Dancing on the Edge
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs.
A/N: Hi all. Thanks for all of the nice and encouraging reviews. They mean a lot and they keep me inspired. Any way if any one wants to be notified when I update I am going to start posting updates over at Crumbling Walls in the Fan fiction thread. So check there. Or send me your e-mail addy and I'll let you know. Thanks again. Enjoy. Skyz.
~*~
Ch:6
Spike looked away from his father's intensely curious gaze and wondered how he was going to answer that.
He'd come here for a reason but now thinking about it he wasn't so sure this was the right way to go.
Kingston couldn't be trusted and once he found out....But then he remembered Buffy's pain at her daughter's capture. He had to do this.
"Well you probably know Angel's dead huh?" he said looking back up at his father and watching his reaction carefully.
Kingston shrugged one broad shoulder and frowned.
"I knew he'd been taken care of. But what I'm trying to figure out is how you ended up here with Buffy. You aren't trying to keep her for yourself are you? Because it would have made more sense if you'd done it when that bastard Angel was alive. Then he'd be able to see you take what was his. He'd feel the pain and-"
"Listen I didn't come here to hear a lecture on pain and revenge Kingston," Spike snapped out as he glared up at him and watched Kingston's head rear back in indignation.
"Well if you'd listened to me in the first place Angel wouldn't have- "Kingston began.
"The Council has Buffy's daughter. Her's and Angel's girl," Spike said quickly cutting him off.
That shut him up. Kingston crossed his arms and thought about what he'd just learned.
All the possibilities it brought.
Smiled as he realized it all.
"Well, well, Angel had him a Slayer did he? Didn't think he had it in him," Kingston drawled with a booming laugh as he slapped Spike on the back and shook his head.
"Yes," Spike mumbled. "And when I found out I offered my help."
"Naturally," Kingston mocked. "Well damn boy this is wonderful news! Why are you here?"
"Ripper paid us a visit," was all Spike said.
Kingston's whole demeanor changed in a blink of an eye. His body tensed and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
He was in vamp mode now and when he spoke his voice, a deep growl confirmed it. And Spike was glad. He could deal with the vampire; it was the human side Kingston still exhibited that made him uncomfortable.
"What did he want?" he demanded.
"He knocked me out. But I think and this is only a gut instinct he tried to make a deal with Buffy," Spike grudgingly said.
Kingston clenched his hands into fists and his mouth thinned in disgust at that thought.
"It would be just like him to take advantage of the girl," he muttered grimly. "And you say he has the Slayer?"
"Yes."
"But what would he want from Buffy? What can she give him?" Kingston asked watching Spike. He had a good idea what Ripper wanted and he wanted to see if Spike had figured it out yet.
"What every one wants. The perfect Slayer. A pawn in the game of evil vs. even more evil," Spike mockingly spat.
He knew exactly what Ripper thought he could get from him.
"Well. You know the only way to get that perfect Slayer is to have the one man and woman who have the right genes," Kingston spoke considering as he gauged his son's reaction. "And I think....No I know who those would be. He is standing right here with me, and the woman is locked in one of my studies. What ever shall I do?"
Spike clenched his jaw so tightly he felt as if it would break at any moment.
"Yes. Whatever shall you do?"
Kingston slung an arm around Spike's shoulders and led him out of the room.
"I think we need to have a drink and discuss this some more son," Kingston announced.
Spike watched as Kingston poured himself a glass of brandy and then settled himself in his favorite chair.
His gaze skimmed over Spike and settled on Buffy.
He smiled widely before he spoke.
"Spike seems to think you've made a deal with the devil himself to get your daughter back Buffy. Is that true?"
Buffy's shocked gaze skirted the room, rested on Spike's impassive face briefly before it settled back on the floor.
Unconsciously her hands fisted and her heart picked up speed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she stated coldly.
She did not intend to let him know anything about Ripper or the plan she was going to use to ensnare Spike with.
He was a vampire for God's sake he was no more trustworthy than Ripper was! He'd want to kill Terri and the baby! She wasn't going to let that happen.
Ever.
"Well I think you do. As a matter of fact knowing Ripper as I do I suspect he wanted to make a trade did he not?" Kingston glanced at Spike who had remained silent through out all of this.
His blue eyes were fairly glowing with fury as he questioned Buffy but he knew he couldn't do much of anything about it.
"No need to answer Buffy. You seem to be a very intelligent woman. You'd take any opportunity to get your daughter back wouldn't you? And I suspect you did. You agreed to Ripper's plan and now all you have to do is pull it off. But here's the thing. Ripper never keeps his promises. Never in all of his long life has he kept a promise. So if he promised you your daughter back in exchange for one of your brats with Spike here then you've been led on."
