"You think you know, what you are. What's to come. You haven't even begun." - Tara's voice in Restless
"Angel turned to leave. 'Take good care of her for me, Spike. I'll be back.'
As he walked away, again, he wished fervently for the end of the world to come sooner." - Angel to Spike in The Oracle Saga, Rebirth 2
Buffy looked up at Spike as they strolled through the cemetery, hand in hand. They had been chaperones at Dawn's prom that night while Joyce was minding the twins. It had been three weeks since they were born and they were growing amazingly. They already looked like they were four years old. The terrible two's had lasted about four days. Buffy knew that the prophesy was almost complete and she wanted to spend as much time with them as possible, but after three weeks of being cooped up in the house, and the boundless energy of the children, both she and Spike were eager for an outing.
They almost didn't go. William had attached himself to Spike's leg, crying unrelentingly, refusing to let them leave. Finally, Joyce had to pry Will away, promising to give him an extra special treat if he could let Mommy and Uncle Spike go for a little while. Angela had begun to whimper, insisting on getting a treat too, and Buffy and Spike quickly slipped out the back door to meet Dawn out front.
When they arrived at the Sunnydale Middle School gym, Buffy, Spike, Anya and Giles were quickly relegated to the unofficial 'adults' section. They drank watered down punch and watched as Xander tried in vain to get Dawn out on the dance floor.
Buffy and Giles had brought up her final showdown with Glory to her many times, but Dawn still couldn't remember anything from the time Faith had kicked in the door until Wesley had come. Buffy thought it would be better for Dawn not to remember. She was a little surprised that Dawn hadn't disappeared into thin air, now that Glory was no longer a threat, but she was glad that she got to keep the sister she never had.
The DJ announced the last song as Buffy and Spike swayed softly with the music, while Anya, with Giles in tow, kept an eye on Xander and Dawn nearby. It was rare that a special occasion in Sunnydale, especially one with a Slayer in attendance, could go from start to finish without incident, but the dance had been magical. Her heart had been broken too many times because of Angel. It was almost too hard to think about him without hating him or wanting to cry because she still loved him so much, or both. When he left, again, she made up her mind to stop wallowing in the past. Seeing Spike as she awoke the next day, even though everyone else had left, she knew that he would never leave her like that. It was a happy feeling, and it never went away.
Back in the Cemetery
Buffy continued to reflect on the current state of everyone in her life as she and Spike walked almost aimlessly through the cemetery.
She and Spike were supposed to take the twins up to see Angel next week. She had told him that they had been growing quickly, but he wouldn't believe how quickly unless he saw them himself. Giles had shrugged his shoulders when she had asked him about it, saying that their accelerated growth was probably part of the prophecy. She very obviously couldn't take them to Dr. Everhart. Wesley might have an answer. But, probably not. Wesley had gone back to L.A. right after Faith's funeral and hadn't spoken to anyone really since.
The gang had been over to Buffy's house to visit almost every day since the twins were born. What had surprised them more than Angela and William's growth was the fact that Buffy and Spike seemed to be an item. But more than that, they both seemed to be genuinely happy. Around the others though, Spike still had the disastrous sense of humor that always seemed to earn him a death threat.
At night, everyone would go to the cemeteries together in an effort to keep up with Buffy's patrols, now that there was no one to do them for her. But, it was easier than they had expected; fewer vampires and no impending doom.
They reached their destination and Buffy crouched down and took off the corsage that Spike had given her earlier that evening. Spike watched as the moonlight infused her hair and shoulders while she laid the flowers on the flat headstone and murmured a few words to Faith. Ever since the day Angela and William had been born, he had been in constant disbelief. The feeling was indescribable; loving her and having the love finally accepted and reciprocated. He was as happy as a neutered vampire could be.
Buffy smiled up at him for what seemed like the thousandth time that night alone, and reached her hand out to his so that he could help her up. As he did, she struck out her leg and swept his feet out from under him. He heard a muffled cry as he banged his head on the ground and looked to see Buffy already running across the cemetery. She had tricked him! He opened his mouth to call out the first callous thing to come into his mind and saw that she was fighting two shadows.
Buffy ducked and dodged as the blows came from each side no matter which way she turned. Her attacks seemed ineffectual against them. They were matched strength for strength and there were two of them and only one of her. She was relieved to see Spike emerge from the shadows and jump in. The one punch he threw connected with one of the girls and he was down on the ground for the second time that night from the pain the chip had afforded him. Human. Alive. These two were alive.
Buffy turned to see the one that Spike had hit get up and stand over him as he was still on the ground. She pulled a stake from her left front pocket, twirled it and raised her curled fist to strike.
"NO!"
The sheer desperation in Buffy's voice distracted the girl enough to allow Spike the few precious seconds to roll out of the way and get up. The girl realized that Spike had gotten away and she made ready to pummel him a second time. Buffy tried to get to him, only to be held by the other one, who was also covering her mouth this time. She watched as the girl landed punch after kick on Spike, while he desperately tried to defend himself only to be betrayed by the chip. She threw him against the side of a mausoleum and he was knocked unconscious. She stalked up to his prone form and retrieved another stake from her pocket. Buffy struggled in the other girls' clasp, but couldn't get free.
