"Second Chances Series"
Part One - That Summer
By TrinityLast
E-mail: trinitylast@wambtac.com
Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel don't belong to me. Don't sue. All you'll get is this computer, and it's obsolete anyway. All of the other characters are my own. I don't steal...my stuff's better than what you'd come up with anyway. :-)
Rating - Lets just say NC-17, just to be safe - I don’t want to take chances...but not for a little while yet.
Feedback: As long as it isn't flames. I burn easily.
Note: See Introduction and Explanation
Note2: "That Summer" is set right after the last episode of Season Six. It will follow the Scoobies through a lot of changes taking place in their lives that summer.
Note3: All *dialog* from the show is copied from online transcripts. (Some of the action and description I embellished, to make it work on paper) I did not sit there and write out what they said. Because of that, I don’t really know if it’s exact, I didn’t go back and check it against the original. If you see something that isn’t quite right, email me, and I’ll fix it. Thanks for the Transcripts go to David Fury. You can visit his site at: http://www.buffyworld.com/
[this] shows thoughts. *this* shows italics.

Chapter One: Wrapping up "Grave"

________________________

(This works better if you’ve seen "Buffy" through the end of Season Six)

*In the Magic Box*

"Xander?" Anya’s eyebrows furrowed.

Giles smiled, though strained. "Yes. He saved us all."

**

Buffy and Dawn climbed out into the graveyard and looked around.

"God Dawn...there’s so much I want to show you!"

**

Xander helped Willow stand and they started walking down the hill towards town.

"They won’t forgive me, will they?"

Xander actually smiled. "Please. Like you’re the first of the Scoobies to lose it? Hell, we even forgave Angel. You had...what do we call it? A breakdown." He rubbed her back. "And I love you." He smirked. "Since I’m usually the hardest to win over, I’d say forgiveness is in the bag." Then Xander stopped and pulled her into a hug. "You lost. A lot. Even when we were trying to stop you, we were just worried. God, if it’d been Anya, I don’t know what..." Xander closed his eyes and held her tighter. "It was Jenny, remember? And I’d take real money from anyone who claimed Ripper wouldn’t have made an appearance, even if it Angel had be human."

Willow buried her head in his chest and started to cry again. Xander just stood there and held her.

**

Buffy and Dawn got to the street with the Magic shop in time to see Anya helping Giles out. Buffy ran to him.

"Giles!"

Giles smiled. "I’m alright." He looked down at her. "But I think we can safely say I’m staying."

Dawn ran up behind Buffy and grabbed Giles into a huge hug. "Giles!"

Giles winced but returned her embrace. "Dawn." He looked down at her head. "You’ve grown."

Dawn nodded against his chest but didn’t let go. Giles looked at Buffy over her head. "I’m worried about Willow. Xander’s with her, but we need to let her know that we love her as well."

Buffy shook her head. "You have to go to the hospital." She glared at him when he started to protest. "No, Giles. Look at you. Just...Anya will take you to the hospital, and Dawn and I’ll go find them." She smiled. "Don’t worry. We all understand what she was going through. I just...it’ll be nice to have the old Willow back." She scrunched up her face. "No veins or, or...black hair." Then she frowned. "What do you mean, ‘it’s safe to say you’re staying’? Where was I when this happened?"

Giles shot her a look.

"Oh!" Buffy’s eyes got wide. "No! I mean, I’m thrilled! You have no idea! God, I missed you." She smiled and Giles smiled back, and started rubbing Dawn’s back when she murmured agreement. "I just...it’s taken for granted, since when?"

Giles sighed and finally released Dawn, who stayed close. "Willow took a lot of magic into herself. It’s now too much a part of her for her to never use it again." He saw Buffy’s face and was quick to finish. "But, she’s now tasted evil, just as I did, with similar effects. It won’t beckon again. In fact, magic is now infinitely safer with her than anywhere else, due to that. But, I will need to be here to help her hone and sharpen, and help to overcome the fear the magic will now have for her." He smiled. "To help her see the good her power can do again. It’s been too long since she’s seen that."

Buffy smiled. "But, you staying. That’s of the good."

Giles smiled back. "I rather tend to agree."

Anya, strangely quiet during the conversation, pulled Giles’ arm over her shoulder again and started to walk. Then she stopped and turned to Buffy. "Tell Xander that I’m proud of him."

Buffy nodded.

**

As the soul finished entrenching itself in Spike, he stopped screaming. Then everything went black.

Chapter Two: Bridging the gaps

________________________

"But Giles..."

