[Reviews - 249]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3784 times

- Text Size +




They all stared at her in shock and since she had nothing else to do she just stared back. She decided right then and there that dealing with these people was like confronting animals in the wild. Which meant that she could never take her eyes off of them and that she should move very slowly as not to startle them. Which after nineteen years in LA, that was a change of pace for her.

“You believe that you are a Chosen One.” Giles asked her, enunciating each world clearly so that there would be no misunderstandings.

“No Angel believes that, and every time I argue with him about it, he gets all bug eyed. Which isn’t exactly a good look for him.” Or you, Buffy added silently, since the man’s eyes were about to pop right out of his skull.

“You and Angel are a couple.” Faith asked not sure how she was suppose to feel about that. She also knew she shouldn’t have asked with Riley standing right there but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. There was no taking them back now.

“I’ll be anyone’s girlfriend if they pay me enough. I’m in the business of selling my love by the hour.” Buffy admitted knowing that it would come up sooner or later. “That’s how I met Angel. He bought me for the night after he saw me stake a vamp. He was more interested in conversation than consummation so don’t worry, he is still all cursed and broody.”

“He paid a hooker to come help me?” Faith asked unable to believe what she was hearing.

“I’m not getting paid which is probably why I am all cranky but I owe him one. So when Doyle got sent the divine headache, Angel couldn’t leave so I offered to fill in, hoping to make us even. Trust me I don’t want your job or your ex. All I want is to get back to my life and I can’t until whatever is making things all tense around here is dealt with. So can you point me in the direction of the big evil so I can be done with this already?” Buffy asked more than willing to handle this alone. She had come here ready to fight and she had somehow found herself trapped in an episode of a bad soap opera. How will our heroine deal with the sexy blonde hooker, her first love sent to save her…tune in next week Buffy mocked, wisely keeping that particular scenario to herself.

She heard the phone ringing somewhere inside the house and she almost sent up a prayer of thanks but since she was certain that the person saving her happened to be a vamp, she didn’t think that was really appropriate. A small redhead with intelligent eyes walked over to the man and said in a soft voice. “It’s Angel.”

Faith turned to walk back in the house, when the red head stopped her. “He wants to talk to her.”

Buffy looked at the man still holding the crossbow, waiting for the final verdict and he stepped back to allow her across the threshold. She had learned from Angel that vamps need a verbal invite, so she barely resisted chuckling at the fact the man had deliberately not given her one. She looked around the casually tasteful space and spotted the telephone near the bar. Walking over she picked it up and skipped all the small talk. “What in the hell have you gotten me into here?”

“Willow said you were there, so what’s wrong?”

“Did she happen to mention that I was being held outside with an arrow pointed at me or did she skip over that little detail?”

“No but I‘ll talk to them about that. Did you meet Faith yet?”

“Been there, fought that. Which is why she’s not really happy with either of us right now.”

“What did I do?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the fact you think I’m a slayer or maybe she’s not fond of hookers but she sure as hell wasn’t to happy that you didn’t ask to talk to her.” Buffy said not bothering to keep her voice down. “So why don’t you and her have a little chat, so I can get this done and go back to LA, where things are actually normal.”

Without waiting for a reply she turned and offered the phone to Faith. Stepping away to give them some privacy she noticed the other occupants in the room. They was a guy, early twenties with shaggy brown hair and no fashion sense sitting very close to a perky brunette who seemed as lost as she was. The girl Angel had called Willow had moved over to stand next to a timid little blonde with big brown doe eyes She could tell by their body language that they were a couple and not just friends. Riley was in the doorway, his heart clearly in his eyes as he watched his woman quietly converse with her ex and the guy with the crossbow was standing near the stairs. Thankfully he had decided to lower the crossbow, but he was still looking at her like she might go psycho at any second.

There was another man in the room with a shade of blonde hair not known to nature, sitting away from the group looking at her like he was wondering what she tasted like. There was desire in his eyes which was something she was used to. Which it was actually comforting to see, in a way but judging by the slight tingle on the back of her neck, she was guessing that he was more interested in the blood under her skin than the body covering it.

