10Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. The Buffy characters and ideas belong to Joss Whedon. I am only borrowing them, albeit without asking, for my own entertainment, and I hope I entertain others with the stories I weave as well. Cassidy does belong to me, but you're welcome to borrow her. Just credit me in the disclaimer, and all will be well.
Half and Half—Chapter 3
"What do you mean, 'again'?" repeated Spike after Cassidy had been silent for a couple of moments. "Cassidy, it's no use lying to me, because I'll find out eventually."
"I met her on patrol last night," Buffy replied for Cassidy. The younger-looking girl glared at the Slayer, and Spike glared at Cassidy.
"Why didn't you tell me you met the Slayer last night?" he asked, his voice a low growl.
"I wanted to avoid something like this," Cassidy replied, shifting her glare to Spike. "You'd flip out on me, that's why I didn't say anything."
"Oh leave her alone, Spike, you should remember what it's like to be a teenager," said Buffy, standing up for Cassidy.
"I'm old enough to be your grandmother, girlie," Cassidy growled, glaring at Buffy. The blonde Slayer was taken aback, and Cassidy instantly felt bad. However, she had more important things to do, and she could apologize later.
"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" exclaimed Spike. Cassidy rolled her eyes.
"Oh yes, of course," she said. "Daddy's precious girlfriend. Excuse me while I go and go kick something." Cassidy turned and went in the opposite direction. Spike went to follow her, but Buffy held him back.
"Let her go," she said softly. "She needs her space, and she'll talk to you later."
"I'm this close," Spike held his index finger and thumb a half centimeter apart, "to staking her. Why she had to stop aging at the age of sixteen, I'll never know."
"She's affected by stakes?" asked Buffy, arching an eyebrow.
"No clue," replied Spike with a grimace. "And I don't think she's too keen to find out, either. I'm not fond of that prospect, now that you mention it."
"So, how have you been, besides dealing with a crazy teenaged girl?" asked Buffy.
"Dead and hating it," Spike replied with a shrug. "Then I found out I was a father, and I came here."
"Well, it looks like you're getting along great," said Buffy. Spike just rolled his eyes.
"Oh yeah, just peachy," he said sarcastically. "I'm moments from staking my own daughter. That's just the way to make a good impression."
"How did you know she was yours?" asked Buffy. "I mean, how did you find out you had a kid?"
"The poof told me," Spike replied with a shrug. "You know, Angel. Apparently she went to L.A. trying to find me, and she ended up finding him. When she didn't get what she wanted, she left. I got there a couple of weeks later, and he told me that she had been there."
"And how did she know you were her father?" asked Buffy. They had begun walking side by side down the path, the soft breeze raking over them.
"Truthfully, I have no idea," Spike replied. "It was so long ago that I don't remember all of the stuff that happened the night Cassidy was made. But I really don't want to talk about that right now. How are Dawn and everyone else?"
"Alive, thanks to you," Buffy replied with an appreciative smile. "Well, Anya died protecting Andrew from a bunch of the uber-vamps. They're gonna flip when they find out you're alive, though!"
"Look, Buffy, I don't want them to know," said Spike. "I mean, you can tell them if you want, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't. I…I just need a little bit more time, that's all."
"Understandable," Buffy conceded. "But you're going to have to tell them soon."
"Oh really?" asked Spike. "And why is that?"
"Because I kind of sort of already told them I ran into Cassidy," said Buffy, looking sheepish. Spike rolled his eyes.
"How could I have forgotten?" he asked. "You always tell your little Scooby gang of everyone you see. Now she's really going to get it because she let herself be seen. I told her to stay in!"
"Do you really think a teenage girl is going to listen to her father?" asked Buffy. "Especially a father who didn't know she existed until a couple of months ago?"
"Good point…but she still should have listened," said Spike.
"You have a lot to learn, Spike," remarked Buffy with a grin. "Now, where are you staying?"
Cassidy was fuming. Not because she had met Buffy again on her walk or because the Slayer had stood up for her, but because of the way Spike had acted. He had absolutely no right to treat her like a child; he hadn't even known she was alive until a couple of months ago! Then he came blazing into town with his moped and his bad ass attitude and he promptly began bossing her around. She had been just fine without him around, and wouldn't miss him at all if he suddenly up and left.
Well, that was her story, and she was sticking to it. No matter how much the little voice in her head was screaming, 'LIAR! LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE!'
