Giles stumbled into the graveyard. It wasn't bad enough that Ethan had turned him into a demon, no Ethan had to turn him into an obnoxiously tall, horrendously grotesque demon that couldn't find a safe place to hide. Xander had forced him from his home out into the night.
"I should have knocked him out and waited for Buffy." He grumbled as he lumbered his way between gravestones. He continued on ranting to himself about discourteous young men and asinine old friends for some time. The rumble of his own speech filling the air around him reassured him. He, Rupert Giles, was still present in the world.
"Right, then. I'm sorry for this, but you can't be running free here. Slayer wouldn't approve." A familiar voice sounded behind him. He whirled around and found himself face to face with William the Bloody.
"Spike, now my day is complete." Giles glared as his slower demon brain processed the words he had heard. "Slayer wouldn't...What have you done with my Buffy?"
He snarled and grabbed Spike, pressing him up against the wall of a mausoleum. This was right. He felt the rush of power surging through his veins. The vampire looked down at him and smirked.
"Can strangle me all you want." Spike coughed. "Don't need to breathe, do I?"
"You said the slayer wouldn't approve. Why do you care what she approves?" Giles tossed the vampire to the ground. Spike bounded up, straightening his duster and snarling.
"Stupid bint loves you, Watcher. Nothing else much matters, yeah?" Spike looked up at him a flicker of curiosity showing in his eyes. "So, did you just come over all demony or is this some long term dark secret?"
"You understand me. Am I speaking English?" Giles asked.
"No, mate, you're speaking Fyarl. Strange to hear an erudite Fyarl." Spike tilted his head and grinned. "Not enjoying your walk on the wild side?"
"No. Ethan Rayne did this to me." Giles rolled his shoulders.
"Ethan did this?" Spike shook his head. "Bloody fool, Slayer will pull out the big knives for this one."
"I need to find Ethan and force him to turn me back. Buffy went out to look for him, but I can't wait." Giles looked down at Spike. "You seem to know all the players in this little drama. Have you done something to hurt Buffy?"
"No." Spike raised his hands up in surrender. "I made a stupid buggering vow, and now, I'm her bleeding lap dog. Turns out it's not so bad. She treats me like a man."
Giles watched the vampire closely. Buffy had been keeping a great many secrets. He felt a surge of rage. His mate was doing dangerous things. he had to find her and protect her. The low growling sound started deep in his gut, building until he tossed his head up and roared into the night.
"You know, I'm beginning to see what the slayer sees in you." Spike quirked his lips to one side. "Won't spill her secrets, but I might know where to find her."
"What does that mean?" Buffy demanded as the sound filled the room again. Ethan was looking panicked, and her adrenalin was skyrocketing. This was not of the good. "Who discovered that Faith hasn't been sleeping in her bed?"
"The warning doesn't bloody well tell me that. It was designed to warn us of imminent discovery. I never thought it would actually go off." Ethan stalked around the room while Buffy watched him. "Someone immune to magic or more powerful than I am has realized Faith isn't tucked up safe where she was supposed to be."
"How long before they figure out where she is?" Buffy moved to the bed and fished out the weapons she stored underneath it.
"I don't know. If their immune to all magic we have minutes at illusions the scales have been lifted, we might have hours, but they will find the wards. Hopefully, they'll hold." Ethan was sweating. She could see the beads of s liquid forming on his skin as she prized the last piece free. The staff and its bladed ends screwed together quickly. She spun it about, listening to it cut through the air.
"We need a plan." She tested her body and the weapon with a few more flourishes, watching the horrible fluorescent light reflect of the well honed steal. "If it's demons I can kill them, but if not. Well, we're screwed."
"I could go ward other rooms. It might throw them off." Ethan ran his fingers along the raised railing of Faith's bed.
Buffy knew he was removing himself from the danger zone, but he was useless in a direct fight anyway. His magic was sly, as elusive as the mage wielding it. She nodded and watched him swallow once before leaving. The door closed and Buffy prepared.
The men stepped into the room and gazed at the bed. Ferwick took a deep breath. The assignment had bothered him from the first. Dispatching a rogue slayer was part of the job, but he had never been a party to it. The previous team had failed turned and looked at the empty bed again.
The spells that had fooled the others and the hospital staff were complicated and, for the moment, untraceable. Collins had made the situation very plain. This team could not fail. This Slayer was finished with her service to the powers and the Council was finished with her. He sighed and looked at his team.
"Broomhill, Lutz, find out if the room has had any visitors." He watched the two men scurry from the room. "Pryce, have you talked with your dear cousin lately? She was his slayer."
"I haven't spoken to him in years. He was still head boy then." Pryce said sourly.
"Yes, well, be that as it may, you will be calling now. We need to know what this girl is really like and where she would turn for quarter." Ferwick glared at the slight man. Pryce was a decent chap in a pinch, but he could drive a saint starkers with all his damnable issues. "Kerr, can you trace her?"
The small man sniffed the air and his eyes flashed an with an odd blue light before he lowly shook his head. He moved around the room, revisiting the process again and again. Ferwick took a deep breath as the halfbreed worked. It must have been easier when the Council kept hell hounds for this nonsense.
"I have a trace scent, sir." Kerr's voice broke his quiet reverie. "I'll go search froor a stronger sample or a trail."
Ferwick nodded and pulled a long blade from the sheath on his back. He would have some time. He sighed. A hunt should be more rewarding than this, especially a big game hunt like this.
Buffy heard the door open. The small man's eyes flashed blue and he charged toward her. Her slayer senses screamed. This thing was malevolent. She swung her blade as other men followed the demon in.
Five, all of them dressed like the watchers that had come after Faith before. Did these guys have no imagination? Tweed or this creepy ode to the paramilitary? Really? Her eyes flickered over the group as she knocked the demony guy back with the flat of her blade. He slumped to the floor, his eyes rolling back.
The other men were still focused on Faith. They weren't paying any attention to her. Idiots. She tossed wards up around Faith and looked to see which one was the threat.
"Hey, boys, you want my sister you go through me." Buffy kicked their comrade across the room, knocking one of the others to his knees. She watched their bodies, knowing the first one to flinch would be her talker. She saw the quick flick of grey eyes toward the door. She had her man. Time to get to work.
She moved forward, fluid and smiling. This was going to be fun.
Ethan cursed as he rushed back toward the room. They hadn't been fooled and she was facing the bastards alone. He had truly fucked this up and Ripper was going to kill him. He deserved it. He swallowed around the lump in his throat as he rounded the corner at a run. He scrambled down the hall as his feet slid on the slick floor. He grimaced as his knee came down hard on the linoleum. Was it really a surprise that he was bad at this? Running toward danger really didn't suit him.
He pushed himself up from the floor, grasped the door frame, and watched as Buffy spun her staff, a disturbing smile riding her face. The feral side of her chilled him. It seemed at odds with her sunny nature, but it lurked there, under the surface, ready to rise when called upon. Quite a bit like Ripper, really.
