AN: Hi everyone, I hope you like my new story. It's been forever since I've posted a new story, so please be gentle with feedback, although I welcome all views. It's also the first time I've introduced an original character as I'm a massive spuffy fan, so I hope this works... nothing ventured nothing gained. Hope you enjoy.

AU Season 5. It's been five years since Buffy's mysterious cousin was sent to live with them. Now, Edith Stone, a much loved member of the Scooby Gang and unlikely friend to a certain vampire, finds she is more than just a woman with a slightly unusual life. She is the key.

The Key

By Secret Slayer

Somewhere in the hidden depths of the Czech Republic, fear rippled through a sacred monastery. Two monks raced down the shadowy corridor, panicked, throwing petrified glances behind them. They possessively clutched religious items in their shaking arms: books, candles, incense – everything that they could find. One of the monks stumbled, dropping a censer of incense. His companion helped him up and they continued their flight down the candlelit hallway.

The monks careened through a set of substantial wooden doors, which slammed shut behind them with a foreboding thud. They slide a beam the size of a tree trunk across the doorway, desperately hoping it will be enough.

As the beam slides home, one of the monks called fearfully to the other.

"It's coming. It's going to kill us!"

"Our lives aren't important. We have to protect the Key."

The two monks raced to the centre of the impressive chamber and join a third senior member of their order. They kneel on the floor before the senior monk, around several lit candles and magic talismans.

"Help me perform the ritual."

All three monks extended their arms and began chanting. The chamber filled with the ethereal sound of their ancient words. Suddenly, a tremendous crash echoes through the monastery and the massive wooden door trembled in its frame. As the junior monks glanced fearfully at the door, the elder admonishes them.

"Concentrate. Concentrate."

The ritual resumed and a chilling breeze springs up inside the chamber. The relentless pounding on the door continues fearlessly; the crossbeam starting to splinter.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light appeared from the centre of their circle. Then all went ominously dark as the door finally gave way and shattered, blasted into the room in pieces.

It wasn't unusual for Edith to find herself on babysitting duty. Someone had to do it and being one of the non-magical members of the gang, it normally meant she was that someone. Joyce was away for the weekend at some gallery. Her aunt had mentioned the name, but it had escaped her again almost immediately. She didn't like galleries.

Buffy and Riley were on patrol or on a date, it was hard to tell which, maybe they were doing both. Willow and Tara were at some sort of cult gathering and Anya and Xander were having a night of loud sex, or so Anya had said. Giles was being cryptic and had eluded as to where he had disappeared to for the night. Edith imagined he was in his flat, nose in a book and drinking something strong enough to knock most unconscious. To be fair to the ex-watcher, he had been on babysitting watch the last two weeks, so Edith hadn't questioned why he wasn't available on that particular night.

"Do you ever miss England?" Dawn asked.

Edith frowned and looked at her younger cousin, who was lying on her stomach on the sofa, legs crossed in the air behind her. That was a question she hadn't been asked before. Since the death of her parents, she had tried not to think about the rolling hills of the English countryside she had once loved and people generally avoided bringing her past into conversation.

"No," she lied.

It was easier to lie.

Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment and chewed the end of the pencil she was supposed to be using on her homework. She looked like she was about to push further on the matter, which Edith didn't want, so decided to play the responsible big cousin card.

"Dawnie, you need to get that homework finished or Buffy and Joyce are gonna kill me," she said with a stern look towards the notebook that had fallen in disarray on the floor about an hour ago.

"But-"

"No buts missy!" Edith interrupted, "Finish or I'll turn that bloody awful CD off and hide it somewhere you'll never find it."

Dawn opened her mouth to argue, but Edith was standing by the CD player, dramatically waving her finger over the off switch, threatening to mute whatever boy band Dawn was in love with that month.

"Fine," the brunette huffed.

Edith watched whilst Dawn rearranged the notebook on the floor and started to make notes, before she slipped into the kitchen to make a hot chocolate.

