Chapter 6: October 2014
When Hannah woke that morning, it was to the sound of childish giggles. She opened her eyes sleepily and saw two identical faces peeking around her door, staring at her as though she was the eighth wonder of the world.
As soon as the boys saw she was awake, their giggles ceased abruptly, and they ducked out of sight. They had obviously not counted on being discovered in the act by someone other than Hannah. “I told you two to leave Hannah be,” Nika’s whispered words came through the door clearly to Hannah’s enhanced hearing. “She was up late, and you were to let her sleep.”
Their voices faded down the hallway, and Hannah briefly considered getting up. On the other hand, she had been up late, and like any teen she wasn’t going to pass up a chance to sleep in.
When she woke again, it was late morning, and Hannah dragged herself out of bed reluctantly. She would have much rather stayed there, where she didn’t have to face all these new people again. Not that they weren’t nice, but the first few days in a new home were always awkward.
Still, it was better to get it over with, really.
Hannah rose and pulled on her jeans and sweatshirt, thinking longingly about a shower. She wasn’t comfortable just going ahead and taking one without saying good morning to whomever was still around, though. She pulled her hair into a quick ponytail and headed out of her room, following the sound of voices.
Wesley and Giles were seated at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking as Enid bustled around behind them. Wesley spotted her first and gave her a warm smile. “Good morning, Hannah. Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, the bed was really comfortable,” she said. Hannah felt strange in this bright kitchen with these people she didn’t know, but who were obviously close. She had stayed with a family of six before, but all the other kids had been from the foster system too, so it had been different.
These people belonged together.
Enid and Giles were both looking at her now with similar expressions of welcome, although Enid spoke first. “Sit,” she said firmly, pointing to an empty chair. “You’re probably hungry.”
“A little,” Hannah agreed, watching as Wesley pushed a plate full of scones towards her.
Enid nodded. “Of course. A growing girl like you is hungry all the time. Do you want coffee?”
” Nain , I don’t think—” Wesley began, only to be cut off by the older woman’s words.
“She will be doing a grown woman’s job; she deserves to have a choice of beverage.” Enid turned kind eyes back towards Hannah. “Coffee?”
Hannah hesitated. From what Dawn and Connor had said, Wesley was supposed to be in charge of her, and she didn’t want to make him mad right off the bat. Although, he didn’t look angry, just amused. “Please.”
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the coffee cup was placed in front of her, with cream and sugar pushed her way. Hannah doctored the brew liberally and then sipped, sighing happily. Coffee was something she didn’t often get the chance to drink, but she loved it.
Giles gave her a perfunctory smile before going back to his conversation with Wesley, taking up where he left off. “Buffy said that she and Spike would be over this morning. I imagine they’ll get here any minute.”
“Who are they taking with them?” Wesley asked. He was feeling ambivalent about being left behind. On one hand, it only made sense that he should remain with his Slayer. On the other hand, Spike was his partner, and Wesley felt as though it wasn’t quite fair that he should stay safe while Spike put himself at risk.
Giles reached out and took a scone, taking a bite absent-mindedly. “Connor for certain, and I believe Angel and Willow will both be going.”
Wesley nodded. It was a good team. With all of them along for the ride, there was less of a chance any would be lost. “Good. I think that’s wise.”
Enid cut in when she realized that Hannah had yet to start eating. “You need to eat,” she scolded. “You need more meat on your bones.”
The corners of Wesley’s lips twitched, and he nudged the plate of pastries a little closer to Hannah. “I have to warn you that Enid and Nika are in charge in the kitchen. You’d best do as she says or she’ll most likely have both our hides.”
Wesley’s tone of voice let Hannah know that he was kidding, but she reached for a scone anyway, nibbling on one corner experimentally. In another second, she’d taken a good-sized bite, and Enid gave her a satisfied nod.
Giles went on as though there had been no interruption. “There’s a good possibility that they’ll be successful where Faith was not,” he said. “While Faith changed quite a bit these last years, she was not a team player.”
“One might say the same about Spike,” Wesley observed mildly. “He’s not known for playing well with others.”
Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Spike is something else altogether.”
The sound of the front door banging open filled the house, and Hannah felt a little tingling sensation at the back of her head start up. She’d never experienced anything like it before, and had to wonder what was going on.
No one else seemed alarmed, however, and in a few seconds they were joined by a petite blonde woman and a wiry man who looked to be ten years younger than Wesley. “I’m glad you two are here,” Giles said. “We can get down to business.”
Wesley rolled his eyes at Giles’ rudeness. “Spike, Buffy, this is the new Slayer, Hannah. Hannah, this is Buffy and Spike. I think Connor and Dawn will have told you about them.”
The other Slayer looked her over and responded with a weary smile. “It’s nice to meet you.” She turned back towards Giles. “Do we know anything else yet?”
“Very little, I’m afraid,” Giles replied. “I get the sense that you won’t know all of it until you actually arrive.”
Hannah felt as though she had been very neatly dismissed, and she wondered if now wouldn’t be a good time to go catch that shower. Then Spike caught her eye and winked, causing Hannah to realize exactly why she was getting a tingling sensation.
