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banner by the amazing edgehead


Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry I haven't updated for a while, i promise that this will be finished
Giles and Ethan glared at the slayers and soldiers from their position on the ground, hands secured with handcuffs that even a slayer or witch couldn’t undo. How had it all gone so wrong? Four hours ago they had been ready to take down Buffy and everyone with her and now they were at the mercy of some very unforgiving souls and the vampire was the least of their problems from the looks they were getting. Even Riley looked like he was ready to tear them limb from limb. Ethan pulled himself up into a sitting position and shuffled closer to Giles.

‘What the fuck happened there? How did we lose?’

‘You got your neck broken by an angry vampire. And they were ready for everything we threw at them; anyway, why aren’t you dead?’

Ethan flashed his left hand; on his smallest finger, shining in the light, there was a ruby ring.

‘Works like the Gem of Amara does on vampires, stops anything permanent happening to me.’

‘Then I’ll just take that,’ said Faith, briskly snatching the jewel from his finger. She had been watching the captives closely, also wondering how Ethan had survived a broken neck. Ethan hadn’t even realised anyone was listening to his conversation with Giles and he certainly couldn’t react as quickly as a slayer could move. The ring was gone. Ethan was left with a literal pain in the neck and staring at an empty hand.

Giles growled and spat at the girl as she whisked passed. Faith laughed out loud.

‘Not very nice manners for an ex librarian, G,’ she said as she headed over to Robin with the ring in her hand. It glowed gently at the nearness of a slayer. Faith looked deep into the gem and could see colours and shapes dancing in its abyss. The gem seemed to pull her further and further in. Spike leapt up from where he was sitting and used every bit of his preternatural speed to get to the dark haired slayer, he could hear her heart slowing as he moved. He plucked the ring from her with dexterity and as soon as he had it in his possession Faith’s heart started to speed up again.

‘It was slowing her heart down: must work against females, or slayers or something,’ he explained as Robin looked at him askance. He hadn’t even seen the vampire move, he had just appeared from nowhere at their side. Got to love that speed, he thought to himself as he realised that Spike had just saved Faith’s life.

Ethan slumped down again. He had been hoping to take out one of the great slayers with the ring: it only protected those who had actually sold their souls. He cursed loudly and long, causing Morgana to look across at him.

‘I think we all need to rest tonight,’ she said. ‘I suggest we let our less than welcome guests examine the inside of the prison cell Willow and I have waiting for them, and then we can see to them in the morning.’

There was general assent to the plan and Buffy and Dawn watched with scant warmth in their eyes as the two warlocks were man-, and vampire-handled down the stairs and away from the white hats. Anya muttered something under her breath at them as they passed: what ever it was made Giles and Ethan turn white and start shaking. They stumbled down the steps to the cellars, where they were shut into a barred and guarded room, Spike picking Giles pocket and relieving him of his wallet before closing and locking the door on the two men.


The comedown from the adrenalin surge left slayers and soldiers alike jittery, on edge and exhausted. Willow and Morgana had brought down the glamour that had been on the hotel, so now at least they could call out for takeaway. Buffy had loved using Giles’ credit card to pay for huge amounts of Pizza, Chinese and Tex-mex, all of which was due in about half an hour. Spike had also used it for a beer order, which had arrived quicker than the food.

‘Well evil vampire here,’ was all he’d said, grinning at the thought of the $100 tip he’d given the man at the shop as he carried in the crates of alcohol.

Buffy grinned at his face and kissed him gently on the cheek.

‘I hope you have enough for everyone and don’t forget the sodas for the kids. No corrupting minors… evil or not.’

‘You spoil all my fun, slayer: what’s the use of being evil if I can’t corrupt a few minors?’

‘Corrupt any and I’ll set Dawn on you, Spike,’ warned a laughing Buffy. ‘And she’s cross with you anyway because of the ‘talk’ you had with Martin.’

‘Now that is evil! I didn’t touch the wanker anyway, the bit is playing doctors and nurses with him again, and I left him walking and talking.’

‘Yes,’ Riley said, ‘and playing doctors and nurses under the watchful eye of half the slayers and most of my men. All of whom are laying bets as to which one of the pair of you are going to hit him first. If he gets to first base it will be because Dawn told him to.’

‘If he gets to first base I’ll rip his head of his shoulders and drink from his brain stem.’

Riley just laughed and relieved Spike of a beer from the top of the pile.

‘I thought you were helping with the watch on evil does and evil says in the basement anyway, rather than helping some pillock get his hands on Dawn,’ Spike muttered as he watched the soldier find a seat.

‘The evil twins are safely behind spell-woven barriers courtesy of our friendly neighbourhood witches, and steel bars supplied by the Initiative, reinforced by those same witches. Willow and Morgana have also set alarms so if they do try anything we’ll hear them up here.’

‘What are you going to do with them?’ asked Baya quietly. She was feeding the baby with some sort of slop that stank so much it kept everyone well away from it. But there were smiles as the little demon’s tentacles floated around its face. They were trying to grab at the spoon which its mother was skilfully keeping just out of reach as she manoeuvred it into the mouth.

‘We’ve stripped the pair of them of all their powers for all time.’ Willow said joining the discussion, ‘they can never get them back.’

‘That’s bad,’ Cathy winced at the thought. Being stripped of powers hurt, like having a tooth pulled with no novacaine.

‘What they were doing was evil, the girls are remembering all sorts of attacks now, it’s going to take a lot of counselling to get some of them over this betrayal.’ Buffy answered. She had no sympathy for her old watcher whatsoever. Her heart was hardened against the man she once thought of as her substitute father.

Andrew managed to make his way from the sick room for the first time to join in the impromptu party, and was overwhelmed at his reception. He had been dreading facing everyone, especially Spike and Buffy but the Super couple put the young man at ease as much as they could.

Next morning found the white hats refreshed and ready to face Ethan and Giles.





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