She switched the radio on to try and drown out the rubbish Dawn was listening to. Her mind was on other things, lost in a scene of grey clouds, cobbled streets and red buses, which is why she dropped her fresh cup of chocolaty goodness on the floor at the sudden visitor in the kitchen.

"Spike!" she yelped, her hand holding her chest in shock. "You scared me!"

The vampire smirked with undeniable satisfaction.

"Good," he replied smugly.

Edith rolled her eyes, before feeling the warm liquid begin to seep through her socks. She scrunched her nose up in disgust as she took a squelchy step back from the brown puddle on the floor. She pouted at the waste.

"I was looking forward to that you evil fiend," she scolded. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Oh Edie," he begins in mock hurt, "You sound like you're not happy to see me luv. My heart weeps."

She rolled her eyes again, smiling despite herself. She picked a cloth up from the kitchen counter to clear away the mess on the floor, but waved it accusingly at the bleach blonde first.

"You're up to something, I know it," she said, trying to sound serious, but affection clear in her voice. "Whatever it is, don't do it or Buffy will put you in an ashtray."

Edie crouched down to mop up the liquid. Spike chuckled and crouched in front of her. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him questioningly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Spike lifted his hand and put his index finger square in the middle of her forehead.

"Not likely luv," he said with a devious smirk, pushing his finger just hard enough to make Edie lose her balance and fall backwards.

He laughed to himself again, thoroughly happy with the disapproval written all over the woman's face. He nonchalantly leaned back against the kitchen counter and pulled out a cigarette; putting it to his lips and flicking open his lighter.

Edie sprang up from her unflattering position on the floor and whipped the white stick out of the vampire's lips.

"Hey!" he protested, "Bloody give it back."

"Or you'll what?" Edie said, suddenly very confident, "Lick me to death?"

Spike opened his mouth to reply, but a bouncy teenager ruined his brilliant comeback.

"Hey Spike!" Dawn chimed.

"Hello pint-size," the vampire greeted.

Dawn flitted around the kitchen, oblivious to the mess on the floor, made herself a cold drink and headed back to the lounge.

"Bye Spike!" she called over her shoulder.

Spike looked questioningly at Edie, who was smiling smugly.

"That was... brief," he said.

"I threatened to kill the crappy music if she didn't finish her homework," she supplied.

Spike nodded, happy with the explanation.

"So Peroxide Boy," Edie said, wiping away the last of the chocolate, "What are you actually doing here? We don't have any blood or anything."

Spike shrugged, pulling another cigarette from his pocket and then thinking twice at the look he got from the dark blonde. He sighed and ran a hand through his sleek gelled hair.

"Captain Cardboard and that cousin of yours were patrolling through my cemetery. Got pissed off with the sight of them," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Hmm," Edie looked at him with narrowed eyes, "I still think you're up to something."

Spike suddenly looked like he was about to admit something, but then clearly changed his mind and coughed awkwardly to clear his throat. Edie felt puzzled, but decided to leave it. As long as he wasn't being evil, she didn't much care what little devious things he did in his spare time.

The phone rang and as Edie picked it up; Dawn flew through the door and snatched it from her hand.

"It's Janice," Dawn said.

"Of course," Edie sighed, knowing exactly what was going to happen next.

A few seconds of conversation on the phone and Dawn looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Can I sleep over there tonight?"

"Have you finished your homework?"

"Kinda..."

"Go on luv, let the Bit have some fun."

"Not helping Spike," Edie grumbled.

Dawn looked at her with puppy eyes and Edie felt the responsible adult inside her slip away.

"Fine, but take your homework with you."

Dawn squealed with joy and told Janice she'll be right over. She put the phone back on the hook, spun around and hugged Edie, before skipping off to get a bag that had suspiciously already been packed.

"Come on then Big Bad, you can walk us over there," Edie said, slipping her coat on.

Spike scoffed, "I'm not your bloody body guard luv."

"I'll buy you chicken wings at the Bronze."

"Fine."

Dawn was safely at Janice's and the night was relatively young when the unlikely pair walked into the buzzing club. The tables were all occupied, until Spike slipped up behind a couple and growled something that probably involved their gruesome demise. They scurried off with pale faces and Spike, in an unlikely gentlemanly gesture, pulled a seat out for Edie.