"Willow, it will kill you."

Giles closed his eyes when Willow started to cry again. She’d obviously been crying when she got to the hospital with Xander, Buffy and Dawn, and the minute she saw him in the bed, she’d started again. Nothing they could say would get her to stop, they’d had to wait her out. And when she’d finally accepted that no one was really mad at her, enough to last anyway, Anya had accidentally mentioned Willow’s magic.

"But, Giles! No! I can’t! Look what I did! I’m never going near the stuff again. No!" Willow’s hysterical voice prompted Giles to open his eyes and see that the tears had been short lived this time. He smiled reassuringly at her.

"Willow, it’ll be alright. This power, it’s too ingrained in you now. It’s a part of you. You have to learn to use it." He held up a hand when she started to argue. "Do you want to hurt me right now?"

"NO!"

"And yet, I can feel the power coming off you in waves. You’re stronger than the magicks now, Willow. With Xander’s help, you’ve beaten it. You can control it now, not it you. And I am going to help you. You won’t be alone."

Willow sniffled and looked around the room. Everyone was nodding and agreeing.

And all the anger she expected to be there was absent.

"How can you guys just sit here with me after what I did? I...I tried to kill everyone!"

Buffy smiled. "I hid my murderer boyfriend for almost three months. And then I turned around and slept with another murderer."

Xander shrugged. "I’m in love with a vengeance demon." He smiled wryly. "Among my many crimes."

Anya raised her hand. "Currently a demon."

Dawn smiled and echoed Anya’s action. "Thief, liar, cheat."

Giles smirked. "I raised a demon that killed my surrogate family."

Willow giggled and sniffled at the same time. "Oh. Right." She managed a weak smile. "At least I’m not alone with the guilt."

Buffy shook her head. "Nah. Never." She went over and hugged Willow. "See, you don’t get to be a Scooby without doing something monumentally stupid. I think it’s a law."

Willow giggled again, and a nurse popped her head in to tell them that visitor’s hours were over.

**

*In LA*

Angel felt the sun come up and Connor started crying. The vampire picked up his son and headed for the fridge for a bottle when the phone rang.

He veered off and, rocking Connor to quiet him, he picked up the phone and cradled it on his shoulder.

"Angel Investigations."

"It’s me."

"Buffy."

It was strange...any romantic feelings for Cordelia flew out the window at her voice, and Angel suddenly felt much better about her vacation.

[Maybe it really *was* just a leftover from the spell...]

Then Connor started to cry again. Angel winced.

"Angel, what’s that noise?"

**

Buffy sat down hard on the couch. "A son?"

Angel’s voice came over the line. "Yeah."

Silence.

"Were you going to tell me?"

More silence.

Buffy closed her eyes. "Oh."

"Buffy...I wanted to. But...."

"But?"

"But, how it happened...I wasn’t really proud of it. I didn’t...I’d hoped you wouldn’t have to know about that."

Buffy looked down at her left hand in her lap. "You didn’t love her." It wasn’t a question. He still had his soul. He couldn’t have loved her and kept it.

He answered her anyway. "No. I hated her. It was....exactly the opposite of our night."

Buffy winced. "Oh." She shifted ears, freeing her right hand. It started to play with the edge of her blouse. "Who?"

No answer.

"Angel?"

"It was Darla."

"Oh."

"You don’t sound surprised..."

"No." Buffy curled her legs under her. "Wesley called Giles when she was...brought back. I knew. He...sort of kept us up to date. Even told us when she was dusted. Wait." Buffy frowned. "She was dusted. How...?"

"She staked herself to save Connor. He was...sharing his soul with her. She loved him."

Buffy smiled. "Connor. That’s a nice name." She heard Angel chuckle.

"Thanks. But...this isn’t why you called. Not that we don’t have to talk about this, but..."

"No. I um..." Buffy sat back up and switched to Slayer mode. "Something happened, and I think we need someone used to saving souls. And someone who’s been here before. I really think you being here would help her. She always liked you."

"Who?"

"Willow.

Chapter Three: Interesting Revelations

________________________

Buffy opened the door and almost dropped the phone. "Dad!"

"Hey sweetheart!" Hank Summers stood in the doorway, obviously waiting for an invitation to come in, with his arm draped around a much younger woman. Buffy raised an eyebrow and stepped back, even in daylight not willing to just issue a verbal invite. She was surprisingly relieved when he was able to come in. For some reason, she was getting an odd vibe from him.

Angel’s voice in her ear brought her back to reality.

