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Spike was sitting at that factory trying to figure out why Dru was upset with him. She had never acted that way before. Sure, she had knocked him down when he had attacked Angelus to help the slayer. But there was a reason behind that hit, she didn't want him hurting her daddy. But this time, there was no reason behind it, he just wanted to hug her. What was going on in that girl's bloody mind? She just didn't act like a vampire anymore, not since his last return from Sunnydale. He thought back to the time they had spent together in Brazil. He hadn't really thought about it before. She just didn't seem to enjoy killing then. She would feed, but the person was still alive when she got done. Now that he thought about it, Spike could see that she had been changing even then. He didn't know why he didn't think about it before. He could have prevented the problems he's facing now, if only he'd payed more attention to her at that time. Spike got up and threw an old bottle against the wall, smashing it. He was angry that he didn't think things through well enough to save her from getting her soul back. If he had kept her from returning to Sunnydale, he could have saved her the pain that would soon be caused from trying to cancel that pesky soul spell she had went through. Spike shrugged, thinking 'Oh well, I guess that we learn from mistakes that we make, and I made a major one this time around. I just hope she loves me again after this. If she doesn't, I guess that I'll just have to find a way to make her love me again. And this time, my dear Dru, I won't let you go. That is my promise to you my sweet black goddess.' Spike smiled as he waited for sun to set. He was going to go see Dru again, and this time he would get that hug he wanted. He just had to find a way to get her away from her sire and that slayer, without getting killed in the process.
Buffy arrived at Angel's mansion around 4 in the afternoon. She didn't know if anyone was up or not, but she felt that she had to check on Dru after the meeting she had with Spike. She knew that Dru had to be upset and torn inside, just as Buffy had been when she had to face Angelus. She found the mansion door unlocked and walked into the mansion quietly, but on guard at all times. Buffy went to the library first, and saw Dru doing the tai chi workout. She noticed that there were tears in her eyes, and that the music was turned down. Buffy didn't want to bother Dru while she was trying to regain her balance. Buffy knew that the changes were hard enough on Dru without Spike's added threats. Buffy was lost in thought when Angel walked up behind her and hugged her. "A penny for your thoughts?" he whispered. Buffy sighed. "Just memories of things past. I know what she is going through, but I don't know how to help her. I just hope that she can last through this. If she can survive what is happening now, she will make it, right?" Buffy's doubts showed through her words. Angel hugged her tighter. "Of course she will, and she'll have the best partner a slayer could ask for. You are strong and so is she, but she has a lot of learning left to do. There is still so much that you know and she doesn't. She has us and a new watcher, plus Giles and Willow, to help her. She will be safe, but we have to let her make her own decisions too. She made one that I never thought she would last night. She chose her future over Spike. That took courage. I was going to say something, but after the look you gave me, I thought better of it. I guess you would have been pretty upset with me right?" Buffy nodded. "Angel, honey, that was hard on Dru. I know because it was hard for me when I had to fight Angelus. I'm just glad that she is still here after all that has happened. I didn't expect her to be here today to be honest with you. I thought she was going to run last night. I'll go talk to her, mind if I go in alone? She looks like she can use a friend." Angel shook his head. "Go on Buffy. You do have a better understanding of what she is going through." Buffy gives Angel a quick kiss before going into the library to join Dru. Angel turned away to let the girls talk alone. As he leaves, he whispers, "I didn't think she'd be here either, but I'm glad she was." He went to the front room to wait on night fall.
Willow met Oz at the little cafe near the Bronze. They were going to get something to eat and then pay Dru and Angel a visit. Willow was worried that Dru may lose control and want to give up her soul so that things would go back to the way they were. She didn't say anything to Oz though. She didn't want him to worry. Oz watched his little red-headed star, and knew that she was worried about something. He hated it when she was quiet, and right now she was extremely quiet. He didn't know what to do, so he just stuck close to her. He would deal with whatever was sent his way and try to keep Willow safe from harm. Willow watched Oz while they ate. She knew that her silence bothered her, but she didn't want him to worry about the possibility that Dru would attack her. They would deal with that if it ever happened. After they finished, they went climbed in the van and headed to the mansion.
