Chapter 31

School passed in a daze. All the slayer could think about was Giles, Spike, and of course, the mayor. Her tension radiated off her in waves and her friends had naturally picked up on it. Not wanting to involve her friends in the plan, at least not yet, the slayer made up a lie about her mom finding the slayer's most recent report card. Buffy neglected to mention that her recent report card had actually been quite excellent, because of Spike helping her with her studying.

When the school day was finally over Buffy hurried to City Hall. The slayer needed to talk to Giles, and the sooner she saw the mayor, the sooner she would be with Giles. Buffy needed to make sure he was OK, she needed to know that he understood that she would always be there for him, that she was going to save him.

"Going somewhere love?" A familiar British voice asked.

"Oh, I'm just going to see this completely hot, sexy guy that I've been having this secret affair with," The slayer teased.

"Really?" Spike asked, coming up behind the slayer and stopping her for a second by kissing her temple, and then her soft neck. Buffy moaned her approval. The pair walked in silence for a few moments before Buffy spoke.

"We'll get through this Spike, won't we?" The slayer asked, looking up at the vampire, her hazel eyes shining with hope.

"I keep telling you that," Spike reminded Buffy.

"Yeah. I admit it. You're right. You're always right," Buffy said, rolling her eyes in a good-natured way.

"I know."

The pair reached City Hall and were met outside by a large van with black tinted windows. The vampire and the slayer climbed in and the van sped off. The van was separated into two sections, one for the driver, who was separated by a thick black door, so they could not b seen, and one for the passengers, in this case, Buffy and Spike. The van sped by different shops inside of Sunnydale, stopping only when it had passed the sign that read "You are now leaving Sunnydale, come back soon!"

Buffy and Spike hadn't spoken, however, they kept shooting each other worried glances. The van stopped abruptly by a sewer entrance. The door opened automatically and the slayer and vampire stepped down and found themselves met by two well-armed guards in army fatigues. The pair were escorted to a sewer entrance and walked through the dark, damp tunnels were what Buffy assumed was at least fifteen minutes. When the guards halted they opened a door in the side of the sewer and motioned for Buffy and Spike to crawl through it. The slayer and vampire did so, and weren't prepared for what they found.

They stood on a ledge that overlooked the largest room either of them had ever seen. It was a huge white room. The center was divided into a huge, square cubicle with a floor that reminded the slayer of tinfoil. On the tinfoil floor people in lab coats, who seemed to be doctors, were operating on a large demon-looking creature. The slayer and vampire turned their attention to the edge of the large room where, along the entire border of the room were small, square cells. Each of the cells looked exactly the same, a white tile floor, and glass walls. The cells looked only about 13 by 13 feet, and in each cell, was one creature. Most creatures appeared to be a demon. However, some of the creatures seemed to be human. A voice from behind startled the slayer, and upon turning, Buffy came face to face with the mayor, and another person, a tall, scowling woman.

"Welcome," The woman said, her voice scratchy, "You've just entered the Initiative."

Life without love is like a tree
Without blossom and fruit…pointless
~ by Khalil Gibra ~