Title: Standing On Your Own

Author: Hope

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When a demon kills everyone the slayer loves, she falls deep into depression: No will to live, no will to fight. Because her heart is no longer in slaying, the PTB send back a certain blonde vampire to help get her back on track.....

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"So you're saying that those Wankers have magick barriers around the entire place?" Spike asked the woman sitting on the couch across from him. Sure, Katherine wasn't entirely afraid of Spike, but he was a vampire and she kept her distance.

"Then how do we get in?" Buffy asked, stopping her pacing in front of the fireplace.

"Well, dear, it's not the barriers I would be worried about. They're designed to keep anything with supernatural powers out, but those can be dropped quite simply, if you ask me. I can arrange for them to be down when you arrive. What I'd be worried about are the operatives you'll find inside. These men are not what you're used to dealing with, child, they have weapons. Guns."

"How long do they take to respond to a breech?" Spike asked.

"Anywhere between ten and fifteen minutes. No one has been foolish enough to try and overthrow the Council for nearly one hundred years. There are a few operatives inside, yes, but nothing you can't handle. The rest of the team is located in a hidden location across town. They're dismissed only for extreme cases and very few of them have actually been inside the headquarters as they're only released for special operations. They're the one's who were after your friend, Faith." Katherine explained. Buffy was about to protest that Faith wasn't her friend, but Katherine continued. "The one's in the Headquarters will have minimal weapons, tranquilizers at most. I will warn you though, once the backups arrive, you are in danger. They will have ammunition, bullets, Ms. Summers."

"Then we won't be there when they arrive, will we?" Buffy stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Precisely." The woman replied, smiling. Spike watched her with a bewildered expression.

"Why are you so willing to help us, anyway?" He asked, standing.

Sighing, Katherine looked up at the blonde. "Because it's what Rupert would have done. You girls were like family to him and I won't sit by while you jeopardize your own life to save your sister's. The Council has no right to tamper with life like that, it's immoral and against everything they stand for."

"You and Rupes, you…" Spike smiled suggestively, making hand motions.

"What? Oh, heavens no! Don't be silly, me and Rupert were childhood friends. The man was like a brother to me."

Buffy smiled grimly. "So when do we go?"

"I can have the barriers down tonight, if you wish." Katherine replied with a nod.

"Fine, we go tonight. She's not staying there a second longer than she has to."

"Wait a tick, how do you know you can get the barriers down? They're using the Nibblet as bait, they know the Slayer will come for her, so how do you know that they don't have the operatives there ready to ambush her?" Spike questioned, thinking the situation through. Buffy looked up at him, dismay present in her eyes. She had never thought of that.

"Because, Spike, I happen to be in charge of the Council's security."

He stopped, clenching his jaw. "Then how do we know you're not setting us up?"

"You'll have to trust me and the fact that I would never betray Rupert, even if it means I have to betray everything I've been taught over the years."

"Why didn't you know about Dawn?" Buffy asked quietly. "Shouldn't you have been in charge of containing her? Keeping her locked up?"

"I'm afraid not, dear, that would be left to specially trained operatives under the orders of the Council Elders. I have no say in what they do."

Buffy sighed and nodded her head. "Fine, we leave at midnight." Spike nodded. If she trusted what this woman said then he would stick with her.

"Then my prayers are with you, child. The barriers will be dropped, but the operatives will be called, I assure you. I cannot stop them from coming, my orders will be overruled by the Elders." Buffy nodded, understanding.

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"Do you think she has them down yet?" Buffy whispered, glancing at her watch. It was 12:02. She sighed, dropping her arm to her side to pick up the small dagger she had brought. Her and Spike sat crouched across the street from the business building that disguised the Council Headquarters. Spike shrugged, fingering the small gun he had in his pocket. He had found it hidden in the attic and thought it may come in handy, but he dare not tell Buffy he had it.

"M'not sure, but I guess there's only one way to find out." He looked to the Slayer, who nodded. There was a grim determination in her eyes as they stood, making their way across the street. Katherine had explained that there would be no way to actually sneak in, seeing as there was no entrance left unguarded. They were better off to just storm the place, get what they were after and leave. They both felt a ripple of power as they crossed the ground a few feet in front of the door, apparently where the barrier once stood. Spike grabbed her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze before pushing both of the glass doors open and marching into the lobby. Buffy followed close at his heels.

"May I help you?" The small woman behind the counter asked, lowering her glasses to get a better look at the couple who had just entered. Buffy and Spike were both dressed completely in black, aside from Spike's red shirt which was barely visible under his duster. Although both were relatively small, the woman had an odd feeling about them.

"Yeah, you can." Buffy said harshly, reaching across the counter and grabbing the woman by the collar. "Where's Travors?" She demanded. The few operatives in the lobby were after Buffy in an instant, ready to pull the girl from the secretary. The woman's face filled with fear as she watched Spike easily knock out those that attacked. He moved with inhuman speed and held extreme power, barely trying as he took out his opponents.  But that was immposible, only humans could enter the building, unless…. "Where?!" Buffy snapped, tightening her hold.

