was a horrible fighter. He was a smart man but a terrible vampire. Dalton understood his desire to keep books around in his private collection. Talking about history, literature, and philosophy with Dalton had been the only thing keeping him sane in those last days before Dru's illness was "cured". Both knew the need for privacy to keep the ridicule away from them. It wouldn't do for a Master Vampire to seem too human, especially in Sunnydale.

Dalton would know which of the minions he could trust. Spike held up one of the blood bags. He turned it over in his hands using his vampiric eyesight to examine the bag for any small puncture holes. He wouldn't put it past Angelus to drug the blood. Content that it was hole free, he moved to the next bag. It wouldn't do for the Slayer to be poisoned with her first taste of blood.

For once Spike was happy to see the ample supply of bagged blood. The blood lust for a vampire when first awakened was powerful and gut wrenching. Many fledglings were killed during their first night of existence because their bloodlust made them even more foolish and careless about their kills. He wished he had more time to be better prepared for the Slayer's awakening.

He knew not how strong the Slayer's soul would be to start with. A lot depended on who won the battle of wills at her death. He counted on her soul being strong and her previous care for others to remain true. Human traits were known to carry over upon turning. Usually Sire's weeded out those minions or Childer they deemed to be too "human". Angelus took delight in beating the human out of William. Spike learned to hide his true self from his Sire. He knew what Angelus wanted, and he gave it to him when he had to. Spike was counting on Buffy's humanity being present. If it wasn't he would be forced to stake her. He didn't need another loose canon.

For the umpteenth time this morning, Spike hoped his passion for the written word would pay off. When his quest to seek out Slayer's to destroy them began, he searched for any lore or knowledge, no matter how obscure, on what a Slayer was like. There were many rumors about how a Slayer was created or chosen. There was no way to pinpoint who would be called. That point always frustrated him. During his more headstrong days he wanted to fight one Slayer after another. Unfortunately after the Slayer he killed during the Boxer rebellion, he didn't find another Slayer to confront until 1977. About the time he finally heard about a Slayer someone else killed her.

Amongst the folk tales, rumors and stories Spike sifted through, he located many interesting tidbits about Slayers. In a book he stole from a French monastery he read about a Slayer chosen in the 1500's and another one in the 1650's. Both Slayers died before they were 18 years old, but it was only their first death. Both Slayers were somehow turned into vampires. That fact alone was unusual. Why would a vampire want to turn its worst enemy instead of kill it? The book was previously protected quite heavily. So, he figured the information within it was important.

During the 1500's the Slayer's Watcher and other Council members quickly hunted down the turned German Slayer. Even as they attacked her with holy water and crosses, she refused to fight back. She tried to tell her Watcher that she had her soul, and meant them no harm, but they all refused to believe her. Why should they? It went against everything they knew, right? She begged with her last word for them to let her live to continue her work. Her captors used consecrated wooden stakes to nail her to a cross facing east as the sun rose on the next day.

The Council hoped this example would be enough to deter any other vampires from turning a Slayer. Later, evidence was found to support the former Slayer's claim of a soul. At the very least she was fighting on the side of good and justice. Reports were gathered from villagers who had been saved by the Slayer/Vampire from other vampires. Villagers who were set free by the former Slayer when she found them attested to her care and kindness even when her Sire tried to get by her to attack them.

The Slayer, by all accounts a mere fledgling, managed to stake her Sire two days after awakening as well. A bond was not formed properly between the two when she was turned because her Sire only turned her as a type of trophy to attest to his victory over the Slayer. She easily overpowered him in hand-to-hand combat. This meant the Slayer/Vampire must have been extremely strong and cunning. She could have easily defended herself to the Council who attacked her.

Not wanting to admit that they might be wrong about vampires, the Council destroyed any documentation that supported the claim of a soul. Those in the inner circle were sworn to secrecy, and it was unknown how the information ended up in the monastery's book.

The second Slayer managed to live a couple decades after being turned. Her turning read more like a fairytale or legend than the horror story of her predecessor. The French Slayer managed to avert an apocalyptic battle with the help from several members of the same vampire clan.