Dru opened her eyes when she heard the library door open. She relaxed and continued her routine when Buffy walked over to join her. Buffy took her place beside Dru, and started the routine she knew so well. A silence fell on the two slayers as they went through the workout. About 15 minutes or so into the workout, Buffy broke that silence. "Dru, I know you probably don't want to think about it but I know what you are feeling. I have gone through it too. I didn't think you were strong enough to avoid the temptation of returning to him. I was wrong, and I'm glad that I was. You are strong, whether or not you realize it you are. You had the strength to walk away from the easier path to take. I don't think it's over yet, but I would like to have a partner like you. I think it would be great. So what do you think? Can we be partners, after what has just happened?" Dru stopped and looked at Buffy. Buffy stopped and went over to sit down on one of the chairs. She motioned for Dru to join her. As Dru sat down, she smiled. "I should be the one asking you that. I let him live Buffy. I should have killed him, he is a demon, right? As for returning to the path of evil, there's no way in this world I will do that. It may be easier, but it would cause more trouble that I just don't want right now. I'm sorry for not acting like a slayer last night. Kris would not like it that's for sure. I guess I'll have to tell her soon, huh? She will be here shortly for another lesson in being a slayer." Dru watched Buffy. The blonde slayer smiled at Dru. "You haven't told her? Well, then let's not tell her right now. I'm not really sure I trust her yet. She did say that she would stake you if you gave her a reason to, and not getting rid of Spike is a pretty good reason. I'll let Giles know though. He would understand considering I did the same thing when it came to Angelus. I couldn't kill him either the first few times we met, but I sure made him hurt. You feel a little bit better now? I wasn't expecting you to be here today to be completely honest. I thought you were going to run again. You are going to join us on patrol right?" Buffy looked at Dru for an answer. Dru nodded. "Of course, I'll join you. Running away last night didn't even cross my mind, but having a good cry did. I won't tell Kris about the little incident yet. I'll wait til you think it's safe to do so. Now I am a bit hungry, I haven't eaten yet. Please excuse me while I get something to eat. I'll see if Angel is up yet." Buffy nodded and watched as Dru left. She really understood what she meant by wanting to have a good cry. She has had a few of those herself.
Dru found Angel in the front room and told him that Buffy was waiting to talk to him in the library. He could tell that Dru was feeling a bit better. She was still a little upset, but she was coping with it. "Are you ok, Dru? I didn't want to bother you girls while you were talking." Dru nodded. "That's good. Kris will probably be here soon. Why don't you go get something to eat, and relax for a few. Then Buffy and I will teach you some more about being a slayer. Maybe a few more escapes from close contact that you don't want." Dru smiled. "That would be great Angel. Thanks for being there for me, and for not yelling about what I did. Buffy seems to think that it is best if Kris doesn't know about that little incident right now. I agree. I really don't want to have her upset with the fact I couldn't kill him." Angel walked over to Dru. "Don't worry, I won't mention it. Willow and Oz are on their way over. I just got a call from Willow. I don't think they will tell either. She doesn't really like Kris all that well. If she doesn't mention, I highly doubt that Oz will. I don't think he likes it when she gets mad. I know I don't. Now go eat, then rejoin Buffy and me in the library for a bit more training and practice." Dru turned and headed to the kitchen as Angel went into the library.
