"You were supposed to take care of her." Angel glared at Giles. "Letting her get involved with Spike is not taking care of her."
"Well, you're the one that left the witless wonder running around all these years." Xander snapped.
"He is my family." Angel snarled, charging toward Xander. "He took care of Drusilla."
"Well, he's taking care of Buffy right now." Xander moved toward the vampire. "He's rubbing his filthy, dead hands all over the girl you abandoned. What are you going to do if he's changed her?"
"I'll make it quick for her if he's cursed her. She doesn't need to suffer." Angel turned away from Xander and leaned his head against the wall with his eyes closed. "It's what she would do for me."
"You should have stayed away from her." Xander sat down on the couch next to Giles. "She would have been better off."
"She would have been dead." Giles took a sip of his drink. "She would have been dead and the master would be ruling a world of endless darkness. Buffy lives because of both of you. We need to find a way to save her and a prophecy about what's happening here. There is no way this went unseen."
"An eighteen year old girl, especially this eighteen year old girl, would not have the skill set required to just disappear." Walsh stared at the camera feeds from the campus. "We need to look at her known associates."
"She should have run home. I mean that's how she profiles." Riley Finn pushed away from the computer in front of him. "But her mother hasn't even been called."
"Her roommate is local as well." Walsh tapped the glass screen in front of her with her finger and turned toward Finn. "Check out her home address as well. Gas leak drill."
Spike grinned as several demons walked in the door. They weren't the types he usually dealt with, and he sensed their fear. It was good to be feared because right now he was hanging in the fire with Buffy and her friends, and it irked him. Keeping one girl safe was hard enough, but she came with living, breathing, off the menu baggage.
"Half breed." One of the demons snarled. Spike didn't bother to note which one. They were all thinking it.
"Yes, I am a vampire." Spike smiled and ran his hands along his chest. "I walk in both worlds. It's fun, but it seems we have a problem right here in sunny city. Don't we?"
Several of the demons grumbled.
"It's that damn military group. They killed off my third mate and her brood last week."A demon with a beak like face met Spike's gaze. "They took my older sons that were guarding them."
"We just have to lay low and wait the humans out." A demoness tossed her long hair like feathers over her shoulder, setting her scales to shimmering. "It works with the slayers."
"These blokes aren't going away." Spike took a deep breath. "They are up to no good."
"So, eat them. That's what you half breeds are good for." Well, this group was just so sunny. It would warm a demon's heart.
"It would take a whole hell of a lot of vampires to eat all of them." Spike smirked. "You lot don't really want that many of us around. My mate has some ideas about how we might work together and rid ourselves of the vermin."
"Your mated? A pity." The scaly demoness looked me up and down.
"Ain't it?" Spike grinned. "Wait 'til you meet her."
Spike smiled as Buffy stalked into the room and snarled at the demoness. She looked lovely in her sweater set and leather pants. He liked the odd pairing, sorority biker chic.
"Darling, you decided to join us." Spike opened his arms wide and just managed to hide his shock when she settled into his embrace. "I don't suppose any of you lot would have met my girl. May I present my mate, Buffy."
"The slayer?"
"He's mad."
"She'll kill us all."
Spike watched as several of the demons assessed the possible escape routes. This was kind of fun. It wasn't warm blood on a cold morning, but it was amusing.
"I'm not going to hurt you unless you hurt innocent humans." Buffy pulled out of his arms. "I don't believe in killing all demons. Just the trouble makers. I have never killed a single member of any of your clans. Help me, and I never will."
"That sounds like a racket. The slayer expecting us to pay for protection?" The kraglath demon spit a long string of drool down his chin and glared at Buffy and Spike. "I'm not interested in that kind of help."
"I'm not offering that." Buffy sighed. "Those guys kidnapped me. I'm on their wanted list as much as any of you. I can fight them, but I'm one person. I need help to keep Sunnydale safe."
"The Watchers can help you. It's what they do." The kraglath crossed its massive arms across its chest.
"Mine tried to kill me." Buffy swallowed and dropped her eyes to the floor. "He isn't real thrilled about my mate. Seems I'm too demony for him."
"Then call on your mate's clan." The kraglath waved his blunt fingers at Spike.
"Yeah, I used to date the master of his line." Buffy blushed. "Lot of history there."
"So, you need us far more than we need you." Several of the demons smiled as the kraglath spoke. "I like this deal much better."
"I need a network to keep us all safe. You represent the demons I know coexist here without bothering humans." Buffy smiled. "So I need your clans, but I don't have to deal with you. One thing you learn fighting vampires, there's always another one. So, can we talk or do I need to slaughter you and gather new representatives?"