Spike is in his crypt, watching the newest episode of passions when he feels strange all of a sudden, but he ignores it. He keeps his eyes glued to the screen, blocking out eveything else.
At the time,she is getting closer and closer, she is confused with all of her feeling. She is not sure if it is her overwhelming sadness, anger, frustration...she begins to cry softly. She hates to cry, but she is in the confinds of her car, so nobody can see her.
She knows he is here. She had lost everyone that she had ever loved in her life, but he was the only one without a good excuse, he hurt her worse than anyone had ever hurt her...she wanted to finally see his face, see if being without her made him happy.
The scooby gang is sitting around the table at the magic shop, talking about nothing. Giles is, not suprisingly, in the back looking for a book. A young girl walks into the shop and starts looking around, nobody is paying her any attention. She finds what she needs and goes to check out.
Anya quickly rises to help her at the counter. Willow notices the strange combination of herbs and trinkets in her hand, she cant help but to question the girl.
"So, your into witchcraft?"she asks trying not to sound to strange.
"Something like that." The girl replies without even looking at her.
*Wow, she's British, I wasnt seeing that coming*willow thought. "Thats cool, so am I. So, whacha gonna do, look for someone?something?"
The girl looks at her suspiciously, wondering what she was trying to get at. "I dont see where that is any of your business."she says irritatedly.
"Sorry, I didnt mean to pry, I was just interested." Willow signed sheepishly.
"Im sorry, you probably think Im a real wanker. Its just been hectic, Im not having a good....anything."the girl feels a little bad now.
"Thats ok, Ill just leave you alone, if you need some help with something, we're always here."Willow gives her the best smile she could conjour up without it looking fake. "By the way, my name is Willow."
The girl smiles at this, maby she will find a new friend in this town. "Im Hope."She said with a smile and walked out.
"Somethings up." Buffy said as soon as Hope was gone.
"What? Did i miss something?" Giles said as he came out of his book collection.
"This young girl just came in and bought some stuff."willow replied.
"And....? Why would that say that something was up?"
"Well this is a magic shop. And I am a witch... and she had a strange combination of items."
"Then why did you let her buy them? What type of combination was it.?
"Well, I'm pretty sure that it was something for finding someone, but I dont know what the rest was for."she frowned,"But im sure it wasnt for sending flowers."
Spike walked in and heard them talking.
"What? A new big bad in town?"he said smirking.
"We are actually not quite sure if it is something bad, or a school girl into magic." Giles says as a matter of fact
"So what happened?" he says, not really caring, but he might as well know.
They give Giles and him the rundown on their little chat, but when they said her name, both Giles and Spike gave an uneasy look.Everyone noticed.
"What? Do either of you know something about this Hope girl?"Buffy asks in an acusitory voice.
"Uh.. nope, I-Ive never known anyone named Hope." Spike said.
Everyone noticing strange quiver in his voice, almost sadness, but they said nothing of it. so they all turned to Giles.
"Oh no, its nothing, I just.. when I was in England, there was a young girl I trained, I helped her, her name was Hope, I was with her for a few months but then I was summoned to be your watcher."His voice was lined with sadness, "she was like a daughter to me, But I know she would never do something evil so this cant be her."
"Well, people change, we have to find her, and try to talk to her and figure out what she is doing." Buffy states, and they all know what they have to do.
But when they are about to leave when Spike speaks up, his voice still a little shakey, "Well...Uh...I would love to help but...Uh.. I have to go see a man about a dog." And he runs out before anyone can question him. _______________________________________________________________________
They split up, all going to different parts of the city while Willow and Tara go to preform a spell to try to find her.
"Giles?" Buffy says, "I know Spike is really strange sometimes... but tonight he was just wierd, I mean, 'I have to see a man about a dog', please, what kind of an excuse is that? Something is going on with him."
"Yes, I do agree, but that can wait, we have to locate this girl incase she might do something that is well... not good."
"Are you positive it is not her?"She asks,"I mean, she could be looking for you or something."
