CH.42

They headed to the house and told Buffy of their findings, no surprises there when Buffy told them. "I have to slay Anya. She's gone to far this time."

She left with Xander arguing and a sword. Willow went upstairs and brought down a talisman of D'Hoffryn."We're going to make a call and ask him to turn her back into a human."

Ryan sighed."So be it, but if he offers to turn you into a vengeance demon, then he's going to be too busy screaming in agony."

A short chant later and D'Hoffryn showed up in a showy entrance."Oh, Miss Rosenberg, it's just you!"

Willow shook her head." It's Mrs.Titan now!"

D'Hoffryn looked at her for a moment then to the very large and powerful being behind her and bowing. "So it is, what can I do for one such as you, my lord?"

Ryan raised an eyebrow then pointed to Willow who told him."Turn Anya back into human."

D'Hoffryn frowned for a moment then nodded." Might I suggest we ask her what she wants first?"

Ryan announced. "I don't particularly care what the end is so long as Willows happy, but you're undoing her last spell whether she agrees or not. Now let's go see what's happening."

He snapped his fingers and they all appeared in the massacre building. Anya pulled a sword out of herself and swung it around. D'Hoffryn interrupted their fight telling Anya and Buffy to back off.

He went on to explain that he heard about everyone else's side but hers. " So, Anyanka, what is it that you want?"

Anya whispered." Take it back."

D'Hoffryn demanded." Speak up."

Anya told him." I want to take back the last vengeance spell I cast."

D'Hoffryn frowned. "Such a thing is not easily done, there must be twelve souls in there. To bring them back, I'd need to sacrifice something powerful. Like the life and soul of a vengeance demon."

Anya agreed without hesitation ." I agree, do it!"

D'Hoffryn looked back to Ryan, Willow and Tara then turned to Anya and sighed. "So be it."

He snapped his fingers and a demon woman showed up. With a wave, she caught fire and died. Anya told him."You were supposed to kill me!"

D'Hoffryn scoffed. "I'm D'Hoffryn, lord of vengeance demons, I have plenty more where she came from, let this be a lesson for you. I never said it was your life I would take, but you'll get yours soon enough. Your no longer a vengeance demon, and never will be again. Remember this from beneath you it devours."

With that, he vanished in a smoky whirlwind. They headed back home, leaving Xander with Anya. Buffy calmed down after she understood what Anya tried to do. She was the slayer and she was the one who had to make the hard choices in the end, she just hoped Xander would understand. She explained to Ryan, Willow and Tara. "I had to go after her, right or wrong, in the end, it's me that has to make these decisions."

Tara nodded." We understand and know how your feeling, we have the power to destroy worlds and we have to make a conscious decision each day not to proclaim ourselves as gods or worse break the balance of nature. We do know the feeling Buffy."

Buffy looked at them for a moment. "How do you do it? How do you live with the responsibility and choices you make when anyone could destroy everything."

Ryan answered." We follow the same things you do. We accept it and make the decision not to at every turning point. We help where we can and live with the results. You, on the other hand, need to stop doing that and be more of a general. You are supposed to be our leader and make these hard decisions for us, I know it's hard but in the end, like you said, you're the slayer. And while it has little meaning to us in general as your friends and war companions it means more of who you are and your position as our leader."

Buffy's face hardened in understanding, she had made her decision and now it was time to live with it. They went to bed early that night, everyone was mentally exhausted so they turned in.

Xander came by the next day and apologized to Buffy for blaming her. "I understand that it's not your fault that your job sucks. I know that if any of us went truly evil, in the end, it would fall to you to take us down. My feelings were clouding my judgment and for that I'm sorry."

Buffy smiles sadly." And I'm sorry that I went after Anya despite your feelings. It sucks but I'd have to do it again if it ever happened."

Xander sighed." For that, I'm both grateful and sorry as well."

Willow made them do a group hug. "Come on, group hug, and Xander no funny business. I'm pregnant and starting to get cranky."

After the group hug, everything returned to the usual daily routines, Buffy went work with Dawn. Willow and Tara went to college and Ryan continued to make baby stuff. Thinking ahead, he began working on turning a hot tube into a birthing chamber.

One day Buffy and Dawn came home acting weird, well weirder than usual. Willow and Tara went with Anya to figure out what was wrong. They came back arguing."He needs me!"