"Buffy?"

"Angel! Sorry!" She motioned for her father and his secretary to come the rest of the way in and closed the door behind them. "So, are you coming? You know it won’t be a fast trip. If you come, you’d have to stay awhile."

"I know. I’ll be there tomorrow. I have some stuff to wrap up here...I can leave Lorne here to take care of the hotel for as long as I need, but I’ll have to find a place where the rest of us can stay."

"So you’re bringing your crew?" Buffy sat down on the couch and ignored the looks her father was giving her, instead curling up on the couch and making it a point to look relaxed.

"Yeah. Cordy’s on vacation, but I can call her back, she’s probably still at the apartment. She’ll probably want to bring Gru....I don’t know what we’ll do about Dennis. Do you need a babysitter for a ghost?"

Buffy giggled. "I don’t know. Can you bring him?"

"Huh. I don’t know. He’s bound to the apartment, but I’ll bet there’s a way to bind him to something else, so he can travel. I’ll look into it."

Buffy shifted on the couch. "So, it’s just Cordy and Wes? Weren’t you working with someone else too?"

"Yeah, Gunn and Fred. Winifred. They’ll want to come. I’m pretty sure Gunn’s gonna want to meet you and Fred’s....I don’t want to leave her alone."

"Yeah. Wesley kept Willow up to date bout her. I guess after she met her last year, Will was worried."

She glanced up. Hank was still standing there with his arm around his girlfriend’s waist, staring at Buffy and looking decidedly impatient. Buffy just smiled at him. She’d be damned if she was going to cut this call short for *his* convenience.

"So, can’t you all just stay at the mansion? We’ve kept it up. We’re kind of using a few rooms for storage, but the rest is still the same. There’s plenty of room. You can even use Dru’s weird room for a nursery."

Hank raised his eyebrows and Buffy ignored him.

Angel’s voice filtered through. "Really? Yeah, that would be good. I’ll do that. Ok, so we’ll leave tomorrow night."

Buffy hesitated then decided to keep going. "Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that maybe this could be...maybe you could stay this time?"

She heard him take in a breath. "Don’t you want a normal...."

"No. I’ve been back for a while now, and I can safely say that no, I don’t. And with Willow being all powerful as she is, maybe there’s a way around...." Buffy glanced at her father and chose her words carefully. "Around the problem."

Silence.

"Angel?"

He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Stray thought." Buffy giggled. "I won’t say no. There is nothing...I can’t think of anything that I want more. But we should...wait to decide."

Buffy smiled. He’d stay. She was going to live her life, and he was damn well going to be in it. She just had to convince him of that.

Besides, even the kids concept was covered. Since he had one...

[No don’t go there. No getting your hopes up. You don’t know that he’d even want you as the kid’s mother.]

"So, I’ll see you tomorrow night?" His voice was softer.

"Yeah. Tomorrow night."

"Ok." There was a pause. "I love you, Buffy."

She smiled. "I love you too." There was a click and then the line went dead.

Buffy looked up at her father, still standing there. "Ok, so, what do you want?"

He frowned. "What do you mean ‘what do I want’? I’m your father. I’m here for a visit. Is it that hard to believe?"

Buffy gave him a pointed look as she stood up. Tossing the phone onto the couch, she headed for the kitchen through the foyer and dinning room.

Hank sighed and let go of his secretary, giving her a kiss on the cheek and telling her to sit and wait. Then he followed his daughter.

When he got to the kitchen she was standing at the island drinking a bottle of water.

"Ok, so I haven’t really been there a lot, but..."

"Now that indeed would be an understatement." The British voice came from behind him and Hank jumped slightly and whipped around.

"Hank, this is Rupert Giles. Giles, this is Hank Summers." Buffy took another drink of water and smiled at her father, though her use of his first name did not go unnoticed.

Hank looked at the other man and held out his hand. He was surprised when Giles looked to Buffy before taking it. She nodded, and Giles returned the handshake.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Giles."

"It’s just Giles. And I wish I could say the feeling was mutual, but then, it would have had to have happened some years ago for that." The ice in his voice was unmistakable.

"I’m sorry..?"

"You should be." Buffy watched Ripper come out for the first time since Giles came through the doors to the Magic Box. All the time he’d spent fighting Willow, he’d never let this side of him come out. Because he loved the witch, and wanted to help her.

Apparently, there was no lost love here.

"What?"

"You should be sorry. These girls went through hell these past two years, and you were nowhere to be found."