"Well, I dont know, Im not sure if I want it to be her...it depends on what she is up to."
MEANWHILE:
Hope is back in her car, thinking of how good its going to be to see him in pain, to see him suffer as much as she did.
She finds a hotel that isnt too expensive and she gets a room.
"There is no way I am doing this stuff tonight I am drained...oh well, tomarrow is good." She says to herself smiling as she enters her room with all of her things.
She just decides to go to bed, get her rest... she would need it.
_______________________________________________________________________
After searching for a little while they all met back at the shop.
Willow and Tara found everything they would need for locating Hope."Ready when you are Buffy."Willow said happily.
"You two go ahead and do this, I have to go see a man about a dog."She looked at Giles with a smirk and then leaves.
She shows up at Spikes crypt, and walks strait in. She doesnt see spike, but she knows he is there. "SPIKE!!" that was all she had to say before his head emerged, him coming up the ladder.
She noticed that he looked like he had been ... she couldnt figure it out, but she knew something was going on.
"Whats going on Spike? Why did you freak when we mentioned Hope? Why did you leave like that? what have you been doing?"She asks, feeling a little bad, she could tell there was something wrong.
"nothing is going on. and I didtn friek. I told you, I had to see a man about a dog, and I have just been thinking. There ive answered all your questions, now leave me alone."Spike said, with a little sorrow and a pinch of anger in his voice.
"Well, Im not leaving unless you come with me, we are going to get to the bottom of this, and you are going to help us. and that is that."She said as if ordering him.
He didnt resist, it really wasnt in him to fight at the moment. He just shrugged his sholders and went with her.
When they show up at the magic box, Willow and Tara had located her. They were all waiting on Buffy and Spike, whom they figured she had gone to get.
When they show up at Hopes hotel, they have no trouble getting someone to tell them her room number.
When they get there, Buffy knocks, but nobody answers, so she knockes a little harder.
"What in the bloody world do you want" Hope says as she opens the door. realizing that is was the people from the magic shop, she gives them a confused look, "What are you people doing here? Do you make a habit of...." She trails off as she sees Giles standing there. "GILES!!! Oh my lord!! It is so wonderful to see you! I didnt know you were in sunnydale!"She says as she leaps at him giving him a huge hug. Everyone sees Giles' eyes filling with tears as he sees her.
When Spike sees her, he breaks down in tears and starts mumbling to himself, "It cant be her, she died, I didnt leave her alone, she wasnt by herself, not for all those years..." he kept going on
Everyones attention turned to him, and they all see the rage in Hopes eyes as she sees him. "Well, what a pleasant suprize."Hopes voice no longer sounded sweet and loving, it was pure anger and sadness, "now I dont have to go tracking you down. and buffy sees Hope is about to do something that probably wouldnt turn out good se she grabbed her and tried to calm her.
Spike looks up, "Slayer! let her go." Everyone looks at Spike when they heard the Sadness and Anger in his voice.
"You know she looks like she is about to kill you or something."She says, with a confused look on her face.
"Good, I deserve it."He looks at her and she sees the torment and sadness in his eyes, "I left her, I listened to Dru, and I didnt question it. she was 10 years old! I let her down! she was my little Hope! My sweet little baby... and I left her without even checking!" he was almost screaming now.
As he said this everyone became confused except for Hope, her look softened, "What are you saying? You left because Dru told you to?"
"No!, I would never have left just because she felt like it. She told me that you two were attacked while I was hunting, and that you were killed."He sniffed as tears began to slowly roll down his face, "She told me I couldnt go look, the sight was to horrible. I-I believed her... I should have checked, but I didnt, I let you down, I left you, and I understand if you hate me."
She ran over an grabbed him, "I could never hate you William! I was just angry that you left, and then Giles left and then Cory left... But they both had excuses... I guess I thought hurting you would make me feel better, because I though you just got sick of me."
As soon as she called him William, he knew what was happening. When he was training her, she was sad, finally she told him about William, the man who raised her like she was his own child, and then he left her for some evil woman.
