Chapter 10: April 2015
Will watched the Slayer train in the backyard, a feeling of envy welling up. His dad had been busy before Hannah arrived, but now it seemed that Wesley was never around. He was always training or translating or going out with Uncle Spike. Or, if he was home, his dad was with Mum and Carwen.
Will rubbed his bruised arm self-consciously. One of the boys at school had bet him that he would cry if hit, and he had taken the dare. He hadn’t cried, but the taunts continued just the same.
It wasn’t fair. Will couldn’t help being smart nor was he quite as good at sports as Davey was.
He had actually thought about trying out for the Little League baseball team this summer. Will was as good at hitting what he aimed at as his father, and he had a good chance of being picked for the team. On the other hand, it would mean spending most of the summer away from his beloved books and with the boys who had spent the last months tormenting him mercilessly. There were other things he would rather do with his time.
Summers were actually his favorite time of the year, same as his twin. Davey liked being off from school for three whole months; Will enjoyed them because he didn’t have to worry about getting picked on constantly. Usually his dad and Uncle Spike made it a point to be around too, and Meg was over a lot with Aunt Buffy. Even Angel and his crew dropped by during the summer evenings.
Home was the place where Will felt safest, but now with Hannah there—and Carwen demanding so much of Nika’s time—it no longer felt like a refuge.
“Good, Hannah,” Wesley praised. “Well done.”
She had just disarmed him with her quarterstaff, and Wesley was shaking out the sting in his hand. Will’s scowl deepened. Hannah was just as good at the physical stuff as Davey. It really wasn’t fair.
“Thanks!” she said brightly. “That was fun. Can we do it again?”
Wesley shook his head ruefully. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wait for Spike to arrive. I don’t think I can take any more today.”
If anything, Hannah’s grin widened. “Really? Cool!”
Wesley rolled his eyes and looked over at Will, who was still sitting on the back steps. “How was school today, Will?” he called.
“Fine,” the boy replied, rising abruptly and heading into the house. He didn’t feel like being polite to Hannah right then. His parents were very firm on always being courteous to others, and Will wasn’t in the mood to get reprimanded for his attitude.
Wesley watched his son’s back with a soft sigh. “I don’t think he likes me much,” Hannah commented quietly.
“He’s used to a bit more attention,” Wesley replied. “We’ve had two new arrivals in the last six months, and it’s a big adjustment.” He didn’t miss Hannah’s wince. “It’s not your fault, Hannah,” her Watcher said firmly. “I’m sure Will would feel the same if it had just been Carwen.”
“Maybe,” the girl replied doubtfully. She looked up at Wesley. They had become rather close in the last months, although there were times that she resented his overprotective nature. Her Watcher had filled a hole in her life that she had barely known existed, having never met her own father.
Hannah didn’t even know his name.
“You should let me train with Spike or Connor more often,” she suggested. “That way Will won’t feel so left out.”
Wesley was torn. He trusted both Connor and the vampire with Hannah, but he was her Watcher, and he hated to think that he was shirking his duties. At the same time, she might be right. “I suppose that might be possible,” he replied quietly. “Angel has offered to help as well. I didn’t give him an answer since I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it.”
“It would be okay.” Hannah wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the big vampire. He was so serious all of the time, but he was nice. She knew that he tried. “Whatever.”
“Not whatever,” Wesley said, surprising her. “You’re as much in charge of your training as I am, my dear. If you’re uncomfortable with someone or something, I want you to let me know.”
“Angel’s okay,” Hannah was quick to assure him. “It’s just—he’s not as much fun.”
Wesley chuckled. “Spike would certainly agree with you there.” He put a friendly hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s see what Nika and Enid are sorting out for dinner.”
~~~~~
Buffy was binding up her hair into a ponytail. “So you guys are going over to Wes and Nika’s, right?”
Meg and Spike exchanged looks. You’d think the vampire hadn’t ever looked after his own kid before. “Yeah, that’s the plan,” Spike replied.
“You’ll bring Meg back before her bedtime, though?” Buffy said rather insistently. “It’s a school night.”
“Mom,” Meg protested, rolling her eyes. “I’m not a baby.”
Both Spike and Buffy had to bite back smiles. Meg often compared herself to the twins, pointing out the fact that she was two whole years older, and therefore ought to be allowed to do all kinds of things as a result. Spike was more likely to indulge her, while Buffy was more likely to stick to the rules.
Buffy had turned out to be more like Joyce than anyone might have predicted.
“No, you’re not,” Buffy replied. “But you still have a bedtime, and you will for quite a while yet.”
“Hannah doesn’t have a bedtime,” Meg pointed out.
Buffy’s lips tightened, but before she could say anything, Spike stepped in. “Hannah is five years older, moppet. When you’re fifteen, then we’ll talk.”
Five years was a comfortable margin, Buffy decided. When Meg was a teenager, all bets would be off, and she knew it. “Absolutely,” she said. “When you’re fifteen, we can renegotiate,” she agreed, giving Spike a grateful look. He often knew just what to say to get Meg to go along with a minimum of fuss.
“She’s a Summers,” was all he’d say when she pointed that out. “‘course I know how to handle her.”