Anya told her." Willow your mostly into women and your married, not to mention pregnant."

Tara smiles."She's right! You were pregnant and married, so we can get abortions and share him! That will prove our devotion to him!"

When Ryan heard this he walked over to all three women and knocked them out. He carried them to soft beds then he read their minds. Through them he felt the effect of a magical object, getting pissed now he broke its hold over them and they woke up.

Willow was holding her head." What happened?"

Ryan snorted." You didn't check for magical objects and let it whammy you! You were talking about aborting our children and sharing a teenage boy!"

Willow and Tara went very pale and held their stomachs. Tears of worry were spilling from their eyes. They had come close to killing their babies. Ryan went on." I stopped you before you could but I may not be there next time. You must be careful, even I have to check for magical objects. You have the power to negate and stop its effects but you have to make a conscious effort. I don't know what I'd do if something like that would've played out. I-I just can't lose you four."

They held him and understood how bad they messed up. After a long time, Anya interrupted. "We need to find Buffy and Dawn. They need to be stopped! They're under its spell still."

Xander found Buffy and talked her down from killing principle Wood. Then Buffy found Dawn and stopped her from committing suicide by train. Back at the house Spike and Xander were trying on the magical jacket they stole from the kid.

When it didn't fit them they turned to see Ryan, who snorted."I don't need a toy like that to find women, like you two. Just FYI, if it had fit you, you would've joined it in the fire. Now toss it in."

Spoke wanted to say something but stopped dead when he saw Ryan wasn't kidding, he really would've lit them on fire. Sweating profusely now, Spike tossed the jacket into the fireplace and lit a match.

Willow and Tara yelled downstairs."Is it done?"

Ryan yelled back." It's burning, you can come down now."

Spike asked."What's that all about? It's not like this could affect them anyway."

Ryan snorted." If we're not careful or we let it, magic does affect us. Though I doubt it could kill us, it can make us kill ourselves, or more to the point our unborn children. They weren't careful and almost aborted them to prove themselves to the old jacket's owner. I stopped them in time but we're just being cautious for lingering spell affects."

Spike took a deep breath, realizing now why he was willing to burn friends alive. "Bugger that, you have anything to drink?"

Ryan nodded." I made some special blood drinks I'd like you to try. I'm thinking of opening a bar somewhere and settling down for a while after the kids are born. Tara and Willow can finish college and I'll take care of the kids while they study. When they're ready to open up a business practice or join me in running a bar I think it'll be time to settle in a permanent home. At least until the kids are raised and doing their own things."

Spike and everyone, in general, was surprised at his new admission. Ryan smirked at their shocked faces. "What? It's not immediate anyway, there's still this beneath us crap we have to deal with and an old enemy of mine, whoever that is. I didn't really leave a lot of enemies in my wake. Not many that survived long anyway. After this is dealt with, I was thinking of putting a permanent seal over the Hellmouth and moving us to LA or maybe travel abroad to find a decent place. At least anywhere else I won't have to worry about dumb jackets."

Willow went to speak but was stopped by a finger on her lips. Ryan continued. "It's just a thought for now, think on it and discuss. If nothing else we now have a private island in the Bahamas. I remember how both of you liked it there."

He walked out of the living room to get drinks. Tara spoke when he left. "I think the jacket incident truly scared him to his core. For so long he's been alone and now that he has us he panicked when he found himself in the position to lose us all over again, I just wish there was a way to reassure him that he won't lose us."

Spike shook his head. "Bugger that, he's not wrong, if something did happen to you lot, he would probably kill the survivors out of spite that we didn't die in your places. I don't know if you recognize the look in his eyes, but it's not fear, it's pure madness. He's on edge and if he slips even a little I doubt there's any stopping him."

Everyone took in Spikes words with worry of their own building up. Ryan returned a little later with drinks. He gave Willow and Tara vitamin fruit drinks he made by hand, Buffy and Xander had Corona. Spike had a spiced blood beverage that he made with tequila. Ryan was sipping on a mixed drink with no label and Dawn had a glass of milk.

Dawn whined. "How come I can't have what you guys are having?"

Spike reached out to hand her his. Dawn backed down."No thanks! I was hoping for something less bloody."

