*Summers residence*
Hank put the phone down with a trembling hand. For days… for the months since he’d heard of his daughter’s calling he’d been trying to prepare himself for the worst. He’d watched her fight for her life, the most harrowing of which having been when Spike had all but drained her dry. The pit widening in his stomach was almost as bad as it had been then.
“Who was that?” Buffy was coming out of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice.
Hank tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “That was Giles.” He went to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. The only way he could get through saying what he had to was quickly, as if ripping off a band aid. “He said the Council is to blame for the attacks, that they shot you with some drug that steals your powers temporarily.” He rushed through the rest before she had a chance to say anything. “Kendra and her watcher are definitely in on it. The last thing I heard before the phone got cut off was Giles being taken.”
The glass Buffy had been holding shattered on the floor. She tried to move to the door, but Hank enveloped her in a hug both to comfort her and to stop her from going out.
“Dad, let me go, I need to help Giles.”
“You need to stay here, away from people with power-stealing drugs and tranquilizers. We’ll let Spike know what we found out and we’ll hatch a plan that won’t get you captured. Or worse.” His voice trembled towards the end.
She crumpled against his chest crying, and he was reminded of earlier times, simpler times, when he’d held her after she’d gotten a boo-boo as a toddler. His heart broke for her.
*
Spike’s roar was loud enough to rattle the walls. “Those bleeding wankers. I knew I should have just ripped Jaslay and her Watcher to shreds as soon as they stepped off the fucking plane.”
Joyce’s living room had become ‘Slayer Central’ once more, with demons, vampires, her family, and her daughter’s friends all gathered together to hear the news Hank had learned from Giles. The only ones missing were the watcher himself and the teacher. The very ones the rest now needed to save.
“There’s more.” Hank’s words stopped Spike in his tracks. “Giles also told me that because of the drug in Buffy’s blood, she can’t cure you.”
“No.” Buffy crumpled in her mother’s arms and Joyce did all she could to keep her daughter upright.
“Knew that, didn’t I? Sensed it. Makes no mind. I still have enough in me to rip the wankers a new one before I go. Worth it.” He was speaking softly, his eyes trained on Buffy the entire time.
Slayer and vampire met in the middle of the room in a hug so charged it made Joyce feel awkward for witnessing it. She busied herself with clearing up some coffee mugs, fighting off her own tears. Her daughter didn’t deserve to feel so much pain at such a young age. She barely made it to the kitchen sink before silent sobs overtook her. Strong arms, familiar arms, banded around her and she allowed Hank to comfort her.
“We’ll get Rupert and Jenny back, don’t worry.” He was rubbing soothing circles on her back.
“But Spike—” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. The enormity of it too great to put into words.
“He’s a fighter. We’ll find a solution.” The way he said it triggered warning bells in Joyce’s mind. He had a plan he hadn’t shared. “There is more than one Slayer alive, isn’t there?” He said no more, but he didn’t need to.
Joyce’s eyes jumped to his. “Did you—”
“Buffy already thought of it. She’s going to try to lure the Council lackeys into a trap.”
“But she’s weak.”
“She’s stronger than she’s ever been, Joyce. Maybe not physically, but our daughter is all grown up. Maybe it’s time we accepted it.”
“She’ll always be my little girl.”
“Mine too, but she can do this. She’s amazing. And I have you to thank for that.”
She didn’t know what else to say to that. So she kissed him. Not the frenzied kiss of young lovers, not even the sensuous one filled with promises they’d broken one way or another, but a small sign of things to come.
~~~***~~~
*the Council’s appropriated cave*
Giles spat out some blood from his mouth. Mouthing off to his captors was treated poorly, yet he found himself incapable of stopping, despite the consequences. For as much as his answers had been in the form of beatings, they’d also let slip various details about their operation. Luckily for him that wretched woman was afflicted with the same disease common to Bond villains: she thought herself too smart to fail, and too proud not to boast.
