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Hidden Agendas by angelic_amy
 
Secrets and Stratagems.
 
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Chapter 30: Secrets and Stratagems.


“Rupert Giles speaking.” Giles greeted as he accepted the telephone.

“Giles, my name is Gunn. I’m a friend of Wesley’s.”

Recognizing the name, Giles nodded. “Gunn. It’s a pleasure. How may I be of assistance?” he asked, assuming that he was calling to clarify something in regards to their research.

Angel’s attention darted to Giles when he heard the familiar name mentioned. His ribs were now wrapped with a pressure bandage and the cuts on his hands and face had been treated. Standing up he slowly moved towards Giles who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, facing the rest of the group in the dining room.

“We have some information.” Gunn informed.

Imperative.” Wesley’s voice was heard in the background.

“Imperative information.” Gunn corrected. “It has to do with Angel and the slayer’s sister.”

“With Dawn?” Giles asked with concern.

Hearing her sister’s name mentioned Buffy also rose to her feet and moved closer to Giles.

“Yes with Dawn. On the plus side she is in no-way connected to that vampire Spike. The prophecy is a fake.” He said, repeating almost word for word what Wesley was prompting him. “But she’s still in danger.”

Buffy couldn’t hear the conversation wholly, but she did pick up the word danger, her arms folding in front of her chest as she demanded answers. “Danger? What danger?”

Lifting a hand to shush her, Giles prompted Gunn for more answers. “Do you have the specifics? Could you put Wesley on please?”

“He’s behind the wheel right now.”

“Driving? Driving where?” Giles queried.

“To Sunnydale. Looks like we’ll be having ourselves a meet ‘n greet.”

“Excellent.” Giles said with a nod. “How long until we should expect your arrival?”

Checking with Cordelia first, Gunn gave a time estimate. “About an hour and a half, we’re near halfway.”

“Oh good.”

Angel removed his cell phone from his pocket, showing Giles that it was dead and then pointing to the telephone in Giles’ hand.

“Angel would like to speak with you for a moment.” Giles said, handing over the telephone to Angel only to be bombarded by questions from Buffy. Assuring her that they would have all the answers that they needed soon, he managed to placate her slightly.

“Gunn.” Angel said quickly. “Hold the phone to Wes’s ear for me.” He requested.

After a quick greeting Gunn complied with Angel’s request, holding the cell phone to Wes’s ear.

“Talk to me.” The vampire urged.

Hearing the urgency in Angel’s tone of voice and knowing that the vampire would not be satisfied without at least some answers he spoke. “We’ve received some intel from Wolfram and Hart.”

“And?”

Angel’s face went white as a sheet, his eyes darting towards Buffy for a moment before he looked away. Thankfully she was too engrossed in thought to notice his perusal.

But Spike did.

Eyes narrowing, he watched the elder vampire as he took in whatever information was being given to him, before fare welling and hanging up the telephone.

“Anything of interest mate?”

Angel looked over at Spike, knowing that his reaction to the news mustn’t have been as guarded as he had thought it was. “Not really.” He said dismissing the question. “I’m going to go lay down until Wes and the others arrive.” He informed as he walked from the room and towards the basement door.

“Buffy…” Willow called as she entered the dining room. Xander, Anya, Tara and herself had moved to the living room whilst Giles and Buffy had been tending to the vampires wounds. “Did you want me to help with anything?” she offered.

Buffy shook her head. “We’re good here.”

“What about the…” she made the action of lifting a cup to her lips and swallowing.

“Drinks?” Buffy said with a frown. “Was there something planned for tonight?”

“No.” Willow said as she dropped her hand to her side. “I was referring to the…” lowering her voice, “…pig’s blood.”

“Ohh!” Realization cross Buffy’s face. “Yes. Some of that would be great. Angel’s gone downstairs.”

With a nod Willow moved into the kitchen to prepare mugs for Angel and Spike.

Buffy was pacing the dining room as she tried to draw some conclusions from the little information Giles had given her. Dawn’s life wasn’t roped up with Spike’s. Which meant that the whole thing had been a hoax. The information they had surmised from the local informants had been incorrect.

It also meant that tonight had been a big set up. There had to be some reason why they had escaped from the Initiative so easily. After exiting through the tunnels they had been met with no resistance. And that didn’t make sense.

She let us walk out of there…

Running her fingers through her hair Buffy tried to connect the dots but she didn’t have all the pieces. She didn’t know why they would have been allowed to walk out of there so easily. She didn’t know why Darla was still after Dawn.

And she wouldn’t know until Wesley arrived.

“You’re makin’ me dizzy here love.” Spike said, wondering what was going on inside that head of hers to make her so agitated.

“Sorry.” Buffy apologized, and Spike didn’t know if she had realized that it was him that she had just apologized to.