Buffy looked up as Angel walked in. He walked over and gave her another hug. "Thank you. Your little talk with Dru seemed to have helped her. She's going to get something to eat and then join us for a bit more practice and some new skills. I think it would be wise to teach her how to get away when someone has her in unwanted close contact. I don't think that Spike will take no for an answer, even though it was punctuated by him hitting the ground. He may try to get close to her again, or even separate her from us. I want her to be able to at least get away and to somewhere safe." Buffy nodded. "I agree so it looks like that is tonight's lesson for her, at least till Kris gets here. I just hope she doesn't change our plans for us. I'm not really sure I trust her Angel. She is just not my idea of a good watcher for a special slayer like Dru. She deserves a better one than that. She was so blunt when she came here to talk to Dru. I couldn't believe she actually told her what the council's plans were. I know that is still in the back of Dru's mind. I'll let Giles know about what happened though. He'll know how to handle this situation a bit better." She looked up as Dru walked in to the library. "Well, partner, ready to learn some more about slaying?" Angel gave Buffy a curious look, but she just smiled. Dru nodded. They took their places in the cleared out area of the library. Buffy and Angel demonstrated various moves that a slayer could use to get out a close contact situation. Dru watched and then had some time to practice with Angel. They were still practicing when Oz and Willow arrived. Buffy answered the door and led them to where Dru was. Buffy explained that last night's little problem was not to be mentioned around Kris. They both agreed to keep it quiet. Willow was the first one to the door that led to the library and she stopped. Oz was by her side quickly thinking there was a problem. He saw Dru and Angel practicing and started to get a little nervous til he saw Willow's smile. He realized that they were just practicing, and didn't make any attempts to stop it. Buffy ushered them in, and then returned to where Dru was. She had seen a mistake that Dru was making and started to correct it. Dru tried the same move a few more times, and finally got it right. She decided to take a break and allow Buffy time to practice. Angel nodded as Dru went to join Oz and Willow. Buffy and Angel squared of for some serious practice. Dru sat down and watched.
"Well, Willow, how are you doing?" Willow smiled. "Everything is fine here, and you? Are you hanging in there? I worry about you still. I know you're a slayer in training and all, but this is still new to you. I am close if you ever need to talk or if you need a place to go if you get in trouble." Willow's concern showed in her eyes. Dru noticed it, and turned to face Willow. "Willow, I'm ok. I guess they did tell you what happened last night. Am I right?" Willow nodded. "Well, I'm ok. I have got to start learning to deal somewhere, and Spike is as good a place as any. I want you to be careful. He may go after you once he realizes that he can't break the spell. Oz, you will take care of her, won't you?" Oz smiled and nodded. "Willow, please, don't stay out late without an escort. I don't want to see him go after you. It might happen, though. I can handle myself, and thanks to your restoration spell, I'm stronger now. I have the added help I need to stay on the right path. That path is the one I'm following now. I hit Spike when he tried to get close to me. I knocked him on his backside, and it felt good. I did give him a warning. I don't think he'll take it, but it was given. The sun will be down soon. Please, go home and stay safe?" Oz watched Dru. Willow was biting her bottom lip trying to decide what to do and he knew it. "Will, the band won't be playing tonight. I can take you home, and we can watch movies for a while if you want. I only have a few days to go before we can't spend our evenings together for a few. It would give us some time to get to know each other a bit better." Willow turned to Oz. He did have a point and she knew it, but she also had a feeling that he was doing so that Dru wouldn't worry about her while patrolling with Buffy. She nodded. "Ok, I'll go. I'll see you later Dru, and don't be afraid to call. Angel has my number. Be careful out there." Dru nodded. "Always, I do have to be around before I can help my partner. If I'm killed, then I can't really do much right?" Willow smiled, and Dru saw them to the door. She hung the note about being in practice on the door for Giles and Kris when they arrived. She returned to the library to continue her practice.
Kris and Giles arrived about a half hour after Willow and Oz left. They pulled the note off the designated area that was out of sight. They walked in and headed to the library. Giles and Kris took their normal seats trying to figure out what they were working on. Dru was trying to put the move that Buffy showed her to get away when her arms were pinned to her sides in a hug like maneuver. She was still having a few troubles with it and insisted they practice till she got it right. Buffy was correcting her stance, and explaining where she was messing up. After another 6 to 9 tries, Dru finally got it right. She gave it a few more quick tries, just to be sure it wasn't a one time shot before she even noticed Kris and Giles sitting in the corner. She smiled at them. "Sorry, guess I got a little carried away with the practice. So, Kris, what's my lesson for tonight?" Kris smiled. "I don't see any reason to start something new right now, looks like Buffy and Angel took care of that for me. Close contact escapes was going to be my lesson for tonight. Oh well, looks like it's review time then. Sparring time for you and Angel. I want to see how well you remember the blocks you were shown yesterday." Angel and Dru started with the blocks, with Angel increasing the pace with each repetition. Buffy went over to Giles and asked if they could talk in private. He nodded and followed her to the front room.