"What's it like?" Edie suddenly asked, "Being super strong, I mean."

Spike raised an eyebrow at her, surprised by her question. She was looking at him with her unusual light green eyes, seeming to shine in the low club lighting. They had a crystal clarity to them that was hard to describe, but he had been mesmerised by their beauty from the moment he had met her. He wondered sometimes if that was why he had never tried to kill her back in the day. He would subconsciously avoid her at all costs, knowing he might have to kill her if she was in the way, but desperately not wanting to do it. The monster inside him had revelled the last few moments of a kill when his victim's eyes went dull – when the light inside them went dark. It sickened him to think of that happening to Edie. It sickened him more that he had an undeniable soft spot for a human, especially one related to the slayer.

"Why do you ask luv?" he asked, putting a cigarette between his lips, at last able to enjoy one.

She shrugged, "I just wondered."

Spike watched her as she pulled her long golden hair back into a ponytail, a habit he had noticed, she did when she was uncomfortable. Perhaps it bothered her more than he thought.

"Tell you what luv. I'll bite you and make you a vamp and you can run around and see what it's like," he answered with a cocky grin.

"Pfft," Edie scoffed, "Your head would explode."

Spike was about to retort and curse the bloody initiative for sticking the chip in his brain when a familiar smell leaked into the room like rotting vegetables to his senses. Well actually, one smelled like rotting vegetables to him, the other was a more pleasant vanilla, but mixed together it was overall very unpleasant.

"Oh bloody hell," he sighed.

"You two look cosy," Buffy said slowly, her eyes darting between the two. "Hope we're not interrupting."

"Is he bothering you Edie?" Riley asked, looking prepared to grab Spike by the lapels and hurl him out of the club.

"Nah," Edie shrugged. "Just buying him chicken wings for escorting me and Dawn through the mean dark streets of Sunnydale. No biggy."

Spike, clearly not happy with the new arrivals, got up from his seat, his eyes narrowed menacingly at the slayer's boyfriend the entire time.

"Well as fun as this wasn't," he grumbled, "I'm off."

Edie momentarily felt a bit hurt, before remembering that Spike was indeed an evil vampire and although he was civil with her, he certainly wasn't with her cousin. She watched as the leather clad blonde weaved fluidly between the dancers, unable to shake the disappointment of his departure.

"Ah that's better," Buffy said brightly, jumping onto the previously occupied seat.

"He hangs around you a lot Edie," Riley mumbles, worry clear in his voice. "I think he's up to something."

"Spike's harmless," Edie replies light-heartedly, "He just likes spending my money."

"He likes spending everyone's money," Buffy concluded.

Riley and Edie nodded in agreement and took a sip of their drinks.

"Thought you two were out killing stuff tonight or making with the smoochies, I can never tell to be honest," Edie said, gulping down the last of her drink.

"We were," Buffy answered, before her eyes went wide, "Killing stuff, I mean. But the monsters and the undead were a no show, so we thought we'd – Hang on, did Dawn finish her homework?"

"Yep," Edie lied.

Meanwhile, whilst those with beating hearts idly chatted, there was an undead man realising he was in terrible danger.

"Oh bloody hell," Spike growled to himself, pacing his crypt fast enough it was a surprise he wasn't wearing away the stone beneath his feet.

He shut his eyes as hard as possible to try and dissolve her face from his vision, to try and forget the smell of jasmine that lingered in his nose, to block out the sweet sound of her voice ringing in his ears.

He felt the cracking pain in his knuckles before he realised he had punched a hole in the wall of his crypt. It momentarily made the image of Edie fade from his mind, but not for long enough.

"Oh bloody hell," he said again, this time with a dejected sigh.

He slunk back against the wall, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and taking a hearty gulp, hoping that he'd be able to drown out his thoughts long enough to sleep.

But when he slept, he dreamt of loving her then too.

TBC...

Please review; I'm really interested to know what you guys think. Thanks for reading!