Of course, that also meant she thought he was going to die soon. Giles glanced with dread at Jenny, gagged and hanging from manacles on the wall next to him.
“Stooping to hiring hoodlums to do the Council’s bidding? Not enough wet-work members willing to take on a slayer and a Master vampire, I take it?”
Gwendolyn sneered from her chair—the only furniture in the room. “We didn’t want to risk any traitors trying to warn you.” She made a dismissive gesture. “No matter. Once this whole sordid business is taken care of, there will be some changes. We’ll ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Giles’ brain registered her words as an admission that at least not all the Council was involved. This whole operation was most likely not sanctioned by all the appropriate people. Good.
“So is that why it took you close to two months to do anything more than kidnap innocent demons?” His question was met with a punch to his gut from one of the hirelings guarding them.
“Don’t be absurd. There is no such thing as an innocent demon.” Gwendolyn got up and placed the book she was perusing on the chair she’d vacated. “It is exactly that sort of thinking that only proves how far astray you and your charge are from the mission.” She was pacing slowly around the room as she spoke.
“And what, pray tell, do you believe that mission to be? Killing women and children?”
“Killing all demons, yes. Male, elders, females, and youngsters alike, it makes no matter.” She paused right in front of him. “In fact, it might even be a better idea to concentrate our efforts more on the latter two groups. It just might be the perfect method to exterminate some of the vermin species altogether.”
Giles balked at her words. “That sounds dangerously close to the racial purity drivel from the Nazis.”
She just smirked. “Agree to disagree.”
“You aren’t just deluded, you’re stark raving mad, woman.”
She barked a very unpleasant sounding laugh. “I will let history judge me, not traitorous filth.” She feigned innocence poorly. “Don’t they say history is written by the winners? I intend to be one.” The way her upper lip trembled reminded Giles of a rabid dog. “And if you have any delusions about rescue attempts, you needn’t worry. I already spoke to your Slayer.” The way she spat the title left no question about her hatred of Buffy. “I’ve lured her into a trap, and while she’s out getting captured, her vampire will perish, and all her allies along with him.”
“Let me guess. You offered to let us go in exchange for her turning herself in.” Her insufferable smirk was answer enough. “A deal you have no intention to honor, I gather.”
“Do not try to presume you can tell me how to keep my word. You broke your oath as a Watcher, and she has defiled her sacred duty. There will be no quarter given to the likes of you soon.”
“Buffy is still the Slayer—”
“The line passes through Kendra now. Your charge is obsolete.” Her face twisted in an even uglier sneer. “Of course, first I’ll be testing a little theory I have about her dying for a couple of minutes on the Hellmouth. Just imagine if we managed to have not one, but ten, or even more active Slayers at the same time.” Giles was certain he would forever see her face whenever he thought of evil. “That way if any prove defective there would be no pause in our war against demons before we acquire a replacement.”
Giles wondered how he hadn’t realized the woman was so completely deranged when he met her. He desperately wanted to find out more, to escape, to warn Buffy. He needed to save Jenny.
At a signal from Gwendolyn her underling proceeded to punch him repeatedly, alternating between Giles’ body and face until he lost consciousness once more.
~~~***~~~
*Buffy’s house*
“You’re walking into a bloody trap.” Spike was pacing while Buffy concealed stakes and other weapons on her body.
“Of course it’s a trap, even a moron would know that.” She didn’t even look at him, too busy choosing between an extra knife and a police baton. “You don’t think that I’m a moron, do you?” This time she did look at him and he knew she’d deck him if he gave the wrong answer. Slayer powers or not.
He stopped pacing and sat down on her bed, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know better than that, don’t I, love? You are as smart and cunning as any adversary stupid enough to challenge you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So I’m as smart as a dumb-dumb?”
God, but she was gorgeous when she was pissed off. He was just as upset, though. “Fine, you’re the smartest chit in all the land. Tales of your incomparable wisdom have been whispered around campfires throughout the realm.” He was making large sweeping gestures to accompany the imagery. He finished by chopping the air to the side. “It doesn’t matter none if you play into their hands.”
She threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. “I can’t let them have Giles and Ms. Calendar. I have to try to get them back.”
“By offering yourself up instead? That’s a piss poor hostage swap.” He got up and stood right in her face.
“Are you saying I’m worth more than my Watcher and my teacher?”
“I’m saying you’re worth more than the whole bloody world, is what I’m saying.” Both their voices were only getting louder. “I’m saying we should be hunting the bastards down, not making deals with them. Deals that leave you in their hands.” He’d stopped yelling and had clasped her hands in his.
“It’s our only chance to find them.” She’d quieted down also, but was grabbing him so tight he thought for a second she was getting her powers back. “The shaman guy you brought couldn’t find them. He said wherever they’re being held, it must be warded. So our only chance to get to them in time is this exchange.”
“I can’t lose you.”
She extracted one hand and palmed his cheek. “And you won’t. You’ll be tracking me all the way and then you’ll come and get me.” Her face turned hard, and her voice was pure slayer. “And then we can take care of them once and for all.”
He studied her for a few seconds, noting the telltale signs of her having made a decision he had no chance of overturning. “Then I’m coming with.” He started checking his pockets for weapons.
“She said I should be alone.”
“She also said she was sent from the Council of Wankers to help catch the rogue demon hunters who she was actually leading. So excuse me if I don’t give a flying fuck what she said. I’m coming with.” He made another slashing gesture with his hand, trying to show that it was non-negotiable.
“What if they hurt—”
He took her hands in his once more. “Not gonna let them see me, am I? I’m neither a fledge, nor a minion. I’ve learned stealth from the best in the business.” He half shrugged when she snickered. “Not my fault going all in is more fun than skulking about, but I can do it. I’ll hang back until they double-cross you, and then I’m going in.”
There was a flash of fear on her face. “You’re still weak from that poison.”
“Don’t you worry about ol’ Spike. The Gem is taking care of that.” He could see they both knew he was lying, but he paid it no mind. Maybe her plan would work and he would get a shot at Jaslay. Her blood would be just what the doctor ordered.
“I still think I should let them get me so I can lead you to their base.”
“And if they decide they’d rather not gamble on the drug they shot you up with and do you in right then and there?”
“Then you kill them instead, and we wait for Brian’s newest fledge to spill his guts. The main thing is for them to not have my Watcher and teacher hostage while we sit around.”
He flinched. “You heard.”
“I wasn’t trying to, but you were talking pretty loud, and I was thirsty, and…” She locked her eyes on his. “When were you gonna tell me about it?”
Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “Was just about to mention it, but then your watcher went and got captured along with his bird. Figured waiting twenty or so hours was out of the picture.”
“It is, but I still would have liked to know.”
He cupped her cheek. “Wasn’t hiding it from you. I just honestly didn’t get around to it.”
She leaned in to his touch. “I know. Ready to kick some Council ass?”
He kissed her in response and they finished getting ready for the coming meeting and fight in companionable silence.
~~~***~~~
*in one of Sunnydale’s many cemeteries*
Kendra was on edge. She’d trained her whole life to fight the forces of darkness on her own. Yet she was now fighting against what, on some level at least, she saw as her sister slayer. And she was doing it as part of a team. A team that included three hired guns and a Council guard. She had no idea how to fight in a group.
There was also a strange itch she got whenever one of her team-mates got too close to her. She tried to ignore it, although it seemed different than how uncomfortable she got around just any males. Maybe it just confirmed what Gwendolyn kept telling her about the Calling requiring her complete devotion to the cause. Just like a nun.
The thought didn’t mean she could ease the grip on her stake, though. If she squeezed any harder, Mr. Pointy would become kindling.
She closed her eyes, breathed deep, and tried to center her herself.
She had a mission, and everything else was just a distraction.
Kendra, the Vampyre Slayer, settled in to wait for Gwendolyn to give the signal. It was all going to end soon, and she would have the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.
Alone.
As it should be.
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