_______________________________________________________________________
They finally calmed down and they all went to Buffys house for some hot chocolate.
Hope Exlained to them about how Spike had killed her mother while she was in labor(not knowing that at the time) and then when he found her, he decided to take care of her, and about Dru lying about her death, and them leaving together.
"After that, all I remember is being on the street and a man telling me that he could feel my strength and he knew someone that could help me... so I went, I had nothing to loose. He brought me to some men who introduced me to Giles and Giles trained me until he had to leave." Hope said smiling at Giles.
"So that had to be a few years ago, what happened to bring you here?"Buffy said curiously.
"Well, After he left, I was assigned another trainer. I later met the slayer, Cory. Her and I became very close... and we helped each other, we fought battles together. But she had her Boyfriend, James, he was the love of her life, I knew their love would last forever..." She thought for a second,"But then some demond got ahold of him and sent her a note saying that if she brought anyone with her to get him, he would die." She paused to gather for a second."She didnt tell me what was happening but I knew something was up. I waited for about ten or fifteen minutes and then I followed her. When I got there, I could tell she was in pain.this thing, I dont know what, had her and I walked in right before he killed her."
"Im sorry" Giles said frowning.
"Its quite alright, she died doing what she loved, fighting for who she loved."
"What did yo do after that?" Willow said
"I tortued him for a few hours, then I killed him... it was quite fun actually." she said with a smirk. "Never show mercy to those, who show you none."
Spike smiled at this,"You remembered."
"You taught me well."She smiled at him."That is one of the reasons I came here, I wasnt going to make it hurt too much, I love you too much, but I was going to make you feel at least some of what I did."
"I have felt it, there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought of you, But I knew you would be safe... in heaven."
"I didn't... I don't need heaven, all I need is you to be here with me." They all smile at the effection coming out of Spike that they never knew was there.
"Well, I think you will like it here, he just wont seem to leave."Buffy said with a smirk.
"Right now, I would like to hear all about you , all of you."
So they talked for an hour or so until Spike finally spoke up, "I think it is time we all leave, you need to get to bed. And you are not sleeping in that awful hotel."He said looking at Hope. "You can stay with me."
"Okay. Lets go." She says with a smile.
As they walk out Giles says, "We still have alot to talk about, so, come back tomorrow."
"We will." She yelled back as they headed to his car.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Do you want to go to the hotel and get your stuff tonight or
tomorrow?" Spike asked as they got into his car.
"Definitely tonight, I have to get my car, I'm am so not leaving it at that roach motel over night if I'm not there." She smirked at him.
"Wow! I can't believe its been that long! I've missed you so much! I'm so sorry that I left you, If I had known I would have never"
"You would have never fallen in love, true love."She said cutting him off.
"What? I have no clue what you are talking about." He said a little strangly, wondering how she would know.
"I'm not stupid, I saw the way you were looking at her.You are completely and utterly in love with her!"She said laughing at the way he was trying to deny it.
"I don't love her, she is the Slayer, I would never love her, I just put up with her out of bordom and she only puts up with me because it is pointless to kill me when I am defensless."
She gave him a goofy evil smile,"I never said who I thought you were in love with, how do you know I ment the slayer?You are so in love... in denial, but in love!"
"I am not, she is the slayer, we are mortal Enemies. I dont love her...okay, I maby like to be around her a little, but she can never know."He looked at her, they both knew he couldnt keep a secret from her.
"What is that old childrens song???..."She smirks at him.
"What?"He thinks for a second..."Dont you even think about it, dont"
She cut him off "William and Buffy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."She started laughing.
"Oh god, If I weren't driving I would..."He paused for a second and looked at her, he couldnt help but laugh,"just dont start that in front of anyone, all of her friends, her watcher,her, they would friek."
She giggled as they continued toward her hotel room.
When they got there and he saw her car, he was in shock, "My little sweetheart, is driving this?? Why would anyone want to drive something that looked like this??"
