Chapter 5
Fruits of Deception
The full moon cast elongated shadows among the ruined buildings within the warehouse district. Long fallen into decay, the broken brick facades cried out for renovators to remake them into upscale loft apartments.
But this was Sunnydale. Instead of baby boomers returned from restaurants or the theatre, the ramshackle buildings were refuge for the vampire nests and powerful demon clans that called the Hellmouth home.
Buffy and Spike crept slowly along the main road, hugging the shadows. Heightened awareness enabled them to remain unobtrusive to the inhabitants yet hunt for their own prey.
“This is where we saw Ethan last.” Buffy whispered under her breath. “Anything?”
Spike concentrated on the surrounding area. “No.”
“He probably continued on after we stopped.” She silently slid forward, twitching her shoulders. Her tinglies had gone off countless times since leaving the Desoto.
They had reached the fence that encircled an old junkyard when Spike abruptly stopped. “Here.”
He put his mouth close to Buffy’s ear. “I can hear and smell at least a half dozen demons and one other human besides Rayne in there.”
She nodded and motioned toward the back of the debris filled yard. The couple silently leaped the warped fence and circled widely toward the building Spike had indicated.
Buffy slid to the edge of a shed and peeked around the corner. She hissed in Spike’s ear. “Sentries. Two Vorrine.”
He raised an eyebrow.
Buffy took his hand in hers and touched the glamour and the couple charm. The same tingling electrical charge as before radiated from her wrist.
Spike winced. “That’s bloody uncomfortable.”
Leaving the security of the shadows, they walked boldly toward the front entrance and the two horned demons that stood guard.
Slipping around a mound of ancient cars, Spike whispered “So Slayer, what’s the plan?”
“Plan? No plan.”
“Not again. I told you before that you need a bloody plan.”
“I thought we’d just grab Rayne and kill anything that gets in the way.”
Spike grinned. “That sounds like a great plan.”
Buffy didn’t understand the mechanics of the bracelet, but she knew it worked when neither guard indicated that they’d noticed anything unusual as the couple slipped past.
Walking across the threshold with Spike at her heels, her wrist suddenly tingled. Uh oh.
The demons inside immediately turned and raised their weapons. The largest snarled and advanced.
“For some reason the bracelet stopped working.”
“I noticed.” Spike lifted his sword. “Did I mention that I hate bloody magicks?”
“Wait.” Ethan Rayne, standing in the midst of the demons, held up his hand forestalling the demon attack. “Slayer. I’m certainly surprised to see you here, but I can’t say that it’s really a pleasure.”
“Rayne.” Buffy stood legs wide apart, her sword at her side. “I need to talk with you.”
Ethan looked pointedly at her sword. “It doesn’t look like talk was your original intent.”
“If you’ll answer some questions, this won’t become a bloodbath.”
Ethan waved at the room full of demons. “Why Ms. Summers, I believe it would be you taking the bath, not me. And as much as that does sound entertaining, I’m much too busy tonight.”
The wizard snapped his fingers and Buffy’s feet felt fifty pounds heavier. Trying to lift them, she discovered they were somehow glued solidly to the floor. It felt like she was mired in thick tar. An elementary school trip to the La Brea tar pits flashed through her mind.
Hearing the muttered “bloody hell,” behind her, she knew Spike wasn’t mobile either.
“Ethan, what are you doing?” The feminine voice rang with authority. “Release Ms. Summers and the vampire immediately.”
Ethan shrugged and nonchalantly snapped his fingers again.
Spike’s feet, free once more, carried him swiftly across the floor to stand eye to eye with Ethan. “You ever do that again and I’ll see that your liver gets pulled out through your nose.”
The curtain parted and Buffy’s mouth dropped open. “I know you; at least I think you’re you.”
Hearing the Slayer’s surprise, Spike turned. “Who is she?”
“Spike, this is-“
The woman interrupted, holding out her hand. “I’m Margot Chaplaine.” She moved closer. “And you’re the Slayer that lives here on the Hellmouth, Buffy Summers.”
She looked at the vampire. “And just who might you be?”
