No Place Like Home, chapter 19, last chapter

[maryperk73703]

The Initiative is gone, and our little tale comes to an end.

Chapter 19

“If you need anything call us,” Buffy told Faith. She helped her sister Slayer put her suitcase into the back of the car that Faith had bought.

“You know I will, B,” Faith replied, knowing she probably wouldn’t despite the fact that they were on better terms now. “I can’t believe you’re letting Wes and Anya come with me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt them?”

“Nah, Anya and Wes are immortal now. It seems the blast of light the other night during the Initiative deal raised all of the Companions’ status. Spike’s still unhappy about Angel’s rise of course, but thankfully he’ll be going back to Los Angeles with Cordelia.”

“They’re taking that Ethan guy with them, aren’t they?”

“Yes! Otherwise I’d have to give him a smack down with all his scheming.” Buffy shook her head with a huff. “He’s such a pill. Sometimes I don’t understand how the Powers That Be make their decisions on who his worth keeping.”

“Well, I better get a move on if I plan on getting to Vegas by dark.” Faith gave Buffy a wide grin. “Hope I have time to hit the tables after some slaying.” She gave Buffy a hug before she climbed into the driver’s seat of the car.

Buffy waved as Faith drove away. She wondered what was in store for the other Slayer. Something good, she hoped. Faith deserved something good in her life. Buffy also wondered if the other Slayer really would look up Robin Wood.

Buffy went back inside her house in search of her mate. Things were looking up for them. Now they just had to wait for the Hell-gods to show up to let them deliver Anqet’s message. Not to mention they still had the twelfth Companion to figure out.

The Companions were Anya, Wesley, Giles, Serina (and hadn’t that one surprised them all), Willow, Tara, Reggie, Joyce, Cordelia, the ever broody Angel, and Dawn. Not one of them had any idea who the twelfth Companion could be, but they knew who ever it was would probably be Dawn’s mate.

Buffy wandered around the house wondering where Spike had gotten himself off to. She realized she could hear his inner voice beckoning her towards the basement. This made her wonder what he was up to exactly. Buffy slowly made her way down the stairs into the darkness.

“Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly.” Spike voice came out of the darkness.

Buffy switched on the light. There stood Spike chained to the wall, just as he had been months before while under the influence of the First’s trigger. Only this time he was totally, completely naked, and ready to do whatever Buffy had in mind for him.

“Am I the spider or the fly?” Buffy raised one eyebrow as she started to unbutton her shirt.

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Amon and Caly strolled up to the Immortal Guardian’s front door. The Elb’irt demon trilled and cooed the closer they got to the front door.

“Little bugger sure likes this place.” Amon glanced over at the small furry creature.

Caly shrugged as he petted the demon.

When the two Hell-Gods reached the porch, the front door was flung open, and Buffy marched out onto the porch. “Took you two long enough!” she snarled.

“Immortal Guardian.” Amon bowed to Buffy. “How have you been?”

“Oh, just peachy. Some goddess named Anqet has been bugging me with a message for one of you.” Buffy threw her hands up in the air. “It’s very hard to get a good night’s sleep when I keep having Slayer dreams.”

“Anqet has a message for us?” Caly asked.

“Which ever one of you is Toll Money needs to find the One. It’s your destiny.”

Caly and Amon looked at each other. They had no idea what the Slayer meant.

“I think you mean Ptolmony, pet.” Spike had joined his mate and the Hell-Gods on the porch.

“Ah, now that pronunciation I can understand,” Amon replied. “That would be me. So, you’ve met Anqet. How’s the old gal doing?”

“I think she’d be doing better if you’d get a move on and fulfill your destiny, you big idiot,” Buffy muttered. She wasn’t in a good mood for some reason, and she had no clue as to why.

“Well, we came back to let you know we banished Glory’s host,” Caly announced in a soft voice. “We also brought you a present.” He held the Elb’irt demon out to Buffy.

“It looks like a Tribble,” Buffy exclaimed. “What am I supposed to do with a Tribble?”

“Not feed it experimental grain?” Spike eyed the small demon. He wasn’t too sure he wanted another demon in his household.

“How exactly am I supposed to find the One?” Amon asked the Slayer. The Hell-God looked completely confused.

“She’s traveling the dimensions with another set of Immortal Guardians.” Buffy got a faraway look on her face while she tried to remember all of the information that Anqet had given her. “She will need you to balance all of the power she’s getting right now.”

