Title: The Wrong Side of the Line
Chapter 10: Coming to Terms
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for rating, disclaimers and summary
Thanks to everyone who has read this far, and to those who have reviewed. It's always nice to know that someone is still interested!
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He was already there when she arrived. "Thought you said five minutes," he teased, but she didn't smile. Instead, she drew her fist back and punched him in the jaw.
"You bastard!" she screamed as he reeled backwards. "I can't believe you've turned into such an ass since I left!"
He caught his balance and turned back to her, holding his jaw. "What in the bloody hell did I do?"
"You couldn't wait to get your claws into Giles, could you? You son of a bitch!" The last word was punctuated by another swing, which he managed to catch.
"Whoa, there. Just hang on a minute!" She continued to struggle and he spun her around and grabbed hold of her from behind, pulling her back against him. He held her arms across her chest so she couldn't hit him again, carefully propping his chin on her shoulder to avoid any head-buts. He also made sure to put his feet where she couldn't step on them. He remembered well enough the way that she fought.
"Stop it!" he snapped, when he had her pretty well restrained. "Stop it and listen to me!"
She struggled for another minute or two, then reluctantly gave in. "I can't believe you would do this to him. He was your friend!"
"He still is. And he's going to stay that way. I've got something going right now that's going to ensure your safety, and his, for a long time to come. All you bloody humans are going to benefit from it."
She turned her head to look up at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You heard about the explosion?"
She nodded. "They came to question us about it. We didn't do it, though. You know that, right?"
He smiled. "I know. I did it."
"What?" she gasped.
"I did it. I set off the explosion. And I killed Quentin Travers."
"Wh---Why?"
"Because I needed him out of the way. After I get Watkins taken care of, I'll be commander of the troops. I can put a stop to all the crap they've been pulling on you."
She shook her head. "You're trying to get control of the vamp army."
"Right. That's where Giles comes in. He was always one of the most powerful vamps in our army. And he will be again, once we rehabilitate him."
"You can't! You can't turn him back."
"Have to, Buff. If we don't, he's going to be executed. Besides, once he's joined our side again, he can start working his way back to the top. It may take him some time, but he'll eventually get to be a trusted member of the council again. And in the mean time, I can make sure that any attacks, viral or otherwise, are called off."
"What if they overthrow you? Most vampires don't like humans. They aren't going to be happy to see you give us a standing pardon."
"I know. It's going to take a while to convince them otherwise, but it can be done. Until then, I'll just have to enforce a 'tolerance' rule. We've had one before. They'll go along with it for a while."
"Does Giles know?"
"Yes." He let go of her and she turned to face him.
"Is he--- all right with it?"
"He understands. And he's willing to make the sacrifice to see it happen."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?" he asked, eyebrows drawn.
"Willing to make the sacrifice?"
"There's no sacrifice in it for me."
She shook her head, sadly. "That's not true. If anyone finds out what you're doing, you'll be killed."
"Then I'll make sure they don't find out."
"And if they don't like your ideas, at the very least, you'll be banned."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not much of a sacrifice, pet, when my conscience is nagging at me."
She laughed softly. "Conscience. Forgot you had one of those." He looked hurt and she gave him a soft punch in the arm. "I'm kidding. So, why are you doing this?"
"Giles asked me to."
It was her turn to frown. "That's it, just because Giles asked you to?"
He looked at his feet, shrugging. "No, because he asked me to do it for you."
"For me?"
He nodded. "He knew I would do anything for you. Still."
She blushed. "I---didn't know."
He looked up at her, grimacing. "You should have. Just because--- you chose to get away from here, doesn't mean I wanted you to go."
"I wanted you to come with me." She sighed, shaking her head. "I begged you, Spike. I tried everything I could think of, and you wouldn't come. What was I supposed to think?"
"I didn't stay because I didn't want to be with you. I stayed because I was a coward. And a fool. I should have gone with you."
"You still can. Get Giles and come out tonight."
"I can't, pet. I can do more good for you now if I stay around here and go through with what I planned. If this works maybe we can eventually tear down the barrier all together."
She let out a scream a moment before the gun hit him. He sprawled onto the sand, unconscious, and she stared in shock as she saw Angel standing there for the first time.
He gave her a wide grin. "Thanks, baby. You did it just like we needed you to."
He leaned down and, slinging his rifle strap across his shoulder, hauled Spike to his feet. "What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" Buffy yelled, throwing herself at him.
He easily pushed her away and flopped Spike's still form over his other shoulder. "Relax, Buffy. We knew you'd eventually draw him out for us. So we waited. Now we have a better bargaining chip than that ring." He gave her a thumbs up. "Thanks again, sweet cheeks."
She couldn't fight him. She knew better than to even try. Instead, she watched helplessly as he carried Spike off across the shoreline. Then, she collapsed on the sand and dropped her head onto her knees.
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This one was kind of short, but the next few chapters should make up for it. I will not be posting again until late next week, hopefully 10/16 or 10/17. If it hasn't been updated by then, it will have to wait until the 20th. So, here's hoping I get some more up before then. Read and Review so I have plenty to look forward to when I get back from vacation!!!