Buffy supposed she should have argued about being “handled,” but she quite liked some of Spike’s methods, and had no intention of putting a stop to it.
Meg pouted a bit, but it wasn’t serious. She’d had this discussion with her parents a number of times already, and so it was routine by now. The pouting was a necessary part of the process. “Fine,” she sighed. “I’m going to finish my homework before I leave.”
She marched out of the room and up the stairs, stomping her feet slightly to let her parents know she wasn’t happy. Meg would hate for them to think they were winning too easily.
Buffy moved towards Spike. “So, did you sleep good today?”
“I slept just fine,” Spike replied, a little put out. “I’m just fine, Buffy. You don’t have to worry.”
“I can worry about you if I want,” she retorted. “Besides, I was asking to find out if you’d be awake after I get back from patrol.”
A gleam entered Spike’s bright eyes. “You got plans, luv?”
“Only if you’re up for it.”
“I’m always up for it,” Spike shot back. He moved in, putting his hands around her waist and pulling her in tightly. “You shouldn’t worry so much, Buffy.”
Buffy sighed, putting her head on his chest. The playful moment had suddenly turned serious. “Can I help it if I worry about you?”
“Vampire, here, luv. Not much that can hurt me.”
“And large pieces of pointy wood through the chest don’t hurt you?” she demanded. It had been months, but Buffy still had nightmares about that moment—watching as a jagged piece of wood emerged from his chest.
It had taken him nearly a week to recover, and while it had been months since they’d hunted down Faith’s killer, Buffy couldn’t help but remember that she had almost lost him. In that split-second, she had seen her life without Spike, and it had been bleak.
They both still had the scars.
“Maybe we should stay home,” Spike murmured, neatly changing the subject even as he nuzzled her throat. “Take it easy.”
Buffy smiled. The thought was tempting. “You know that’s not possible. The gang needs me.”
It was a more diplomatic way of saying “Angel needs me,” since he was technically in charge of this little mission. Hannah wasn’t ready for a horde of Landrist beasts, even if they were fairly easy to kill. Besides, they were getting paid, which meant Buffy got a cut.
Buffy was always tickled when she got paid for doing something that was her “sacred duty.”
Spike nipped at her throat with blunt teeth. “Oh, ‘m sure Peaches can take care of this one on his own,” he whispered.
She stifled a moan. “Later. For sure.” Buffy pulled back before Spike could cause her to change her mind. “When I get back, I’ll want a long, hot shower.”
With an evil grin, she added, “And I don’t plan on being alone.”
Buffy dashed outside before she could hear Spike’s answer, but his growl of frustration went right through the front door. The Slayer grinned. She still had it.
~~~~~
“Uncle Spike!” Davey’s greeting was as loud as usual.
Spike grinned, catching the boy around the waist and swinging him upside down. “How’s it goin’, pint-size?”
Davey squealed in delight. “Uncle Spike!”
Spike put him back on his feet in time to catch Nika shaking her head at him. “You’ll get him all wound up,” she accused, coming over to give him a hug.
“He’s always wound up,” Spike retorted, winking at the boy. “How are you, luv?”
Nika gave him a serene smile. “I’m just fine.” She smiled at Meg. “And how are you, cariad ?”
Meg shrugged. “Good.”
“I think Nain has cookies for you in the kitchen,” she said. Raising her voice, she called, “Will! Spike and Meg are here!”
Silence followed, and Spike frowned. “He not have a good day?”
“He’s got a bruise on his arm the size of my fist, Spike,” Nika replied, her eyes worried. “I know he’s not happy, but—”
“Not much you can do about it.” They kept their voices low, although Meg and Davey had already scampered off to the kitchen.
Will emerged a moment later. “Hey, Uncle Spike.”
His greeting was subdued, and Spike instinctively matched his tone. “How’s it goin’, Will?”
The boy shrugged. “Okay.”
Spike hid a sigh and gave him a hug. He didn’t often mention it, but while he and Davey got along quite well, it was Will who was most like him. Or, Will was very much like he had been as a boy. “Chin up, lad,” he encouraged. “You tell me who to kill, an’ I’ll be happy to take care of it.”
As he’d hoped, Will smiled at that, probably at the thought of what kind of severe bodily harm Spike could enact. The vampire would have had no problem scaring the little brats out of several years’ worth of growth, but his sun allergy prevented that. “Thanks, Uncle Spike.”
“Any time,” Spike replied.
Nika ruffled her son’s hair. “Meg and Davey are in the kitchen, Will,” she said. “I think Nain has some cookies for you all.”
“Where’s the Watcher?” Spike asked, getting down to business.
“In the basement,” Nika replied. Her eyes were somber, reflecting her concern over Will. “Spike—”
“He’ll be fine, Sweet,” Spike assured her. “Will’s tougher than he looks.”
“I don’t want him to have to be tough,” she replied.
Spike couldn’t disagree.
~~~~~
They worked for over an hour, Spike and Wesley patiently showing Hannah the right way to execute a spin-kick, the appropriate manner to throw a stake, the quickest way to dispatch a vampire. Training with Spike gave Hannah an edge most Slayers had never had, since most Slayers were never given the opportunity to face off against a friendly vampire.