"Stop struggling, we're trying to help you."
Tears ran from Buffy's eyes as she watched the girl kneel down and raise the stake over her head.
"Annelise! What are you doing? You are not a mercenary. Let the girl go."
Buffy was released. A petite woman materialized from behind a monument and the girls stood in front of her, their hands behind them. Buffy ran to Spike, who was just coming to. "Spike, are you ok?" , she whispered to him.
He nodded and turned his attention to the three women.
"Madeline, we were just doing our job."
Buffy looked up at the girl who spoke, the one called Annelise, as she stood in the lamplight. Long black hair, done in an elaborate up do that Buffy wouldn't even consider for a wedding. Black silk duster open over a black turtleneck, black denim shorts and high lace up combat boots. She had been the one who was holding her. She glanced over to the other one, the one who had nearly killed Spike. Black hair again, this time worn in a long ponytail with bangs. Identical silk duster worn open to reveal a black tank top and black utility pants. The shoes that had kicked Spike's body while he was down were a pair of platform mary-janes. Both pairs of eyes were so dark, they looked black. Both pairs were made darker because they were ringed by dark eye makeup.
She shifted her eyes to take in the woman. Later thirties, British by the sound of it, dressed similarly to the second girl, except for wearing a short leather jacket instead of the duster. And she was mad. She brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes and frowned. "Lisanne was doing her job. What were you doing?"
Realization dawned on Buffy as helped Spike to his feet. Casually, she joined the conversation. "She was trying to keep me from kicking Lisanne's butt from one end of the cemetery to the other because she was trying to kill my boyfriend. What you don't know is, when you were called, only one of the Slayers died permanently."
The girls had moved aside as Buffy spoke. When she was finished, they had moved to flank their watcher, Madeline. Madeline gestured to the girls to stand down, and spoke for the first time to Buffy, "Are you Buffy or Faith?"
Buffy smiled ironically. She remembered when that was the $64.000 question. "Buffy."
The girls dropped their jaws in awe.
"And your boyfriend is William the Bloody, the vicious vampire who along with Angelus cut a bloody swathe through Europe, also known as Spike?" Madeline quoted to her.
"Yes. Now if you don't mind. I quit the council years ago and I don't need you around. You can tell them that I wouldn't come back to work for them for anything, including The Apocalypse. We'll be going now." With that, Buffy turned to leave with Spike in tow.
Madeline called out, "Buffy, wait." Buffy turned with a bored look on her face. She raised her eyebrows and waited for her to continue. "We’re not with the Council anymore. They called the girls, but we have since ‘resigned’. Please don't go before I tell you why we're here."
"Ok, but I'll let you know now, if either of you try to dust Spike again, you will be in a lot of hurt. He’s no longer who he was in the history books. We have to go to my house. Somehow, I know that the campfire stories tonight will take longer than it will for the sun to rise." Buffy held Spike's hand and led the way without even looking to see if the others were following.
The three newcomers looked at each other in confusion and followed.
Buffy's House
Despite the hour, the twins were awake when Buffy got home. William had run to her with his short and chubby legs while Angela had run to Spike. Cries of "Mommy, mommy" and "Uncle Spike!" drowned out any possibility of conversation. Relieved, Joyce waved goodnight. Annelise, Lisanne and Madeline shared the same look of bewilderment and politely took the seats they were offered while Buffy and Spike disappeared for awhile.
The twins finally in bed, Buffy and Spike returned to their guests. Still dressed in their prom regalia, they sat in wide armchair together. Catching the puzzled looks on the three women's faces, Buffy grinned. "You first."
Madeline shrugged. She really wanted to know what was going on around here. Even the presence of the Hellmouth couldn't explain the strangeness of it all. But, she knew that with this one, she wouldn't get the story unless she was satisfied with hers. "My name is Madeline LaCroix. I was to become Annelise's watcher and then Lisanne's in turn when they became of age. These two are Annelise and Lisanne Dulaine, the Vampire Slayers."
New Orleans, Louisiana. Eleven years ago.
The two girls huddled against in the corner of the back room of the shop, their raven heads held together in fear. Their mother sat at the small round table across from the aged Creole woman. Her suspicions were being confirmed with each word the woman spoke. The crystal ball glowed hotly as the woman keened.
"There be a great power over de children. A great power. Great strength. Dey will be called, one after de other. Dey will die, one after de other and dey will die young. Dis, it must be done." The woman slumped in her seat and the ball ceased glowing.
The mother got up and stood over the seer. Through clenched teeth she uttered, "This will not be!"
The seer, with her blind eyes still closed, cracked open her mouth and said softly. "You can't hope to change their destiny, child. It is who they will become."