The silence was deafening as Buffy realized the stupidity of her plan. The futileness of what she'd been willing to do. She'd known deep down that she shouldn't trust Ripper but she needed to save Terri! And at the time, it had seemed the only way! She loved her so much she didn't want anything to happen to her.
She shook her head; lifted tear filled eyes to Kingston, and swallowed quickly before she forced words out.
"He's going to kill her isn't he?" she choked out.
Kingston's face softened and despite himself he found himself reaching out and taking one of her smaller hands in his massive one.
He never did like to see a woman in pain.
Even now.
"I'm afraid so darlin'," he spoke quietly.
"What the fuck's the matter with you?!" Spike exploded as he watched Kingston offer comfort and Buffy bury her face in her hands. "Why would you take away her hope?! We don't know what Ripper is going to do! Why?" Spike wouldn't have stopped himself even if he'd thought about it.
He stalked up to his father and shoved him.
Kingston stared at him in mild surprise and when Spike's fist started swinging he let, them connect.
"Stupid bloody wanker....just like you," Spike screamed.
Abruptly Kingston caught Spike's hand and shoved him back into his seat.
His eyes held a boatload of sympathy. An infinite amount of calculation.
"I said he would kill her. I didn't say we'd let him," Kingston snapped as he sent a reproachful look Spike's way.
Crouching down beside Buffy, he tilted her chin up and grinned at her.
"What was the deal darlin'?"
Through tears and gasps, she told them the plan.
Spike glared at Kingston as he watched the older man offer comfort and barely resisted the urge to try to pummel his father again. Instead, he walked to Buffy, took a spot beside his father, and held her hands in his.
"Buffy there was a reason I brought you here," Spike began watching her eyes register this.
"Why?" she warily asked voice hoarse from the tears she would shed. She couldn't even bring herself to care that she had a vampire on one side of her and his son on the other. Both ready and willing to offer any comfort.
Her thoughts were on her daughter and her death.
"Well I figured that you might have made a deal with Ripper while I was unconscious and decided that I would have to get help and the only person I could think of was Kingston."
"What kind of help can a vampire give us?" she asked dully.
Kingston glanced at his son and catching Spike's death glare rose swiftly and left the comforting to him.
"Yes what was your plan Spike?" Kingston asked curiously. He was very curious as to what Spike thought he could do.
"Pretty much the same as Ripper's except I wouldn't be with Buffy. In exchange for helping, we get Terri back I would...I'd give you a Slayer with any of the women who've been chosen by the Council. A fair exchange," Spike said eyeing Buffy carefully.
Kingston clasped his hands together and balanced on the balls of his feet.
"Fair exchange," he remarked.
Buffy couldn't help but frown. She didn't like the way this conversation was going. It was enough to break through her emotional break down and she couldn't help herself as she blurted out her next words.
"If any one's going to be having a Slayer it's going to be me! There's no way I'm letting that bastard kill Terri! He's sick and when I get my hands on him I-"
"Well your plan was all good and well Spike. Yours too Buffy," Kingston interrupted. "But neither are what I have in mind. See I'm a vampire and well having Slayer's around will put a huge damper on that. Can't have that now can I?"
He watched both Spike and Buffy's faces mirror eachother in shock.
"Here's what I'm thinking. Since Terri is it? Since she's a Slayer but not one who has the full potential. She's of no consequence. I care little for her. But you can probably tell the thought of a full powered Slayer has a great appeal. If I were to have one under my thumb well....imagine the power I would wield. Instead of killing nameless vampires and demons, she would kill only those who present problems to my clan and me. Our own personal Slayer."
Buffy looked at Spike who was looking back at her with an expression of worried consternation. This was such a bad idea, he thought.
Buffy didn't really know what to think. Kingston wanted a Slayer too and he had yet to say how he was going to get one but she figured she already knew.
Closing her eyes she blocked out Spike's concerned and distraught blue eyes and concentrated on the outcome of this all.
Terri.
For her she would do anything.
"I want a Slayer. I would like to have her in nine months and I want my son here to have her with you Buffy. I can only imagine the power. The strength she will have. But as I know Buffy, you probably wouldn't agree to such a deal I will state this. In return, for your daughter's safety I will expect a Slayer. A full-blooded Slayer. Period. Nothing else nothing less. You two will hold true to the plan Ripper wanted. You will be married tonight and make haste with the baby making!"
