Shared Destiny

After pizza, hesitation, and impatience – in equal measures – it was finally time to crack open the mysterious Slayer emergency kit. Part of Buffy felt it was a little unnecessary seeing as they weren't in an emergency, and that her confusion that had lead Giles to track it down had been mostly resolved without it, but a greater part wanted answers.

As she stood there, about to flip the box open, she was glad Spike was at her back feeling the same cocktail of emotions she was. Resting a hand on her shoulder, they took a deep breath in unison, and she raised the lid.

With a flash of light, Buffy and Spike vanished from the room and immediately found themselves transported to another plain. Face to face with what outwardly seemed to be an old lady in white flowing robes. Before either of them could open their mouth to ask, she informed them she was a guardian of the Slayer line. The last of her kind, in fact.

There was a smile in her eyes as she said, "You are full of questions."

"We are," Spike affirmed, though she hadn't been addressing him.

"You are full of love," the guardian continued – again, only speaking to Buffy.

"Yeah, kinda keep hearing that," she replied, a little bit irritated.

"Life is your gift."

"Okay, that bit's new."

"What does it mean?" Spike asked, which finally got the guardian to look him in the eye. She shook her head at him and, unlike his Mate, his irritation was not slight.

"Before we discuss the future, let us look back. You wish to know your origin."

Buffy nodded, and gripped Spike's hand – as much to calm her apprehension as to calm his annoyance.

They shared a vision.

In an instant they saw the First Slayer receiving her power, and it was swiftly followed by a firm declaration from Buffy that it was wrong.

Spike was worried she'd reverted back to her heavily ingrained stance of thinking anything that came from darkness was evil, but his fears fell away as she continued.

"Chaining her down like that? Against her will. It was wrong!"

"Indeed, it was not the best way for the first watchers to work," the guardian admitted. "But then they always seem to find the worst ways of doing things."

Buffy couldn't disagree with her there. She continued.

"Had you not gained power from uniting with your Vampire Mate I would have offered you further strength, via similar means, but it is not now necessary. You have everything you need. But I do bring you something more."

Moving to the side, the guardian revealed a scythe implanted in a big rock that stood behind her. "Call it an extra. To help you with what's to come."

"And what's to come?" Buffy asked, with wide eyes, as she reached out to touch the weapon that was calling out to her. She hadn't really expected an answer, and definitely not one that wasn't cryptic, so the Slayer was pleasantly surprised when the guardian told her outright.

"Ahead there is a girl that you must protect. And a hellgod that you must defeat. When you find the dagonsphere you'll know the later is on her way. This is to be your shared destiny."

"The girl, who is she?" asked Spike.

"An innocent. Her name is Dawn, and you are to treat her as a daughter, for that is what she shall believe herself to be. Your memories will be altered, so you know the past as she will recall it, but you will also keep your awareness that it is false. Whether you chose to reveal reality to the girl is your choice."

Spike nodded as he tried to process all of what he'd heard. He knew without question that he and Buffy were going to accept the responsibility, and the thought of being a dad – even by mystical means – worried him. Buffy was still distracted by her scythe, however.

"Bloody hell, jus' take it out already," he exclaimed. "We gotta get back and meet the sprog."

"Sprog?" she questioned, as she removed the weapon with ease.

"British slang. Means kid."

"Kid? There's a kid now."

Spike grimaced, suddenly realizing she'd zoned out while listening to the last part the guardian had told them.

"Bloody good thing I was here," he muttered. "Got a bombshell to drop on you, on the way home."

Spike hesitantly slid his key in the lock and slowly opened the door to find a girl – Dawn, he assumed – stood there, with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

"Where were you?" she asked, in a huff.

"Bloody hell," the vampire exclaimed. "She's a bitty Buffy."

The girl gave him an odd look in response, then stomped off towards the kitchen.

"I was expecting a baby," said the Slayer.

"Me too," admitted Spike. "She's like, what? Five?"

Before Buffy could answer the extra set of memories they were promised were downloaded to their brains. "Three," she could say, then, with certainty. "Four in two weeks."

There was silence as they took it in. Then they looked at each other.

"Ready for the next adventure?" Spike asked his Mate.

"I think I would have preferred the yearly apocalypse," replied Buffy, only half jokingly.

Author Note: This ends the second part in a trilogy of fics. The next/final part is called 'Segue to Surreal', the first chapter of which will be online within a day of me posting this.