FIC: Through Thick and Thin (Chapter 1: Bread and Wine)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all...

I'm starting this of a bit slow I know, but things will get interesting!

1. Willow and Buffy happiness
2. Giles weirding up and returning to Sunnydale
3 Spike getting beat up again!

Stefan Cilia

Through Thick and Thin

Cilia

Chapter 1: Bread and Wine

"Hmm good!" Buffy moaned.
"Oh come on Buffy its just bread and wine." Willow said in mock disgust.
"Try it." Buffy said and offered the loaf to Willow.
"If it makes you happy."
"Trust me it will." Buffy said and sipped the red wine.
"You sure you should be drinking." Willow asked as she cut the bread.
"Wills it's just something you do, plus it isn't that bad." Buffy answered
and bit into the bread.
"Hmm!"
"Told you so." Buffy said with a smile.
"This is good." Willow said and reached for the wine.
"You think Spike would mind if we stayed here for a while?" Buffy asked.
"Knowing Spike..." Willow left the sentence hanging with a smile.

* * * * *

"They what!" Spike yelled into the phone, balancing a glass in and a
sandwich.
"They stayed behind in some small town in Toscana sir." The man on the other
end stammered.
"I'll be there by tomorrow night." He said and hung up.
Why am I so angry, I knew this would happen. I really should let them enjoy
themselves. What's one prophecy. He thought. Still Italy is nice.
"Driver the airport." He said and leaned back.
"Yes sir."
He dialed Luna's number.
"Hello."
"Hello luv did I wake ya."
"William!" Luna exclaimed. "No you didn't, I was just going over some
papers."
"Change of plans the girl stayed behind in Toscana."
"And your heading there too keep watch."
"Well. yes, tell me what estates to we have there?"
"Send me their location." She said and waited while Spike punched in the
name of the town.
"There is an cottage not far from, that belongs to us." She said after a
moment.
"Thanks luv appreciate it." He said.
"Of course my prince." She answered.
"I miss you." He whispered.
"I miss you too William." She whispered back.

* * * * *

"How's the wine sir." The waiter asked Giles as he showed him the bottle.
"Excellent." He answered and nodded for the man to put the bottle on the
table.
"So how did you get here?" Anya asked as they sat in a unnamed restaurant in
Paris.
"I walked." Giles answered, Anya shook her head. The man was getting
weirder.
"You know that Spike's has everybody on standby." She stated.
"Since when did he become the man in charge?" Giles asked.
"Allot has changed in the past year Rupert." She said.
"I expected as much."
"I mean, Xander's disappeared of the face of the Earth, Buffy became a
scholar believe it or not."
"I know all about Buffy's studies." Giles said a little to firmly, he
watches over his own in one form or another.
"So what are you going to do now?" Anya asked.
"I'm going back to the States I need something that's buried in Sunnydale."
Giles answered.
"You understand of course that I must ask that you don't tell anyone you met
me?" He then added and looked at her over the sunglasses.
"Of course." Anya stammered.
"Good." He said and sipped his glass.
"Bread." He offered after a moments silence.

* * * * *

"Al'x." The woman said and shook the man's shoulder.
"Another dream, the path has changed again." He exclaimed as his eyes
opened.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"Time to revisit the Hellmouth."
"That bad mystical place you told me about."
"The one and only." He nodded and stood.
"And you don't want me to come." She said solemnly.
"What makes you think that?" He asked.
"You've got that look again."
He sighed and hugged her tight.
"Stjar'a I know you'd follow me through the underworld itself." He
whispered, his voice seeming older somehow.
"Then why do you keep shielding me." She said back.
"Old habits die hard." He said the smile could be heard.
"Well I'm not a that inexperienced girl you met seven years ago." She
stated.
"I've noticed." He said and pulled away. "Come on. We better get going."

* * * * *

Spike ran. He ran fast. Something hit his calf and he stumbled. Must get up.
He thought. As he heard his attackers approached. He prompted himself
against a wall, pulled out two guns and waited. When the attackers where
just a few feet away he pushed himself back onto the street firing and
screaming as he went. When the guns were empty and the attackers dead on the
ground, he backed away. Blood covered the street. He smiled, but the smile
disappeared as the blood started to flow back into the attackers. Then he
noticed it that the blood wasn't red it was black.
"Blood hell!" He cursed as he ran again.


* * * * *

"Buffy what happened to Xander?" Willow asked as they lay in front of a
fake fire.
"Don't know for sure. He took of to LA after he broke up with Anya and then
stayed behind in Tibet after a mission with Angel and Cordy."
"When was this?"
"A little over a year ago."
"And no contact since then?" Willow asked.
"None."
"Aren't you worried?"
"Xander is grown man and we all thought he needed time. He said he needed
time to figure things out." Buffy answered.
"But a year."
"Don't worry I'm sure he's safe. What about Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Like I said I ran into him when I left Iceland." Willow answered.
"I miss the times when I was the weird one." Buffy muttered.
"I don't." Willow said and kissed her head.
There was a frantic knock on the door.
"Who could that be." Buffy wondered as she walked to the door.
"We have a problem." Spike stated as he fell into the room.
"Spike... Spike." Buffy yelled. "Willow get in here."
"Oh my." Willow exclaimed as she took in Spike's battered appearance. His
clothes were torn, seemingly from sword cuts, his face bruised and there was
arrow through his calf.
"Get me the med-kit." Buffy ordered.

* * * * *

"Sunnydale home sweet home!" Giles exclaimed as he stepped of the bus.

Now underneath the tree, facing north, in the cemetery. He thought.
As he was digging he heard a fait crackle, leather pants and crushing
leaves.
He grinned.
"Alright turn around." Faith said, holding stake and a knife.
Giles spun around kicked the knife out of her hand, grabbed her stake hand
and then gracefully threw her to the ground
"Hello Faith." He said with a smile as he looked down at her.
"G-man you're back."
"No just getting something and then I'll be on my way." He said and offered
her his hand.
"Well you're not a vamp that's for sure." Faith said as she felt the warmth
of his hand.
"What having a hard believing that a stuffy watcher could take down a
Slayer?" He asked innocently.
"Why are you here G-man?" She asked as she eyed the package by the tree.
"Do get a few things." He answered and pulled a small metal chest from the
hole.
"Such as?""
"Scrolls, relics, weapons." He answered and then added. "Among other
things."
"Staying?" She asked, giving him a look.
"Only for as long as needed." He answered as he picked up the sword.
"Your house is waiting for you." She said as they walked out of the
graveyard.
"You moved in didn't you?" He asked.
"Yes, gotta problem with that?"
"None what so ever."
"Good."