Classic Rec: The Blood Series by Nan Dibble
If you haven't had the pleasure, you owe it to yourself to read the late, lamented Nan Dibble's epic Blood Series. It starts up just after the events of Showtime, and goes AU from there. It's a rich, textured look at all the complex relationships in S7 Sunnydale - with a focus on the Spike and Dawn sibling/friendship - as well as a taut, plotty supernatural thriller with cosmic repercussions. Best of all, you'll come to appreciate characters that were never fully fleshed-out on the show. Even (and especially) the Potentials.
Old Blood
While controlled by the First, Spike sired a number of fledgling vampires, something he'd specifically refused to do ever before. Recovered by Buffy from the First, Spike sets out, with Dawn's help, to assassinate those fledges, while assisting Buffy with training the SITs and trying to avoid resuming their destructive sexual patterns of Season 6.
Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike & Dawn, Spike/Buffy, 57000 words.
Blood Kin
Follows from Old Blood. Roving Turok-han are decimating Sunnydale’s vamps. Willing to fight but needing a leader, the vamps fix on an unwilling Spike, who summons Angel-who’s in a position to take over everything Spike cares about-to form a fighting partnership between Sunnydale’s vampires and Buffy and the SITs. Also Dawn returns to her Key state and Spike attempts to recover her.
Sequel to Old Blood, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 140048 words.
The Blood Is the Life
Follows directly from the end of Blood Kin. Now AU. The Hellmouth is shut, the First defeated. Spike, Buffy, Dawn, and the remaining SITs must deal with new challenges--Buffy, about her role as Slayer and partnership with Spike; Spike, about the horrible (to him) prospect of becoming a champion of the PTB and about whether to claim the role of the active Master Vampire of Sunnydale; Dawn, about whether and how to grow up and handle an intense but angsty romance (sort of) with vampire Michael. S/B, Spike-Dawn friendship. Rating R, chiefly for violence and profanity.
Sequel to Blood Kin, Alternate Universe, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 137000 words.
Blood Rites
AU, continues from The Blood Is the Life. As Spike and Buffy try to hold onto their partnership and their love, recently unsouled Spike tries to secure his position as self-proclaimed Master Vampire of Sunnydale...against the wishes of The Powers That Be and the Slayer's ancient mandate. Magic, new arrivals, old friends (and enemies), dreams, visions, e-Bay, tribute blood, and cookies all play a part in the tense give and take between vampire priorities and human necessities.
Sequel to The Blood Is the Life, Alternate Universe, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 190250 words.
All of the above stories are also available at The Crypt, along with 8 chapters of the unfinished fifth chapter in the saga, Blood Price.
Old Blood
While controlled by the First, Spike sired a number of fledgling vampires, something he'd specifically refused to do ever before. Recovered by Buffy from the First, Spike sets out, with Dawn's help, to assassinate those fledges, while assisting Buffy with training the SITs and trying to avoid resuming their destructive sexual patterns of Season 6.
Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike & Dawn, Spike/Buffy, 57000 words.
Blood Kin
Follows from Old Blood. Roving Turok-han are decimating Sunnydale’s vamps. Willing to fight but needing a leader, the vamps fix on an unwilling Spike, who summons Angel-who’s in a position to take over everything Spike cares about-to form a fighting partnership between Sunnydale’s vampires and Buffy and the SITs. Also Dawn returns to her Key state and Spike attempts to recover her.
Sequel to Old Blood, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 140048 words.
The Blood Is the Life
Follows directly from the end of Blood Kin. Now AU. The Hellmouth is shut, the First defeated. Spike, Buffy, Dawn, and the remaining SITs must deal with new challenges--Buffy, about her role as Slayer and partnership with Spike; Spike, about the horrible (to him) prospect of becoming a champion of the PTB and about whether to claim the role of the active Master Vampire of Sunnydale; Dawn, about whether and how to grow up and handle an intense but angsty romance (sort of) with vampire Michael. S/B, Spike-Dawn friendship. Rating R, chiefly for violence and profanity.
Sequel to Blood Kin, Alternate Universe, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 137000 words.
Blood Rites
AU, continues from The Blood Is the Life. As Spike and Buffy try to hold onto their partnership and their love, recently unsouled Spike tries to secure his position as self-proclaimed Master Vampire of Sunnydale...against the wishes of The Powers That Be and the Slayer's ancient mandate. Magic, new arrivals, old friends (and enemies), dreams, visions, e-Bay, tribute blood, and cookies all play a part in the tense give and take between vampire priorities and human necessities.
Sequel to The Blood Is the Life, Alternate Universe, Post-Showtime, Rated R, Spike/Buffy, Spike & Dawn, 190250 words.
All of the above stories are also available at The Crypt, along with 8 chapters of the unfinished fifth chapter in the saga, Blood Price.