CH.43

What he found royally pissed him off. Lorne had neglected to tell him the bar was blown up! He reached out with his senses searching for the spell he used to ward Lorne for harm and found it missing. -What the hell happened!-

He reached through time and space next searching for Lorne's biosignature and felt him in Los Vegas. He teleported to his location and arrived in a dressing room where Lorne was working. "What the hell happened Lorne?"

The green couple turned to him as one spoke. "Oh thank God I'm saved! Not that you weren't about to save me sweety, but the big guns just arrived."

Ryan was confused and pissed off. "What the literal hell happened after my wedding?"

Lorne took a deep breath. "So, my bar blew up before the wedding, I didn't want to ruin your big day with the news. Anyway, the wards you put on me lasted until I got to Vagas where I was hired at first to sing here. The owner of this hell hole was once a small-time magician, that is, one of those fake magic users. Until he got his hands on a real magical object, an orb that takes people's destinies away. He's been using it on customers using a roulette wheel and he forces me to have people sing and tell him, people's destinies. Now Angel and his crew just got here, this is Fred FYI, Gunn is outside. Apparently, after we got back, Cordelia turned to a lightbulb and became a PTB. Wesley betrayed Angel earlier this year but they've been talking lately after he and Connor, his son, by the way, got back from Quar'both. Basically, after your wedding, everything went to hell and a handbasket."

Ryan stared at them, where is Lyndsey and Faith?"

Fred answered." Their back in LA making sure the demon-hunting gangs aren't killed off in our absence."

Sighing he told them." Walk me to this mystical ball. Don't worry nothing will touch you."

They led him outside the room, all the guards they encountered were dropped in hell dimensions along the way, Gunn joined them outside the room and led the way. It was a brisk walk, but when they arrived at the monitoring room he waved his hand and destroyed the glowing ball.

He then dropped every evil employee in the casino into Pylea, except the boss. He was sent directly to Quar'toth. They found Angel at the slot machines and left the hell hole as Lorne put it. He opened a portal and sent them home, car and all. When they got back to LA, they found Cordelia standing in the Lobby.

Angel asked."Cordelia?"

Cordelia looked confused. "I don't remember who I am."

Ryan looked on and shook his head, this wasn't his problem right now. He turned to Lorne."You got any good top shelf here?"

Lorne shook his head."It's been a while since I was here, I honestly haven't a clue, but I'll definitely look."

Ryan left them to there stuff and went to Lyndsey's room, he knocked once and waited. A few seconds later Lyndsey and Faith came out. Ryan told him."Pack your stuff, as of now your heading back to Sunnydale. I believe it's now your turn to take a disciple, don't give me that look, think of it as experience gathering for when you start to teach my kid."

Lyndsey had a sour look on his face, Faith, on the other hand, was looking chipper. That is until she heard his next sentence. "I don't know why you're happy, you're staying here. I still need you to watch and keep an eye on these idiots, they couldn't even handle a stray trinket. You'll know when it's time to head back to the Hellmouth, I think.w

He headed to the lounge area, Lorne was searching it for any leftover booze. Seeing that there was none, he left. When Lyndsey was ready, he made a portal to the house. Stepping through, he told Lyndsey to set up in the back yard and to start the process later today.

With that, he headed to his wives bedroom to see if they were awake yet, finding them still asleep he looked at the alarm clock and noted they had ten minutes to wake up. Smiling he decided to wake them up with a good morning, he created a clone and started the fun.

A few seconds later loud moans were sounding out in the room. Both women had their legs wrapped around him and his clone's head. When they finished their good morning orgasms, he told them."Get dressed and come down for breakfast, I've already eaten."

They blushed and smacked his arm. He went downstairs and made breakfast and a bagged lunch for everyone. When they all woke and arrived, they discovered that he'd been very busy.

When Xander sat down at the counter, Ryan smiled. "Your answer?"

Xander let out a haggard breath. "I want to learn if I can do more then I have to."

Nodding, Ryan pointed to the back yard. "Your teacher is outside, remember that it is a sacred bond. Finish your breakfast and head out."

He turned to Dawn for a minute, then turned to Buffy. "We need to talk later tonight, it's important."

Buffy looked tired and hungover, he gave her a high vitamin fruit drink that he usually makes his wives. "Drink, you'll need it to get through the day, I'm sure."

Spike came up a bit later. Ryan took one look at his pale hungover appearance and asked. "So, how was your first time drinking my blood?"

Buffy looked pissed. "That was blood? That was YOUR blood?"

Ryan smirked. "No, but now you don't look so sickly, feel better?"

Buffy grumbled and hit his arm. "Don't joke about crap like that."

