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Chapter Twelve

The long walk to Revello drive was made in silence – mental and physical. Spike made no attempt to disguise the anger burning within him, but he didn’t project any thoughts toward Buffy at all. She knew he was furious that she’d agreed to enter the fraternity house by herself, but she was too tired to argue with him about it. The only thoughts she allowed to enter her head were thoughts of a hot bath and her soft bed.

They entered the house, still not speaking to each other, to find that everyone else had found their voice and there were at least three conversations going on at one time.

Giles, Olivia and Joyce were trying to have a dignified, adult conversation about Sunnydale, Slayers and Watchers – all of which had been new to Olivia until that morning. Xander wanted to complain to all and sundry about Spike’s taking up residence in the Summer’s house, and his obvious familiarity with Buffy’s bedroom. Anya was anxious to get home and get some quality time with Xander before it got too late and he fell asleep.

Buffy and Spike stood inside the door listening to the cacophony of noise and exchanged a look that clearly said, “Can we have the silence back again?”

Finally, Willow noticed their presence and shouted, “They’re back!”

“Good job, Buffster,” Xander spoke up first. “Way to dust those guys and get us our voices back.”

“Actually, William did that,” Buffy said, emphasizing “Wiliiam” as a reminder that their words might be heard. She thought she had smashed all the microphones, but wasn’t sure they didn’t miss one somewhere.

“Yes, well, good job, William,” Giles said, picking up on the vampire’s obvious anger, but at a loss as to what might be causing it. “Any complications, Buffy?”

With a snarl, Spike pushed past the humans in the room and went down to the basement. There was an uncomfortable silence following his departure and Joyce frowned slightly. She made a motion as if to go after him, but Buffy’s voice stopped her.

“Let him go, Mom. He’s just pissed at me.”

“Buffy! Language!”

Rolling her eyes, Buffy said tiredly, “If it’s all right with everybody else, I’m going to take a hot bath and get some sleep. I’ll fill you all in tomorrow night. I’ll know more about the commandos then, too.”

She turned and made her way upstairs, refusing to answer any of the questions being thrown at her about the commandos and how they figured in to the night’s actions.

In the basement, a furious vampire was pacing from one side to the other, desperate for something on which to take out his anger at the Slayer. Every time he picked up something to throw, he would recognize it as something Joyce probably valued, and he would set it down carefully, snarling the whole time.

(Bloody, stupid bint! Goin’ in there alone…and in the daytime, when I can’t go out. If anything happens to her, I’ll rip that place apart…brick by brick, body by body.)

He lifted his head as he heard a heavy step on the stairs and watched as Giles descended. He didn’t offer a greeting, just threw himself on the cot and glared.

“Would you like to let me in on what this little tantrum is about?” he inquired in a deceptively mild tone.

“Not a tantrum,” the vampire said with a growl. “If I was havin’ a tantrum, this place would be in shambles by now.”

“Point well taken. And I am sure Joyce thanks you for your restraint,” he answered wryly. “But I still want to know what’s going on…and why I should leave an angry vampire in the same house with my Slayer and her mother?”

“Wouldn’t hurt them,” he growled.

“Isn’t that couldn’t hurt them? I think we both know what you would do if you weren’t effectively neutered.”

“Wouldn’t, couldn’t, same thing.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. “You know nothing, Watcher.”

When Giles didn’t respond, but remained standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for an answer, Spike growled again and stood up. He smiled to himself when the Watcher couldn’t hide a small flinch as he stalked toward him. Giles recovered quickly, but Spike had seen the movement and felt the slight increase in heart rate.

Considering that he was still dressed like William, complete with glasses, the vampire was quite pleased with himself to think he could still frighten an experienced Watcher.

“Did she tell you what she’s gonna do?” he demanded as he invaded the watcher’s personal space. “Did she tell you what she agreed to?”

“The only thing she said was that she was tired and going to take a hot bath before going to bed. Perhaps you could be a bit more forthcoming?”

“She agreed to meet with that bloody piillock tomorrow – at his fraternity house. By herself.” He watched with satisfaction as Giles’ face paled, and added, “That would be the house that is full of soldiers pretending to be college boys, in case you’ve forgotten. The one that Red thinks is built over the lab where they use live demons for carving practice.”

