by Lynn K. Hollander
Chapter 1 - Leavetaking
When Spike arrived at the entry garden he found a familiar figure playing with the three cubs of the guardian lions.
"Spike, Spike," the biggest cub said,. rushing up to him. "See who's here."
He staggered but kept his feet, despite her enthusiastic welcome. He scratched her ears, then down her spine. "Yes. I see. Berengar! Is everything all right? Ann called and asked me to come up." He hadn't seen Tara's youngest uncle by adoption more than three or four times, but the Alven warlord was memorable: Berengar was a little taller than Ann, with dark hair worn in a simple club down his back to his waist. His skin was a warm brown and he wore a gold velvet tunic over loose dark brown linen pants, tucked into soft leather boots. Alves were generally handsomer than humans, and Berengar was good looking even for an Alv.
"You tell me," the Alv said, rising to his full height. "Meliora has requested a leave of absence. Something about her presence apparently aggravating everyone here except Willow and young Dawn."
"Ah. That. Yeah."
"Come on inside."
"Nooo," the cubs chorused.
"I'll be here a while," Berengar told them. "I just want to talk to Spike a little, privately."
"OK."
Inside, Berengar said, "So why are you angry with her?"
"She seems to be over Buffy's death already, and we're not, that's all."
"Oh?"
"She's happy," Spike accused. "She laughs. It's just a little hard for us to be around her."
"I see."
"And taking Dawn to visit the Dalai Lama was a little..."
"Yes?"
"We think Ann took advantage of Dawn's grief to try to convert her to that fuzzy reincarnation nonsense."
"I understood Dawn took some comfort from talking to him?"
"We're afraid it's spurious form of comfort."
"Meliora took me to meet the man, not this one, the one before the wars. He struck me as very aware. He recognized what I was right away and greeted Meliora and Gang Long like old friends, which is entirely possible."
"Dawn did say he seemed to know Ann."
"In any event, she's going away for a while. Once Tara quits crying, Meliora and I are going to have a discussion with my aides about the optimal ratio of protection and freedom."
"Why is Tara crying?"
"I critiqued her actions after Meliora and I were arrested."
"You yelled at her for getting hurt?"
"I didn't yell. I spoke to her severely for forgetting to take basic precautions when she was fully aware a monster like Glory was the opposition. If she had been doing as she had been taught, she would not have been out in the open alone no matter how upset she was; furthermore, she would have been checking with Meliora on her secure link and she would have known those feckless thugs had captured Meliora.. She would have known at least that Meliora was unavailable."
"Not everyone has the advantage of growing up under the Gestapo."
Berengar's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the vampire, then he sighed. "You tell them and you tell them and you tell them again. She said she understood, and the first time she gets upset, she forgets. At that, she was lucky."
"It may work out well: pain is a great teacher," Spike said, absently rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah. I'll be here for another day or so, but Meliora's leaving tonight. My aides will be here until she gets back."
"You said she was taking a break. Where?"
"Oklahoma, to see a friend of hers named Lindsay, then Surigao for Fernando's wedding."
"Her politician? She's invited to his wedding?"
"She's hosting the wedding feast. They're friends as well as lovers, you know."
Answering the unspoken comment, Spike said, "It's not that we're not friends with Ann, it's just that we were all very fond of Buffy, you know. She's really dead. We buried her."
"You think Meliora isn't? As for the reincarnation `nonsense', ask Gunn when he first met Meliora and Gang Long. It might be illuminating."
"Gunn who drives the Cobra? The troll?"
"The former troll. Yes. Also, did you ask Dawn what she and His Holiness discussed? I didn't think so. See you later," Berengar said.
***
"Ann leave yet?" Spike asked Gang Long.
"No, they're back in the library, talking about how much protection Tara should have, and how much freedom. Jingwu's been worried about the rules Tara's family want."
"How so?"
"Mellisande and Tara's mother want her protected from everything, including worry. Jingwu has been arguing that Tara needs to practice safeguards herself, to discover her limitations and to be involved in deciding what she can do safely."
"That doesn't sound unreasonable," Spike allowed. "I thought Tara's mother was dead?"
"Just the one."
"How many does she have?"
"A couple. Only two count though."
"That's not the way humans work."
