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Chapter 11

"Whose house is this?" Willow asked Oz and Xander.

"It's a surprise," Oz said. He hadn't been under an oath to keep Anne a secret, but he wasn't in the mood to answer all of his friend's questions either. Not to mention there was the added complication of Spike.

Oz pulled up in front of Anne's house. He saw that Giles' old clunker was parked in the driveway behind a black clunker with painted windows. Oz smirked to himself, knowing that neither Brit would be happy about his assessment of their cars.

"Whose house is this?" Xander repeated Willow's question as he stared up at the structure.

"Let's go see." Willow hopped out of Oz's van. "Maybe Giles has found some new allies. We can use anyone he finds."

"Even me, Red?" Spike's voice came from the dark shadows on the porch.

"Spike!" Willow squeaked. She stepped closer to Oz.

"Nice seein' you again, Dogboy." Spike nodded to the werewolf. "Watcher's inside with the others."

"You coming inside?" Oz asked.

"Just as soon as I finish this." Spike held up a lit cigarette. "Her ladyship says no smokin' in the house."

"Since when do you listen to anyone, Captain Peroxide?" Xander muttered.

Spike sneered at the teenage boy. "Since I finally met a woman who can flatten me with a fist."

"I gotta meet this woman." Xander rubbed his hands together. "Maybe she can flatten Deadboy too."

"Count on it," Spike replied darkly. He went back to his cigarette, ignoring the Scoobies as he stared off into the gloomy twilight."

"Better get inside." Oz ushered Willow and Xander to the door which he opened. He called out to announce their arrival. "Giles. Serina. Anne. We're here."

"I'm in the living room," Serina answered. She smiled at the three young people when they found their way to her. "Giles and Anne will be out in a moment."

"That must have been a difficult situation," Giles said over his shoulder as he entered the living room. "How did you manage?"

"We let Kennedy go first. She was all gung-ho, but Faith and I knew better." The blond Slayer giggled at the memory of the stuck up Slayerette being slimed by an exploding demon.

"Buffy!" Willow gasped.

"Be gone, foul creature." Xander stuck a cross in Buffy's face.

"Nice to see you're predictable in any dimension, Xander." The Slayer pushed the cross out of her face. "I'm Anne, not the Buffy from here."

"What? How? What?" Xander's jaw dropped.

"All good questions." Giles turned to Anne. "Call Spike inside, and we'll answer them."

Anne put her tray of snacks down on the coffee table. "Sure thing. Uh, isn't Cordelia supposed to be here?" She glanced around for the dark-haired cheerleader.

"Cordelia moved away last year," Willow answered. "The other Cordettes were vamped, and her parents freaked."

Anne nodded. "Might be for the best. Being around Angel wasn't good for her health." She smiled sadly as she left the room. Then, she returned with Spike in tow. "I forgot what a jerk you are!" She rolled her eyes at Giles and Serina.

"I'm sure he's still a jerk, pet." Spike crossed the room to get a glass of whiskey. "You're just busy makin' cow eyes at him to notice."

Anne stuck out her tongue at the unsoulled version of her mate.

"How do you know Spike, Buffy?" Willow asked. She was confused by the almost flirty banter between the two blonds.

"This Spike or my Spike?" Anne gestured to the chairs and sofa before she plopped down in an armchair.

"Either. Both," Willow said. She joined Oz and Xander on the couch.

"I met this Spike at the school while I was talking to Giles." Anne glanced at the Watcher. "Met my Spike in the alley behind the Bronze when he promised to kill me for St. Vigorous Day."

"St. Vigeous." St Vigeous, pet

"Whatever." Whatever, Mr. Echo.

"That's the ritual the Anointed One did last year," Willow gasped. "We were lucky to make it through that one alive."

"Really?" Anne tilted her head in thought. "Guess it's a good thing my Spike tossed the munchkin into the sun, then."

"He what?" Giles looked interested.

"When?" Spike asked. His counterpart sounded like he might be an okay guy after all.

"Let's see, he says after we fought at the high school." Anne closed her eyes. She seemed to be concentrating. "Yeah, it was a few days before the ritual was supposed to happen. William always has been impatient."

"What the bleedin' hell is he sending you?" Spike's nostrils flared as Anne's sudden arousal grew stronger.

"That's for me to know and you to figure out when we rescue Buffy," Anne teased.

"What did you say?" Xander leaned forward.

Anne turned to the young man. "When the Master killed me, I drowned. I wasn't turned."