Noticing that he had the girl’s full attention, Spike gave her a quick wink. “See anything you like, luv?”

Since he was the first person she had talked to so far that hadn’t threatened her, she sent him a warm smile. “Just appreciating the view.”

What a brazen little chit, he thought arching an eyebrow. “Let me know if you want a closer look, because I‘d be happy to oblige.”

“Sorry lover but I don’t feed any vampire. Not even the pretty ones like you.” She said with an easy shrug.

“How did you know what he was?” Giles asked in open amazement. Looking around at the others he could see everyone, even Spike was taken aback by her announcement,

“I know what a man wants when he looks at me, and that one there isn’t thinking about sex, but blood.” Buffy said simply, not seeing what the big deal was. He was sitting here with them, so it couldn‘t be that big of a surprise, she reasoned. “Besides he just feels like a vamp but don’t ask me to explain that, because I can‘t.

“I can pet, you’re a slayer.” Spike said, enamored by her. She was feisty and it was obvious that she didn’t give a damn about what any of the others thought about her. Which after dealing with Faith was a refreshing change. It was amazing that Faith ever managed to slay anything considering how much time the girl spent trying to be exactly what she thought her friends and Watcher wanted her to be, Spike thought disgustedly.

“Not you too,” Buffy said huffing out deep breath. “I’m getting pretty tired of vampires with souls trying to tell me how to live my damn life.”

“Spike doesn’t have a soul.” Anya informed her. “He has a chip so he can’t hurt people. Which is why we haven’t dusted him yet.”

She could see why that seemed like a good policy to humans but to her it just really didn’t seem fair. She wasn’t for letting vamps eat people but from the way it sounded it would be more humane to just dust him. “Why did you all do that to him, I mean did he ask for it?”

“No I didn’t bloody well ask for it!” Spike told her curtly. “Captain America and his soldier boys decided to make me their sodden science project.”

“No offense Riley, cuz you’ve been downright decent to me but you soldier guys seem like nothing more than bad guys on a power trip.”

“You’re actually siding with Spike on this?” Riley asked more than a little outraged. “He kills people and if you are a slayer it’s your job to dust him and his kind. They are the bad guys not us.”

“He’s a vampire, that’s what they do.” Buffy said calmly, betting that he was really talking about Angel. He was clearly in love with Faith and she could understand why he had some personal issues with vamps in general. But she still had a point to make and a few personal issues of her own. “Good guys don’t attack an unarmed woman for no reason. I didn’t do a single thing wrong and I was all alone, obviously not hurting anyone and they still started a fight with me. If they were good guys they would have passed me over and went looking for someone who was doing something wrong. Besides If vampires were such bad guys they would dust them instead of playing mad scientist. It gets rid of the problem and it is a hell of a lot better than trapping them inside their own bodies.” She broke off for a moment to look at the vampire in question. “I betting you all didn‘t expect Spike here. to play human. So you either planned on letting him starve to death or you had another use for him in mind. The first is just cruel and the second is a prime example of what happens when people in a position of power become corrupted. So which did you and your friends have in mind?”

Since it was obvious that she had no idea about the Initiative or the evil monster they created, it was hard for Riley to argue. Everything she had said was true and after what had happened with Oz, he had often thought the same thing.

Noticing that the girl had put soldier boy in his place, Spike shot her a look of pure admiration. He couldn’t believe that she had not only defended him but had actually understood what it was like for him now. Here she was this beautiful slip of a girl and she had stood up for him in a room full of strangers knowing that her opinion wouldn’t exactly go over well.

The world would be a better place with more people like her, even he a soulless creature could see that, despite the fact she was a slayer. But if she signed on with this lot, then Adam would kill her right along with them. Thinking about his secret alliance with Adam, Spike had to ask himself if this one girl was worth losing his one chance to have the chip removed. That was the real question, the only question.





You must login (register) to review.