“I’m a Hell-God you know.”

Buffy nodded with a shrug. “I guess you’re the perfect balance of the Key. You really can’t get away from your destiny. Look how hard I tried, and it still found me. Anqet will have a portal open for you tonight at eleven.”

“What about me?” Caly looked panicked. “I’ve never been without Amon before.”

“You could stay here as long as you don’t cause any trouble,” Buffy replied. “Never know when we could use a Hell-God on our side.”

“I guess I need to get ready to travel,” Amon replied. He turned to Caly, and he gave a teasing smirk. “You’ll do fine without me, brother. It’s time to spread those wings of yours and become a real man, instead of a pansy.”

Caly shook his head. “You’ll be lost without me, brother. You know you can never find your way without me to guide your every step.”

“Ha! I’ll show you!” Amon grinned widely at Caly before he slapped his brother Hell-God on the back.

Spike chuckled at the Hell-Gods antics. They were so completely different from Glory. These two were perfectly sane. With Glory out of the way, Adam and the Initiative dealt with, and the Nerd Trio split up, things were looking up. Maybe if everything stayed on track, he could take Buffy away for a brief ‘honeymoon’.

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“You are back to your old habits,” Angel growled at Ethan Rayne. He had stormed into the man’s office just a few minutes before. “Stealing from Wolfram and Hart is dangerous, not to mention stupid.”

Ethan shrugged. “I need to keep my skills up. Besides, this scroll contains an interesting prophecy, if I’ve read it right. See here…” He pointed at a passage. “’A vampire with a soul will become human after helping avert an apocalypse’. It could mean you.”

“It could mean William too.” Angel was still jealous and upset that Spike had a soul. One that the younger vampire had sought out and fought for.

“He’s an Immortal Guardian,” Ethan replied. “That means it’s only you in the running.”

“You idiot, that flash of light raised me to Companion status.” Angel shook his head. “Why, I have no idea. It’s not like I want to spend eternity with Spike.”

Ethan looked past Angel to where Cordelia stood in the doorway of his office. “Oh, I think I know why. You’re destined for someone.”

Angel huffed broodingly. “Personally I think it’s just a joke Spike’s playing on me. Idiot grandchilde.”

Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Guys, there’s a phone call from Gunn. He’s got a problem he needs some help handling. You guys need to get a move on.”

Ethan rose to his feet, and he grabbed his jacket. “You, Miss Chase, are a jewel among women. Come on, vampire, we have rights to wrong and chaos to reign.”

“Don’t you mean wrongs to right?” Angel turned to follow Ethan out of the room.

“Whatever.” Ethan chuckled as he waved a hand in the air. “I noticed you didn’t say anything about the chaos.”

Angel shrugged. “I’ve always liked chaos. It’s fun to watch everyone run around like chickens with their heads cut off.”

“Get a move on,” Cordelia growled. She knew Angel had no clue why he was chosen to be a Companion. It wasn’t Spike and Buffy he was to spend eternity with, it was her.

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Dawn was startled by the knock on the front door of Revello Drive. Neither her mother nor she were expecting anyone to come over that day. She looked through the peephole, and she was surprised to see Oz standing on the porch. Dawn opened the door to welcome the werewolf home. She knew technically he’d only been gone a few shorts months, but to her he’d been gone for over three years.

“Oz,” Dawn squealed. She leapt towards him, hugging him with all her might. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Hey, Dawn,” Oz replied. He was surprised by the fierce hug, but he found himself returning it without thinking. “Where is everybody?”

“Oh, so much has happened since you left, you won’t believe it.” Dawn led Oz inside the house.

“I feel different myself.” Oz nodded. “Something changed the other day. I have control.”

Dawn looked at Oz with suspicion. “Would that have been late Tuesday evening, our time?”

Oz nodded.

“Ah, well that’s when Buffy did this light show thing while taking out the Initiative. She automatically chose the rest of her Companions.” Dawn clapped her hands. “I’m so glad you’re one too. Now come with me, and let me tell you all the news.”

Oz let Dawn lead him into the living room. He was completely entranced with the young woman. He had hoped to reunite with Willow on his return to Sunnydale, but for some reason he felt much closer to Dawn at that moment than he did his former girlfriend. Oz settled back to listen to Dawn’s long, involved story of what had happened since his departure. When the whole story emerged, all he could think was that there was no place like home, and Sunnydale was definitely his home.

The End