The French Slayer's Watcher recorded the history of this clan in great detail both before and after her death. His writings were the reason that the monks guarded the book. The book was vowed to remain out of the Council's hands at all cost. It would seem that the head of the vampire clan managed to survive a revolution whilst his Sire did not. Therefore a vampire who would have eventually been killed for exhibiting too many human traits lived on.

Feeling more human than demonic, the vampire named Charmand was a bit more selective in his meals and his Childer. How he managed to survive over 150 years before meeting the Slayer, Antoinette, was anyone's guess. He was considered a shame among the older clans, but no one that was sent to kill him survived. After 100 years of trying, the other clans decided it was more prudent to leave the now Master Vampire alone. They were only making themselves look weaker and more foolish with each defeat.

Whereas most believed the lingering human traits made Charmand weak, its effect was the opposite. His remaining intellect and personality were a great asset to the vampire. His plans were more carefully thought out. His patience and calm saved him from foolishly rushing headlong into many dangerous situations. Villagers tended to protect his interests by informing him of dangers because he in turn protected them by removing the more evil presences.

Charmand quickly learned that the taste of fear on prey who were inherently evil was much sweeter than those who were pure. The blood of the pure, if not freely given, left a bitter taste in his mouth and an ache in his undead heart. He instructed his followers to only feed on the unjust and to protect the just from evil if it were possible. Those who did not abide by the rule of feeding were hunted down by Charmand personally and killed.

It was under this philosophy that Antoinette and her Watcher, Louis, stumbled upon Charmand in the seaside town of Calais. Newly arrived in the port town, the two were attacked by a small group of "rebel" vampires. Charmand, who had been tracking these vamps for weeks, rushed into the fray of battle between Antoinette, Louis, and the vampires.

At first Antoinette feared the true leader of this band of vampires was making his appearance. She felt the power that radiated off the Master Vampire, and she knew he would be harder to defeat. Her confusion began when Charmand started attacking the vampires themselves instead of her. She was further astounded when Charmand took the brunt of a sword slice through his abdomen that would have killed her Watcher, whom it was meant for.

Only when the last vampire was dust did Charmand collapse to the ground from weariness and blood loss. Louis, at a loss as to why a vampire saved his life, felt indebted to tend to Charmand's wounds. With the help of Antoinette they carried the vampire to their flat on the edge of town.

Over the next week Louis, Antoinette, and Charmand talked while he healed. Though he found the taste repulsive, he acquiesced to their request of drinking blood from the butcher in their home. It slowed his healing process down, but it also gave the three of them more time to talk.

Louis found Charmand to be quite intelligent for a man and especially for a vampire. They spoke on many subjects covering the previous 150 years. As each day wore on, and Charmand seemed less like a vampire but more like a man, Antoinette found herself opening up to him. He understood the isolation necessary at times to keep safe. He seemed to understand the need to kill those of his kind who were evil. He in turn tried to explain to her and Louis that not all vampires are evil.

When Charmand healed enough from his injuries, he returned to his lair. Antoinette and Louis thought it would be the last they saw of the vampire. Charmand, or one of his followers, kept an eye on the pair though. They stepped in to help Antoinette slay if she was in too much danger. Charmand often requested their assistance when he found out about certain nests of vampires and other demons as well. A sense of trust blossomed between them all.

Louis left out any mention of Charmand in his diaries to the council. He started a separate journal where he wrote down his most guarded thoughts. He knew the Council would never approve of Charmand, even if the vampire was helping them.

Charmand and Antoinette fought side by side for almost a year when a battle of apocalyptic proportions arose. Many of Charmand's clan fought alongside the slayer and their Master. The battle was fought bravely and valiantly, but Antoinette could not be fully protected. It was her job to protect, and she did not shirk from her duties. Though successful in averting the apocalypse, Antoinette was gravely wounded.

Charmand rushed Antoinette to the home of her Watcher. He fought his demon's urges to take her right away, feed and turn her. He couldn't do that to her without Louis' approval. He only hoped Louis would understand.

When Louis heard the knocking at his door, he feared the worst. Neither his charge nor Charmand had returned in quite some time. He opened the door to reveal Charmand carrying an unconscious Antoinette in his arms.

"She is so pure and full of light. I won't let her go like this." Charmand looked up at Louis from the doorway with tears in his eyes. Antoinette's body was limp in his arms. He felt her heart beating slower and slower. "I know she will not return to us in evil."