Looking back at his car she said,"you are one to talk, I love My bug, I think its very nice."
"And the name!! Bug! Who would want a car that was named after a bug?"He joked.
"It is the new Beedle Bugg, I quite like it. so hush." She said in a jokingly snooty voice.
"Well, if you like it, you like it, lets just get your stuff and go."
He collected all of her things from her room as she went to check out. He noticed that she still had alot of the things that he had given her when she was a child. He pause for a few seconds to remember the things they had done, He still couldnt believe he let her take pictures of him, even though he knew that he wouldnt show up. But she had still framed them, and set them next to her bed... he looked a a few that looked like she was flying because he was holding her, he laughed. He then snapped out of it and finished loading her stuff in their cars.Still in awe that his little girl was able to drive... and he didnt even get to be the one to teach her.
She got back right as he loaded the last of her things into his car. They got into their cars and she followed him to his crypt.
_______________________________________________________________________
The next day she woke up around eleven, Spike still conked out. She got up and got ready quietly. She wrote him a note and left for the magic shop.
" 'ello all" Hope said as she walk into the magic shop, "And how are we doing today?"
"Oh Hi Hope. We werent expecting to see you until after dark."Giles said as everyone glanced up at her.
"Just because I am living with a vampire doesnt mean that I cant go out into the day...It just means that he cant follow me."She said with a smirk.
They all chuckly remembering that she is only 16 and Instead of sneaking out of the house at night, she snuck out of the crypt in the day.
"So, what are you all up to?"Hope walks over to the table where the others are sitting.
"Slayer stuff, nothing that would interest you."Buffy said smugly.
"I beg to differ, I am here to help...Im not going to sit back and watch you fight. I take after William, I am a girl of action."She smiles at buffy.
"You always were."Giles looks up at her, "Buffy, she is right, she could be a tremendous help to us."
"So, what can you do?"Willow says hopefully, "How long have you been doing spells?"
"Ive been doing spells for a few years. Spells are very fun to play with...if you know what you are doing."
"So, how much do you know about what you are doing?"Willow says, eager to learn. "Can you teach me anything?"
"We can talk about that later...We can have a sort of...study group."She said turning to Giles and Buffy. "So, whats happening? Anything interesting?"
"Nothing interesting...But we are going to the Bronze tonight, you can meet my little sister, you are about her age, I think you two would like each other."Buffy said.
"Alright, what type of cloths should I wear?"
"Just whatever...Its like a club."
"Alright, well...Id better get back before Willia..Spike gets too worried."She smiles, "Ill see you later."
"Bye!" Willow and Giles say.
Leaving,Leaving,Leaving....
"She seems nice...you really wouldnt think that it was Spike that raised her." Buffy said strangly.
"Yes. Yes. But maybe there is a side of spike that we cant see. Hope has always been very good at reading people...I mean, down to the core good." Giles says.
"Are you saying, like...creepy good?"Willow looks at him."As in telopathic good?"
"No, definitially not, she can just read people and tell what you are feeling... even if you are not showing it." Giles smiles at her thought," She can tell how you feel about people by the way you look at them and stuff, it is rather..creepy as you say. but not abnormal."
"Well, its still strange that Spike brought up a girl that turned out so well." Buffy said with a strange tone in her voice. she had been thinking about Spike alot lately, she couldnt help it...*I hope she doesnt see that I am slightly attracted to Spike. No wait, what am I saying, I am SO not attracted to Spike, that is a major EW factor*... but she just shoved the thoughts down and tried to forget them trying not to want them back.
_______________________________________________________________________
That night everyone was at the Bronze, waiting for Hope to arrive. When she walked into the door, Spike was with her.
They walked across the room to where the gang was. " 'Ello everyone, how was your day?" Hope said cheerfully.
"Your quite cheerfull tonight."Buffy said with a smile, "What happened to make you so happy?"
"OH nothing. I just love to be out at night, It reminds me of when Cory and I used to take the night off. Her watcher would get so mad." She laughed as she recalled the memories.