"There's more than one way. Her father's a polygamist, something about his religion. Tara was raised by one of the other wives and called her `mother', but her birth mother is with Mellisande. Humans and Alves have complicated families. We don't."
"So who is going to be watching Tara while Ann's gone?"
"Berengar brought six: Beroule, Filis, Thierry, Siride, Lian, and Gaufré."
"Six? Berengar has a really high opinion of Ann's abilities."
"They plan on shifts. They need their sleep and they don't have Jingwu's farsight ability and they can't move around like we do, so they need more of them to start."
"Are you going with her?"
"No, I don't like Oklahoma and Jingwu's going to be busy in Surigao."
"Hosting a feast, Berengar said.."
"Cooking it."
"Shouldn't take her that long."
"Six hundred people have been invited and she can't use magic. Fernando's retired, he wants what Jingwu calls a quiet home life. A reputation for magic doesn't always permit a quiet home life. Not every neighborhood is as tolerant or sophisticated as Sunnydale."
"I never thought to use those exact words to describe the place, but I do see what you mean. Can she do it?"
"She's a very good cook."
"I know she's a good cook, I was just wondering about feeding six hundred."
"She can do it, she has some house staff to help. It's a farewell gift. After all, she and Fernando have been together for nearly forty years. She's about his oldest friend."
"I didn't know that. Listen, since you're going to be around, want to run over to the casino?"
"Sure. Tomorrow or the next night?"
"Fine."
***
"Ah, Spike, I wanted to see you before I left. I've put all the Alves on the drivers list for the Mercedes, although you have priority use in the daytime," Ann was direct.
"I noticed there was a Honda in the driveway?"
"A rental. Beroule is happy with it, but it's only a car."
"Do the Alves have licenses?"
"Beroule does; Filis, Lian and Siride can drive, at least in theory. If you want to be of help, you could drive the Mercedes if their plans involve freeway travel."
"Sure, I can do that."
"Thank you."
"Can we get in touch with you if there's need?"
"Here," Ann said. She handed him one of her crystal phones. "Gang Long, Tara, Claire and Giles already have one, and you can talk to them with this, too. Take care of yourself, Spike. I'll be back after the wedding." Ann blinked out.
***
As they approached the roulette table, one of the players turned around and looked at them. Gang Long stopped. "You," he said.
Spike followed the dragon's gaze. Gang Long was staring at a young man, maybe two or three years older than Spike's apparent age. Nearly as tall as Angel, the man was very well dressed and magazine pretty. An oval face was gently tanned under a high hairline. His thick hair was brushed straight back and was the same dark blond as his level brows. His eyes were a clear, cold blue. His hands were large and bony; he wore three rings on his left hand and four on his right. He had a smug and slick manner Spike loathed
While he hated the man on sight, Spike had to admire his clothes. They were a little conservative in cut and style for Spike's taste and the single color--a light caramel--made them almost foppish; however, they were of an excellent quality. Spike noted the cashmere turtleneck, the silk and wool blend suit--Spike thought four button suits were for `60s teenagers, and would have recommended a double breasted model--a totally unnecessary overcoat, and Gucci ostrich skin loafers.
"Still me," the man said, smiling widely. He had perfect teeth, very white, and dimples, yet. "How's Gytha?"
"Jingwu is well."
Huh, Spike thought. Yet another of Ann's use names. He wondered what `Gytha' meant, and where and when Ann had picked it up.
"Is she sleeping alone these days?"
"How is that any of your business?" Spike said, disliking the man even more.
"Speak when you're spoken to, vampire. Why are you hanging out with a lesser being, Gang Long? Slumming?"
"We're friends." Gang Long said. He turned to Spike: "This is Barzilai. We've known him for a long time." He did not offer Spike's name. Barzilai frowned.
"Gytha and I knew each other before you were hatched, youngster."
"In any case," Spike said, "ask her what you want to know, not us." Spike took the hint and did not refer to Ann by her current use name.
"Us? Do you imply you'd know if she has a lover?" The blue eyes got even colder as Barzilai focused on Spike.
"I'm telling you she doesn't like being discussed behind her back. Whatever you want to know, ask her." Unimpressed, Spike kept his temper and a leash on his tongue. Ann knew some dangerous people, and he had no idea what Barzilai was. Besides, he might be a friend of hers, although Spike doubted that.
