one last chance

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

One by one the group left Buffy's office; set to the tasks she gave them. Dawn paused by her desk for a moment to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. Buffy smiled gratefully at her little sister. Buffy laid her head into her hands fighting the headache beginning just behind her eyes. Once she heard the door close she pulled open her desk drawer to pull out a prescription bottle. She fought for a bit with the child proof cap before a cool pale hand covered hers and took the orange bottle away. She looked up; Spike had not left the room, like she thought, with the others. He opened the bottle and shook several of the colored pills into his hand.

"How many?" he asked offering his hand out to her.

"Three," she admitted. Spike handed her three of the small pills. Cupping them in her hand Buffy reached back into the desk for an ever present water bottle. Spike took that to from her hands and untwisted the cap before giving it to her. She smiled gratefully at him and took a mouth full of the liquid. Popping the pills in to her mouth she swallowed them all down with a practiced motion.

"What are those for?" Spike asked.

"Migraines." She said lying her head back down for a moment. Spike instantly moved behind her and slowly began massaging the knots from the back of her neck. "Thanks," she said with out moving.

Spike examined the pill bottle still on the desk reading the dosage.

"That isn't exactly Tyonal you popping pet. Why so many?" he asked concerned.

"Slayer metabolism Spike. Normal dosage is two pills. Willow adjusted it for me. Did you know she got a degree in nursing and pharmacy? She said sense slayers have a tendency to get hurt it might look suspicious if our girls have long hospital records; she took night courses for them. We hardly ever need a doctor type help anymore."

"Hmmm…" Spike commented absently as he thought back to the other night. He remembered seeing a second pill bottle when Buffy opened the cupboard for glasses. It was on the top shelf. "What are the other pills for?"

"What other pills?" Buffy asked stopping mid ramble.

"The ones in your kitchen. Top shelf. What are they for pet." When Buffy didn't answer he added "Don't make me ask the lil bit what big sis is hiding."

Buffy sighed in defeat. "Sleeping pills. I don't take them every night though just sometimes."

Spike thought again of the migraine pills. Buffy may ligidamently claim the slayer metabolism but Spike knew those were still some heavy duty pills, those plus sleeping pills… well Spike just didn't like the idea.

"How long?" he asked as he moved his hands to her shoulders continuing the relaxing massage, slowly kneading the knots and aches from the slayers back.

"How long for what?" Buffy asked avoiding the question.

"How long for the pills."

"About a year and half for the sleeping pills, a year or so for the migraines. Once we relocated permanently here Dawn made me go to the clinic. They call it insomnia and stress related migraines." Spike was glad Buffy rested her head against the desk. She couldn't see the flash of anger and pain that crossed his face. He knew the migraines were his fault. Finding out he came back was just the added stress Buffy didn't need. He continued to massage her shoulders slowly working his way down her back. There was nothing sensual about it. Although they were both hyper aware of each other neither wanted to take it past this calm exchange of comfort between them.

"I still see them." Buffy broke in after several minutes of silence; Spike didn't have to ask who. He just let the grief laced words pour from Buffy's mouth, "all the girls, Amanda, Chloe, Molly, Anya, all of them. Some of them I wouldn't be able to remember their names if it wasn't written down. What kind of leader does that? And now with this? What if they want Faith as a leader again? What if their right this time? I don't think I can handle that Spike. I think about it, Sunnydale, the First, the girls all of it all the time. And they enter my dreams to Spike. Asking me why couldn't I save them. I can't answer them Spike. I don't know how."

Spikes hands stopped. He turned Buffy to face him. "Stop it," he said, "you know as well as I do there wasn't one thing you could have done for those girls that you didn't do. Some people are meant to be leaders, you're one of them. Faith isn't. She's the middle man. The one who might see things you don't always see 'cuz she has a different view point. But in the end it's your call. These girls all know it and so do hers. It won't be like last time luv."

"How can you be so sure?" Buffy asked, her eyes pleading for reassurance that she couldn't ask for.

"Well for one thing I don't plan on dying again. Now what do you say about something to eat? I'm feeling peckish."

Buffy stared at him in confusion at the sudden topic change. "Food luv, you look half starved. The girls are free for the rest of today and tomorrow. Their save tonight. Let's go and grab some fish and chips at the corner."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks for trying to distract me Spike but I have to call Faith. We have to figure out how to get all of her girls here and quick."

"If you say so pet. I best be going and 'elping the wanker with that weapons report you wanted."

Buffy looked up to glare at Spike for a moment. "Don't get me wrong I like the man, wanker just seems apporpiate for him. After all what else would I call him?" he amended.

"How about Xander like the rest of us?" Buffy asked

"Now where is the fun in that Slayer?" he asked as he exited the office.

Buffy chuckled to herself as she reached for the phone to dial Faiths personal number. After a few rings Buffy heard the other original slayers voice.

"Hey B."

"Hey Faith how are thing on your side of the ocean?"

"You know B, five by five over here, what about you?"

"Not so good…" Buffy explained the new threat to the girls.

"Damn it B. What we gonna do?"

"I don't know Faith. But we need everyone here. When can you get on a plane with all the girls?"

"How long does it take to drive to the airport?" Faith quipped.

"Giles and I will make the flight arrangements. Can you handle it with the girl's mothers?"

"Yeah. Robin will start calling when we hang up."

"Good. See you soon."

"Yeah, you know what B. It'll be nice to have a little family reunion."

Hanging up the phone Buffy smiled at Faiths term family reunion. She didn't know how right she was. For the Scoobies, Faith, Robin and even some of the girls their rag-tag group of misfits was the closest thing to family they had. And Buffy would be damned if she lost it.

Pulling out the list of numbers for all of the placed girls she started to dial each of the one hundred numbers listed.

"Hey Amy, it's Buffy. How are you? Now don't panic I'm just calling to give a heads up…."