"You two were really close."Buffy smiled.
"She was like a sister to me.... Oh come on, lets have some fun." She said, noticing there was a short but still akward silence.
"Speaking of sisters, Dawn couldnt make it tonight, she wants to meet you though." Buffy smiled.
"Buffy, Do you want to dance?"Xander said with a smirk.
"Where is Anya?"
"She wasnt feeling well, she told me to come and have fun, so lets go have fun."
Xander and Buffy got up and went to dance, followed by Willow and Tara.
Hope and Spike sat there watching and talking about how funny Xander looks trying to dance.
They come back to the table.
They are all talking about anything that happens to pop up. Then a boy comes up to the table and asks Hope to dance.She looks at him for a second, smiles and accepts the invitation.
"He is a cutie." Willow said smirking at them going to the dance floor.
"No, I dont like him. He... He..." Spike trailed off.
"He is a guy that wants to dance with your sweet little girl." Buffy said mocking him."You have to remember, she isnt a little girl anymore, She can take care of herself."
"Yea, well...there is something funny about him...and I know what." Spike gets up and walks over to the dance floor.
"So, Do you mind if I cut in?" He said to them with a grin.
She looks up at him and smiles "Go ahead." the boy says.
Spike grabbs him and starts dancing. Hope gives him a funny look and the walks back to the table.
"What is up with that? I think those years with Drew worped his brain."Hope said as she sat back down with the others.
"He is just being protective."Willow tries to explain his actions.
"Yea... He is protecting me by dancing with a guy...That is alot of help."She smirks.
MEANWHILE
"What are you doing? When you cut in, you dance with the girl."The boy looks at him funny.
"If you ever try to hurt her I will kill you in a second." Spike says looking him strait in the eye, his back pinned to the wall.
"I really doubt that you could hurt me." He said with an evil grin.
"If you want to go out back and see who has the biggest ripplies, lets go."
"What are you talking about."
"You know good and well what Im saying."Spike said as he flashed his face.
"Oh, sorry, I didnt know you already had her picked out, Ill find another meal."
"She is not a meal, and neither are any of her friends. If you touch her, Ill kill you the old way."
"What do you mean the old way?"The boy said with a little quiver in his voice.
"Well, I wont actually kill you,for a while, I will have my fun first."He said with a smirk.
"Alright Alright, I wont hurt her, but I still liked her. She was..."He paused trying to think of a word to fit the discription, "nice."
"I know."Spike said as he let him go and walked back to their table.
"Hello again, that was a nice dance...I really like that song." Spike said cheerfully.
"Uh, Spike? Did you go kinda not of the straight on us?" Willow said lightly.
"God no. I just had to chat with junior."He said with a smirk.
"What did you say to him?"Hope said giving him a look.
"What? I didnt say anything too bad, nothing he didnt deserve. He had you planned out for his next meal."
"He was a vampire?"Willow said.
"Yes, and I knew that."Hope said, "I felt like having fun. Vamps always show you a good time right before they try to kill you, so I would get to have fun...and then dust an evil vampire, as in not of the Spike breed." She smiled at spikes face.
"What do you mean of my breed, Im the big bad, I-I am pure evil, I"He stopped as everyone started laughing. He had to laught with them when he realized what he was saying, he was the big bad, but not all the time.
"Alright, Alright, from now on, you are the big bad.Spike, The most evil demon on earth, he could kick anyones or anythings butt."She said as he smirked at her.
"You are so not funny, and you are getting it tonight."He said still smiling.
"I am so scared."She said mocking him with a little shiver.
"Hey, no more mocking Spike."Buffy said, "If you take over that job...What am I supposed to do." They all smiled. "Lets go, this place is getting boring, and I still need to do a quick patrol."
They all go to their cars and Willow stops Hope, "So, do you wanna have that study group tonight?"She said hopfully.
"Sure, that would be fun. I just have to go and tell Spike, I will follow you home."
"Spike, Im going with Willow, Ill be home later."
"Alright, But you had better be careful, and wear your seatbelt, and.."
