THE CIRCLE
Author: Enn-Enn
Summary: The pain awaits her, and the fear bites with strange sweetness at her beautiful neck.
Pairings: Spike/Dawn-friendship (just for now, something more later)
Rating: R ( I suppose )
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Time-line: AU Post-Chosen.
A/N: #1: Thanks to Eurothrashed for her fantastic beta-work !!
#2: Thanks to Michelle R for the feedback!! :)
Please read and review !!!
CHAPTER 2 - From the beginning
Nine months later, you are in the same enormous room, in front of the same cold faces, and in the same state of anxiety.
Another meeting.
But this time you suspect what this one is about.
It is The Ordeal.
Yes, the very old, the very cruel, the very archaic challenge to become a real Watcher.
The Ordeal in the Blackshed, the cave where you enter to confront yourself, your own faults, weakness and evilness...
The Council reopened it just a month ago. After so many years maintaining it to keep it closed, the former council-members had thought that it was too dangerous, too brutal...
Apparently the new members and its last guest were not of the same opinion. Giles was the last person who had visited that magickal cave. That had been before he had received the mission to find and teach Buffy. After that, no one went inside... until two weeks ago.
Poor Andrew. They made him go inside the Blackshed as the final part of his Ordeal.
When they found him unconscious, inside the cave, seven days later; he had lost 33 of his skin. He had been severely burned. In the infirmary of the Witch Coven, you were only allowed to visit him after waiting a whole week. All the while thinking that he could die because of his wounds; you found him babbling something about fear, darkness... and exact poetic justice.
It is curious... you expect him to say something like: and then I will reborn like Darth Vader, just like Anakin did ... and then he would smile weakly about it.
But he doesn't say anything, not one geeky phrase. The same quotes that some time ago you hated so much, you are sure, you will miss...
You realize that they finally have broken him. That now, he will survive to become a cold, efficient Watcher.
You hate them for it.
You fear them for it.
You are their next victim.
And you are so sure that you discovered their intentions.
But again, you are wrong.
Totally.
They are not sending you to the cave; at least, not yet.
You are being sent to London to buy yourself a whole new wardrobe; an expensive shopping spree.
What? you think
Are they trying to protect me from The Ordeal? Are they showing me favoritism because I am the slayer little sis?
What is your problem? You are lucky! Maybe all of this is Giles's idea. Maybe he finally remembered his forgotten father-role!
You try to convince yourself that these are their reasons, but you know them better than this.
This time you are right, because they tell you that you will take a trip.
To LA.
To LA, the Wolfram and Hart building to be more specific.
You will be working for them; for the Angel Team.
Of course secretly, you will still work for us, as our insider.
You just nod. Smilingly you just accept it.
It fits perfectly with your own secret agenda, your own secret plan.
From the beginning, you just wanted access to the Watcher files. To the Watchers' knowledge. About the Key. About you. This was the reason that you started studying the ancient languages, the demonic mystical words and spells, and the gods and godesses; the forgotten legends.
Now they have procured a good position for you at W&H!
Fantastic!
Great!
Now you will be in the heart of the monster. Now you will read books that the Watchers have never seen. Books, that you are sure, contain the secret story of the Beast, about the Order of Dagon, about your origins.
Better yet, you will obtain this information for yourself. You, and you alone, will use it. After which, you can leave the job and the stupid Watchers behind....
Suddenly, you are feeling brave or crazy enough to risk a question with the almighty leader of the Watcher Council:
How do you know that I will not just quit my job in W&H and leave you all?
He coldly smiles and answers you:
Oh! I am sure, you will maintain your job inside that evil law firm... I am absolutely sure.
You ask him again. How?
He just answers...
You will see, Miss Summers. You will see...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That old manipulative bastard!!
He knew it! All of them knew it!!!
Goddess!
Giles knew it too!! All the time! All the freaking time!
You will see, Miss Summers. You will see....
You finally understand his words at the exact moment that you enter the W&H building...
From the beginning, they knew that you would not abandon your mission as their insider...
You will see, Miss Summers...
And that was true. You just saw.
You just saw him.
In front of you.
Spike.
TBC