Spike drawled, “Well, pet, I thought I was part of your rescue party.”
“This is Spike.” Buffy gripped her sword. “We’re both here to save you.”
Margot lifted her hand to ward off the sword. “Oh, that won’t be necessary, Ms. Summers.” She turned to Ethan. “Ethan, why don’t you send the Vorrine back to their lair while I explain to the Slayer- she tipped her head toward Spike- “and her partner what’s really going on here.”
Ethan nodded and spoke what sounded like gibberish to Buffy, but evidently the demons understood the nonsense syllables. The room emptied quickly.
Margot gestured to the curtained doorway. “Come in here, we’ll be more comfortable.”
The back room of the building housed a scarred wooden table and several chairs. “Please, Ms. Summers, Spike, have a seat.”
Spike turned one of the chairs around and straddled it. Buffy slid into the one next to him and cautiously laid her sword across her lap.
Margot sat across from the couple. Nodding at the sword, she said, “You won’t need it. Anyway, I can assure you this building is warded, you wouldn’t be able to use it in here.”
So that’s why the bracelet stopped working at the door. Buffy stared at the older woman.
“Okay, I get that you don’t need rescuing. So why haven’t you called Kyle or your dad?”
At the mention of Kyle’s name, Margot’s face fell. “I miss them so much. Tell me, is Kyle alright?”
Spike shifted in the chair. “He misses his mum.”
Margot clasped her hands together and looked over at the wizard leaning against the wall. “Ethan, isn’t it about time you checked the perimeter?”
Taking her cue, he disappeared through the curtain. When Buffy heard the door close she placed her palms flat on the table and asked, “So, Ms. Chaplaine, what exactly is going on here?”
“Call me Margot.” She pushed her bangs away from her eyes. “I guess I should start at the beginning.”
“That’s as good a place as any, pet.”
“How well do you know Ethan?”
Buffy grimaced. “I’d say pretty well.” She searched Margot’s face. “I’d also say if you’re working with Ethan Rayne, than we’re probably not going to get along.”
“I don’t work with Ethan. Ethan works for me, as an interpreter. He happens to be fluent in several demon languages. You can see that I’m not being kidnapped; no one is holding me against my will.” She sighed. “To make a long story short, actually I’m bait.”
“Bait?” Buffy echoed. “Bait for what?”
“Three months ago someone approached me with a message from the Gashi Clan.” Her lips quirked. “It seems I’m an unknown quantity, so possibly open to being convinced to look the other way about certain activities.”
“Who are the Gashi?”
“One of the worst demon clans in the area. The Chieftain of the Gashi makes Angelus look like an altar boy.” Spike lifted an eyebrow. “What did you say?”
“That I was definitely open to the idea of course.” She placed her left hand, balled into a tight fist, on the table. “But they wanted a concession, something to prove I could be trusted.”
“What concession?”
“Me. I had to take a blood oath the day I arrived here at the Hellmouth.” Turning her hand she opened the palm to reveal a deep triangular cut.
“You can’t do that. Your father, who sent us looking for you by the way, said if you didn’t take your position at the right time, the Hellmouth would go all freaky.”
Margot suddenly stood up and paced. “That’s true and I will attend my installation. I’ve been working to become Imperial Wizard since I was six. I have to be installed to honor any agreements, so they won’t stop me.
And if I don’t honor my side of the bargain, a High Wizard would be infinitely more valuable to them. I had to disappear. My father had begun to sense something was going on.”
Spike leaned back in the chair. “So, I’m assumin’ that the Gashi are never going to get their hands on you, blood oath not withstandin’.”
“You’re quick, vampire.”
“I’ve planned a few double crosses over the years.”
“That’s where Ethan comes in. He’s about to carry a message to the Thesa Clan offering them the Gashi Chieftain. The terms of the deal are being hammered out tomorrow morning. But the deal will never come to pass because I’m going to destroy them myself once they take down the Gashi.”