Spike was a vampire.
Hannah had blurted out the words before she could stop herself, flushing deep red as all eyes turned to look at her. “Sorry. It’s just—”
“No need for apologies, snack-size,” Spike replied easily. “It’s the truth. Dawn and Connor tell you that?”
She nodded and then motioned vaguely. “I got this feeling, too. I don’t know—”
Now both Wesley and Giles were looking vastly pleased. “She’s already sensing the presence of vampires,” Giles said approvingly. “Well done.”
Buffy made a face. “You aren’t going to make her hone?”
“This is her first day on the job, luv,” Spike pointed out reasonably. “She hasn’t had time to eat her breakfast yet.”
Buffy scowled. “Well, sometimes you don’t get time to eat. That’s just the way it goes.” She stalked out of the room, Spike watching her go rather helplessly.
“Sorry ’bout that,” he finally said. “She’s been a bit off since we dropped Meg at school this morning.”
“It’s understandable,” Giles soothed. “I’ll go talk to her.”
The older man left the kitchen, and Spike took his place at the counter. “You ready for this gig?”
Hannah wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or to Wesley, but since his eyes were on her, she answered. “Not really.”
Spike smiled with what she thought might be approval. “No one is,” he agreed.
~~~~~
Buffy knew that Spike hadn’t followed her. She understood that, in fact, since she’d been on his case all morning. After the truce of last night, the Slayer had found herself out of sorts and off kilter.
Seeing Hannah had only made it worse. This was the third Slayer who had been called since the line had split with Kendra. Maybe three wasn’t so bad since Faith had lasted a long time, but it didn’t change the fact that there had been three more. Three more Slayers who weren’t Buffy, and two of them had been her friends.
This girl was very nearly young enough to be her daughter.
“Buffy.” There was reproof in Giles’ tone, and she winced. Only Giles could use that tone of voice and make her feel two inches high. Buffy knew that probably would never change, no matter how old she got.
“I’m sorry, Giles.” She turned to face him, and saw the compassion on his face.
He hugged her then, and Buffy could smell that familiar scent that had always been Giles. He looked older every time she saw him. His work with the Council was not easy, but he didn’t want to give it up. It was his life.
Just as Slaying would always be hers. It seemed neither one of them would ever be able to outrun their destinies, even with time and age.
“She is very young, Buffy,” Giles said quietly. “And she is no Faith.”
“No, she’s not,” Buffy replied, thinking about the girl’s watchful eyes. She was not much like Kendra either. The Slayer knew she needed to remember that Hannah wasn’t either of her predecessors. “It doesn’t seem right, Giles.”
They sat down on the couch, Giles gently leading her. “No, it doesn’t, but look at it this way. You might not have lived to see her. Surely you can be thankful for your own blessings.”
Buffy knew what he was telling her. She had her daughter and Spike and good friends. She had lived longer than any Slayer in history, and there was a very good chance she’d live longer yet.
Those were important things to remember.
Buffy gave him a sour look. “You do realize she’s young enough to be my daughter, don’t you?”
Giles blinked. He hadn’t thought of that, but his Slayer was correct. A smile hovered around his mouth. “Now you know how I feel most of the time.” She made a face at him, and Giles smiled, then grew serious. “She will need you, Buffy. You’re the only one who truly knows what she’s going through right now.”
Buffy sighed. “Yeah, as first impressions go, that wasn’t my best. She probably thinks I’m a bitch.”
Giles decided to ignore that comment in favor of being diplomatic. “We do need to discuss this upcoming mission.”
Buffy nodded, and Giles thought he could see a veil coming down over her eyes. It was time for her to be the Slayer.
~~~~~
Connor watched his father pack. They hadn’t had many opportunities to go into battle together in the last few years, especially since he had started working for the Council. Technically, his services were at Giles’ disposal these days, although he still free-lanced for Wesley or Angel Investigations.
Sometimes, he even put his law degree to good use.
“So what’s she like?” Angel asked, trying to sound casual.
Connor and Cordelia shared a look. “Who?”
“The new Slayer,” Angel replied impatiently. “You know who.”
“You weren’t very specific,” Connor pointed out.
“Connor—” Angel growled.
He smirked. Connor had to agree with Spike. There was nothing quite like winding Angel up. Besides, their relationship was hardly one of parent to child these days. They looked and acted more like brothers. “She’s young.”
“How young?” Angel asked, curious.
Connor shrugged. “Fourteen. She’s had a rough time.” He spoke without emotion, but the girl had touched him. She had looked so lost—he could well remember feeling that way the first time he’d found himself in L.A.
Cordelia looked surprised. “She’s just a baby!”
Connor shook his head. “She’s the Slayer, Cordy. There had to be some reason that she was the Potential activated. She seems like a good kid, although I’d guess Wesley will have his hands full.” Pushing himself away from the wall, Connor headed out the door. “I’m going to keep Gunn company. We’ll head over to Wesley’s as soon as you’re ready.”