Spike's eyelid began to twitch painfully as he tried to suppress the slowly building rage that had grown at every word.
"No," he bit out. "I won't do it! I'll do it only if you leave Buffy out of this! She's got no part in this. She married the wrong man once and I won't let her make the same mistake twice. Any one but her," Spike vehemently said.
He wouldn't, couldn't force Buffy into a situation like this. He knew his father and he would stop at nothing to get what he thought was rightfully his.
He knew that if they went through with this Buffy would not be able to give up her baby. She was a loving, caring and generous person and giving up her baby to a monster wasn't a part of her make up. He would no let her go through the pain of such an event.
"I'll do it," Buffy's voice broke Spike from his furious thoughts.
Kingston grinned.
"Good," he muttered. "Tomorrow we'll have a wedding and soon darlin' you will have your daughter back. And I will have my very own Slayer."
Spike closed his eyes as a wave of pain sliced through him.
There was no way he was letting anyone take his daughter! There was no way he was going to let either psychotic fool take their child. Some way he was going to find a way to keep both sides at bay.
Kingston's grin widened and he looked from one to the other.
"I'll get my boys started on a strategic plan of attack right away. We should have Terri by the end of the week," he said while he headed for the door.
As soon as he was gone, Spike opened his eyes and spoke in a hushed whisper at Buffy's ear.
"We can't trust him Buffy. We can't trust anyone but ourselves. I will never let him lay a finger on our daughter. Or Terri. We will figure a way out of this Buffy. I swear to you I'll figure a way out of this. I swear!"
Buffy didn't respond and Spike thought without thinking and wrapped his arms around her small frame.
Closing his eyes he inhaled her scent and knew he'd made a huge error when he'd decided to play the rescuer.
He hadn't been prepared for this. The feelings Buffy was stirring up inside of him. He didn't know whether to be grateful or resentful.
He'd thought he'd been happy living his life as he had been. Now he wasn't so sure. Now he knew that in order for him to truly live he had to get rid of the two things that were threatening the woman he was starting to more than care for.
"How?" Buffy finally asked. "How do we stop them?"
"How were you supposed to get in contact with Ripper? Once he finds out about this little siege of Kingston's he'll want to retaliate. And he'll want to keep you cooperative. In order to do that he'll have to have a bargaining chip. Terri. He'll keep her alive."
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs.
A/N: Hi all. Thanks for all of the nice and encouraging reviews. They mean a lot and they keep me inspired. Any way if any one wants to be notified when I update I am going to start posting updates over at Crumbling Walls in the Fan fiction thread. So check there. Or send me your e-mail addy and I'll let you know. Thanks again. Enjoy. Skyz.
~*~
Ch:6
Spike looked away from his father's intensely curious gaze and wondered how he was going to answer that.
He'd come here for a reason but now thinking about it he wasn't so sure this was the right way to go.
Kingston couldn't be trusted and once he found out....But then he remembered Buffy's pain at her daughter's capture. He had to do this.
"Well you probably know Angel's dead huh?" he said looking back up at his father and watching his reaction carefully.
Kingston shrugged one broad shoulder and frowned.
"I knew he'd been taken care of. But what I'm trying to figure out is how you ended up here with Buffy. You aren't trying to keep her for yourself are you? Because it would have made more sense if you'd done it when that bastard Angel was alive. Then he'd be able to see you take what was his. He'd feel the pain and-"
"Listen I didn't come here to hear a lecture on pain and revenge Kingston," Spike snapped out as he glared up at him and watched Kingston's head rear back in indignation.
"Well if you'd listened to me in the first place Angel wouldn't have- "Kingston began.
"The Council has Buffy's daughter. Her's and Angel's girl," Spike said quickly cutting him off.
That shut him up. Kingston crossed his arms and thought about what he'd just learned.
All the possibilities it brought.
Smiled as he realized it all.
"Well, well, Angel had him a Slayer did he? Didn't think he had it in him," Kingston drawled with a booming laugh as he slapped Spike on the back and shook his head.
"Yes," Spike mumbled. "And when I found out I offered my help."
"Naturally," Kingston mocked. "Well damn boy this is wonderful news! Why are you here?"
"Ripper paid us a visit," was all Spike said.
Kingston's whole demeanor changed in a blink of an eye. His body tensed and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
He was in vamp mode now and when he spoke his voice, a deep growl confirmed it. And Spike was glad. He could deal with the vampire; it was the human side Kingston still exhibited that made him uncomfortable.
"What did he want?" he demanded.
"He knocked me out. But I think and this is only a gut instinct he tried to make a deal with Buffy," Spike grudgingly said.
