Title: The Wrong Side of the Line
Chapter 6 - Who Wants to be a Vampire?
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for Disclaimers, Summary and Rating.
Note: It's getting down to nitty-gritty. The real meat of the story, you know. If you have waded through it this long, hopefully you'll find that it's worth it. Actually, this is a work in progress, so I can always end it any time. *Evil smiles* Want more, keep reviewing. (Yes, I'm shameless. I'm a praise hound. Give it to me!)
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"William! What can I do for you, son?"
Spike stepped into the large office, not bothering to salute. "You can take Giles off the chopping block."
Quentin Travers immediately frowned. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me."
Travers sighed. "Sit down, William. Would you like something to drink?"
"This isn't a social call. Tell me that you're going to pardon him."
"I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. You know you can't let them execute him."
"I'm not letting them do anything. Rupert Giles is a subversive. He is a criminal by his own will and he must pay for that."
"He was a respected member of your bloody council for over a century and you can't let him die like this."
"He was a member, was being the operative word. He chose the wrong path and he must pay for it."
"He can be reformed."
Travers smiled, a patronizing look that set Spike's teeth on end. "You know as well as I do, William, that rehabilitation is only for those who ask for it. Giles will never ask for it. He doesn't even want it." He paused and looked toward his monitors, where the outer courtyard could be seen. In the middle of the large, open space, a platform was being prepared for the daily executions. Spike watched with disgust as the men sharpening the guillotine blade laughed and joked with each other. Travers shook his head. "Believe me, William. I hate it that we have to dispose of a man that was once such a great friend to us. It is, I'm afraid, the cross we must bear."
Spike bit back a sharp retort and sighed. "Then postpone it. Let me have some time with him first. If he doesn't want to change after I've talked to him for a while, then you can put him to death. I won't stand in the way."
Travers laughed. "You can't stand in the way, William. You don't have the power." He leaned back and studied the monitor again. "I will, as a favor to you, delay his execution for one week."
"Two weeks."
"Don't push me, son. Two weeks. No more."
Spike stood up and started for the door, still not bothering to salute. "Won't need more."
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The guard unlocked the cell door and held it open. He shut the door behind Spike but made no move to leave. "Something I can do for you, Sergeant?" Spike asked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the guard.
"No, sir. I was told to stay and make sure that everything went OK."
"Everything will be fine. I'll yell when I'm done."
"But, sir. If he gets out of hand---."
"If he gets out of hand, I will take care of him. Move along."
The guard nodded. "Yes, sir."
When he was gone, Spike turned back to Giles. "How you doing?"
Giles shrugged, not bothering to sit up. "I'm about to be beheaded. So, yeah, I'm fine."
Spike smirked. "Good to see you still have that rotten sense-of-humor." He moved to sit on the bench across from the bunks. "But I have some good news for you. I talked to Travers. He's agreed to stay your execution for two weeks."
"And that's good news in what way?"
"Because in two weeks, you will have recanted and will be willing to undergo rehabilitation."
Giles snorted. "Not on your life."
"Hear me out," Spike said softly.
"You're wasting your breath. I wouldn't give up being a human for anything in the world. And I will not stay in these camps. All you've done for me is sentenced me to two more weeks in this bloody cell with nothing to do but wait for death."
"If you'll just listen to me---."
"Nothing you can say will change my mind."
Spike slammed his fist down on the bench so hard that the wood cracked. "Shut up and listen to me, you stubborn bastard!" He knelt down next to the bed and leaned forward, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "I have a plan that will be extremely beneficial to your precious humans out there if you will hear me out."
Giles sat up. "What sort of plan?"
"It will require you giving in to the dark side for a while."
Giles looked around, scratching his chin. "Do you suppose there are any insects in this cell?"
Spike's eyebrows lowered in confusion. "Insects?" Then it dawned on him. "Oh, I don't know. I suppose there might be. How about we go for a walk?"
Giles nodded. "Good idea."
As Spike called for the guard, Giles got on his knees and peeked quickly under the bed. Then he looked to Spike and nodded.
"Bugs," he muttered.
When they reached the yard, it was close to midnight. There were people everywhere, and vampire guards, and Spike made it a point to steer Giles as far away from them as possible.
"Sorry about the cuffs," he said as they moved to a private corner. "Thought it would make for less questions." He looked around, then unlocked the shackles and slid them into his pocket.
"Of course. I'm getting rather used to them, now."
"How did you know that they would have the cell bugged?"
Giles smiled. "Because I designed the bugs, and I designed the cells. Stands to reason---."
Spike nodded, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket. "Especially knowing Travers."
Giles held his out, blushing slightly. "Could I--- have one of those?"
"You want a fag?"
"Please."
Spike shook another one out and handed it over, then held out his lighter. Giles took a long drag off of it and smiled. "I quit a long time ago. Funny how the craving never really goes away."
He sat on one side of a table and motioned for Spike to sit down. Then he dropped the lighter on the ground. As he bent to pick it up, he did a quick search of the bottom of the table.
"Is it clean?"
"Looks to be," Giles said. "So what's this plan of yours?"
"I have to know that you'll go through with it. That you'll be willing to come back into the government for a while."
Giles shrugged, suddenly looking very tired. "If it will help those people, I'll do it."
"Good. Here's what I think we need to do."
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So, you've read it. Now review it. OK, I'm sorry. Review it, please. Better? Chapter 7 will be up in a few days, so keep with the reviewing. Please. Thank you.