"So, the three of you think Deadboy lied." Xander jumped to his feet. "Well, what are we going to do about it?"

"First, we need to determine if your Buffy is indeed... not totally dead." Anne glanced at Spike. She gave the vampire a pointed look.

Spike sighed. "Dru sent me here with talk of a little sister needing my help." The blond vampire shrugged. "She's been acting stranger than usual, more fits and tantrums. I igured it would be a good to get a break away from her for awhile."

"What makes you think it's Buffy?" Willow asked.

"Recognized Anne's scent when I shouldn't have." Spike took a drink of whiskey. "Angelus smelled like her when we were here before."

"They kissed and stuff before she died. Maybe you smell that," Willow offered.

"It wasn't a faded scent, Red," Spike replied with a shake of his head.

"I've been to his apartment," Xander said. "No way he could have her there."

"Explains why he avoids me and wears strong cologne when he can't. I didn't meet Buffy, but Will here has some of her things that Joyce gave her," Oz muttered. "He knew I would be able to make the connection. He just never counted on Spike."

"Or me." Anne grimaced. "The mansion on Crawford Street certainly qualifies as a place to check out."

"What mansion?" Giles asked.

"My Giles burned down the factory after Angelus killed Ms. Calendar. Then, Angelus moved the whole kit and kaboodle to the mansion."

"We need the layout," Giles said. His analytical mind was already making plans.

"Here." Anne grabbed a pencil and a sheet of paper. "William and I can at leastdraw the first floor's plans. We've never really been on any of the others."

"Why didn't he go on any of the other floors?" Spike went to look over Anne's shoulder.

"I put him in a wheelchair." Anne shrugged. She continued to draw without looking at the others. "Then, he left when he could walk again. When he came back the mansion wasn't in our lives anymore."

"Angel was dusted?" Xander asked with glee. He really did hate the big brooding vampire.

"No, he ran off to the big city to play with the big boys." Anne handed Giles the paper. "William has a vague recollection of the upstairs, and there are lower levels too."

"Someone needs to distract Angelus while the Slayer and I explore the mansion." Spike returned to his seat, having memorized the floor plans already.

"Easier said than done," Willow murmured.

Anne suddenly tilted her head. She seemed to be listening to something only she could hear. "Hm, William says that he and Dee can handle Angel if we can let it slip that he's in Vegas with a young girl. We just have to make it sound urgent enough. Angel can't go blowing his cover as Champion by ignoring someone in need."

"How?" Willow looked concerned. "I mean, how do we get him to leave without taking Buffy with him?"

"If you and Oz go with him, it should be fine," Serina finally joined in on the conversation. "I will make a compulsion talisman for you to wear when you talk to him. Nothing that'll coerce him, just make him more willing to believe you."

"What about the Master? Without Angel here to patrol, will it be okay?" Willow questioned.

"Spike and I can handle it." Anne glanced at Spike who nodded his consent. "While we're doing the search, I think that Giles, Serina, and Xander should get our allies together. That way, we can go ahead and eliminate the Master."

"Good idea," Giles said with approval.

"Wonder if Riley and the Initiative are at U.C. Sunnydale yet?" Anne rubbed her chin as she thought out loud. "I could take a look at that. See if Lowell house is active."

"The Initiative?" Spike drawled. "I don't like the sound of that."

"You shouldn't. They put a chip in William's head that made it so he couldn't hurt humans," Anne replied. "It's obvious we can't rely on the Council for help. Although, Clem might be of some help if we can find him."

"Clem?" Willow asked.

"Spike's future kitten poker buddy."

"Kitten poker?" Spike spluttered. "How the bloody hell did I get into that?"

Anne shrugged. "Boredom?"

"What do we do first?" Willow wanted to get the conversation back on track.

"Well, first, William and Dee will make some appearances around Vegas. Anyanka can get us some pictures. Then, you and Oz will get Angel out of town." Anne smiled.

The others nodded. They felt productive with Buffy there, even if she wasn't their Buffy.

Anne mentally directed Anyanka, William, and Dee to do their parts, even as she giggled over what had happened to D.G. She pulled Giles to the side, and she quietly asked, "Do you know a Reggie Bey?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Earlier in the day, in Vegas)

"Come on, Watcher," William grumbled. "Try not to destroy anything." He remembered how the Giles of his own dimension had been a tad destructive on property.

D.G. growled at the bleached blond vampire.

"Hey, don't take that attitude with me. You're the one that accepted a drink with your old buddy." William smirked. "Good memories though. Almost had Buffy during that Halloween chaos."

