"So, are you in or out mates?" Spike had just finished his idea of a council raid to the lot of vampires and demons he was playing cards with. They were already locals and so they knew the city and he thought they were the right people to bring in.

He placed another card down, fixing the newly stolen hat on his head. He had already won the last round of money and wanted to play it safe until he had some of the demons in his plan. He had a card up his sleeve though, literally.

"Raid on the council?" A shaggy brunette vampire asked from across the table placing down his cards. He couldn't have been more than sixteen when he was turned. He wore the dress of the current era but a small stain of blood could be seen near the collar of his shirt. No doubt taken from one of his victims.

"No council makes for a lousy slayer." Spike returned, taking another swig of his whiskey. The lot of vamps at the table looked at him, each with undecided faces. None of them had really jumped at the bit to take on the council but Spike confidently thought he could change their mind. "All the lot do is read. They won't put up much of a fight."

"I don't really care about the council so I'm going to have to say no." The only non-vampire at the table responded. He was a kind of demon Spike didn't recognize. He was big, bulky and red from head to toe. His eyes glowed orange and his clothes were matted, bloodied and ripped. He looked like he had just come from a big fight. Spike only glanced at him before placing his next card down. He really didn't expect a non-vamp to participate. They hadn't nearly as much blood with the council.

"How do you know your information's good?" The girl-vamp at the table asked. She was light blonde and dressed in a bright yellow dress. Her appearance just reminded Spike of Harmony and every time he looked at her he could swear her voice would go up two octaves.

"Got it from a slayer." Spike said with a mischievous grin. They hadn't heard of him yet so they wouldn't know of his reputation so his chance of playing the slayer card was too good to pass up.

"A slayer?" The final member of the game asked doubtfully. He was a man turned around his late 30s. He hadn't spoken much and seemed to know his way around. Spike would guess that he had been turned a long time ago and could smell out the bullshit.

"You tortured and killed a slayer?" The young vamp asked.

"Killed two actually." Spike said with a sloppy grin. "But not this one. She's rouge. Told me out of her own will."

"And you think you can trust her?" The girl vampire asked.

"Believe me. I got her wrapped around my finger. She's like putty in my hands." Spike smiled wishing Buffy could have been there to hear him. But not wishing too hard. He took another drink and looked at the disbelieving eyes round the table. Only the young vampire seemed to look at him with reverence and belief.

"And you think you can control her?" The older vampire chimed in. He ran a hand through his dark black hair before taking a drink of his scotch. It was obvious he didn't trust this plan from this new vampire who had just walked into town. He thought the slayer was in the Brazil anyway. Seemed strange she would be in London.

"I know I can." Spike dropped his smile looking at the older vamp. He didn't want anyone competing with him or questioning him. He was going to be the alpha in this plan. "Poor lass is in love with me." He sat back returning to his cocky grin. He was confident he could get them to go along with the plan if they knew they had a slayer at their side.

"A slayer in love with a vampire?" The girl stared him down. "It's impossible."

"Believe it pet. She'll do anything I say." Spike placed down another card purposefully losing the round to the elder vampire. The other vamps looked at each other quickly seeing their reactions.

"I'm in." The younger vamp was almost too easy.

"I'm in. But if the slayer tries anything, I'm out of there." The girl finished off her drink and folded down her cards.

Spike looked towards the elder vamp who stared down at the table. He took a moment longer to answer contemplating the pros and cons. It was hard to pass up the opportunity to be known as one of the vamps who took out the council and burned it to the ground. "I'm in. What's your plan?"

All vampires looked to Spike and the red demon leaned back shuffling the deck and dealing, waiting for the conversation to be over. "Find where it is and meet here tomorrow night."

"You mean you don't know?" The girl asked. "I thought your love sick slayer told you."

"Not even the slayer knows exactly. I figure they'll have some vamp protection. It really is just a big library, how hard could it be to find?" Spike echoed Buffy's words and looked at his new hand.

"I know a guy." The elder vamp spoke again. "Says he's been there. I'll check it out."

"Even if we find it, how do we get in?" The younger vamp played his turn. He had not been doing well that night and was running low on money.

"That's where the slayer comes in. I have it figured out."

"Sure you do." The girl vamp said laying out her cards. She had already lost.

"Meet here same time tomorrow." She nodded and left the table. "How bout you red?" Spike turned to him. "You haven't left yet. You changed your mind?" Spike slipped out the card from his sleeve and played his hand winning the lot for the round. It was a lot of money as the red demon had been slowly betting more and more through the night.

The red demon's eyes glowed brighter as he stared down Spike. His skin started to glow red as he stood from his chair. The young and elder vamp shared a look before both walked from the table and out the door. Spike looked at the glowing demon in front of him wondeed why the others had fled.

"Cheater." Was all the red demon said before he lifted his arm and a stream of bright hot fire propelled towards Spike. He dived under the table, feeling the heat from the fire hit it. He looked up as the table disappeared from above him and flew across the room.

"Saw that did you?" Spike asked, backing into the bar looking for a weapon while the demon shot another stream of fire. Spike dove away again into a tucked roll while the flame hit the wood and luckily not the booze. With no good weapon in sight and without another word he ran out the door into the cool night, not wanting to try and attack a demon that could actually kill him with fire.

"Cheater!"

Spike heard the demon yell from behind him as he took off down the alleyway. He turned his head to see another flame blast come towards him and he rounded the corner before it could come to him. He took off faster ,diving in between alleyways trying to lose the fiery demon. After a few extra minutes of running he stopped in the alley behind his house and listened. There were no movements and so he rounded out to the front of the house knowing he would now have to bring Buffy with him for protection. She was going to love that.