She told Giles of the problem they had with Dru running into Spike, and how she handled it. She also told him about what happened afterwards, and his threats to Dru. He asked if that was the reason for the close contact escapes they were working on tonight. Buffy nodded. He took his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Buffy, I take it you don't trust Kris yet, am I right?" She nodded again. "Well, I can't really blame you there. She told me that she was going to tell the council Dru was dead, but then changed it to where Dru is human. I'm not sure I really trust her yet myself. She doesn't strike me as a watcher who follows the rules though. She is letting Dru live after all. That is definitely against the council's orders. I think we should wait and see how this plays out. I do remember that you couldn't kill Angelus at first either. She could be going through the same problem. If she does start showing misjudgement, like not hitting him even though he makes her angry or not fighting back if he swings, then I want to know. Do I make myself clear?" Giles watched his little slayer. "As crystal. I will let you know, thanks Giles." She headed back to the library. He smiled, at least this time she told him what was going on. He followed her back into the library as Dru finished her test.
"Well, Kris, how's she doing?" Buffy asked. Kris turned and smiled. "Looks like I have a very smart slayer on my hands. She passed that little test with flying colors. I will have to see how she deals with slaying eventually, but for right now I will keep my lessons in the daylight. I have found a place to rent that isn't to far from here. I will be closer and it will make it easier for me to train her. I am also going to be taking a job at the High Scool as a school nurse. So through the day, your only contact with me is going to either be the phone or Buffy. I will continue your training though, usually about an hour or two before sunset. This way your ready for patrol shortly afterwards." Kris glanced towards the windows. She could see that the sun had started setting because the heavy curtains that were covering the windows were slowly growing darker. "Hopefully you aren't too tired now, because it's just about time. I'll leave you guys now, and good hunting tonight. I'll show you where my new place is Giles, that way you can find me if necessary. I'll see you, around the same time tomorrow." She headed to the front door to go to Giles's car. Giles didn't follow her at first, he turned to Dru instead. "Dru, Buffy explained what happened to me with Spike. Don't worry, I won't tell Kris yet. I agree with what Buffy thinks about her. I'm not really sure whether or not I trust her either. Just stay calm deal with things as they happen. You are stronger than the demon inside, you have already proven that when you first arrived in Sunnydale. I can help you, but only if you trust me enough too. Kris is your watcher, but I wouldn't mind helping out." He watched her for a few minutes. She smiled. "Ok, thanks Giles. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I hope that I can work through this. Spike isn't going to make things easy for me, but I'll deal." Giles turned and left to take Kris to her new place so that he could find out where it was located. Dru, Angel, and Buffy gathered their weapons for patrol. They left about 15 minutes or so after the watchers.
Spike was watching for them in the cemetery that was furthest from the mansion. He thought that if he could separate Dru from the others she wouldn't be able to get to the mansion in tim to stop him from putting his plan into motion. He was going to have a few of his strongest minions attack them shortly after arriving in the cemetery. Once they were all involved in the fighting, one was supposed to run. He was hoping that it would be Dru who chased after him. This way he could grab her and hug her. She was just playing hard to get now. She still loved him and he knew it, considering she had allowed him to live.