The woman wasn't listening and silently, she took their hands in both of hers and led them out of the shop. She knew that the seer had been correct about what she had seen. She was never wrong. As they arrived at their crumbling little home, she set about to do the impossible and prove that the woman was wrong. She would not lose her girls. They were all that she had left.
She had seen the strange aura around her girls when they were born. No matter how far away from each other they were, it had always connected them. As they grew older, it shone just a little more on Annelise, who had been born first. Now, at six years old, her dismissal of it had turned to worry, which had quickly turned to obsession. It was this obsession that led her to visit the fortune-teller for the first time since before they were born.
With the girls asleep in their little bed upstairs, the woman sat in the room that was nearly devoid of furniture. The designs were outlined on the bare wood floor. On the table, a small cauldron boiled and eerie smoke belched out of it slowly. The only light in the room was that of the burning candles and incense. As she finished the chant with a last triumphant word, a darker patch of black appeared before her in the room. A voice boomed from it, both deafeningly loud, but utterly silent, for it was in her head. "Who has summoned me?" it demanded.
"I, Morica Dulaine, daughter of Serena, who was daughter of Garliane. I have summoned you."
A feeling of mirth emanated from the darkness. "Do you think you can hold me, witch? Your paltry skills are no match for one of the ages. Stop this before you hurt yourself."
"Leave my home. Leave my daughters. I will not have your presence harm them. I will it. I demand it," she continued only faltering a little. She felt her grasp on consciousness falter as well.
"If you wish to live, human, you must not continue this. Even now, your life is draining away because of the energy required to keep me here. Your daughters have been marked by me for a reason. They must fulfill their destiny. For the love of your daughters, do not do this," the darkness pleaded with her.
"I will not see my daughters die in turn because of you!" Her eyes opened further and she raised her hands. White light emanated from her hands and shot out to attack the darkness. The bolts connected and were returned to her. She had put every last bit of power she had into them and in her weakened state, they killed her instantly.
The darkness faded away and said sadly to no one at all. "No, you will not."
Buffy's House, Just before Sunrise
The words of the dream she had after they had defeated Adam came back to her. What was she really? Dracula had said that it was a darkness that they both shared. "What happened next?"
Madeline continued, "I had just completed my Watcher training two years prior. I was assigned to watch over the girls as they grew, and to collect both when Annelise was called. I followed them everywhere. I was in the seer's shop when the pronouncement was made. I was outside the window when their mother met her untimely demise. I broke in, went upstairs and took the girls away from there."
The girls were upset. It wasn't the first time they heard this story. They barely remembered their mother now, though. They had loved her very much, and they were very much in awe of her at the time and knew how fiercely protective she was of them. But, now, Madeline is all they know. She was their Watcher, their mother, and their friend.
"We went to New York. There, I tutored them privately in every bit of lore and all of the Slayer's histories. I received word from the council as each Slayer was called. Then you were called Buffy. From your Watcher's reports they were amazed by you. And, they were afraid of you. They didn't let you know about either of the Slayers that were called after your first death. They never intended to let you continue living as the Slayer. There could only be one at a time. But, after you quit, they wrote you off and began putting the pressure on me to step up the girls' training."
"I privately wondered about the demands and the actions of the council, but I continued to follow their orders. The girls and I went on patrols through the streets of Manhattan. The activity there is not as high as it is here, but it was good for practice."
"When I received the call three weeks ago, I was told that not one, but both Slayers had died. Both Annelise and Lisanne were being called. I was sad to hear that you and Faith had gone, but also glad that I didn't have to lose one of my girls before the other. The next night, three men arrived on our doorstep. One claimed to be their new watcher. The other two were there to 'dispatch' me and take the girls. We fought our way out and took the first flight out to California, where I knew that your Watcher still resided."
"Something big is going to happen here in Sunnydale and we are here and on your side." Madeline concluded.
The Gates of Hell
Glory pushed her blond ringlets out of her face as she picked herself off of the cracked and heated ground. The landscape shifted and suddenly, she was kneeling before the three thrones. She shivered, not only from fear, but from the intense cold.
"Take off that hideous disguise." The figure in the middle snapped his fingers and Glory was reduced to her demon form. "There, that's better. Tell us, why did you fail?"
"My lord," she sobbed "I can explain. The Key-"
"I am uninterested in hearing about the Key. You had thousands of years to reopen the Gates. You were the last left in the world of mortals who could have done it and you were defeated by a little girl. Now I see, that if I want something done, I must do it myself. Come, my friends."
Asmodeus rose and walked past Glory. He was the lord of this realm, and the strongest of all the inhabitants of hell. He had been there at the end of the last battle when the last demon threw its being into that of a dying human. From hell, he saw when the darkness betrayed its demonic brothers and entered into the body of a woman halfway across the world from the first vampire. The darkness failed to meld completely with her and had been sucked into hell as well, but its power remained with her.
He longed for the time when he and his followers could once again reign supreme over the earth. He had trusted in his servants, but one after the other, they had failed him. He would not fail. He will open the Hellmouth and the world would be his to rule as well.
To Be Continued….