Giles flinched again at Spike’s description of the activities that went on in the research facility. As a watcher, he, of course had no problems with groups that killed vampires and demons, but the idea of capturing them for the purposes of doing experiments on sentient creatures offended his British sense of fair play.

“I will certainly discuss the foolhardiness of entering the lion’s den, so to speak. However, as you have noticed, Buffy has a tendency to do as she pleases, not as she’s told.”

“Stupid bint’s going to get herself killed. Or worse.” He stalked back over to the cot and threw himself down again.

“I sincerely hope that will not be the case, Spike. But, if it should be, I’m quite curious as to why a vampire that came here with the stated purpose of killing his third Slayer is at all concerned about it.”

“She’s mine,” he answered shortly, looking away from the Watcher’s probing eyes.

“To kill, you mean. She’s yours to kill and you don’t want anyone else stealing your glory.” The expression on Giles’ face was grim and his hand twitched as though holding a stake.

Spike looked up at him and stared flatly until the Watcher looked away.

“Yeah, that’s right, Watcher. Wanna keep her alive until I can kill her myself.” He snorted with derisive laughter. “You know, for a Watcher, you sure don’t see much, do you?”

Giles took off his glasses and polished them vigorously. He’d been aware of a developing relationship between his charge and the neutered vampire, but to hear it confirmed by William the Bloody himself was to make it real.

“I’ve seen enough to know I do not want Buffy involved with another vampire. I believe one experience like that has caused her more than her share of grief.”

“I’m not him, Rupert,” the suddenly quiet William said, closing his eyes wearily. “Got no soul to lose, now, do I?”

Giles had no answer to that, and he turned to go up the stairs. He paused and looked back at the immobile man on the cot, but William’s eyes remained closed and did not look up again.

***********************

Giles offered Willow and Xander rides and they gladly accepted, joining him and Olivia in his old Citroen. He dropped them off and headed for his apartment and a few hours of, he hoped, quality time with his guest. Instead, he got a tearful discussion of how frightening it was to be visiting somewhere with vampires, demons, creepy, mystical gentlemen that took living hearts and armed soldiers that crept around in the dark.

Sighing for his non-existent social life, Giles agreed to drive her to the nearest airport in the morning so that she could go home to safe, un hell-mouthy, England. As a result, he did not have an opportunity to talk to Buffy before she got up and went off to meet with Riley.

******************

Buffy had done exactly what she’d said she was going to. She went upstairs, ran a tub full of hot water and bath oil, and soaked in it until it got uncomfortably cool. Then she got out, dried off, and fell into her bed without even putting a nightie or pajamas. Spike’s comment about her sleeping naked briefly crossed her mind, but a tentative attempt to see if he was open to her resulted in nothing but cold silence and she gave it up for a deep dreamless sleep.

She awoke in the morning, glanced at the clock, and rushed to get dressed and meet Riley at the appointed time. She didn’t stop to have breakfast, so didn’t hear or see the basement door crack open as she ran out of the house.

As she walked up to the door of Lowell House, she suddenly felt very alone and found herself wishing for even a snarky remark from the vampire that had been her on and off companion for over a week.

(911, my ass! Stupid vampire. I could be kidnapped right now and he’d never know or care.)

(Yes, I would, Slayer.)

The feelings of relief and joy that flooded her at the familiar voice in her head caused Buffy to stop in mid-stride. She stumbled and almost fell before she could recover from the unexpected answer.

(So you’ve decided to speak to me again, huh?)

She tried to smother the happiness it generated, but she could feel his smile and knew he’d sensed it.

(If you’re gonna be all stupid and careless, Slayer, somebody’s got to be watchin’ your back.)

(I’m not being careless. I’ll be very careful. I’m all about the carefulness. And the only thing stupid I’ve done lately is go to sleep naked last night –by myself.)

She giggled uncontrollably when she felt the bolt of pure lust go through him and when Riley opened the door to invite her in, she was still smiling widely. Too late, she realized he thought the smile was for him, and she tried to back pedal quickly when he took it as an excuse to hug her. Squirming her way out of his smothering embrace, she backed up and looked up at him.

“I thought we were going to talk?”

