Title: The Wrong Side of the Line
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for disclaimers, rating and summary
Thanks to all of you who gave me reviews. It really keeps me going just to know that you're reading it!
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She drove across the bridge, keeping her pass on the dashboard, just in case. They stopped her at every checkpoint, more often than not wanting to check in the back to see what she was carrying, and often calling back to the outpost to make sure that Spike had indeed given her permission to be taking the food. And at every one, she got some strange looks, but was waved on through with no further problems. What the hell is he telling them? she wondered. Then, at the next to last point on the route, she got her answer.
The guard had just handed her back the pass and orders, when he gave her a wink and leaned in to whisper, "Man, I would love to have your job."
She shot him an odd look. "What job would that be?"
He looked a little confused, then laughed. "Oh, right. Classified, of course. I won't tell anyone. Good disguise though. I would believe you were a human any day."
She had to smile. Good one, Spike. Way to get a dig in there. "Not a word," she said softly and the man saluted.
"Of course not, sir."
"Ma'am," she hissed.
He winked. "Of course. Ma'am."
That son of a bitch, she thought, pulling the truck away from the gate. She had to hand it to him though. It was a good excuse to keep them both out of trouble. Even if Spike had told them all that she was a man in disguise.
She pulled up to the camp about an hour before daybreak. She was immediately surrounded by people as she stepped out of the truck. Her mother pushed her way to the front and gave her a hug. "Did you get it?"
"Every bit of it."
"Are you going to give him the ring?" Joyce asked, following her daughter around to the back of the truck.
"Don't have to. He told me to keep it in case we needed a good bargaining tool later."
Joyce grinned. "That's my boy. So what did you get?"
Buffy opened the door and hauled herself into the large cargo area. "Everything. Potatoes, vegetables, water, milk, meat, fish--- you name it. He even threw in some coffee and chocolate. And we get to keep the truck."
"That's wonderful," Joyce smiled. "So how did he manage to get that cleared with the higher ups?"
Buffy had to laugh. "You'd be amazed. Actually, no you probably wouldn't." She sat down on the back of the truck and stretched. "He told everyone that I was a vampire spy sent out to infiltrate the human camps, and apparently, that I was a man in disguise."
"Who's a man in disguise?" Dawn asked, sauntering up behind Joyce and throwing her arms around her mother's neck.
"Your sister, according to Spike."
"I always suspected as much," Dawn grinned.
"Ha ha," Buffy droned. "Get up here and help me get this cereal out. People are going to want breakfast soon."
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Spike sat at his desk, feet propped on the smooth metal surface, head leaned against the back of his leather chair. He had long ago given up on trying to get any sleep that day, and had kidded himself that he might actually be able to get some work done. It wasn't happening.
Instead, his mind kept wandering back to Buffy Summers. And it was irritating the piss out of him. He hadn't made it this far in life by letting some little human get to him. He'd worked his ass off to be where he was now, kissed a long and prestigious line of asses to get here, and he couldn't very well blow it all over this bloody human. Granted, he didn't have to worry so much about who he pissed off now, because the lips were on his butt this time around, but making waves still wasn't the brightest move. Vampires higher in rank than him had been known to disappear with no explanation when they didn't play the game. It wasn't far-fetched to believe he could be targeted soon if he didn't fly right. The government kept tabs on him; he knew that for a fact.
He opened his eyes and stared up at the camera in the corner of his office. Just for good measure, he waved his middle finger at it and grinned. "Morning, boys. How's it hanging?"
The voice came over his intercom a few seconds later. "Good morning, sir. Is there something we can do for you?"
"Nope, just making sure you're on your toes."
The man chuckled. "Of course we are, sir. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
The com clicked off and Spike sighed again. He desperately needed to get something accomplished that day. He had told Harris that they should pull the troops off surveillance of the human camp, which had gotten him an odd look. He had used the excuse that Buffy had been there to discuss a possible treaty and they didn't need anything to arouse suspicion and mess up the talks.
Harris was a bright boy and had only reluctantly taken Spike's word that it was the smartest move. He didn't believe it by any means, but as long as the two of them had been friends, he was obliged to give Spike the benefit of the doubt.
Spike went over the latest memos that had been left on his desk. There was no mention of any revolts lately, and more of the humans were surrendering themselves to work camps now than ever before.
The camps. He had been a hundred percent behind the camps when the idea had been proposed, almost seventy years ago. In fact, he had somewhat naïvely believed that humans would be lining up to come to them. After all, wasn't that a better option than staying out in the wilderness, waiting to die of starvation or the virus, if not just being hunted down by vampire renegades? Only, the humans didn't line up. They didn't come at all. And when the vamp government had started to gather them up in an attempt to force them in, more had found ways to kill themselves than had gone willingly. It was, more or less, a disaster.
Now, the camps were filled to capacity most of the time, but still not with willing guests. There were daily executions from failed escape attempts, and these people were willing to take a chance at death rather than spend any more time in the camp.
It was beyond Spike's imagination what was going on in these people's heads.
The loud beep of his intercom startled him out of his thoughts. "You there, boss?"
"Yeh, Harris. What's up?"
There was a moment of hesitation, then Harris sighed. "They just brought Rupert Giles in."
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So? What do you think? Do I get an A+ or what? You have to keep reviewing so I'll know to keep writing. Chapter 4 is in the editing stages right now, and should be up within the next couple of days.