Chapter 10: Coming to Terms
Author: Rylee Jane
See Chapter 1 for rating, disclaimers and summary
Thanks to everyone who has read this far, and to those who have reviewed. It's always nice to know that someone is still interested!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
He was already there when she arrived. "Thought you said five minutes," he teased, but she didn't smile. Instead, she drew her fist back and punched him in the jaw.
"You bastard!" she screamed as he reeled backwards. "I can't believe you've turned into such an ass since I left!"
He caught his balance and turned back to her, holding his jaw. "What in the bloody hell did I do?"
"You couldn't wait to get your claws into Giles, could you? You son of a bitch!" The last word was punctuated by another swing, which he managed to catch.
"Whoa, there. Just hang on a minute!" She continued to struggle and he spun her around and grabbed hold of her from behind, pulling her back against him. He held her arms across her chest so she couldn't hit him again, carefully propping his chin on her shoulder to avoid any head-buts. He also made sure to put his feet where she couldn't step on them. He remembered well enough the way that she fought.
"Stop it!" he snapped, when he had her pretty well restrained. "Stop it and listen to me!"
She struggled for another minute or two, then reluctantly gave in. "I can't believe you would do this to him. He was your friend!"
"He still is. And he's going to stay that way. I've got something going right now that's going to ensure your safety, and his, for a long time to come. All you bloody humans are going to benefit from it."
She turned her head to look up at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You heard about the explosion?"
She nodded. "They came to question us about it. We didn't do it, though. You know that, right?"
He smiled. "I know. I did it."
"What?" she gasped.
"I did it. I set off the explosion. And I killed Quentin Travers."
"Wh---Why?"
"Because I needed him out of the way. After I get Watkins taken care of, I'll be commander of the troops. I can put a stop to all the crap they've been pulling on you."
She shook her head. "You're trying to get control of the vamp army."
"Right. That's where Giles comes in. He was always one of the most powerful vamps in our army. And he will be again, once we rehabilitate him."
"You can't! You can't turn him back."
"Have to, Buff. If we don't, he's going to be executed. Besides, once he's joined our side again, he can start working his way back to the top. It may take him some time, but he'll eventually get to be a trusted member of the council again. And in the mean time, I can make sure that any attacks, viral or otherwise, are called off."
"What if they overthrow you? Most vampires don't like humans. They aren't going to be happy to see you give us a standing pardon."
"I know. It's going to take a while to convince them otherwise, but it can be done. Until then, I'll just have to enforce a 'tolerance' rule. We've had one before. They'll go along with it for a while."
"Does Giles know?"
"Yes." He let go of her and she turned to face him.
"Is he--- all right with it?"
"He understands. And he's willing to make the sacrifice to see it happen."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?" he asked, eyebrows drawn.
"Willing to make the sacrifice?"
"There's no sacrifice in it for me."
She shook her head, sadly. "That's not true. If anyone finds out what you're doing, you'll be killed."
"Then I'll make sure they don't find out."
"And if they don't like your ideas, at the very least, you'll be banned."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not much of a sacrifice, pet, when my conscience is nagging at me."
She laughed softly. "Conscience. Forgot you had one of those." He looked hurt and she gave him a soft punch in the arm. "I'm kidding. So, why are you doing this?"
"Giles asked me to."
It was her turn to frown. "That's it, just because Giles asked you to?"
He looked at his feet, shrugging. "No, because he asked me to do it for you."
"For me?"
He nodded. "He knew I would do anything for you. Still."
She blushed. "I---didn't know."
He looked up at her, grimacing. "You should have. Just because--- you chose to get away from here, doesn't mean I wanted you to go."
"I wanted you to come with me." She sighed, shaking her head. "I begged you, Spike. I tried everything I could think of, and you wouldn't come. What was I supposed to think?"
"I didn't stay because I didn't want to be with you. I stayed because I was a coward. And a fool. I should have gone with you."
"You still can. Get Giles and come out tonight."
"I can't, pet. I can do more good for you now if I stay around here and go through with what I planned. If this works maybe we can eventually tear down the barrier all together."
She let out a scream a moment before the gun hit him. He sprawled onto the sand, unconscious, and she stared in shock as she saw Angel standing there for the first time.
He gave her a wide grin. "Thanks, baby. You did it just like we needed you to."
He leaned down and, slinging his rifle strap across his shoulder, hauled Spike to his feet. "What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" Buffy yelled, throwing herself at him.
He easily pushed her away and flopped Spike's still form over his other shoulder. "Relax, Buffy. We knew you'd eventually draw him out for us. So we waited. Now we have a better bargaining chip than that ring." He gave her a thumbs up. "Thanks again, sweet cheeks."
She couldn't fight him. She knew better than to even try. Instead, she watched helplessly as he carried Spike off across the shoreline. Then, she collapsed on the sand and dropped her head onto her knees.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
This one was kind of short, but the next few chapters should make up for it. I will not be posting again until late next week, hopefully 10/16 or 10/17. If it hasn't been updated by then, it will have to wait until the 20th. So, here's hoping I get some more up before then. Read and Review so I have plenty to look forward to when I get back from vacation!!!