“We are. I just thought…you looked so happy and…normal. Human.”

Buffy quirked her eyebrows at him in an unintentional imitation of a blond vampire.

“Okay, normal, I get. But, human? What do I look like, a chimpanzee?”

Riley laughed uncomfortably. “No, no, of course not. I just meant –we’re not really sure what a Slayer is…and…”

“We?” Buffy stiffened when she was suddenly surrounded by several clean-cut young men. She recognized two of them from the Bronze and gave them cold looks before turning back to Riley.

“This is how we’re going to talk?” She stared at him suspiciously and began edging toward the door.

“There’s no need for panic, Ms. Summers,” came a woman’s voice from the hallway. “We just thought we’d all have a nice chat and you wouldn’t have to repeat yourself over and over.”

“Why would I be repeating myself? I’m going to talk to Riley, and that’s it.”

“Well, the thing is,” Maggie Walsh said, entering the room to stand just out of reach, “Agent Finn and his men work for me. You are here at my request. I wish to study you.”

“STUDY me?” No one missed the steely tone in the Slayer’s voice, and the men who had already tangled with her backed up a step. Maggie Walsh, however, didn’t flinch. Instead, she relaxed her posture and put on her most charming smile.

“I’m sorry, Buffy – May I call you Buffy? – I’ve not made myself understood. Until recently, we thought that the Slayer was a myth, something to be evoked to frighten young demons. We are delighted to find that not only is she real, but that she lives right here in Sunnydale.

“I simply wish to sit down with you and learn more about who you are and what your life is like. How did you become the Slayer? When? How long do you plan to continue it? Things like that.”

She smiled at Buffy with what appeared to be genuine warmth.

“I’m sorry we’ve gotten off to such a rocky start. Why don’t we all come into the game room and sit down and relax. You will tell us about yourself, and we will tell you what we can about our…operation. Agent Finn, please get Buffy some refreshments. What would you like, dear?”

Buffy reluctantly followed the older woman into the large adjoining room and perched nervously on the edge of a chair. She gave Riley a tentative smile of thanks when he handed her an opened can and said, “Diet Coke, right?”

Recalling Spike’s story about the drugged blood they’d tried to feed him, she pretended to sip the Coke, then set the can down on the nearby table.

(What’s happenin’, Slayer? Where’d you go? Why’d you’d get so nervous?)

(It’s OK, Spike. I just misunderstood or something. She said they wanted to study me and I--)

(NO! No, Buffy! Don’t let them take you to the lab.)

(Relax, she didn’t mean it that way. We’re just sitting down in the frat house to talk. I’m have a Diet Coke and I’ll tell them about me and they’ll tell me about them, and then I’ll be on my way home.)

(Don’t trust them, love. Please. Listen to me. And who is “she”?)

(Professor Walsh, my psychology teacher. Turns out she’s in charge.)

(Cold, nasty piece of work? Looks like a man?)

(Well, that’s kinda rude, but, yeah, I guess you could say that. How did you know?)

(That’s the bitch that put this thing in my head! She runs that bloody charnel house. Get away from her, Buffy. Now!)

(What am I going to say? The vampire who talks to me in my head says I have to go now? You’re over-reacting. I’m a human. They’re not going to hurt me. She just wants to know about me.)

(Slayer, Buffy, please…love. Just get out of there. Tell them you’ll talk to them later. Tell them your house is on fire. Tell them the bloody world is endin’! I don’t care. Just do what you’re told for once in your soddin’ life!)

(You do NOT tell me what to do! Get that idea through your thick head. Now leave me alone so I can concentrate on my conversation!)

(Fine, you stupid, stubborn, bitch! Find out the hard way.)

Buffy almost cringed at the anger pouring out from the vampire, then shuddered as the link closed down completely. She told herself she was glad he was out of her head, but she suddenly felt very alone.

(This is not a problem. I’ve been doing things alone ever since I was called. I don’t need some paranoid vampire with a grudge against these people telling me how to do my job. The Slayer works alone. That’s how it is.)

As Buffy finished her mental pep talk, she realized that Professor Walsh had asked her something, and she had to think quickly. Unfortunately, the first thing she came up with was, “huh?”