Chapter 6 - Who Wants to be a Vampire?
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for Disclaimers, Summary and Rating.
Note: It's getting down to nitty-gritty. The real meat of the story, you know. If you have waded through it this long, hopefully you'll find that it's worth it. Actually, this is a work in progress, so I can always end it any time. *Evil smiles* Want more, keep reviewing. (Yes, I'm shameless. I'm a praise hound. Give it to me!)
**********************************************************************************
"William! What can I do for you, son?"
Spike stepped into the large office, not bothering to salute. "You can take Giles off the chopping block."
Quentin Travers immediately frowned. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me."
Travers sighed. "Sit down, William. Would you like something to drink?"
"This isn't a social call. Tell me that you're going to pardon him."
"I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. You know you can't let them execute him."
"I'm not letting them do anything. Rupert Giles is a subversive. He is a criminal by his own will and he must pay for that."
"He was a respected member of your bloody council for over a century and you can't let him die like this."
"He was a member, was being the operative word. He chose the wrong path and he must pay for it."
"He can be reformed."
Travers smiled, a patronizing look that set Spike's teeth on end. "You know as well as I do, William, that rehabilitation is only for those who ask for it. Giles will never ask for it. He doesn't even want it." He paused and looked toward his monitors, where the outer courtyard could be seen. In the middle of the large, open space, a platform was being prepared for the daily executions. Spike watched with disgust as the men sharpening the guillotine blade laughed and joked with each other. Travers shook his head. "Believe me, William. I hate it that we have to dispose of a man that was once such a great friend to us. It is, I'm afraid, the cross we must bear."
Spike bit back a sharp retort and sighed. "Then postpone it. Let me have some time with him first. If he doesn't want to change after I've talked to him for a while, then you can put him to death. I won't stand in the way."
Travers laughed. "You can't stand in the way, William. You don't have the power." He leaned back and studied the monitor again. "I will, as a favor to you, delay his execution for one week."
"Two weeks."
"Don't push me, son. Two weeks. No more."
Spike stood up and started for the door, still not bothering to salute. "Won't need more."
**********************************************************************************
The guard unlocked the cell door and held it open. He shut the door behind Spike but made no move to leave. "Something I can do for you, Sergeant?" Spike asked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at the guard.
"No, sir. I was told to stay and make sure that everything went OK."
"Everything will be fine. I'll yell when I'm done."
"But, sir. If he gets out of hand---."
"If he gets out of hand, I will take care of him. Move along."
The guard nodded. "Yes, sir."
When he was gone, Spike turned back to Giles. "How you doing?"
Giles shrugged, not bothering to sit up. "I'm about to be beheaded. So, yeah, I'm fine."
Spike smirked. "Good to see you still have that rotten sense-of-humor." He moved to sit on the bench across from the bunks. "But I have some good news for you. I talked to Travers. He's agreed to stay your execution for two weeks."
"And that's good news in what way?"
"Because in two weeks, you will have recanted and will be willing to undergo rehabilitation."
Giles snorted. "Not on your life."
"Hear me out," Spike said softly.
"You're wasting your breath. I wouldn't give up being a human for anything in the world. And I will not stay in these camps. All you've done for me is sentenced me to two more weeks in this bloody cell with nothing to do but wait for death."
"If you'll just listen to me---."
"Nothing you can say will change my mind."
Spike slammed his fist down on the bench so hard that the wood cracked. "Shut up and listen to me, you stubborn bastard!" He knelt down next to the bed and leaned forward, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "I have a plan that will be extremely beneficial to your precious humans out there if you will hear me out."
Giles sat up. "What sort of plan?"
"It will require you giving in to the dark side for a while."
Giles looked around, scratching his chin. "Do you suppose there are any insects in this cell?"
Spike's eyebrows lowered in confusion. "Insects?" Then it dawned on him. "Oh, I don't know. I suppose there might be. How about we go for a walk?"
Giles nodded. "Good idea."
As Spike called for the guard, Giles got on his knees and peeked quickly under the bed. Then he looked to Spike and nodded.
"Bugs," he muttered.
When they reached the yard, it was close to midnight. There were people everywhere, and vampire guards, and Spike made it a point to steer Giles as far away from them as possible.
"Sorry about the cuffs," he said as they moved to a private corner. "Thought it would make for less questions." He looked around, then unlocked the shackles and slid them into his pocket.
"Of course. I'm getting rather used to them, now."
"How did you know that they would have the cell bugged?"
Giles smiled. "Because I designed the bugs, and I designed the cells. Stands to reason---."
Spike nodded, pulling his cigarettes out of his pocket. "Especially knowing Travers."
Giles held his out, blushing slightly. "Could I--- have one of those?"
"You want a fag?"
"Please."
Spike shook another one out and handed it over, then held out his lighter. Giles took a long drag off of it and smiled. "I quit a long time ago. Funny how the craving never really goes away."
He sat on one side of a table and motioned for Spike to sit down. Then he dropped the lighter on the ground. As he bent to pick it up, he did a quick search of the bottom of the table.
"Is it clean?"
"Looks to be," Giles said. "So what's this plan of yours?"
"I have to know that you'll go through with it. That you'll be willing to come back into the government for a while."
Giles shrugged, suddenly looking very tired. "If it will help those people, I'll do it."
"Good. Here's what I think we need to do."
**********************************************************************************
So, you've read it. Now review it. OK, I'm sorry. Review it, please. Better? Chapter 7 will be up in a few days, so keep with the reviewing. Please. Thank you.