Ryan sighed." I'd offer you mine but it would kill you with a sip. Willow and Tara need there's and you'll have to talk to Buffy for anything else."

Spike was interested in something now. "Really? A drink that's strong enough to kill mortals with a sip. Must be mighty fine indeed, can I get one?"

Ryan handed him his glass. "One sip Spike, it's powerful enough to drop an old one with a glass so be careful."

Spike grabbed it and took a sip. Not feeling anything he tried to take another until he realized why he didn't feel anything. His entire body was numb and his brain was going foggy! Ryan saw his reaction and quickly grabbed his drink back. Spike fell back on the couch and passed out.

Xander went to say something but stopped when Ryan offered him the glass. Shaking a little he sat back and enjoyed his beer. Ryan look at the occupants then downed the glass.

Buffy asked." Isn't that dangerous? If it can do that to spike and a glass can down an old one?"

Ryan snorted." I had three before I walked back in here. The only reason I was even remotely drunk on alcohol before was because I kept dissipating my power. Don't worry too much. I can drink a keg of this stuff and only get a little buzz."

Buffy was curious now." Can I try a sip?"

Ryan shrugged." I don't see why not. Your mortal but you have an immortals tolerance, I'll have to watch you just in case."

He went back into the kitchen to get more. He came back stumbling a little, glass in hand five minutes later. "That's the last of it, so, be careful."

Dawn asked."What's it called?"

Ryan tilted his head to the side. "Well, it's been called many names, demons blood, liquid evil, the elixir of life, but my personal favorite was Ambrosia. The name of its creator."

Willow and Tara's eyes lit up at this, they recognized the name. Willow commented. "So that's why you want to open a bar, your mother was a bartender or something."

Ryan smiled. "She was a distiller and innovator for many drinks and a few experimental explosives, but the last one was usually my part."

Ryan watched Buffy."So, are you going to try it or become its guardian?"

Buffy blushed then took a small sip. Ryan leaned forward and grabbed the glass, Buffy fell back into her seat for a minute. After a few moments, she was awake again. "Huh, it seems you have a higher tolerance then Spike."

Xander couldn't help himself after that, he started laughing. Ryan watched him and when he stopped Ryan offered him the glass one last time. Xander backed into his seat with a smile still on his face. "It's not that I have a death wish it's that it's kinda funny that Buffy went all three thousand BC, and she can still out drink Spike."

Everyone chuckled at that, except Spike, who let out a moan. Ryan laughed. "Look at that, I think he heard you, or else he recognized your voice anyway."

Ryan smiled when he noticed Dawn had swiped Buffy's beer. Shaking his head he downed the last of his ambrosia. Seeing Spike wasn't going anywhere, he carried him to the basement and put him on the cot he had for himself down there. He would work on baby stuff into the night so he usually stayed down there to not wake up Tara and Willow.

After dropping off spike he put Buffy to bed then the girls. They had college tomorrow so he didn't want to disturb their sleep cycle. After they were sound asleep he went to make sure Dawn didn't swipe anything dangerous. He found Xander and Dawn in the living room talking about how hard it was to be normal in a supernatural world.

Sighing, he walked in and sat down across from them. "Neither of you are normal even by supernatural standards. You just don't know how to use what you have."

Xander looked at him like he was stupid. "I don't know if you can tell or not but I'm completely human. And while Dawns the key she can't exactly do anything with it."

Ryan snorted. "Even humans can use what you call magic. Xander, you've been possessed before by a primal spirit. That leaves a mark, a door if you will. All you need to do is learn how to open it. I don't really have the time to teach you but if you're willing and determined to go that route I can easily find you a teacher."

Ryan looked at Dawn. " Out of everyone here, you are by far better off."

Dawn looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Ryan sat back and explained. "You have a slayers DNA and house the life force of a friend of mine. You could potentially beat Willow and Tara in magical strength before our wedding and beat Buffy in physical strength even now."

Dawn and Xander looked amazed. They were wallowing in misery before and now their being told they could do so much more. When they thought he would go on he surprised them yet again.

"Go to bed and sleep on it the changes I'm talking about are permanent and life-changing. It's not something to be taken lightly."

He turned to Xander. "The couch is yours, I've got to go somewhere right now. If I'm not back by morning, tell them to call me."

With that, he teleported to a certain bar in LA.