"How do I reach her?" Barzilai asked the long.
"Her friends know. She's occupied at the moment, but I'll tell her you're looking for her."
"Tell her soon, and tell her it's urgent," Barzilai said. "A lucky evening to you both." He vanished.
Spike looked at Gang Long as the boy hissed something under his breath. "Is he a friend of Ann's?"
"No," the long said. "Let's go home. Anything we win tonight, we'll pay for twice over, in trouble, if not in blood."
"Do we mention this to Beroule?"
"We had better, I suppose. I will to Jingwu. He's not good news, always making mischief and leaving disorder for everyone else to clean up."
***
"So exactly what is he?" Beroule asked.
"I don't know," Gang Long said. "He's some sort of immortal, but what kind I don't know."
"Like you or like me?" Spike asked.
"What?" Beroule asked.
"He's naturally immortal," Spike said, nodding at the long. "So are you. I'm a human who had immortality thrust upon me. Which is he?"
"Huh," Gang Long said, and shifted to dragon form. His red tongue flicked out, then back, then he shifted to human. "He's a changed human, like Spike, but not all like Spike."
"Has he aliases?"
"Probably; I mean we all do. None of us uses his real name, anymore than you do. Jingwu just calls him Barzilai."
"Can the lions keep him out of here?" Spike asked.
"Oh, yes. Even the cubs could," Gang Long said. "They protect Jingwu's house from demons and thieves. He may not be a demon, but we know he's a thief."
"Meliora and Berengar were firm about not overwhelming Tara with protections," Beroule said "I will do nothing beyond keeping a watch for him. If he approaches Tara...It depends on the circumstances."
"It always does," Spike agreed, and he and Gang Long left the library.
***
Out in the foyer, they met two Alves coming in from the kitchen. "Gang Long," the male said. "Greetings."
"Thierry, I see you managed to escape."
"Over many objections, most of them from my grandfather," Thierry said. "But I managed."
"Spike, this is Thierry. Jingwu and I met him when we meeting Berengar for the first time, when Thierry was just a boy. This is Spike, who's a vampire and a friend of ours."
Thierry was a finger or two taller than Spike, with an ovoid face with a broad forehead and an almost delicate chin under a full soft mouth, now smiling. His dark hair was in a trimmed bowl cut, tousled and shiny. He had very dark brown eyes and clear skin with a deep tan. "A pleasure," he said, offering his hand.
"Filis, this is Gang Long and this is Spike. Filis Green."
"Filis and I have met," Gang Long said.
"No, I'd remember," Filis said.
Spike swallowed. Ann's voice was the most beautiful he had ever heard: deep for a woman, rich, full and, when she wished it, powerful and compelling, but she had never affected him this way. Neither had Buffy and Buffy's voice, whether she had been angry, happy, calculating, triumphant or almost any emotion, he could tell from any other voice he had heard in his long life.
Filis's voice was mellow and sensual, full of sexual promise and playful. She had a longish face, framed by blonde hair. Her eyes were blue under hawk's wing brows and lashes of a darker blonde. Spike thought she could use ten more pounds on her slim body, but then he couldn't decide where to put them. He could inspect his options fully, since her clothes were tight, low and short.
Gang Long grinned at the girl and shifted to his sword form, balancing in mid-air in front of her.
"Not fair," Filis said, laughing. "That I remember. You I would have if I had seen you."
Gang Long shifted back to human. "Filis," he explained to Spike, "was with Jingwu and Angel when we fought on the mountain."
"Yes, and I decided to enlist after that."
"And since she already knew Tara and Willow, and had finished her basic training, we included her," Thierry said.
"Although, if I had realized the assignment meant wearing student, I might have hesitated. I mean, look at this:" One hand indicated her clothing, and by subtle extension, the body under them. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to change into something slightly more dignified."
"That's a cropped tank top with ultra low blue jeans," Thierry quoted. "Very appropriate for California at this season.."
"Feh," Filis said, going upstairs. She moved with a minimum of hip action, but what was there was very pleasant. Spike's attention was recalled when Thierry spoke:
"And despite her foibles, she's a good, alert guard and gets along well with Tara. I'm going for a swim. Anyone else?"
"Sure," Gang Long said.
"I have an errand," Spike said.