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for disclaimers, rating and summary
Thanks to all of you who gave me reviews. It really keeps me going just to know that you're reading it!
*********************************************************************************
She drove across the bridge, keeping her pass on the dashboard, just in case. They stopped her at every checkpoint, more often than not wanting to check in the back to see what she was carrying, and often calling back to the outpost to make sure that Spike had indeed given her permission to be taking the food. And at every one, she got some strange looks, but was waved on through with no further problems. What the hell is he telling them? she wondered. Then, at the next to last point on the route, she got her answer.
The guard had just handed her back the pass and orders, when he gave her a wink and leaned in to whisper, "Man, I would love to have your job."
She shot him an odd look. "What job would that be?"
He looked a little confused, then laughed. "Oh, right. Classified, of course. I won't tell anyone. Good disguise though. I would believe you were a human any day."
She had to smile. Good one, Spike. Way to get a dig in there. "Not a word," she said softly and the man saluted.
"Of course not, sir."
"Ma'am," she hissed.
He winked. "Of course. Ma'am."
That son of a bitch, she thought, pulling the truck away from the gate. She had to hand it to him though. It was a good excuse to keep them both out of trouble. Even if Spike had told them all that she was a man in disguise.
She pulled up to the camp about an hour before daybreak. She was immediately surrounded by people as she stepped out of the truck. Her mother pushed her way to the front and gave her a hug. "Did you get it?"
"Every bit of it."
"Are you going to give him the ring?" Joyce asked, following her daughter around to the back of the truck.
"Don't have to. He told me to keep it in case we needed a good bargaining tool later."
Joyce grinned. "That's my boy. So what did you get?"
Buffy opened the door and hauled herself into the large cargo area. "Everything. Potatoes, vegetables, water, milk, meat, fish--- you name it. He even threw in some coffee and chocolate. And we get to keep the truck."
"That's wonderful," Joyce smiled. "So how did he manage to get that cleared with the higher ups?"
Buffy had to laugh. "You'd be amazed. Actually, no you probably wouldn't." She sat down on the back of the truck and stretched. "He told everyone that I was a vampire spy sent out to infiltrate the human camps, and apparently, that I was a man in disguise."
"Who's a man in disguise?" Dawn asked, sauntering up behind Joyce and throwing her arms around her mother's neck.
"Your sister, according to Spike."
"I always suspected as much," Dawn grinned.
"Ha ha," Buffy droned. "Get up here and help me get this cereal out. People are going to want breakfast soon."
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Spike sat at his desk, feet propped on the smooth metal surface, head leaned against the back of his leather chair. He had long ago given up on trying to get any sleep that day, and had kidded himself that he might actually be able to get some work done. It wasn't happening.
Instead, his mind kept wandering back to Buffy Summers. And it was irritating the piss out of him. He hadn't made it this far in life by letting some little human get to him. He'd worked his ass off to be where he was now, kissed a long and prestigious line of asses to get here, and he couldn't very well blow it all over this bloody human. Granted, he didn't have to worry so much about who he pissed off now, because the lips were on his butt this time around, but making waves still wasn't the brightest move. Vampires higher in rank than him had been known to disappear with no explanation when they didn't play the game. It wasn't far-fetched to believe he could be targeted soon if he didn't fly right. The government kept tabs on him; he knew that for a fact.
He opened his eyes and stared up at the camera in the corner of his office. Just for good measure, he waved his middle finger at it and grinned. "Morning, boys. How's it hanging?"
The voice came over his intercom a few seconds later. "Good morning, sir. Is there something we can do for you?"
"Nope, just making sure you're on your toes."
The man chuckled. "Of course we are, sir. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
The com clicked off and Spike sighed again. He desperately needed to get something accomplished that day. He had told Harris that they should pull the troops off surveillance of the human camp, which had gotten him an odd look. He had used the excuse that Buffy had been there to discuss a possible treaty and they didn't need anything to arouse suspicion and mess up the talks.
Harris was a bright boy and had only reluctantly taken Spike's word that it was the smartest move. He didn't believe it by any means, but as long as the two of them had been friends, he was obliged to give Spike the benefit of the doubt.
Spike went over the latest memos that had been left on his desk. There was no mention of any revolts lately, and more of the humans were surrendering themselves to work camps now than ever before.
The camps. He had been a hundred percent behind the camps when the idea had been proposed, almost seventy years ago. In fact, he had somewhat naïvely believed that humans would be lining up to come to them. After all, wasn't that a better option than staying out in the wilderness, waiting to die of starvation or the virus, if not just being hunted down by vampire renegades? Only, the humans didn't line up. They didn't come at all. And when the vamp government had started to gather them up in an attempt to force them in, more had found ways to kill themselves than had gone willingly. It was, more or less, a disaster.
Now, the camps were filled to capacity most of the time, but still not with willing guests. There were daily executions from failed escape attempts, and these people were willing to take a chance at death rather than spend any more time in the camp.
It was beyond Spike's imagination what was going on in these people's heads.
The loud beep of his intercom startled him out of his thoughts. "You there, boss?"
"Yeh, Harris. What's up?"
There was a moment of hesitation, then Harris sighed. "They just brought Rupert Giles in."
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So? What do you think? Do I get an A+ or what? You have to keep reviewing so I'll know to keep writing. Chapter 4 is in the editing stages right now, and should be up within the next couple of days.