The patrolling trio entered the cemetery where Spike was about 3 hours later. Once there, they were attacked by about 5 of Spike's men. Dru jumped in to help Buffy and Angel. Buffy and Angel had two each to deal with, and Dru took on the single fighter since her skills weren't quite as good as theirs yet. They fought for about 5 minutes then he took off in Spike's direction. Dru chased him not even realizing that he was leading her into a trap. She followed him til she was well hidden from the group by the various mausoleums that were there. She took a fighting stance preparing for a fight, but he just smiled and stood there. Spike had walked up behind Dru quietly knowing that she hadn't yet learned to use the slayer senses that she had. He grabbed her from behind, and hugged her pinning her arms to her sides. The other vampire disappeared quickly into the shadows nearby leaving Spike and Dru alone. Dru was stunned, and momentarily forgot the lessons she had gone through earlier when she heard, "hello, luv. Did you miss me?" Once she regained her senses, she started to relax. She wanted to throw him off guard so that he would relax his grip on her. He did, she could feel his grip loosening on her arms. He didn't let go, but she remembered her promise to him the night before about showing him how much of a slayer she was. She took a step back, and grabbed both of his hands quickly. She turned her body sideways a little and leaned forward, flipping him over her shoulder. He landed on the ground on his back. She grabbed her stake and quickly straddled his chest pinning him to the ground. She slammed the stake in the ground above his left shoulder, going through the shirt and barely grazing his skin.
Buffy and Angel had finished their fight in time to find Dru and see what she was doing. They noticed she used the same move they had just taught her, but were puzzled by the fact that Spike was still alive after she brought the stake out to use it. Then they heard what she was saying and understood.
"Spike, I am no longer your luv. Get it through your thick skull! This is you second and final warning. You need to realize that I am lost to you. I don't want you back, please deal with it. Next time you try a stunt like this, or any attack on me, I will take the stake and drop it's current location to here." She pointed at his heart. "The only reason you haven't died yet is because I did love you at one time. I wasn't ready to end it all right now. I will be ready next time we meet, that is a promise. As you can see, I haven't lost my ability to deal with whatever is thrown my way. You had to separate me from my partners just to get close to me. You probably thought I would just fall into your arms, well I didn't. I won't either, not now or in the future. I am a slayer now. Deal with it. I am. Now, I going to leave and return to my partners. You should return to Brazil or somewhere else. Just get out of Sunnydale and leave us alone!" She punctuated the last statement by pulling the stake out of the ground and getting up. Once she was up she picked Spike up and threw him into the mausoleum wall. He hit and crumbled to the ground stunned. She really had started acting like a slayer. As Dru walked over to Buffy and Angel, her face didn't show any emotion. Buffy knew and said that she would finish patrolling and call them once she got home. Angel knew that Buffy wanted him to take Dru home so that they could talk. He nodded and gave Buffy a quick kiss. "Be careful, honey. He won't give up." He whispered to Buffy. She nodded. "And you take care of her. She needs to deal with what happened, and know that we aren't mad at her. She is getting closer to being ready. It's happening faster than I thought it would that's for sure. I'll let Giles know too. This way he isn't totally in the dark about what's going on. He may stop over without Kris, so be prepared for that." Angel nodded then went over to Dru. He put his arm around her shoulder and walked her home. She leaned on him afraid her legs would give out. She just wanted to go home and cry. Buffy finished patrolling alone.
She walked in the door and called the mansion. Angel and Dru had gotten there 10 minutes before Buffy's call. Once inside, Dru went to her room without a word. She pulled out her diary and started writing. Angel just let her go. He answered the phone on the second ring. "Angel, hi. How's she doing? Oh, not talking? That isn't good. No, mom's not here. She's out of town on an art buying thing again. Yea, sure, I could do that. I have to call Giles yet too. Can you check on her till I get there? Ok, thanks, I'll wait." Angel laid the phone down so that he could check on Dru quickly. He looked in and saw that she was writing in that notebook she had labeled her diary. He went back and told Buffy. "She's keeping a diary like mine? That's good. I'll be over soon. Sure, I'll see if Giles wants to join me. I agree, he should be there. No! I'm not going to have him tell her. She would probably just yell at her for what is going on. It's not her fault, she can't help the fact that he's going after her like that. Yes, I know how he feels about her. I remember when he came here to get us to help him get her back through a spell that he wanted Willow to do. I'm leaving a note for mom that tells her where to find me. Sure, see you soon. Bye, lover." Buffy hung up the phone, and then dialed Giles's number. She explained what had happened in the cemetery and asked if he wanted to join her at Angel's. He told her that he would swing by and pick her up in about 10 minutes. He told her that he had dropped Kris off at her new house so he would definitely be alone when he got there. Buffy said she'd wait and then hung up. She went upstairs to pack a quick overnight bag and dropped her note on the table by the phone telling her mom where she was. Giles pulled up as Buffy was locking the door. She climbed into the car and fastened her seat belt after placing the backpack under her feet.