Louis watched the pain on the face of Charmand. There was no doubt in his mind that Charmand loved his charge. The fact that Charmand even came to his house to "ask his permission" spoke highly of the vampire's respect for their ways. "You wish to turn her?"

"What else can I do?" Charmand begged. "I can not let her die. She is the light of my night. The one who brings me joy like no other."

Louis nodded in understanding. "She could become that which even you have swore to kill."

"If she does, then I will stake her myself." Charmand vowed. "I could not bear to live with an evil heart behind my love's face on its body."

"I shall hold you to that, Charmand." Louis responded. "Take her to my room. Once her heart stops, another Slayer will be called." He led down the hall to his bedroom. "We must be prepared to leave at a moment's notice if we are discovered."

Charmand nodded. He laid Antoinette down on the bed. "I pray love that you will return to me as you are and so much more." He bent his head to suckle her neck. He quickly bit down into her jugular with his fangs and supped the last needed amount of her blood into his mouth. He bit into his wrist, placed it at her mouth, and waited for her to drink. When she pulled his wrist tighter to her mouth, he finally relaxed. She accepted his gift.

Antoinette did indeed arise with her soul and goodness intact. Her caring and attraction to Charmand halted any of the Slayer demon's desires to kill her Sire. News traveled through the countryside quickly about a turned Slayer. Louis and Charmand moved too quick for the Council to catch them. Knowing time would be of the essence; Charmand turned all control of the clan over to his second in command. He hoped things would continue to be run as he would wish them.

Charmand took Antoinette and Louis to a monastery deep in the heart of France. He saved some of the monks from traveling "night bandits" a couple decades before. They were given sanctuary within the monastery walls. Even the Council didn't dare trespass on the consecrated ground of the church during that time in history. All three lived there for nearly two decades.

With no outbreaks reported to the Council of violence at the monastery, it was assumed that the Slayer/Vampire had been killed along with her Sire. The Council couldn't fathom how men of God would stand such an abomination around them otherwise. Louis was left in the monks' protection, and the focus changed to the newest of the Slayers in Russia.

Charmand and Antoinette ventured back out amongst the clans. The losses were heavy to their clan over the years. Many were lost due to attacks from other clans or acts of civil disputes between the vampires. When Antoinette tried to mediate one such dispute she was caught in the crossfire of an errant sword slash.

Having been claimed and mated during their time together Charmand felt and saw his mate's death. He felt her last cry of his name in his mind before he watched her dust fall to the earth. If only they could have stayed with the clan and not had to hide from the Council. Maybe the clan wouldn't have become so lost to his ways.

After that Charmand went off on a rampage. He nearly annihilated the entire clan in his grief and pain. It was only when the sun rose the next day that the bloodshed ended. The vampire, lost without his mate, walked out into the sun to become dust himself ... a testament to the love he shared with her. He could not go on without her.

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

Spike closed the book. He practically had the story memorized already, but he read it again just in case he missed something.

"I'll get them to understand somehow, pet." Spike stroked the back of his hand down Buffy's cheek. "I won't let them hurt you." He laid down next to her. If he was going to be any good to his new Childe, he needed to rest. All of his walking around tired him out more than he would have thought. He needed to be strong.

He checked out the room one more time before closing his eyes. Strong incense burned throughout the room. He was doing everything he could to mask her scent from prying noses. A glyph placed on the headboard would disguise the presence of a new Childe for now. It wouldn't last long, but hopefully it would be long enough to get the Watcher to agree to his proposal.

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

When Dalton arrived in Spike's room several hours later it was deathly silent. He made sure no one followed him. These nightly visits allowed him to keep his Master updated on what else was going on in the mansion. The sun set a half hour ago. Drusilla and Angelus were already out on a hunt.

Spike had been waiting for the bookworm to arrive. Sometimes the timing of his visits varied, but he knew to count on them. If Dalton ever did not show, he would know that something was seriously wrong. He looked up from the bed where he sat next to Buffy's body.

"Oh my." Dalton stared at the blonde haired beauty on his Master's bed. "She's beautiful." He stepped closer to the bed. He looked from the woman to Spike confused. "How?"