Ryan chuckled at Spikes screwed up face. "I bet I know what your thinking!"

Spike countered. "I bet you bloody well don't!"

Ryan grabbed a clean mug and tore a hole in his wrist and bled into the cup. When it was full he let his natural healing take over. He handed tie-up to Spike. "Go ahead and try it, I'm curious to see the results."

Spike grabbed the cup and sniffed. Finding it smelled intoxicating he took a sip. That was all it took for him to down it like he was starving. When he finished it, he looked at Ryan's throat as if he was debating something.

Seeing this Ryan snorted. "You'd die screaming."

Spike looked at Willow and Tara next. Ryan threatened him."Try it and you won't die screaming. You would spend the rest of eternity in the worst condition I can put you in without dusting you."

Everyone shivered and looked to Spike sympathetically. He sat down at the counter, clearly agitated. "I'm not sure I could without the bloody chip activating anyway."

Ryan was in a good mood so he grabbed the cup again. After refilling it, he gave Spike a long stare. "Your last glass, I won't be giving you any more after this. What do you feel, right now?"

Spike swore."Bloody hell, it feels like my bodies on fire right now and I could go ten rounds with that Glory bent."

Ryan reached out a hand."Squeeze my hand as hard as possible. I want to test your strength."

Spike grabbed his hand and squeezed all he was worth. Taking the measure he squeezed back a little letting him know to let go. He gave Spike the cup and turned to Buffy, offering his hand.

She took it without hesitation and squeezed her all. Ryan smirked. "Right now he could kill you with a single blow, he's about as strong as a weak old one. After he finishes this cup, we'll try again."

Buffy went pale, Ryan saw this and chuckled. "Don't be scared, it's only temporary. After we're done here I'll give him a temporary daylight ring and put him through the mill until it runs out. I can't have an insane vampire running around with the strength of an old one."

Xander left outside not long after Spike's first cup and now he was kneeling in front of Lyndsey. Ryan motioned for the girls to look at the back yard.

When they saw they each had differing reactions of surprise. Willow and Tara were happy at his decision, Buffy was confused, Dawn was envious, and spike laughed his ass off. Ryan reached over and smacked the back of Spike's head hard enough to shut him up. Spike looked at him and saw the head shake.

He made a portal for Buffy and Dawn saying. "Tonight, talk, important. Oh, and take your lunches."

He passed the brown bags with their lunches in them. He turned to Willow an Tara." I love you both, I'll see you when you get out of class."

They gave him kisses the teleported to college. He turned to Spike tossing a ring a grinning. The next few hours were the most brutal experience of Spike's existence. By the time he was done with the beating, Spike looked like he went one hundred straight rounds with the troll hammer to the head.

They had to head into the desert for structural damages. When they left the desert it looked like a meteor shower had bombarded it.

Smiling and feeling relaxed after the workout, he helped Spike in the basement and took the ring back, he destroyed it before it could become a potential problem and went to visit Tara and Willow.

He found them studying in the library, walking to over he sat down across from them. "So, how was class?"

Tara smiled. "It's not as interesting when we know the answers, we were just talking about early graduation and degrees that we want."

Ryan asked. "College is a valuable experience in itself, are you sure you want to graduate early?"

Willow nodded. "We already know the stuff, we can take vacations whenever we like and I really want to spend more time on us!"

Ryan looked thoughtful. "In the end, I'd just like you to be happy, I don't care where we do it. So long as it's what you want."

Both girls smiled, they packed up their belongings and headed to the dean's office to settle their graduation and degrees they went to test and write the thesis's on. After a short explanation about their current circumstances and a rather large donation, they were told to come back by the end of the week for tests.

They stopped by the house to change, then went to the bronze. Lyndsey and Xander would be at it for a few days if not longer, so they brought Anya out with them. The girls were happily chatting about baby stuff and occasionally asking him about names he liked.

They spent the evening in small talk and an occasional song from Ryan, it was nice. He looked at them and thanked his lucky stars the vampire had called his name. Eventually, night set in and they headed home. When they arrived at the house they noticed the messy and destroyed house.

They ran inside to find, Buffy Dawn, Xander and a very pissed off Lyndsey. "What happened?"

Lyndsey reported in a harsh voice. "Some kind of spirit tried to pretend to be Joyce and when I heard the girls crying I came inside and found this disaster area. It somehow blocked my perception of the house until Dawn screamed. It said something ominous, like beneath and swallowing."

Xander told them. "It said, from beneath you it devours. It's a warning we've been getting a lot of lately."

Dawn asked. "How do we know it wasn't really mom? She spoke to me!"