Angel finished putting his clothes in the bag and zipped it up, looking over at Cordy. “Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Please, Angel. I’m perfectly capable of holding down the fort.”
“I know you are, but—” He hesitated. She hadn’t changed much in the last few years. Apparently, having a little demon in her meant slowing the aging process, and Angel was grateful for that. Cordy kept him honest; he loved that about her.
So much had changed; he had so many regrets. Losing Wesley’s friendship was probably the biggest. He still felt a pang when he heard the twins say “Uncle Spike,” while they called him Angel. He still wished he hadn’t been so hasty, that he had given Wesley another chance.
There were regrets that never eased.
Gunn and Fred were still around, but Angel was beginning to sense their need to move on as well. Fred was talking about going back for her doctorate. Gunn was spending more time with Anne at the youth center.
It felt wrong to be the only one not changing.
Cordelia was the same, though, and that gave him comfort. Angel could fool himself into believing that Cordy would never change, that she would always be there. When Gunn and Fred decided it was time to leave, she would stay, and Angel would find others who shared his vision.
Or maybe they would find him. That’s usually how it worked.
Angel kissed Cordelia soundly, wishing he didn’t have to leave, glad that he had someone he could rely upon while he was gone. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised.
“You don’t have to hurry,” Cordelia replied with a smile. “I’m planning on going shopping with your credit card while you’re gone.”
~~~~~
Spike fought a sigh, wishing that there was no need to plan things out so extensively. The sooner they left, the sooner they could get back. The sooner they could return to what passed for normal.
There had been some debate as to whether or not Hannah was to be allowed to sit in on the discussion. Buffy had been against it, and had asked Wesley point-blank why she wasn’t in school. The Watcher had patiently replied that they were keeping Hannah out for the rest of the week, and that Hannah was a Slayer. Therefore, she deserved to at least listen in. It would not be long before she would be the one going on missions of this nature.
Spike had added his vote, and Giles had abstained. With Nika at work and Enid making herself scarce, he and Wesley had outnumbered her. That was why Hannah was sitting on the couch next to Connor, listening nervously. For some reason, she was getting along quite well with Hell-Boy.
Wesley had asked earlier if Buffy would be willing to assist him with Hannah’s training when they returned, but she had given an unequivocal no. Spike had immediately offered to help out, but Buffy’s attitude startled him, and he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
Normally, Spike knew his wife like the back of his hand.
The rest had started bickering again while Spike had let his thoughts drift, and he rolled his eyes. “We don’t know anything,” Spike reminded them. “What are we tryin’ to make plans for?”
“This is a very powerful vampire, by all accounts,” Giles pointed out with ill-concealed irritation. “We would like to minimize the risk.”
“You mean you’d like to minimize your risk,” Spike retorted. “Plan’s only as good as the people making it an’ the information they feed in. We’re wastin’ our time.”
Angel spoke up. “As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with Spike. There isn’t anything we can do from this side.”
Buffy gave a sigh of relief. She hadn’t wanted to talk things to death any more than the two vampires, but Willow and Giles had insisted on discussing their options. “We don’t have time for this, Giles. You know I work best under pressure.”
Willow nodded. “They’re right, Giles. I think we’ve done all the talking we can do at this point.”
“I’ll call for the plane tickets,” Giles said with a sigh, knowing when he was outnumbered.
Wesley looked at Connor. “I take it Dawn won’t be joining us?”
“Dawn had to leave for that conference this morning,” Connor replied. “She had a paper to present.” By the look on his face, it was obvious that Connor would have preferred to be there.
“I had forgotten,” Wesley admitted. He appeared wistful. “A linguistics conference would be nice to attend.”
Buffy smiled. “That’s because you’re the only one who would understand any of it.”
“I don’t know,” Willow said. “Dawnie let me read over her paper, and it was really good.” She stopped and flushed. “And I’m revealing my current-nerd status, aren’t I?”
“We already knew,” Angel teased. “That cat was out of the bag a long time ago.”
There were a few chuckles before silence fell over the room, uncomfortable in its intensity. Everyone had forgotten about Hannah, who had no idea what they were talking about, but also thought that maybe she should offer her help.
Wasn’t that what Slayers did?
“Shouldn’t I be going?”
“And get yourself or someone else killed?” Buffy asked. “I don’t think so.”
Wesley gave her a sharp look. “You’re not trained, Hannah. It’s not a good idea right now.”
At Hannah’s crestfallen expression, Connor moved in to intervene. “We’ve got enough people, Hannah. Trust us. There’ll be plenty of times to test your skills in the future.”
Hannah acquiesced, wondering why Buffy didn’t like her. Willow , who knew what it was like to feel left out offered her own brand of consolation. “It doesn’t make any sense for us to take both Slayers with us. Just in case.”
“Right,” Hannah muttered, still feeling quite sure that the older Slayer wanted nothing to do with her.
“The flight leaves in a few hours,” Giles announced as he came back into the room, interrupting the conversation. “Wren will meet all of you at the airport, and you’ll call when you arrive. Once you locate the vampire, it shouldn’t take long to kill him.”
It wouldn’t take long one way or the other.