one last chance

Chapter Fourteen

A/n this chapter started out as i planned but morphed into a bit different. I originally planned of faith and buffy having a talk and it turned into some more on the Spike/Buffy plot. 

Chapter Fourteen

"What do you mean different?" Buffy asked, wondering why Faith never mentioned anything about a special student before.

"Let's get them settled and I can explain." Faith said not quite making eye contact but instead gazing around the gym with interest.

"Well I guess we can put a cot in Dawn's room for the girl but the boy has to be ok with sharing a bed with Conner once Angel and his gang get here." Buffy said a bit flustered as she mentally re-arranged sleeping arrangements. At least Anne wouldn't be the only slayer in training at the house now.

"Wait I though broody boy and crew were supposed to be here already." Robin said coming up to join the group. Most of the students found their bunk mates and were heading to their respective sleeping assignments to get settled.

"They got delayed. Something came up in L.A. they had to deal with. They fly in tomorrow or the next day." Buffy answered, "Let's wait until everyone clears out than we'll all meet at my place quickly to catch up."

Within a half an hour the slayers and watchers had all cleared out of the gym leaving only the Scoobies, Anne and Faith's two kids. The gang slowly migrated from the gym to Buffy's kitchen. Buffy bustled about getting glasses down for everyone and pulling juice and milk from the fridge. Dawn went over to the cupboard and grabbed bread, butter, bagels, some crackers and some cheese.

Once the group was comfortably cramped into the small room Buffy turned to Faith.

"So what's the deal?" she asked curious.

"Well, Shelly you wanna explain it to B?" Faith asked turning to the girl sitting on the counter with her watcher beside her.

Shelly looked around a bit startled. Nervously glancing at the people around her she began to explain, "Well, umm… my great great great grandmother married a half demon." She glanced nervously around the room, seeing no hostile glares she continued, "It's not extremely uncommon. Well he could hear thoughts, all thoughts. Over the generations the ability has become diluted. My mother hears only angry emotions from people, I hear all strong ones. Really really happy or mad or sad or anything I hear them, not like an empath, I hear the actual thoughts of the person. Like I'm happy because blah blah blah or oh my god she's such a bitch because so and so."

The Scoobies stared at her for a moment.

"Did you always have this ability? Or did it manifest recently? Can you block the thoughts out?" Giles asked excitedly, "It makes sense though that your powers are a bit more broad than your mothers after all the slayer line originally came from a demonic source."

"Giles, theories and questions later." Buffy cut him off. She looked to Faith questionably.

"She can't stay with the others because she can't block them out. Teenage emotions run higher than ours, set off a stronger signal. And with people she knows she can, well like I said B not block them out but ignore them better. Also she cant read vampires. If she was a full demon she'd be able to but it's so diluted in her blood she can only read full humans and slayers like herself."

Buffy nodded understanding Faiths point, "If she stays here the only people she'll be able to read is you, Robin, her watcher all of who she can ignore as you said so the only others are Dawn, Anne, Giles and I. Not so much teenagers so less stronger, less strong, signals."

"Exactly B." Faith said glad her fellow slayer understood that placing Shelly with six or more new people, all relatively young and emotionally twenty four seven would drive her insane. "So we good?"

"Yep, just one question," Buffy turned to Shelly's watcher, "What's your name?"

"Hi, I'm Eric." He said.

"Hi Eric, well now that that's settled Dawn, get Anne and Shelly situated up stairs. We'll go over bathroom and shower schedules tomorrow."

Xander, Willow and Kennedy said their good byes and went to collect the small groups of slayers that would be living with them for the time being. Spike hung back in the door way and motioned for Buffy to follow him outside for a minute. Slightly confused she walked out into the shadowed patio in the back area that was too small to be a yard but contained a small patch of grass.

"What's up Spike?" She asked.

"Nothings up, just got a tid bit from a local demon bar earlier. There wasn't time to tell you before. 's nothing big either, jus' thought you should know." He explained

"What is it?" Buffy inquired.

"The demons around here have noticed the extra girls. Some seer of some sort saw it. The demons know they're here. Thing is normally, this many slayers one spot, well a smart demon clears out. These guys are staying. They don't know what but they think something's coming." He looked at Buffy communicating the implied meaning of his statement with his eyes locked on hers.

"Well," Buffy said running her hands through her hair a bit frustrated, "We expected this. No biggie. We'll handle it. Maybe we'll find out how to kill Lokar and this will all be over next week."

Spike snorted at her optimism. "Yeah," he said, "And all vampires are really misunderstood good guys."

"Well just two that I know of, so there's hope right?" Buffy quipped.

"Yeah," Spike said turning serious, "There's always hope."

Buffy smiled sadly at him knowing they were both thinking of the past and missed opportunities and sad memories.

"Well I better catch up to the wanker or I'll be waiting here until sunset to get back to the flat." Spike turned to leave. Buffy stood where she was as she debated internally with herself.

"Spike," she called.

He turned to look at her, his pale complexion set off by his black duster and red shirt. He waited as she continued to fight with herself.

After a minute she gave up and said, "Never mind, it's nothing." She turned away from him and looked out at the patch of grass they called a yard in joking tones. She turned when she felt Spike come up close behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders as she faced him.

"Do you remember what I said in that bedroom?" he asked staring into her eyes. She could only nod and say nothing else. "Well I do to. It was true. Every word I said that night, it was true and still is today."

He swiftly leaned down and planted a soft tender kiss on her lips, so different from the violent angry kisses they once exchanged. After a moment of just resting his lips on hers he pulled back. Locking eyes with her again he said, "Ball's in your court now luv."

Before Buffy could respond he turned once again and left. She slowly pressed her hands to her lips more confused than ever. After wasting time staring off into space she shook her head clear and walked back into the house, ready to make sure everything was running smoothly. Still for the rest of the day the others in the house noticed that she was slightly distracted, staring off into space with a faraway look on her face for most of the afternoon.