Hank’s eyes shot to Buffy who was rummaging in the refrigerator. "I didn’t hear about Joyce until recently. I’m sorry. I was in Spain, and...."

Buffy turned holding a yogurt cup. "I know. We tried to get in touch with you. But don’t worry." Her smile was saccharine sweet. "Giles took care of us."

Hank’s eyes came back to the man in front of him. "I’m sorry." He tried to keep the resentment out of his voice, and felt he did fairly well, under the circumstances.

Giles returned his gaze coldly. "It’s not enough. And I doubt it ever will be." He sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "But this is getting us nowhere, and there are more important things to worry about now." He turned to Buffy. "Is Angel coming?"

Buffy nodded and swallowed, putting the plastic spoon into the now empty cup. Hank’s eyes widened. [How did she eat that so fast?]

Buffy turned to drop the cup into the trash. "He’s coming down tomorrow night. Bringing everyone." Her smile widened. "Did you know he has a son?"

Giles eyes got very large and a smile started to grow on his face as well, as he remembered late night talks with the vampire who was once his friend. England had reminded him of some things, not the least was the fact that Angel was not responsible for Angelus’ actions. And he’d really missed his friend. "Really? How wonderful! He’s always wanted....wait." He frowned. "How?"

"Darla." Buffy shot a glance at her father and then mouthed ‘prophecy’ at Giles. His smile returned at full force.

"How wonderful. I can’t wait to meet...?" He trailed off and looked at Buffy expectantly. She smiled.

"Connor. And Cordy’s coming. So is Wes, along with two new people. Gunn and Fred."

Giles nodded. "Yes, Willow told me about them when she came back. They’re all coming then? Where will they stay?"

Hank watched the conversation going back and forth and felt completely left out. He knew none of these people who were obviously a very large part of his daughters life. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"They’re staying at the mansion."

"Ahh, yes. That is perfect." Giles tilted his head. "You’re awfully happy about this. Is there something else?"

Buffy was practically beaming. "He said he might stay!"

Giles’ smile, if possible, got bigger. "Buffy. That’s...that’s wonderful." Without thought he walked around the island and wrapped her in a hug. "I’m so happy for you." He looked down. "Although, you know that Connor will call you ‘mommy’."

Buffy giggled. She couldn’t remember the last time she did that, but it felt good. "God, I hope so."

Hank stared at them speechless.

Chapter Four: Discovering New Aspects, pt 1

________________________

Hank and ‘Suzanne’ left soon after the conversation in the kitchen. He was having trouble processing everything, and Giles’ attitude did not make him any more comfortable. Suzanne gave Buffy the number for the hotel where they were staying before she left.

When it started to get dark, Giles found Buffy in her room, gathering weapons for patrol. He knocked lightly on the open door and raised an eyebrow when she turned.

"Do you really think you need to do that tonight? We’ve all been through a lot. I think one night off would be alright."

She smiled. "I didn’t technically patrol last night, really. And...whatever happened to everyone else; this might sound terrible, but I feel better than I have since..." her voice trailed off.

"Since heaven?"

Buffy shook her head. "No. Since...God, since before Angel lost his soul."

Giles eyebrows both lifted at that. "Really?"

"Yeah. Like everything’s finally back in it’s right place." She smiled. "Like I’m whole again."

"That’s...that’s amazing." Giles came in and sat down on her bed. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Buffy bit her lip and shook her head. "No. I don’t think so, at least...not yet. First...well, to be honest, I want to talk to Angel first. When he gets here, I mean. And I think we should be focusing more on Willow for a while." She smiled at him. "But when things settle down...yes." She sat down next to him and hugged him.

Giles froze for a moment before hugging her back. His Slayer. He couldn’t help but think that, maybe, she *was* his Slayer once again. She’d gotten lost, but it seemed she’d found her way back.

Buffy pulled back and stood back up, slipping on a jacket. "So, really, I’m good to go. And I have some extra energy to burn anyway." She paused in the door. "Do you have a place to stay? I mean, you can stay on the couch again, but..."

Giles smiled and shook his head. "Actually, the people who were sub-letting my flat left a little over a month ago, and I hadn’t gotten around to renting it out again. It’s still furnished, so I suppose I’ll just move back in."

Buffy’s smile lit her face. "So...you’re really staying? Like, for good?"

Giles eyes softened at the hope in her voice. "Yes."

He was startled when he once again found himself with two arms full of blonde Slayer.

"Thank you." Her voice was muffled in his chest, and Giles held her tighter. She was more than a daughter to him...she was an extension of himself. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to walk away from her once, but holding her now, he knew he’d never be able to do it again.

