"Tell me, mate. Who's the third one?"

"A Jackass, that's what he is!" Willow said, suddenly very aware of what was going on around her. "And when I see him, I'm going to stick a hot poker up his ass then skin him alive." The Scoobies looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "Sorry. It's just a delicate subject and I got angry."

Eric chuckled. "I understand perfectly, Willow. You saw something?"

"Oh yes! Saw a bunch of things!"

Xander looked at her expectingly. "And? Who is it? Where is he? How can I help?"

"Hey!" Anya yelled, hitting her boyfriend. Then she looked at the red haired Crow. "I want to help too. I'm qualified. I have a thousand years old experience of torturing men. I'm sure I could find some neat tricks."

Buffy took a step toward Willow. "We want to help, Will. You'll get your revenge."

They all froze when the redhead laughed evilly. "You want to help me yet you don't even know who he is?" She stopped laughing and looked at them seriously, a dark look on her face. "Are you sure you can handle the truth?"

Puzzled by her dead friend's behavior, she looked at Eric for a clue, but he was leaning toward Spike, whispering something in his ear. She frowned when she saw the vampire grip the chair tightly and she heard him growl. "Fucking son of a bitch," he muttered angrily. "Whatever you've got planned for the bastard, count me in!"

"You can't, Spike, remember?" Willow said. "You still have that cute little government chip in your head."

"Then Get. It. Out. I don't care how, I just want to see his blood on my hands."

Giles gasped. "Willow! You can't possibly be thinking of removing Spike's chip?!"

"As a matter of facts, yes I am. He's changed, Giles. He won't hurt us."

Buffy put a hand on her Watcher's chest before he could put another word in. "I don't care as long as he doesn't feed in Sunnydale. You have a car, use it," she told Spike. "I want part in this as much as you and I won't stop you from hurting the bastard. I'm ready, Will. Shoot the truth."

"Remember. You asked for it."

They waited and waited. Xander sighed. "Will, what are you waiting for?"

The redhead grinned. "I'm waiting for him. Don't worry. You're all going to know his identity soon. He's coming here." She passed her hand in front of her face and it turned black and white. Eric did the same thing.

"Uh, pet. Don't want to burst your bubble, but I still can't hurt humans."

"Don't worry, Spike. We're just going to knock him uncounscious. Then, I'll remove your chip. After that...well, it'll be time for fun." She walked to the door and picked up the bottle of newt eyes. "Lets just hope he doesn't have a hard head," she muttered. She hid behind it and wait.

"How long are we going to wait?" Anya whinned.

Suddenly, the front door opened and they all stopped breathing, waiting for the person to step in. Riley came in, a stupid smile on his face. "Hey guys! Hi, Buffy! I was wondering if you needed help patrolling tonight." He then noticed Eric standing beside Spike. "What the?"

"Sweet dreams, Riley," he heard someone say behind him.

Willow slammed down the bottle at the back of his skull and the soldier slumped down heavily. "Never expected this, did you? Eric, give me a hand. Lets get him tied up like a turkey in the backstore." The two Crows picked Riley up and brought him to the Magic Box backstore.

Buffy was still stunned, watching straight in front of her. Spike frowned and passed his hand in front of her face. "You ok, slayer?" She didn't answer. "Buffy?"

"What? Oh, sorry. Still a little lost. Wait. Did I just really saw Riley, as in ex-boyfriend-but-still-friend-working-for-the-Initiative-and-helping-me-save-the-world, get knocked down by my dead best friend because he raped her a year ago then murdered her?"

"Yep!" Spike answered happily. "Isn't this fun?"

"Spike, you're hopeless."

Part 7

Buffy looked up when she heard Riley groan. "He's waking up!" she yelled. The others came walking in the backstore where the Slayer had watch over the soldier.

When his head finally stopped swinging, Riley opened his eyes. He had to focus for a minute and then everything got clearer around him. He struggled when he realized he was tied to a chair. "Buffy? Untie me!" He frowned when the blond didn't do anything, just kept staring at him. He froze when he saw Eric step in front of the Scoobies. "What the hell is he doing here?! He's the demon! Kill him!"