"Down the main hall, third door on the right." The woman managed, barely able to breath. "He's in a meeting, you won't be able to get in. I can call…." She was silenced as Buffy threw her to the ground, nailing her head on the hard tile floor. She was out cold.

"Let's do this." She instructed her vampire companion. He nodded, following her down the hall but walking past the room they were informed Travors was in. Buffy grabbed the handles of the two large wooden doors and tugged. Locked. She took a step back and glanced down the hall. Spike was nowhere in sight. Returning her gaze to the door, she kicked. The splintering of wood echoed through the hall as she walked into the room, scanning the faces of those around a large table. Their eyes were all locked on her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ms. Summers?" Travors said, standing from his seat at the head of the table. Buffy glared at him and caught a glimpse of Lily in the seat next to him. She assumed the rest of the table's occupants were either Elders or watchers, but she didn't care. She was here to deal with Travors. Stalking up to him like a predator, Buffy brought herself face to face with the man who dared disturb her sister's rest.

"Where the fuck is she?" She ground out, not taking her eyes off of his. He chuckled.

"I can't do that, you see. As I was informed, the girl isn't even your real sister, am I correct?" Buffy silence assured him he was. "Well then, I suppose it's also true that she was created of your blood, of the Slayer's blood."

Buffy's eyes flared. "What d you want with her?"

"With her? Simple. We want you, Ms. Summers, we want you in exchange for her freedom. Well, as close to freedom as we'll grant." He replied calmly, a smug grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" Buffy demanded.

"I mean that she will become the slayer, you will forfeit your duties and she will assume them. She holds your power, Ms. Summers, and we will not let that power go to waste. She's young, impressionable. She'll make a much better Slayer than you ever were, more obedient but with the same power." Something that sounded almost like a growl escaped Buffy's throat and she was on the man, holding him down on the table by his neck.

"You will let her go, you understand me? She is not a slayer, I am." Buffy's voice was venomous. She caught a glimpse of Lilyl as she picked up her cell phone and punched in a few numbers, but she didn't care. She just wanted to rip Travors' head off. About twenty sets of eyes were locked on the Slayer as she assaulted their leader, but none made a move to do anything. They all knew they stood no chance against the slayer. Travors grinned as another set of doors flew open and two men walked in, dragging a struggling Dawn between them.

"Buffy!" The teen managed, but she was silenced as one of the men jabbed a needle into her neck, injecting her with some type of sedative. Her struggle halted almost instantly and she slumped down, still watching her sister with hooded eyes. With a look of pure fury on her face, Buffy pulled her eyes from her sister and back to Travors.

"Tell them to let her go!!" She shouted, glaring.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" He asked mockingly, knowing the girl wouldn't dare take a human life. She ground her teeth.

"No." She replied flatly. A loud thump sounded on the table above where Travors' head was positioned. His eyes wandered up to be met with the grinning face of a rather cruel looking vampire. Looking to the ceiling, he determined that the vampire must have dropped from the ventilation shaft above, leaving the grate wide open. "But he will." Spike snarled and hauled the man up by his shoulders.

"I don't like people who hurt my family." He growled, throwing the man off the table and into a wall. Startled gasps sounded and some of the occupants even dared to flee the room. Neither Spike nor Buffy cared. Buffy brutally shoved the few watchers who tried to oppose her out of the way, making her way towards Dawn. Spike was back down on Travor, hauling the man to his feet once more. Travors hadn't planned on the vampire making it into the building.

"You'll never make it out alive." Travors warned sternly, glaring at the vampire.

"Already dead, mate." Spike replied coldly before twisting the man's neck. He watched his body slump to the floor, grinning, but his grin faded quickly as he sound of a gunshot ran out through the room. He turned to find Buffy staring wide eyed at Lily, a small hole in the wall just beside her head. The men who were holding Dawn both lay unconscious on the floor. "You did NOT just shoot that thing at her." Spike spat as he began to march towards the watcher, but he was stopped as another of the watchers hit him from behind. He snarled, knocking the man from him. When he looked up, Lily had the gun aimed once more, ready to fire. In one swift movement, he had the gun from his pocket and pulled the trigger. Buffy jumped at the sound of the shot, certain that the bullet would hit her. But it didn't. She looked up to see Spike standing behind Lily, a small revolver in his hands. Lily was slumped on the floor, blood pooling around her. The rest of the rooms occupants wasted no time running from the room. Buffy stared at Spike, shocked.

"Where did you…" She started.

"Not now." He commanded, pocketing the gun and rushing past her to scoop up Dawn's lifeless body. He held the girl against him and signaled for Buffy to hurry as he rushed out of the room. The trio headed the way they had come, but found the end of the hall blocked off by a large wall of purplish ripples. Buffy touched it hesitantly, and a jolt of electricity was sent through her. She pulled her arm back quickly, hugging it against her chest.

"Looks like we find another way out…." She muttered, looking to Spike.  He nodded grimly as she turned and began to hurry further into the watchers Headquarters. He followed, holding on to the teen tightly.

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