Chapter One

All things come with a price

by Shattered Kitten

Disclaimer- I do not own anything in the BTVS or AB worlds


Chapter 1

The energy shot out of her then snapped back like a whip bringing her to her knees. She pressed forward digging both hands into the soil feeling the shock waves rip thru her body till thousands of tiny needles pierced her skin. The change came swiftly then, limbs became loose and fluid, fur sprouted where skin had been, and claws extended out of paws that were once hands. Shaking and disoriented she opened tri-colored eyes viewing her surroundings in a new light. Sitting back on her haunches, she realized the night had come alive with new sounds and movements. Tilting her head to the side she sniffed the air, the exciting and enticing new smells lure her into the woods.
Catching a glimpse of movement she bounded to the side of a fallen log, peering under it a rabbit shot forward fleeing in panic. She leaped over the log in pursuit of the rabbit. Stretching her limbs and sailing over small brush she ran. The rabbit disappeared into a hole she swerved to the right and kept running in sheer joy. She ran for hours leaping in and over little streams through low hanging foliage. The sky started to lighten and she wearily made her way back to her clothes. Collapsing onto the cool grass she rolled to her back, panting, eyes half closed, she stretched and drifted to sleep.
Opening her eyes disoriented, she let the nights adventures run through her head, smiled and got dressed. Buffy was amazed, she had known that slayers of the past had had the ability to shift but had never dreamed she would gain this power.
Walking to her car she could hear her cell phone ringing, running she flung open the door.
“Hello, Buffy where have you been? I have been trying to reach you for hours.” Willow said exasperated.
Rolling her eyes Buffy answered, “I am here now Willow, what’s wrong?”
“Well, umm, Xander needs to tell you something.”
Xander grabbed the phone from Willow, “Hi Buff, well there is no way to say this, so here it is, Spike is alive!”
“What?” Buffy practically screeched into the phone. “Where, how, oh my god.” Xander, where is he?”
In a calming voice, Xander says, “Buffy, slow down he’s with Angel in Los Angeles. Wesley called last night and told us. He also asked that you not call and do not go to LA.”
After a moment of silence Buffy says, “But why Xander, he’ll need me?”
“Something about readjusting to being alive and he could not do that with you there.”
Buffy looked down at her phone, “Xander my phone is going dead; I will have to talk to you later about this. I still have to go to that meeting with the Ulfric.”
“Uh ok, call you later Buff, let us know how it goes and let me know when we can send the girls.”
In a state of shock Buffy hung up the phone and drove home. Pulling up into the driveway Buffy laid her head on the steering wheel tears streaming down her face she whispered his name “Spike”.
Willow looked over at Xander frustrated, “Xander, you should have told her!”
Slamming his palm against the table, Xander exclaimed, “What was I supposed to tell her Willow, that fang face is a ghost and if they try and bring him back it may truly kill him? Do you truly think that would make her any more able to deal?”
Looking down Willow softly replied, “No, but Xander she will find out and it’s going to kill her.”
Xander put his arms around Willow comforting her, “Like it’s not going to now?”
Willow looked up at Xander tears in her eyes, “She loves him Xander.”
Hanging his head, “I know Wills, I know.”
Buffy lurched out of bed in a cold sweat. She had been dreaming of Spike as she last saw him, a blazing inferno. Shaking her head she stumbled to the kitchen and her coffee pot. After flipping the switch on, she checked her messages on the answering machine. “Miss Summers, this is Richard Zeeman, I would be happy to meet with you at the Lunatic Café around 9 o’clock tonight.” Buffy sighs, “Great, the wolf king wants to meet. Oh well, time to get this over with.” Looking at the clock, “damn I’ve got two hours to get there.”


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