D.G. growled again.

"Yes, I am sure you've learned your lesson." Spike checked his duster for weapons. "Let's go kick some ass."

D.G. turned to follow the vampire, but he bumped into a woman who appeared to be in a great hurry. "Look where you're going, Fyral," she spat out.

D.G. tried to apologize, but the woman would have nothing to do with it.

"You demons are all alike. Thinking you own the world." The woman's eyes blackened. "Live as a human for awhile.'

There was a flash of light, and in the Fyral demon's place stood a younger version of Buffy's Watcher.

"Well, well, well. As I live and breathe, it's Ripper," William teased.

"You're a bloody vampire," Ripper muttered. "You don't live or breathe." He turned to the witch. "I apologize for running into you, Ma'am. Thank you for changing me back. Let's go, Willy."

The witch gaped in astonishment at the charm that oozed from the young man. She hadn't expected the demon to be a transfigured human. She watched as the two men strolled down the street, trading barbs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What the heck?" Dee stared at the younger version of the man she considered a second father.

"Ripper here ran into a witch." William chuckled. "Literally."

"Yeah, she changed me back," Ripper replied.

William sat up straight in his chair. "Anne's talking to the Scoobs. That girl just can't get names right, can she?"

"I'm sure she does it to bug me," Ripper replied. "Although it is amusing when it is directed at someone other than myself."

"Guess they had St Vigeous here," William replied. "Spike didn't eliminate the Annoying One, not like I did."

His audience nodded in understanding.

William smirked as he sent Anne a naughty thought. He was pleased to hear her answering giggle.

"What?" Dee demanded to know.

"Ever the impatient one, Nib. They're sure Angel has Buffy held prisoner." William looked glum. "Might be a good idea to tell us about that first scenario, demon girl."

"Well, Buffy will have her soul. She'll have three different parts within her; the soul, the vampire, and the slayer." Anyanka looked thoughtful. "Once she accepts all three parts, she will have the power to dust vamps with a word."

"Wow, that's cool," Dee said. "I don't like the idea of Angel having access to that kind of power though."

"I agree." Ripper looked at the young woman thoughtfully. "There is one person in the Council that would be of help to Rupert. That is, if he knows Reggie Bey." If the Council here was anything like the other Councils they wouldn't be any help at all.

"I'll have Anne ask." William tilted his head. "The plan is for Dee and me to be seen around Vegas. Anyanka needs to get some pictures of us to Anne. Red and Dogboy will come here with Peaches, while Spike and Anne search for Buffy."

"Sounds like a good plan." Anyanka appeared deep in thought. "We need to get Dee a few outfits though."

"No problem." William pulled out a credit card. "Here. Charge it to Angelus."

"Sure thing!" Dee giggled. She grabbed the card out of the vampire's hand.

It never occurred to them that they would be trackable through the credit card.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel set the magical ingredients on the floor of the mansion's living room. He was sure that magic was the answer to his problems with Buffy. The once champion for the PTB hadn't even noticed his descent into madness. Of course, why would he? It had been his Sire's last thoughts of revenge before he dusted her.

Angel started to whistle as he prepared the ingredients into their proper places, except two. Those two he mixed up. So, instead of making his victim more compliant, she would be even more volatile. Not like the turned Slayer wasn't like that already.

The dark-haired vampire performed the ritual. He pronounced the words right, lit the incense at the proper time, and even cleaned up afterwards. Then, he decided to join his lovely childe in her room.

Angel entered the warded room, confident that he once again had Buffy under his control. A feral growl and glittering gold eyes was what greeted him though.

"Angel, my dearest Sire, you are really stupid, aren't you?" Buffy snarled.

Angel gulped at how mad Buffy appeared; both emotionally and mentally. He knew she had no weapons, but when she advanced on him, he backed up in terror.

Okay, time for plan C.

"Since you can't behave like a good childe, starve for a few days, lover." Angel backed out of the room. He slumped against the door once it was closed.

"You just wait, Angel. You will regret this." Buffy hissed through the wooden barrier. She knew Angel could hear her. "With no expiration date, I can exact my revenge for decades. Centuries even."

Angel leapt to his feet. Time to go research the Council's Cruciamentum drug. Hopefully, he'd be able to find a supplier somewhere close.

Things weren't going the way Angel had expected, but at least the Master stayed out of his life. Maybe it was time to get off the Hellmouth. Angel decided that as soon as he drugged Buffy into submission, they'd leave Sunnydale for good.





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