She cut him off,"Alright, love ya! Bye!"
"Love you too Bye!" He said with a smile.
"So, Do you want to go patrolling with me?"Buffy said.
"Sure, You want a ride?"He smiled
"Ok. Lets Go."
They arrive at the cemetary, It doesnt seem to busy tonight.
They didnt say anything for a while, just looked, and listened.
"It seems kinda quiet tonight."She said softly.
"Yea, We might as well go.Do you need a ride?"
"Sure, If you dont mind."
"Lets go."
And with that something jumps at them and nocks them both back with one blow.
"Lets make that, NOW!"
They run to his car, knowing they needed to find out what that thing was. They jump in and hed to her house.
When they get there she looks at him and says"You might as well come in, we need to figure out what this thing is."
With that they both get out and go in the house. They find Willow, Tara, Dawn and Hope in The living room, discussing different magics.
"Hi, whats up?"Buffy said, wondering why Dawn was in on their magic chat.
"You would not believe how much she knows about magic.She has been practicing witchcraft longer than I have!"
"Once again, I am not a witch." Hope said with a smirk.
"Look, she gave me this really nice necklace, she just said a few words and Poof, it was here."Dawn said, holding a beautiful necklace.
"And where did that beautiful necklace come from?"Buffy said a little irritated.
"Dont worry, It is mine, I just gave it to her. I brought it here from my bag." Hope said.
"So, it was a quiet night huh?" Willow broke in.
"At first. Then right when we were about to leave this thing attacked us.We dont know what it was."
"But you killed it right?"Willow said.
"This thing knocked us both back about 30 feet with one hit, We left."
"First thing tomorrow we go to the magic shop and talk to Giles, He will find out what it is." Tara said hopefully.
"Yea, and hopefully it doesnt destroy half of sunny dale by then." Spike said.
"Well, We will find out in the morning. If we are all dead, but I doubt that will happed."Hope said
They heard something outside and they go running. Dawn goes to her room with Tara, and the rest of them go outside.
"Hope Go inside with Dawn and Tara! Now!" Spike said.
"No, I am not a little girl anymore."She said as they walked out to see what happened.
"Not this thing again. They usually dont follow me home!"Buffy said as they saw the thing from the park.
Hope and Spike still argued until they saw it, then they stopped. Everyone stared, a little frightened except for Hope.
Hope walked strait up to it and Spike started to grab her, but she was already right in front of it.
"Why is it some Things just refuse to die! some of you are just so irritating!"She said calmly. and then he hit her and she flew up against the house.
Buffy and spike ran at it, but it knocked both of them down. They were both unable to move, they were both bewildered at the hit.
They were all shocked that she could take that blow better than Buffy and Spike.
"You have done it now. You killed my Slayer, my best friend, my only friend...That ticked me off, You hurt Buffy, and I quite like her, she is very nice, that ticked me off a little more, But when you hit William, That is just going to Far."She said, and everyone could hear the rage in her voice. Everyone was stunned that he just stood there listening and did not attack her.
But that wasnt the first of it,She flew up, to meet him eye to eye, and everyone gasped. Clouds rolled over the clear sky and there was a bolt of lightning, too close for comfort.they saw the fear in his eyes when he looked at her.She turned her back to them, Her eyes had lighting flashing in them, and as suddenly as he came, he was gone with a bolt of lightning hitting dead on, there was nothing but some ashes and a burnt spot in the grass.
Hope fell to the ground and just lay there. Spike, finally able to move, ran over to her. She was alive.
"It probably tool alot of energy to do that."Willow said, "she will be fine, she just needs a little rest."
"I would have never thought that she was that powerful, she doesnt show it." Tara said,"Most people gloat about their power when its that strong."
"She isnt like everyone else."Spike looks at her, "I mean, look at her life, raised by a vampire, taken in by the watcher people, Works with a slayer."He looks at Buffy,"There is nothing 'normal' about her, but she is Hope... My one and only Hope."
To be continued...
