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Chapter 4 – Same Problem

December 28, 2001
SOCA Office
London, England

“Are you completely mad?”

“This is the only way, Rupert!”

“William,” Giles carefully said, as he removed his glasses automatically. “I do insist that you think this through before you make any rash—”

“This is the only way, Giles,” interrupted William. “You know better than I do that I have an advantage—”

“Are you referring to your mother?” Giles asked placidly. “Oh, right, the sister of Darla Nest herself—who knows you have become a police officer! William, Drusilla is not going to believe that you are no longer working for us!”

“Rupert,” implored William pleadingly, “they know enough about me to assume—and rightly so—that it’d be tough for me to accept this sort of life. We both know my record, and honestly, Rupes, would anyone be shocked if I were to leave this bloody 9 to5 nightmare and return to my rightful place in the Aurelius Family?”

Giles turned his head sharply to the side, gulping and grimacing as he forced himself to acknowledge the truth. No other agent could possibly hope to infiltrate the highly exclusive family in the way that a born member could. William was essentially their last tie to their more serious criminal affairs, barring the possibility of an Aurelius voluntarily confessing. “There are quite a few disciplinary actions in your record.”

“That’s true!” William agreed. “And who’s to say that the next time I lose my temper, you get fed up with my ‘incessant sedition’—”

“—and I get rid of you for good?” Giles considered the idea for a moment, then threw his hands into the air exasperatedly. “Oh, this plan is shit!”

“No it isn’t.” William shook his head vehemently, grabbing Giles by the shoulders and forcing him to look into his dark, intense eyes. “Rupert, you know they will believe it. I never cut ties with my family, and I know they’ve assumed the past six years that I’m doing nothing more than playing at being a police officer.” A dark pain began to twist itself among William’s insides, but he was unfazed. “Why would the police send me in undercover? The beauty of it is just how obvious it is! If I get sacked, and then do some jail time—”

“By God, William, you would really have to be convicted of a crime! I’m not entirely sure the Head Office would approve of this—”

“It doesn’t matter,” the younger man protested, lowering his eyes as he whispered, “as long as we can bring those bastards down. I’ll go in unofficially if necessary, as an informant even. For Jenny.”

“For Jenny,” Giles echoed resignedly, pulling William into an uncharacteristically fierce hug, hoping that he would not lose both of the most important people in his life.

~*~

December 24, 2001
Aurelius Estate
Devon, England

“An investigation?” Buffy repeated numbly. “What kind of an investigation?”

“Well, well, well,” Darla smiled, “I was under the impression, Elizabeth, that you did not wish to concern yourself with our affairs.”

“Don’t you even start, Darla,” Buffy snapped, shooting the older woman a look that clearly showed her dislike of her manipulations. “If this prevents my plans to leave—”

“On the contrary!” Liam interrupted good-naturedly, smiling wickedly at his sister. “In no way will this investigation prevent you from returning to the United States. In fact, your departure is scheduled most conveniently!”

“How’s that?” asked Buffy suspiciously. There was something definitely wrong with this situation, it didn’t take a genius to see that—and with both mother and son Nests sinisterly smiling at her, it was no wonder why she felt so unnerved. In that second, the young woman realized just what that heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach was—foreboding; she’d been waiting for this moment for five years, ever since she and her mother had first come to this country to quell the last wishes of her dying father. That single instant when she and Henry Nest had locked eyes, Buffy knew she would never escape from the horrors of the Aurelius Family. “Well?” the blonde demanded impatiently of her brother. “Tell me!”

“Our family has come to a sort of… turning point,” began Liam. “For generations we have resided at this very estate, and it has become the head of operations throughout the entire United Kingdom. No one can say we have not been successful,” —he smirked arrogantly— “but our grandfather, Joseph Nest, had ambitions of his own. Ambitions that our father was unable to fulfill. I, therefore, am dedicated to bringing their dreams to reality.”

Resisting the urge to yell ‘just get out with it,’ Buffy took a few calming breaths. “What does this have to do with me?”

“You, my dear sister, have something that an Aurelius has never possessed—American citizenship.” Liam scoffed in a way that made it apparent he did not personally view that as remarkable. “And the United States is currently a country with a great deal of power, making it an ideal place to begin the next stage of business. International expansion.”

Buffy let out a gasp at the words, to Darla’s great amusement. “Surely this is not coming as a surprise to you, Elizabeth?”

“It’s Buffy!” she spat angrily, leaping to her feet in rage. “And I refuse to be an accomplice to your—”

“You have no choice,” said Liam, entirely nonplussed by his sister’s apparent distress. “You will not be able to survive without the family’s support.”

“Yes, I will!”

“You know what we say to be truth,” Darla continued, caring not in the least about the state of her stepdaughter’s sensibilities but fully dedicated to convincing Buffy of her weakness. “Not only are you vulnerable to police inquiry, which in all likelihood will happen merely because of your relation,” —she spat out the word— “to my late husband, but enemies of our family will want to take you out. They’ll care nothing about whether you were ever actively a member, or simply born into this life, but they will see you alone and without our support, and they will strike.”

Buffy had no choice but to accept the older woman’s words as truth. There was no returning to normal for her—if she could ever say she had once known that blissfully ignorant lifestyle. No, she would not be able to survive without the Aurelius’ help; and even though it was slowly destroying the person she once was, Buffy knew that she was not weak enough to accept her days as numbered. She would survive.

“Darla,” she began, “Liam. Fine.” A lump tried to form in her throat, but she swallowed bravely and continued. “I’ll do it.” Mother and son toasted cheerfully, but the glass of wine that found itself into Buffy’s hand felt heavy and oppressive. She needed their protection—that much was sure—but Buffy would not give in to the temptation of accepting the Aurelius lifestyle. There was something more for her—she would escape from this prison, even if it meant becoming an entirely different person to do so.

The clock chimed twelve, just as the falling snow began to collect along with window pane.

~*~

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Please don't kill me. :( Been so very busy at UCLA, having an AMAZING time here. :) Please tell me what you're thinking!





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