“I’m sorry, Buffy,” Maggie was at her most patient and charming, “I guess I didn’t make myself clear. I was asking if you would mind working out a little with one of my men. Just so we can study your techniques and speed.”

Even though the whole idea of being “studied” was giving Buffy the wiggins, she couldn’t think of a good way to refuse and found herself trailing after Riley and his friends into a well-furnished gym just off the game room.

“Uh, Buffy,” Riley said as he pointed to a man taking off his shoes. “This is Graham, I think you met—“

“We met at the Bronze,” Buffy said coldly. “You were threatening my…cousin”

Graham shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “Actually, we met once before that – you threw me into a bush”

“Oh yeah, I remember. You told Riley not to back off because I was ‘just a little girl’.” Buffy gave him her best cheerleader smile. “Kinda pissed me off.”

“Yeah, I got that. I thought we might spar a little and I’d try to get some of my own back. If that’s all right with you,” he added hastily as Riley frowned. “I’ll be careful. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“Oh, I know you won’t.” Buffy smiled sweetly and took off her own shoes.

She stepped onto the mats and began stretching and warming up as the young men watched in admiration. When she was comfortable that her body was awake and ready, she turned to Graham and said, “I’m ready when you are.”

For several minutes they just circled each other cautiously, until Buffy was sure she was going to scream from boredom. When she stopped circling and put her hands on her hips impatiently, the commando rushed her with a grin on his face. Only to find himself flying across the room and slamming into the padded wall.

Buffy turned around and faced him, hands back on hips and head cocked to one side. With a furious glare, he charged again, carrying her to the mat with his weight. Before he had time to savor his victory, Buffy had put her hands under his chest and lifted him off her body far enough that she could get her feet between them and kick him over her head. She immediately whirled and landed on his back, pressing his face into the mat and painfully pinning one arm behind him.

She was immediately picked up off the downed soldier and tossed across the mat. She looked up to find herself facing a furious Forrest who was standing over Graham and glaring at her.

“Normal human girls can’t move like that. And they aren’t that strong. I don’t know what you are, but it isn’t human.”

Buffy stared at him in astonishment. “Exactly which part of I’m the Slayer didn’t you get? Along with my “Chosen” career choice which requires me to spend my life in dark, stinky places fighting with disgusting, dead things that want to kill me, I was given some assets to help me do my job. I’m just as human as you are, just stronger and faster.”

She put her hands back on her hips and glared back at him.

“And, incidentally, I spend enough time fighting supernaturally strong creatures to know that you guys are faster and stronger than normal humans too. So what does that make you, huh?”

Before the angry man could reply, Maggie stepped in and said smoothly, “I’ve chosen only the cream of the crop for my operation. They all came here in perfect physical condition and I have only enhanced their natural abilities. You see, just like you, Buffy, they must fight beings that are stronger and faster than they are; so we give them all the advantages we can. The finest in technology and the newest scientific and medical advancements.

“But, I believe I speak for everyone, when tell you that we don’t quite understand what sorts of enhancements you have, or how you got them. Can you enlighten us?”

Buffy looked back and forth between her professor and the men in the room and shook her head.

“I think you ought to talk to Giles. He knows all that stuff. I wasn’t really paying attention when Merrick explained it to me.”

“Giles? You mean your uncle? And who is Merrick?”

“Merrick was my first Watcher. He was the one who told me I’d been called.”

“Ah. The more we learn, the more questions I have. What is a Watcher? Why do you have one? What is Mr. Giles connection to all of this?” Maggie smiled at Buffy. “You can see why we are reluctant to let you go until we’ve had time to thoroughly debrief you.”

“To de-what me?” Buffy wasn’t sure, but thought they might be planning to take her underwear. She stood up very straight and said sternly, “There will be no de-briefing of this girl. Oh no. You can talk to Giles and let him explain stuff to you. I’m done here.” She turned and started toward the door.

“I’m afraid not, dear,” Maggie said calmly as she gestured to Riley.

With a quick, “I’m sorry, Buffy,” he plunged a needle into her neck and forced out the liquid in the syringe.

Buffy had time to think (Damn that vampire. I hate it when he’s right!) before the sedative took effect and she lost consciousness.





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