Kingston clenched his hands into fists and his mouth thinned in disgust at that thought.
"It would be just like him to take advantage of the girl," he muttered grimly. "And you say he has the Slayer?"
"Yes."
"But what would he want from Buffy? What can she give him?" Kingston asked watching Spike. He had a good idea what Ripper wanted and he wanted to see if Spike had figured it out yet.
"What every one wants. The perfect Slayer. A pawn in the game of evil vs. even more evil," Spike mockingly spat.
He knew exactly what Ripper thought he could get from him.
"Well. You know the only way to get that perfect Slayer is to have the one man and woman who have the right genes," Kingston spoke considering as he gauged his son's reaction. "And I think....No I know who those would be. He is standing right here with me, and the woman is locked in one of my studies. What ever shall I do?"
Spike clenched his jaw so tightly he felt as if it would break at any moment.
"Yes. Whatever shall you do?"
Kingston slung an arm around Spike's shoulders and led him out of the room.
"I think we need to have a drink and discuss this some more son," Kingston announced.
Spike watched as Kingston poured himself a glass of brandy and then settled himself in his favorite chair.
His gaze skimmed over Spike and settled on Buffy.
He smiled widely before he spoke.
"Spike seems to think you've made a deal with the devil himself to get your daughter back Buffy. Is that true?"
Buffy's shocked gaze skirted the room, rested on Spike's impassive face briefly before it settled back on the floor.
Unconsciously her hands fisted and her heart picked up speed.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she stated coldly.
She did not intend to let him know anything about Ripper or the plan she was going to use to ensnare Spike with.
He was a vampire for God's sake he was no more trustworthy than Ripper was! He'd want to kill Terri and the baby! She wasn't going to let that happen.
Ever.
"Well I think you do. As a matter of fact knowing Ripper as I do I suspect he wanted to make a trade did he not?" Kingston glanced at Spike who had remained silent through out all of this.
His blue eyes were fairly glowing with fury as he questioned Buffy but he knew he couldn't do much of anything about it.
"No need to answer Buffy. You seem to be a very intelligent woman. You'd take any opportunity to get your daughter back wouldn't you? And I suspect you did. You agreed to Ripper's plan and now all you have to do is pull it off. But here's the thing. Ripper never keeps his promises. Never in all of his long life has he kept a promise. So if he promised you your daughter back in exchange for one of your brats with Spike here then you've been led on."
The silence was deafening as Buffy realized the stupidity of her plan. The futileness of what she'd been willing to do. She'd known deep down that she shouldn't trust Ripper but she needed to save Terri! And at the time, it had seemed the only way! She loved her so much she didn't want anything to happen to her.
She shook her head; lifted tear filled eyes to Kingston, and swallowed quickly before she forced words out.
"He's going to kill her isn't he?" she choked out.
Kingston's face softened and despite himself he found himself reaching out and taking one of her smaller hands in his massive one.
He never did like to see a woman in pain.
Even now.
"I'm afraid so darlin'," he spoke quietly.
"What the fuck's the matter with you?!" Spike exploded as he watched Kingston offer comfort and Buffy bury her face in her hands. "Why would you take away her hope?! We don't know what Ripper is going to do! Why?" Spike wouldn't have stopped himself even if he'd thought about it.
He stalked up to his father and shoved him.
Kingston stared at him in mild surprise and when Spike's fist started swinging he let, them connect.
"Stupid bloody wanker....just like you," Spike screamed.
Abruptly Kingston caught Spike's hand and shoved him back into his seat.
His eyes held a boatload of sympathy. An infinite amount of calculation.
"I said he would kill her. I didn't say we'd let him," Kingston snapped as he sent a reproachful look Spike's way.
Crouching down beside Buffy, he tilted her chin up and grinned at her.
"What was the deal darlin'?"
Through tears and gasps, she told them the plan.
Spike glared at Kingston as he watched the older man offer comfort and barely resisted the urge to try to pummel his father again. Instead, he walked to Buffy, took a spot beside his father, and held her hands in his.
"Buffy there was a reason I brought you here," Spike began watching her eyes register this.
"Why?" she warily asked voice hoarse from the tears she would shed. She couldn't even bring herself to care that she had a vampire on one side of her and his son on the other. Both ready and willing to offer any comfort.
Her thoughts were on her daughter and her death.
"Well I figured that you might have made a deal with Ripper while I was unconscious and decided that I would have to get help and the only person I could think of was Kingston."
"What kind of help can a vampire give us?" she asked dully.