Spike lifted an eyebrow. “The Thesa are bitter rivals of the Gashi so I can see them salivating at the chance to take them down. You’re going to double cross both Clans? I’ve gotta say, wizard, you definitely have some brass testies.” He smirked. “So to speak.”
“Let’s just say I’d like to start my time in office with a bang, not a whimper.”
Buffy concentrated on all the information presented. “Okay, let me see if I understand. You’ve got your demon Sharks and your demon Jets. The Sharks want a piece of your power and you’ve offered to give it to them or they get you. The Jets want the Sharks and you’re going to offer that, too. Only nobody gets what they want, everyone is double crossed.”
“Essentially, yes.”
“How are you going to keep the demons from double crossing you? After all, demons.”
Margot shrugged. “I don’t see much possibility of that, neither Clan speaks to the other and if this works, both Clans will be weakened for a very long time.”
“Okay, but I see one very large hole in your plan.”
Margot chuckled. “Only one? What’s that?”
“That you actually believe you can trust Ethan Rayne. Aren’t you aware of his reputation?”
“It was his reputation that I needed in this case.”
Buffy thought out loud. “You needed someone that would make the demons believe you’re telling the truth.”
“Exactly. If I’m working with Ethan, then I’m probably not so lily white after all.”
“But how will you keep Rayne from double crossin’ you?”
“He won’t. I have something he wants very much and as long as he plays straight with me, he’ll get it.” Margot’s eye’s narrowed briefly as her gaze settled on Buffy. “You can’t tell my father or Kyle any of this. I’ve let it be known that I’m working on my own and they’re not involved. It’s the only way I can protect my son.”
“So you’re asking me to pretend that I’m still trying to find you for the next few days?”
“Yes, that would be best.”
Buffy nodded slowly. How far can I really trust her? “I’ll do what you want on two conditions.”
“And they would be?”
“That I can keep an eye on Rayne.” And you.
“I don’t think it’s really necessary, but I can’t see the harm as long as no one catches on to what you’re really doing. And the second condition?”
“That I’m in on the takedown. Deal?”
“I can always use a Slayer on my side. Deal.”
“I love a good double cross. I’m joinin’ up, too.”
Margot stood against the wall, relieved. “Okay then. Welcome to my own personal Shakespearean play. I’m thinking Caesar, myself.”
Spike shook his head. “He got stabbed in the back. Go for Brutus.”
Margot looked at the gorgeous vampire in front of her and pretended to pout. “But then I have to be ridden with self doubt and guilt. Do I look ridden enough to you?” She casually thrust her chest forward.
Spike, amused, looked the woman up and down and drawled. “No, and I think that could be a real problem, luv. You don’t appear to be ridden enough at all.” He grinned.
“Maybe I can help with that in some small way.”
“I’m not interested in small help. I like my help on the larger side.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never had any complaints.”
Margot licked her lips and glanced at Buffy. “I’m looking forward to working very closely with your cute vampire.”
Buffy watched Margot and Spike flirt and felt a rising irritation. She’s old enough to be my mother. A small voice in her head reminded that Spike was a lot older than he looked. But she is a mom and one that won’t even send a message to her worried son. Buffy suddenly realized she didn’t like her very much at all.
Hearing her name repeated, she gave herself a mental shake- Why do you care so much anyway? It’s just Spike- and replied hotly, “He’s not my vampire. He isn’t anyone’s vampire and shouldn’t be. I mean, Spike and I just work together.”
Margot raised an eyebrow quizzically at the heated response. Turning back she noticed Spike, dumbstruck, openly staring at the Slayer. Annoyed, she dismissed them both with a wave of her hand. “I’ll consider the help.”
Trying to ascertain what was going on in the Slayer’s head-Did Buffy just sound jealous?- Spike replied distractedly, “Then I’ll see you around, pet.”
“We’ll both be back tomorrow evening.” Buffy added as they turned to leave.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
AU. S5. I do not own these characters. Joss Whedon and ME and others affiliated with same own everything except the plot, which is from my own warped brain. Chapter titles are bits and pieces of Apoptygma Berserk songs that play constantly in my head. As always, thanks to EnigmaticBlues for the beta work.