With Spike, Hannah could afford to make the mistakes that would be deadly in the field.
Her red hair was hanging in damp tendrils around her face by the time Wesley called a halt to the training session. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”
Hannah frowned. “We don’t have to quit,” she protested. “Just let me catch my breath.”
Spike chuckled. “You’ve worked hard enough for tonight, pet. Besides, I’ve got to be getting Meg home or Buffy will have my hide.”
“Connor’s taking you on patrol tomorrow,” Wesley said consolingly. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice those moves then.”
Hannah sighed. “Okay,” she agreed, trudging up the stairs.
Spike shook his head, chuckling. “Never seen a girl who loves this kind of thing so much. Not even Buffy.”
Wesley shook his head. “Nika and I are a bit concerned,” he confessed. “She’s doing well enough in school, but she doesn’t seem to be making any friends her age.”
“She’s not their age,” Spike replied, demonstrating his sharp insight yet again. “She’s had to grow up too fast to really appreciate bein’ a kid.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Wesley replied. “Faith—”
“She’s not Faith.” Spike cut him off. “An’ you’re not the same git you were back then. She’s a good kid with a good head on her shoulders. I don’t think you have to worry about her a bit.”
Wesley nodded his agreement, even though his worry wasn’t going to go away. “Did you see Will?”
Spike frowned. “I did. Nika said he got hurt at school.”
“We wouldn’t have seen it except that she happened in on him when he was changing his shirt. Apparently the boys dared him to stand still to be hit to see if he would cry.” Wesley’s eyes burned. “If I get my hands on them—”
Spike shook his head. “I know Will is capable of takin’ care of himself. What the bloody hell is goin’ on?”
“You can’t fight a group of five or six,” Wesley said. “He’s a child, Spike. He ought to be safe in school.”
Spike shook his head, thanking his lucky stars that Meg got along so well with her classmates. She was a popular, well-adjusted little girl. Will was a different story altogether. “Things’ll get better,” Spike finally said, although he was none too sure of that himself. “The lad’s just goin’ to have to learn how to stand up for himself.”
It seemed an impossible lesson to teach.
~~~~~
Will was surrounded before he could run. This was what made it so bad. It wasn’t just one bully or two; he could have handled that. Even though he had no desire to fight, Will would have defended himself.
He didn’t understand why it was such a bad thing to be smart, or to like to read. He hated it when they called him “sissy” and “mama’s boy.” If it had just been a couple of the guys, Will would have shrugged it off.
Instead, Brad and his goons had been making life hell for him for months now, and Will didn’t know how to stop them.
The taunts filled his ears, and he found himself bounced around the loose circle. His glasses were knocked off early on, and Will blinked, trying to decide on a way out. If he could run, maybe Davey would help him retrieve his glasses later.
One hard shove had him hitting the ground on his hands and knees, the rough concrete scraping off skin. The stinging sensation had him blinking back tears. If they saw him crying—
He heard a cry that was not his own, and then Hannah’s outraged voice. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Will started to stand and felt strong hands grab him under the arms and pull him up. “Hannah—”
“Well?” She wasn’t talking to him. Hannah was reaching down to pick up his glasses, fixing Brad with a stare so cold Will could feel the temperature drop. He very nearly started to brush his hands off on his shorts before he realized that his palms were bleeding.
There was silence from the other boys. This was the first time they had been caught in the act, and they were all cowards at heart. “If I catch any of you laying one hand on Will again, or calling him one more name, I will personally break each and every single one of your fingers. Got it?”
Five audible gulps could be heard.
“Got it?” she repeated, taking a step towards Brad, recognizing him immediately as the ring-leader.
Brad took off running as fast as his legs would carry him, and the other boys quickly followed suit, leaving Hannah to take care of Will. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
Will was staring at her with wide eyes. Up until now he had viewed her as the interloper, as the girl who had monopolized his father’s attention. At the moment, however, Will understood what it meant to be the Slayer.
She was incredible.
“Are you okay?” she repeated gently. Letting out a soft curse, Hannah stared at his scraped knees, turning his hands over with a sigh. “Never mind. You’re a mess, Will.”
“I’m okay,” he said bravely, finding his voice.
Hannah put his glasses back on his face, sliding them into place with a playful finger. “Yeah, you’re one tough guy, you know that?” She shook her head. “Are you going to be okay to get home?” she asked. “I don’t have any band aids or anything with me.”
“I’m good,” Will replied, pulling himself up straight.
Hannah sighed. “Good. Well, let’s get you home and cleaned up,” she said. “You’re bleeding all over your socks.”
Will looked down. “I guess.”
“I meant it, you know,” Hannah said, waiting for him to meet her eyes. “I’ll take care of anybody giving you problems.”
“Thanks.” Will looked down at the ground, mumbling something she couldn’t quite hear.
“What was that?” Hannah asked.
Will shrugged. “I’m glad you came to stay with us,” he confessed.
Hannah gave him a hug. “I’m really glad I came to stay with you too, Will.”
It was no coincidence that Hannah walked Will home from school every day after that.