And he didn’t want to. However...

"Buffy. I need to breathe."

"Oh. Sorry." She let go and stood back up. "Slayer strength."

"Y-yes, well, why don’t you go use some of it on the vampires, hmm? I’ll see what I can find for dinner, and Dawn and I can cook."

Buffy smiled again over her shoulder as she left the room, and Giles could hear her energetic steps on the stairs. He shook his head and got to his feet slowly, still sore from the beating he’d taken, but healing quickly.

Really, when he thought about it, too quickly.

**

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Buffy jumped over a tombstone and frowned. Nothing. No movement at all.

"Oh, come on! I’m depressed for months and you guys are out in full force, but when I’m finally happy to be alive and looking for action, you’re nowhere to be seen! Come *on*! I’m bored!"

Buffy swung around in a wide circle, attentively watching the shadows, but still, nothing moved.

"Damn."

She sat down on another tombstone and stared at the newly dug grave in front of her. "At least I can wait for you."

Sitting quietly, she suddenly heard a warbling she hadn’t noticed before. It was coming from Spike’s crypt.

Buffy bit her lip and stared at the stake in her hands, hoping the noise would go away, though, really, she was worried about where he’d gone. She just didn’t want to talk to him.

But the noise didn’t stop, it just got louder. And...drunker? Why was Spike drunk?

She narrowed her eyes and stood just as the grave in front of her burst and a fledgling popped out.

"Not now." She shoved the stake into it’s heart and headed for the...singing. He was singing.

**

Spike took another drink of whisky and kept singing. "Sunri-i-i-i-se, sunset. Sunri-i-i-i-se, sunset. Swift’l-y-y-y fl-o-o-o-w the y-e-e-e-ars! One season followin’ ano-o-o-ther-r-r-r laden with happiness and t-e-e-e-ars. Is this the little girl I c-a-a-a-a-rried, is this the little boy at pl-a-a-a-y? I don’t remember getting o-o-o-older, whe-e-e-e-n d-i-i-i-d th-e-e-e-y?"

"Spike!" Buffy sank to her knees in front of him and wrested the bottle away. "What are you doing?"

Spike either ignored her or didn’t hear her. He didn’t even notice she’d taken the bottle. "When did she get to be a bea-u-u-u-u-t-y-y-y, when did he get to be so t-a-a-all? Wasn’t it yesterday when th-e-e-e-y w-e-e-e-re sm-a-a-a-ll?"

"Spike!" Buffy slapped him and he managed to focus long enough to recognize her. He grunted and stopped singing. Instead, he started rambling to the space beside her, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Want’d to give you what you deserved. Didn’t think it’d be literal. What’cha deserve ain’t what I meant, what I meant ain’t what I got, all that work...damn demon..."

Buffy blinked and then reached out and cupped his face, forcing him to meet her eyes.

Hers widened.

"Oh. Oh my god. Oh. Spike, what did you do? How....what did you *do*?"

"You see? What ya’ deserve! I guess’n you racked up more points than I thought, shoulda known, though...so sweet, like cherry juice...wouldn’ta hurt ya’, not really. Just didn’t wanna be a lap dog no more...didn’t fix on this....but’s what you deserve, and you do deserve..." His voice trailed off and he went for the bottle again, but Buffy held it up, out of his reach.

"No. We’ll get you through this. You... Spike. Stop." He was trying to get away from her, and she put her hands on his shoulders to calm him. "Look at me."

He did.

"You’ll get through this. You’re stronger than...this." She waved at the bottle. He shook his head.

"No. I’m not. Don’t know how Angelus did it. ‘Course, he had you. I ain’t got you...not anymore...funny, if I did, wouldn’t be goin’ through this anyhow..."

"Spike, stop." Buffy looked around the cemetery, suddenly hoping it was empty. "We need to get you inside. Come on." She helped him stand up, and he leaned against the wall and looked at her strangely.

"Why you helpin’ me? I hurt you."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, but before that, you helped me. A lot. And I hurt you first. I used you. I’d say we’re even. Now, come on. Let’s get you inside."

"So...I still ain’t got you?"

Buffy stood in front of him and forced him to meet her eyes again. "You have me as a close friend. Is that going to be enough?"

Spike stared back for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah. Take what I can get, I s’pose."

Buffy smiled and started to help him walk.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The song Spike is singing is from "Fiddler on the Roof". It’s called "Sunrise, Sunset".

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