Kingston glanced at his son and catching Spike's death glare rose swiftly and left the comforting to him.
"Yes what was your plan Spike?" Kingston asked curiously. He was very curious as to what Spike thought he could do.
"Pretty much the same as Ripper's except I wouldn't be with Buffy. In exchange for helping, we get Terri back I would...I'd give you a Slayer with any of the women who've been chosen by the Council. A fair exchange," Spike said eyeing Buffy carefully.
Kingston clasped his hands together and balanced on the balls of his feet.
"Fair exchange," he remarked.
Buffy couldn't help but frown. She didn't like the way this conversation was going. It was enough to break through her emotional break down and she couldn't help herself as she blurted out her next words.
"If any one's going to be having a Slayer it's going to be me! There's no way I'm letting that bastard kill Terri! He's sick and when I get my hands on him I-"
"Well your plan was all good and well Spike. Yours too Buffy," Kingston interrupted. "But neither are what I have in mind. See I'm a vampire and well having Slayer's around will put a huge damper on that. Can't have that now can I?"
He watched both Spike and Buffy's faces mirror eachother in shock.
"Here's what I'm thinking. Since Terri is it? Since she's a Slayer but not one who has the full potential. She's of no consequence. I care little for her. But you can probably tell the thought of a full powered Slayer has a great appeal. If I were to have one under my thumb well....imagine the power I would wield. Instead of killing nameless vampires and demons, she would kill only those who present problems to my clan and me. Our own personal Slayer."
Buffy looked at Spike who was looking back at her with an expression of worried consternation. This was such a bad idea, he thought.
Buffy didn't really know what to think. Kingston wanted a Slayer too and he had yet to say how he was going to get one but she figured she already knew.
Closing her eyes she blocked out Spike's concerned and distraught blue eyes and concentrated on the outcome of this all.
Terri.
For her she would do anything.
"I want a Slayer. I would like to have her in nine months and I want my son here to have her with you Buffy. I can only imagine the power. The strength she will have. But as I know Buffy, you probably wouldn't agree to such a deal I will state this. In return, for your daughter's safety I will expect a Slayer. A full-blooded Slayer. Period. Nothing else nothing less. You two will hold true to the plan Ripper wanted. You will be married tonight and make haste with the baby making!"
Spike's eyelid began to twitch painfully as he tried to suppress the slowly building rage that had grown at every word.
"No," he bit out. "I won't do it! I'll do it only if you leave Buffy out of this! She's got no part in this. She married the wrong man once and I won't let her make the same mistake twice. Any one but her," Spike vehemently said.
He wouldn't, couldn't force Buffy into a situation like this. He knew his father and he would stop at nothing to get what he thought was rightfully his.
He knew that if they went through with this Buffy would not be able to give up her baby. She was a loving, caring and generous person and giving up her baby to a monster wasn't a part of her make up. He would no let her go through the pain of such an event.
"I'll do it," Buffy's voice broke Spike from his furious thoughts.
Kingston grinned.
"Good," he muttered. "Tomorrow we'll have a wedding and soon darlin' you will have your daughter back. And I will have my very own Slayer."
Spike closed his eyes as a wave of pain sliced through him.
There was no way he was letting anyone take his daughter! There was no way he was going to let either psychotic fool take their child. Some way he was going to find a way to keep both sides at bay.
Kingston's grin widened and he looked from one to the other.
"I'll get my boys started on a strategic plan of attack right away. We should have Terri by the end of the week," he said while he headed for the door.
As soon as he was gone, Spike opened his eyes and spoke in a hushed whisper at Buffy's ear.
"We can't trust him Buffy. We can't trust anyone but ourselves. I will never let him lay a finger on our daughter. Or Terri. We will figure a way out of this Buffy. I swear to you I'll figure a way out of this. I swear!"
Buffy didn't respond and Spike thought without thinking and wrapped his arms around her small frame.
Closing his eyes he inhaled her scent and knew he'd made a huge error when he'd decided to play the rescuer.
He hadn't been prepared for this. The feelings Buffy was stirring up inside of him. He didn't know whether to be grateful or resentful.
He'd thought he'd been happy living his life as he had been. Now he wasn't so sure. Now he knew that in order for him to truly live he had to get rid of the two things that were threatening the woman he was starting to more than care for.
"How?" Buffy finally asked. "How do we stop them?"
"How were you supposed to get in contact with Ripper? Once he finds out about this little siege of Kingston's he'll want to retaliate. And he'll want to keep you cooperative. In order to do that he'll have to have a bargaining chip. Terri. He'll keep her alive."