"I don't think so," replied the Slayer. "See, we talked a bit and came to some arrangment. It seems that there were two Crows in Sunnydale. Eric here was *not* the one that killed Simon. Apparently, his... lets say girlfriend, had a run in with this Simon-guy before she died... more precisely, a couple of minutes before she died. She just wanted her revenge."

"I don't understand. Why tie me up?"

"Because you're next, Riley," a soft voice said from behind him.

He froze. He knew that voice well. He had heard it for a good hour a year ago, while she was squirming under him. He started struggling when he saw the black and white figure with red hair step in front of him. She sat on his lap and he had no choice then to look at her. "You never expected this, did you? When you raped me, beat me, stabbed me, you *never* once thought that you could get punished. I've learned something while studdying witchcraft, Riley : what you do will come back at you three times. I suffered for an hour Riley. But you! You're going to beg for death before I'm finished with you. Bucker up! You still have three days to go. Don't worry. I'll make sure you last that long. Spike is an expert in torture. I'm sure he'll give me some pointers."

"You can bet on that, pet."

Riley sneered. "Too bad he can't hurt me." He frowned when he saw Buffy grin evilly, something he had never seen before. He eyed her suspisciously as she walked right in front of him and stopped. Her palm opened and something dropped from it on the floor. The soldier only had time to see a electronic chip fall before the slayer's foot stomped on it, destroying what was the only thing holding Spike, her mortal enemy, from killing humans... and him. "Buffy!"

"I had a revelation tonight. I learned that sometimes, humans are worst than demons." She turned toward Willow. "I won't watch, but I won't stop you either. Do what you want. Who am I to stand in the way of a Crow anyway?" she asked playfully.

The Scoobies left the room in a hurry when the bleached vampire pulled a spike from his coat. Willow grinned when she saw Riley's horrified expression. "Spike, could you please show me how you got your nickname?"

"With pleasure, luv." He walked slowly to the tied up soldier, his eyes gleaming with hunger for blood. He wanted violence. He wanted blood. He wanted revenge for the misery the Initiative had put him through. He closed his eyes in pleasure when he plunged the spike in Riley's shoulder, making him scream in pain. "Now *that* was fun!"

Eric laughed out loud. "I don't think he agrees with you, Spike."

"Who cares?" the redhead replied. "It's for our fun, not his. Spike, could you get him off the chair and tie him up so he can stand?"

"Why's that, pet?"

"If I remember correctly, I did say I'd put a hot poker up his ass if I got my hands on him." She smirked at the soldier. Eric gave her the poker he had brought with him. "Bucker up, Riley! Soon, you'll be dead and the pain will stop."

Riley struggled when the vampire pulled his pants down and the redhead walked behind him. He screamed when he felt the hot metal enter him, the smell of burning flesh making his stomach turn over itself. He fell uncounscious.

Willow pouted. "He's no fun. He's out cold."

"I'm going to use that break to take a ride out of town for a small snack," Spike said. "Don't start the fun without me, you two."

"What shall we do until soldier-boy wakes up?" the redhead said, watching Eric with a small smile. "Think we can entertain ourselves?"

He took her in his arms. "You're devious when you want."

"It's my dark side that's coming out to play. Believe me, I'm still in total control and I've stopped myself. If I didn't, it could turn ugly. I've met my vampire self from another universe once. You don't want to meet her. But enough with the small talk." She pushed him back on the wall and kissed him senseless.

"What if he wakes up?" Eric asked while fondling her breast.

"Let him watch," she answered huskily.

They slid to the floor, forgetting where they were. They didn't hear the door open. Xander came in. "Hey guys! How's it going with..." He saw the two naked Crows on the mat and quickly retreated back to the shop. The Scoobies shot him curious glances when the dark haired boy closed the door leading to the backstore, his face as red as his shirt. "Um, I don't think we should go back in for at least an hour."

"Why's that?" Buffy asked.

"Are they having sex?" Anya asked suddenly. When the boy didn't answer, she knew she was right. "Ah, ah!" She held her hand out to Giles. "Pay up! I was right!" She beamed when the grumbling Watcher slid twenty dollars in her hand.

Buffy laughed. "Don't tell me you were making bets on how long it was going to take before those two were jumping each other?" They nodded. "I don't think I'll *ever* be able to work on that mat again."