Ryan shook his head. "No matter how strong a soul is, if it passes on, then there is no coming back without severe repercussions. There is no chance Joyce's soul came back."

Everyone looked solemn, Xander asked. "Since we know it wasn't Joyce then it was some kind of entity that can make itself look like her and that's not a plus."

Ryan turned to Lyndsey."Have you seen Spike? I want to know if he ran across something like this before. He practically lives in the worst concentrated spot of evil."

Lyndsey shook his head. "He left as soon as dark hit, muttering to himself. If I didn't know he was already crazy I'd think you beat him into insanity."

Ryan shrugged. "Oh well, something for tomorrow I guess continue your lessons, I'll clean up the house. Dinner will be in an hour be cleaned up by then."

Turning to Buffy he told her. "Go get cleaned up and after dinners are done we'll have that talk."

Willow and Tara went upstairs to stow their belongings and get cleaned up, while he simply waved a hand and the house was fixed. He started cooking chicken fried steaks with homemade country gravy, mashed potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits.

After he was done with that he made a nice Cobb salad with Mediterranean dressing. When everything was done he whistled, moments later everyone gathered at the dining table for the evening meal.

He made enough to stuff a couple of slayers and leave leftovers so there was naturally none left- wait his wives seemed to have started eating for two finally. When he noticed this he went to get the dessert, a triple chocolate cherry cheesecake.

Dawn asked. "What's the occasion?"

He smiled and nodded to Willow and Tara. They took the hint and told the group. "We're finishing our college courses this week, we decided it was a waste of time to stay when we already know all the answers. We're graduating this week and getting our degrees."

Buffy asked while stunned. "Why didn't I think of that?"

She turned to Ryan who shook his head. "They did the work, they're just able to read and understand a library in a day now. This is all them, I can't give you that much info without drawbacks, your mind would reject it."

She looked glum now, he smiled a little. "I can give you enough for a single field of study like I did Xander. I can also help you understand what you do learn when you're learning it but like I said, drawbacks beyond that. Dawn is a special case though, her body has a special quality that allows for more wiggle room so on the plus side you'll have one smart sister after her college years."

He sliced the cheesecake and served it to them saying."There's more in the fridge, I may have gone overboard in my excitement at seeing Willow and Tara more often. Let's just say there's more than enough sweets to outlast a slayers appetite."

After everyone finished, he received several compliments on his cooking. He nodded and put it aside, knowing that the real conversations start now. They gathered in the living room and sat down feeling stuffed.

He took a moment and began. "The other day, I found Xander and Dawn discussing their seemingly lack of abilities for a place that everyone else seems to have them. I told them my thoughts and now Xander's made his decision. He will be studying totem magic and calling on primal spirit energy. It won't be hyena insanity but he should be able to fight toe to toe with a slayer in basic skill, he'll need to train though and learn the language of the birds. Now to the reason I had you be present Buffy."

Buffy looked thoughtful. "You want to train Dawn?"

Ryan shook his head, Willow spoke. "We do, she has great potential as a witch and if she ever learned to tap into the key, she would have a level of power that would rival my dark days. Though it won't be evil and it'd be more focused on portal and teleportation instead of flaying people alive."

Tara continued. "The decision is up to you, but it would be both me and Willow teaching her, so you don't have to worry about her doing too much, too soon."

Buffy didn't even hesitate. "Alright."

Ryan told her."Buffy, it's a big decision to make, there are potential consequences. If she is ever able to tap into the key's power, she would probably become immortal."

Dawn looked excited and Buffy looked relieved. "If that's the worst we have to worry about then I'm on board. It'll be nice to not have a heart attack every Tuesday."

Everyone chuckled, knowing the feeling. It seemed she was cursed on Tuesday's. After receiving Buffy's blessings, Ryan continued. "There's something else. When the monks gave her human form, they used your blood. There is a possibility, however slim, that she could be a potential slayer as well."

It was like a bomb went off in the room, Buffy started ranting. "I will not have my little sister become a slayer! Get it out of your head! Slayers always die young!-"

Ryan told her."Buffy calm down! I'm not saying she is one, I'm saying it's a possibility, and something I have no control over."

Dawn said."I think it would be rather cool to be a slayer. We could go on patrol, staking vampires and dating the hot ones!"

Buffy was hyperventilating now. Willow spoke. "You're not helping, Dawn. Besides, the odds aren't in your favor. Buffy and Faith aren't dying anytime soon."

When she heard this Buffy seemed to calm down. After a while, Lyndsey and Xander went back outside, Dawn, Willow, and Tara went upstairs to start her lessons and Buffy went on patrol.

Ryan went to sleep finally after several weeks of constant activity.