She kicked the side of the stone coffin in the middle of the room, and instantly regretted it as her toes broke.
"Son of a…" she muttered, letting off a string of rather colorful curse words. Spending some time in the Ireland had been good for her, she supposed. She could probably out-swear almost anyone, in any case.
She remembered going to see Angel in Los Angeles; she had thought he would be able to help because he was one of the oldest existing vampires in the United States, and he had traveled most of the world before settling down in California. If he couldn't help her, then she was sure that no one could.
Flashback
Cassidy knocked on the office door, hoping it was the right one. She heard someone moving on the other side of the door, and within a couple of moments it was flung open to reveal a rather tall, 'dark-and-mysterious' type. Angel.
"Umm, hi," said Cassidy, feeling rather short. She was about five-foot-three, and Angel was much taller than her. "I was wondering if you could help me."
"Well, that depends," said Angel. "What's your name?"
"Cassidy," Cassidy replied.
"Cassidy what?" asked Angel, finding that this girl was a little peculiar.
"Just Cassidy. I don't have a last name," Cassidy replied. "Can I come in?" Angel nodded before stepping aside and Cassidy timidly entered the office. She jumped slightly when the door clicked shut, and Angel seemed amused.
"A little jumpy, aren't you?" he asked as he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Cassidy gingerly sat in the chair, appearing ready to bolt at any minute. "I don't bite, you know."
"I'm fully aware of that," Cassidy snapped. She instantly regretted it. "Sorry. I'm a little on edge, and when that happens I get a little snappy."
"Understandable," said Angel. He felt a sort of connection to her, kind of like the connection she felt with Darla, Dru and Spike, only not as strong. "So, what can I do for you?"
"As I said, I was wondering if you could help me," Cassidy said. "I'm kind of lost."
"There's a gas station down the street," Angel pointed out. Cassidy shook her head.
"I'm not lost as in direction-lost," she clarified. "More like, lost as in I don't know who or what I am. I was born, like a regular mortal, but I'm…not." Her face morphed into her demonic appearance before changing back to her usual pixie-like face. "I was born this way, and I really hoped you could help me." She tried to look as pitiful as possible, in the hope that he would help her. "If it helps, I was born about a hundred and fifty years ago, and I stopped aging on my sixteenth birthday. I need both blood and regular food to survive, I can go out in the sun but not for prolonged periods of time and my mother was a whore who worked in a brothel in London before she got knocked up."
The 'whore in London' part got his attention. About a hundred and fifty years ago, he, Darla, Dru and Spike were in London. Dru and Spike had gotten into a fight and Spike had gone to get some release. Afterwards, Spike was bragging about his night out and he mentioned a name. To this day, Angel remembered the name: Lily Fira.
"What was your mother's name?" Angel asked.
"Lily something-or-other," Cassidy replied. "They told me it at the work house, but I don't remember it. I think it was something like Fire."
"Fira?" suggested Angel."
"Yeah, that's it! I remember now, I just needed someone to repeat it," Cassidy said. "So…can you help me?"
"As a matter of fact, I can," said Angel. Cassidy smiled brightly. "Your father is one of the most annoying vampires I know. His name was Spike, getting his name because he tortured his victims with railroad spikes before killing them."
"I know how he got his nickname," Cassidy said. "How can I find him?" Angel seemed like he was having difficulty saying what he had to say next.
"I'm afraid he's dead," he said. Cassidy's face fell. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" she asked. "I never met the guy. But thanks for everything; I can see myself out."
Without another word, Cassidy left the office without a backward glance.
End Flashback
Spike chose that moment to walk into the crypt, seemingly in a good mood. Cassidy studiously ignored him, choosing to stare at the wall.
"Still mad at me, are you?" he asked. "Well, I understand."
That surprised her. She turned around to see her father standing in the middle of the room. "What are you on about?"
"Buffy and I had a little chat about you, and she pointed things out to me that I hadn't seen before," Spike said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.
"I think that's about as close to an apology as I'm going to get out of you," Cassidy remarked. "Unless, of course, you want to actually say the words?"
"Not on your life, Cassie."
"I didn't think so."
aaa
Well, here's chapter 3, folks. The only part I'm really nervous about is the flashback with Angel. I have seen maybe five minutes of the Angel TV show, and that was after Spike had come back from the dead and Willow was in South America or something like that. In any case, I really hoped you all liked it, and I'd appreciate a review.