Spike drew Dalton in closer. There was no sense in taking further chances of being overheard. He whispered most of the events of the last day to Dalton. He explained why he did it and the loyalty that he expected from him towards Buffy. He outlined his need to get a message to the Watcher. He told Dalton all that he needed to know.

Dalton nodded. He knew Spike realized he was loyal to him, but even as young as he was he saw the risk Spike took in telling him all of this. He stood up, chest puffed out with pride that his Master trusted him so.

"Dalton I'm entrusting this task to you. Speak of it to no one and leave immediately." Spike nodded his head towards the opened crack in his wall. "If you cross me, you will be dust. Understood?" He handed over the book he carefully hid for close to 100 years.

"Yes, Master Spike." Dalton buried the book beneath his coat and headed for the passage. He looked back at his Master and his new sleeping Childe. He smiled, closed the door and hastened his steps to get as far away from the mansion as quickly as he could. He had a mission to do.

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

"I covered for her, Giles." Willow voice piped into the conversation in the library. The Scoobies spent most of the day either searching for Buffy or worrying about her welfare. Now they regrouped in the library to share the details of their last search.

"Quite good, Willow." Giles sighed and sat down. "At least her mother won't worry about Buffy just yet." He removed his glasses. They dangled from his fingertips precariously. "We'll have to think of something before school on Monday though. I doubt your sleep over story will still hold out that long with Mrs. Summers."

Xander wrung his hands together. "What I can't figure out is why we are sitting here and not looking for Buffy still? She has to be out there somewhere."

"What would you have us do, Xander? The factory has been practically gutted." Giles' patience was wearing thin. He was in no mood to deal with Xander's berating or whining attitude. "We have no idea where Angelus, Spike and Drusilla are hiding out. Even if we knew, we couldn't begin to break in without Buffy."

Dalton slowly pushed the swinging doors of the library open. He held a stick with a white handkerchief tied to the end of it in one hand. Spike's instructions were clear, and he would follow them to the letter. Much was resting on whether or not this group took the time to read the book. He clutched the book tighter to his chest. "I believe that I might be of some assistance."

Willow, Oz, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles all gaped at the timid man by the door. Oz sniffed the air. "Vampire!" He warned the others.

Giles jumped up, cross in hand, to stand in front of the teens at the table. "You will not harm these children."

Dalton eep'd when the teens started reaching for stakes and swords. He waved the white flag high. "Does not this flag mean I come in peace?" Surely Spike hadn't set him up under false pretenses. No, he would not believe that of his Master. Spike understood him like no other vampire or human did.

"Why should we believe a blood sucker even knows the meaning of the word peace?" Xander stood next to Giles clutching a newly sharpened stake. "I say we stake first, and ask questions later."

Cordelia buried her face into Xander's back. She wanted to hide from this nightmare that was now her life. Oz's arm was wrapped protectively around Willow. He was ready to defend the woman he loved if the vampire so much as twitched the wrong way towards her.

"I have news of Miss Buffy." Dalton gulped hard. If his heart could beat it would be racing a mile a minute.

Giles ran at Dalton. He grabbed the vampire by the collar of his jacket and forced him up against the wall. "If you've hurt her, I will kill you without hesitation." He snarled in a way that would make any vampire proud. Yet this man was human. He clenched his hand around Dalton's throat and squeezed. He held the cross high and threateningly.

"It was not us." Dalton tried to choke out behind the tightening around his throat. He squirmed in the Watcher's grasp. His hands still wrapped around the book, he tapped it against Giles' chest. "Please, let me explain."

Willow walked over to Giles. Even if it was bad news, she wanted to know how Buffy was doing. She tugged on Giles' arm. "What's the worst he can say?" She looked at Giles and then to the others. "We're already afraid she is dead. It can't hurt to let him speak." The softness of her voice was gone when she narrowed her eyes on Dalton. "And if he had anything to do with it, we can kill him afterwards."

Giles pulled Dalton to the table. He pushed him forcefully into a chair. "Talk." He ordered. "For your sake it better be something we want to hear."

Dalton set the old and worn book on the table. "I fear that you will not want to hear what I have to say." He rested his hands on the cover. "It is our desire that you will see the hope in it though."

"She's dead, isn't she?" Giles voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Dalton pulled at the collar of his shirt to loosen his tie. How do you tell the girl's Watcher and friends delicately that their friend is a vampire?