Angel walked back to Dru's room and saw that she was laying across her bed. Her diary was closed and placed neatly on her desk. She didn't hear when he entered the room, but she jumped when he sat down near her on the bed. She looked up and he saw her tears. He reached out to hug her, and she curled up in his arms. She didn't mind Angel's hugs, but she hated Spike's. She wept quietly in his arms, and he rocked her gently allowing her time to calm down. He knew this would happen when she walked back to where he and Buffy was standing. He saw the determination to hold back the tears in her face at that time. He spoke softly to her using the old gaelic that he hadn't used in years. She calmed down a little by the time Buffy and Giles had arrived at the mansion. Buffy used the spare key he had given her while Dru was still gone to unlock the door. She looked down the hall and saw the light on in Dru's room. She started down the hall and motioned for Giles to follow her. She arrived at Dru's room and saw Angel trying to calm her. Angel looked up and smiled. Buffy nodded understanding that Dru was very upset this round. Giles was shocked to see Dru crying. He expected her to be upset, but not to the point where she was in tears. Angel slowly moved away from Dru, to allow either Buffy or Giles to help her. Buffy nodded to Giles then reached for Angel's hand. Once his grasped hers, she spun around and left the room, leaving Giles alone with Dru. She wanted him to talk to her so that he could understand her thoughts and feelings as well. Buffy and Angel went to the library and talked quietly about anything except slaying and what had happened that night.
Giles was unsure of what to do once Buffy and Angel left. Dru had stopped crying shortly after Angel left, and seemed calm. He approached her slowly. He pulled a chair out and sat it near her bed. She turned to him as he sat down. "Dru? Are you ok with what is going on? I know that you have had to make some tough choices recently, but you have done well. I wasn't sure of how you would handle seeing him again. It seems that you haven't backtracked though, instead you have gotten stronger. I would like to help you, but I really am not sure as to how. If you need someone to talk to, I would be glad to listen to you. It is something that I've had plenty of practice with. Buffy has needed someone to listen more than once." He watched Dru's eyes. She wasn't sure of what to do, but she felt she could trust him not to betray her. Dru's voice was quiet, but her words were sincere. "Giles, I'm not really sure how you can help either. I won't go back to what I was though. I like who I am now. It is tough for me to deal with Spike. I have let him go twice now. I would understand if you think my slayer's training should be stopped. I haven't really been acting like one. I would like to continue it though, if you would allow it. I do know one thing though, Spike isn't giving up without a fight. He will keep after me til he either gets what he wants or I kill him. I don't know which will happen first though." She looked away from Giles. He took one of her hands into his to get her attention again. When she looked at him, he said, "Dru, you aren't the first slayer to have problems like this. Buffy has had them too. We'll help you through this. You just got started back on this path, don't expect it to be easy. It is probably the hardest path to follow. Just relax and allow things to fall into place. You'll make it Dru. You have made a great start already." She smiled, and he returned it. "Now lay down and get some rest. Angel and Buffy will both be here if you have any problems, but I do need to get back home. See you tomorrow. Night Dru." She told him night and then laid down to get some rest.
Giles located Buffy and Angel in the library going through the tai chi
workout. They stopped when he walked in. Giles explained that he had talked
to Dru and she was resting now. He promised to keep what was happening
between them. He also explained that he was heading back home. Angel walked
Giles to the car and thanked him. Buffy went to the room and laid down.
After Giles left, Angel went to check on both girls and found them sound
asleep. He went to his room and laid down as well after double checking the
locks.