LONDON, ENGLAND 29 APRIL 1897-

The thrumming of her heart boomed in her ears. It was so loud, almost loud enough to drown out that horrible growl, but it still wasn’t enough.

And, his eyes are like small, deadly flames in the dark. She hoped she could do as he had told her, and stay still, but as she hid in her secret place beneath the floor, hoping the darkness would hide her, she could hear her Mother’s screams and her Father’s pleas for mercy. The more he pleaded, the more the monster laughed.

Rachel heard his heavy footsteps above her head, and the voice of her brother’s spirit came to her again. William had told her to hide, and she wanted to do as he said, but the monster seemed to be inside her, it seemed to know her.

And, his eyes, his terrible eyes, they followed her.

She had tried to be quiet, but her heart was so loud. Would that monster hear it?

It was suddenly quiet, and she shut her eyes tight. * Go away! Please, go away! Leave us alone! Please! *

There was a tearing noise above her head, and then his voice again, “Well, what have we here?”

Rachel looked up. His eyes glowed in the dark. They were like candles. He reached down and touched her face with his icy hand, and she drew back away from him. She tried to scream, but no sound came…
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Rachel awoke to the dark, and for an instant, as her heart beat rapidly and she gasped for breath as she sat up, she felt like that little girl again.

But, she was no longer that frightened little girl. She was a young woman, about to become the only female Watcher on the Council.

She was about to complete her schooling. Schooling a man she had never seen, was generous enough to provide, and she was conflicted, and tormented by memories that seemed to both confirm and refute what she had been taught. There had to be a way to reconcile the frightened girl she had been with what she learned from the people that had taken care of her, and allowed her to be alive, when she knew she should not be.

Rachel left her bed and stood near the window of her room in the Council Home. It was a clear, warm night, but she was cold.

Her childhood had been ruined by a vampire- by Angelus. She may not have known what it was that had killed her parents, she had been too young to know, but the Council knew him well, and now, as she stared out into the garden in front of the place she had called home since she was a child, she wished she could go back to that childish ignorance.

Angelus was a monster. He had taken her innocence from her, and made it difficult, if not impossible, for her to marry, and leave this place.

She wasn’t simple; she knew that her education was only being permitted because without it, she could not hope to survive in society. Without it, there were very few options for her. It was not an ideal life, but it was a life.

It was a life that should not have been hers. Why had he left her alive? She knew, now, that he did not leave his victims alive, except to torture them, and living was a torture for her. Angelus had taken everything from her. He’d taken her parents, and she had lost her dearest brother to his insane progeny, she knew now, a brother she still saw, in her weaker moments in the night. And, he had taken any hope of security from her.

Why had she been allowed to live?

A flash of light and movement in the garden below, drew her eye, and she gasped, “William?” her hands shook as she struggled to open the window, and her heart lodged in her throat as the phantom stopped, and turned to look up at her window.

The sight of him made her weep. It was he, it was William staring up at her, and he had not changed from what she remembered of him as a little girl. His eyes were still so sad, as though he wished he could be with her.

The warm spring breeze blew lightly into her window, and seemed to speak in his voice, “I love you, Rachel,” it whispered, “Remember the good that was within me. Please?”
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As he led Dawn away from the staircase, he was met by Althenea, “Giles,” her tone was clipped and cold, “A word with you please?”

Her gaze was hard, and he could tell that the conversation that she wished to have with him was not one that would be pleasant. He nodded slightly as he gave Dawn’s shoulders an affectionate squeeze as she leaned into his side, “Dawn, I’m quite sure that you are capable of finding Panya on your own,” he looked again at Althenea’s dower expression, and fought the urge to wince, “It seems I’m needed here. Stories will have to wait for a little while.”

“Okay. See you later?” she asked, as she walked down the hall.

“Yes,” he assured her.

Rupert watched Dawn walk away and turned to Althenea, his head tilted as his eyes narrowed, “What is it?”

“By this time tomorrow, all of you must leave this place.”

Giles blinked, and frowned, “May I ask why you insist we do so? Why the urgency?”

Her breath huffed incredulously, “Need I remind you that you have brought a vampire, of the worst recorded linage, into this house, a house that has served as a sanctuary for generations? Why, your own Grandmother was raised in this house for a time. You have put us all in danger. I must ask that you leave, as soon as possible.”

“And are you aware,” Giles’s voice was low and measured, hiding his true fury, “that that ‘threat’ to your safety, saved this house, and everyone within its walls, last night?”

“Rupert,” her voice was strident, and her hazel eyes flashed toward the staircase, “How could you be so blind? That is a creature. A vampire…”

“Spike,” he interrupted, “has saved this sorry world more times than you will ever know. I would even venture to say that he has saved the Slayer’s life, as well as mine, Willow’s, and yours as well…” his tone was quiet, but his gaze was blazing as he stared at her, “…woman.”

Althenea blanched, “Rupert,” she hissed, “That is a vampire! A killer! You can’t possibly think that it is capable of doing anything else! Honestly,” she threw her hands up in a gesture of surrender, “your entire family seems to be preoccupied with this fantasy…” she shook her head in frustration, “…with the idea of redemption. It’s a killer, Rupert! It cannot be redeemed…”

A quiet voice came from down the hall. A voice that shook with sadness, and power, “I’ve killed people too,” Willow said, “And, I have a soul. Does that mean that I can’t be redeemed, Althenea? Because, that’s not what you told me. But, if that’s what you truly believe…Then, why don’t you just kill me, too?” Rupert was heartened to see Willow’s eyes shining with the need for knowledge again; he hadn’t failed her. The spark was still there, “That is what you want us to do to Spike, isn’t it? Tell me, I want to know.”