Willow inhaled sharply. "Oh my gosh. She's a vampire!"

"What?!?" Xander's jaw dropped. "No way in Hell!"

"I assure you she is not in Hell." Dalton began with a calm he wasn't feeling. "Master Spike will take very good care of your Slayer."

"SPIKE!!" Cordelia shrieked. "Bleach blond hair, wants to eat the whole school, Spike?"

"Spike killed her?" Giles' face fell. When he saw Spike at the factory he was in a wheelchair. How could Spike have bested Buffy? Was she more devastated about the ghost incident than he realized?

"No, Miss Buffy ran into Angelus late last night." Dalton hurried to explain. This group was looking more and more stake happy. "Angelus left her to die. He nearly drained her completely."

"Angelus ..." Giles sneered. Ripper of his younger days came out in full force. "That creature stole Jenny from me. Are you telling me that he turned Buffy too?" He gripped the arms of his chair so tightly that the wood creaked and crackled.

"No, please stop interrupting." Dalton sighed exasperated. He was nervous enough already without all the interruptions. "Angelus left Miss Buffy for dead. It would appear that he would have taken great delight in knowing that one of you found her."

Giles stared at Dalton aghast. "That sounds like his twisted sense of pleasure." He frowned.

"Master Spike was nearby for reasons I won't go into at the moment. He had nothing to do with Angelus' fight." Dalton tapped his fingers along the cover of the book, a nervous habit from his human days. "Master Spike knew she was going to die. He had only one choice to keep her "alive" in any way."

"So he turned her to make Buffy his little slave? Is that it?" Xander was beyond angry and hurt. Their lives were a living Hell. This whole town was Hell. Why not, they lived on a Hellmouth.

"Master Spike took the last of Miss Buffy's blood and offered her his own." Dalton hurried on. "She could have refused it, but she didn't. Something within her grasped onto his gift."

"Gift? Are you daft man? Being a vampire is not a gift. It is a curse." Giles was astounded that this idiotic fool of a vampire thought that such a state of life was something to be cherished.

"It can be to the right people." Dalton defended. "In this book are words from one of your own Watchers on what happens when a Slayer is turned. It isn't the same as others. Not even all vampires are evil either." He pulled the book back to his chest partially to protect his heart and partially to protect the book from being snatched from him. "She will be much the same as you knew. She will have her soul."

"That's preposterous!" Giles slammed his hand on the table. "It's a lie. The Council would never believe such a thing."

"Exactly why this book was protected from the Council for centuries at the request of the Watcher who wrote in it." Dalton countered. "Master Spike came upon it in his travels by means you would not approve of. It matters not how he got the book, but that it is in his possession and he has read it, does matter."

"Why would Spike want to turn a Slayer if he knew she'd keep her soul." Rational thought and questions fought to make their presence known in Giles' mind. The whole idea was hard to grasp, but his Watcher curiosity started to get the better of him.

"There is no love lost between him and his Sire, Angelus." Dalton explained. "He has a respect and ... consideration for this particular woman." He cleared his throat. He saw the way his Master watched the pale woman before he left the mansion to come to the library. Whether the Master Vampire realized it or not, there was more to his original reasons than he was willing to admit. "He did not want her to die in such a way. His gift offers her a way to kill the one who has caused all of you and him so much pain."

"I can't believe it." Giles shook his head back and forth. "I just can't believe it."

Dalton pulled an envelope out of his jacket. He tucked it into the cover of the book. "Master Spike wishes you to have this book to understand his reasoning for turning the Slayer and expecting her to remain mostly as she was. He gave me specific information and instructions. I need to return to our resting place to inform him that all has been done." He handed the book over to Giles.

Giles remained in his seat trying to let the information sink in. He looked up at Dalton with tears in his eyes. He'd failed Buffy. What more could he do now? She was the creature she hated the most; the creature she had vowed to kill. Wasn't that her worst nightmare?

"I realize that you will not take our word for it." Dalton patted the cover of the book in Giles' hands. "All accounts are documented in this book by the hand of the other Watcher. I hope you will read it before you decide what you need to do." He pointed to the envelope sticking out of the book. "If you wish to see the Slayer and speak further about this, read the letter."

Willow wept into Oz's shoulder. How could this have happened? Just yesterday Buffy was helping her try to exorcise the spirit from the school. Less than 24 hours ago they all sat in this library together.

Oz ran his fingers through Willow's hair in comfort. Strangely enough he could smell no deception on the vampire. The calm with which he spoke was too even for a lie to be hidden behind it.

Xander sat in shock. To him everything seemed frozen in time. His mind tried to grasp the fact that Buffy was a vampire now. He refused to accept it. Cordelia wasn't close to Buffy, but she wanted to comfort Xander as best she could. She rubbed his arms and hugged him close.

Dalton walked to the doors. "Don't let the ignorance in history be repeated. Angelus will pay for what he's done. Have faith in your Slayer's heart." No one stood up to stop him, and he wanted to make his escape before they decided to follow him. He disappeared into the school's hallways then out into the night.

Giles stood slowly. "It would appear that I have some reading to do." His voice quivered in timbre, belaying the seeming calm of his stature. "It would probably be best for you all to go home now. We'll meet back her in the morning about 10 am."

The gang all nodded numbly. They were all at a loss of what to say or do. When they exited the library, it was decided that no one wanted to be alone right now. Willow's parents were away for the weekend. So, everyone decided to camp out at Willow's house until the morning. At least they would be together. That brought them a small sense of comfort.

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Back at the mansion a nervous vampire paced the confines of his bedroom. It was customary for a new vampire to rise with the sunset. There was no way for him to tell exactly when his Childe would arise. At least three hours had passed since the sun set. He felt the pull of her to him, but she wouldn't open her eyes. He hoped it would be soon. He grabbed one of the blood bags from the crate. He bit into it and drained the bag in three gulps.

The smell of blood stirred the air. Buffy's nose twitched a little. Her arms stretched out, and she yawned. Her eyes blinked a few times before opening fully. She looked around the room. Her gaze rested on Spike. "Spike?"

Spike turned around quickly. He felt Buffy's awareness of what was around her begin. He slipped into the bed next to her, sitting up. He pulled her into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm here, Buffy."

"What's going ..." The events of the night before flashed through her mind. As the realization that she was awake and Spike was sitting next to her hit her, she screamed. There was only one way she was still "alive", and if Spike was here he had to be the cause.

Spike, prepared for such an outburst, quickly clamped his hand over Buffy's mouth. He growled as Buffy, now in game face, bit his hand nearly crushing two fingers in her grip.

Spike raised his hand to backhand her. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't have the whole mansion running to their room to find out who was screaming. He wouldn't make Buffy his slave, but she would learn respect for her Sire and quickly if she was going to act like this. Just before his hand struck her cheek, he felt Buffy growl and let go.

Buffy looked up at Spike lost in a haze. The taste of his blood created a craving in her like she had never known. She knew it was his blood, but the taste didn't repulse her. She wanted it. She knew it was precious, and she wanted more.

Spike watched the bloodlust flow through Buffy. The look was more than a fledgling's bloodlust though. There was a primal gleam in her eye that made it look like she was going to devour him whole.

Buffy licked along Spike's collarbone with a snarl. Her roughened tongue trailed up one side of his neck until it encountered the marks from Dru when she drained him and Angelus when he Sired him. With a growl of possessiveness, Buffy turned Spike's neck and buried her fangs into it. She tore at the scars, obliterating them.

Spike cried out himself at the searing pain of Buffy's bite. She wasn't simply feeding or placing a love bite on him for foreplay. She was cutting his neck to shreds over the scars of his Sire and Dru.

Buffy drank deep gulps of Spike's blood down her throat. He was her Sire, and his blood tasted like ambrosia to her. It made her want more of it, and she felt herself becoming more aroused by the moment. She stopped drinking for a few moments to lick along the wounds she created. Instinctually she slit her tongue on her fangs and applied the mixture of her blood and saliva to the wound.

Spike started to feel weak. He needed all of his senses to be aware of everyone in the mansion. He forcibly pulled Buffy away from his neck and pinned her down on the bed. His neck burned where her blood mingled with his and he perked a curious brow at her. "Do you have any idea what you tried to do, Childe?"

Buffy smirked in fake innocence at Spike. "Do tell, Sire," She answered sarcastically.

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