Grabbing her jacket from the back of the seat she had been sitting on, she slipped it on over her shoulders. “I’m going on patrol.” She informed Giles.

“Now hang on a minute…” Spike objected.

“Buffy do you think that’s wise?” Giles questioned. “Darla could be anywhere.”

“I’ll stay close.” Buffy said. “Just do a sweep of the street.”

Before anyone could argue with her further the front door was closing behind her.

~~~

Angel paced the length of the basement. The shock that had just been dropped upon him…

He had to tell Buffy. She wasn’t going to be happy. But he had cleaned the slate early on tonight and he wasn’t going to sully it by keeping something from her now. Lowering himself to the cot he lay down to get some rest before Wesley and the others arrived.

~~~

Buffy had made two passes down Revello Drive before venturing a little further until she found herself wandering Weatherly Park. She had only been there a matter of minutes when the snap of a twig being trodden on alerted her that she was not alone.

Sighing deeply she raised her hands in the air in frustration. She could never have a moment of peace in this town. “Alright, show yourself. I’m not in the mood for games.”

A woman stepped out from behind a large oak tree and when the moonlight washed her face Buffy’s expression clouded in anger. “Darla.” She spat out the name. “I didn’t think you would be stupid enough to try something tonight. Especially after losing more than half of your flunkeys.”

A vicious smile curled at Darla’s lips. “Oh but I expected that.”

Buffy frowned when her earlier suspicions that their exit from the Initiative were confirmed. She shifted her body weight into a defensive stance, preparing for any attack that Darla may make. “Why? Why lead your own men…” Rolling her eyes. “Vampires… to the slaughter?”

“Because I needed to see.”

“See what?” Buffy demanded.

~~~

**Flashback**

Darla reclined on the sofa watching at the screens with interest, examining each and every move that the woman on screen was making. She may detest the slayer with every bone in her body, but she couldn’t deny that she truly was a magnificent fighter. Her attacks were sharp, deadly, her thrust of the stake felling two vampires before they even realized they had company.

Angel was taking care of a majority of her crew which had converged into the main atrium, and it was only a straggler here and there that met their demise at the pointed end of the slayers stake. But it was enough. The few minutes that she observed the slayer fighting gave her insight into her style.

She was far from traditional, her fighting style a merger of several forms of martial arts, mixed with a raw instinct. And that was what was most dangerous about her…

**End Flashback**


~~~

“You.” Darla responded with a smirked, as if daring Buffy to try and wipe it from her face.

And try Buffy did.

Her mouth curled up in anger she threw herself into the air and spun a roundhouse kick at Darla’s head. Which the vampire subsequently ducked. The lack of contact caused Buffy to land slightly off balance.

“We’ll you’ve seen me. Now get the hell out of my town.”

Darla threw back her head and laughed. “Do you really think that I’m just going to leave?” she asked, fluttering her hand in their air to mock her demanded travel.

“I was kinda hoping you would object. I’ve got some payback to exact.” Buffy retorted as she took a threatening step towards the blond vampire. She was going to make her pay for what she did to Spike, and for whatever she had planned to do to Dawn. Darla didn’t even flinch as she approached, and that disturbed Buffy a little more than she liked.

“For Spike?” Darla asked with a raised brow. “That boy is a hell of a lot more stubborn than I remember him being. Drusilla is going to be quite upset when I inform her that he won’t be returning to the family with Angelus.”

Buffy snarled. “Angel won’t be going anywhere with you.”

“Is that right?” Darla questioned.

Buffy’s right fist shot out in an arc that should have connected with the vampires left cheek, but Darla ducked. Buffy over swung and found her legs being swept out from beneath her as Darla dropped to the ground and spun her leg out in a move that was pure Summers.

Buffy hit the ground on her back, kicking her legs up into the air, one foot connecting with Darla’s lower jaw as she vaulted herself up onto her hands and then sprung to her feet.

Darla rubbed at her jaw as she reeled back. “I didn’t see that one…”

“See?” Buffy repeated. Realization dawned on her.

“Yes that’s right.” Darla said with a nod. “All those security cameras still wired up… it was just a matter of getting the power online so that they would be operational and what do you know, I have a fully operational, surveillance equipped lair in my hands.”

“So what are you doing out here?” Buffy demanded.

“I know your style now Buffy. I’ve been meaning to exact a little revenge upon you for months.”

“So exact away.” Buffy said sarcastically. “Well… you can try.”

Darla didn’t need any further invitation. Her face shifting into its vampiric countenance, she attacked. Right hook deflected by Buffy’s left block, who dropped to her knees and spun her leg in a wide arc, which was jumped by Darla. Fists flew in fury, the vampire and the slayer parrying their blows back and forth; blocking each other’s attacks yet neither collecting a solid hit. Then a fist broke through and Buffy’s head reeled back as she stumbled backwards a few steps to try and right her balance.

“Luck.” Buffy scowled.

“That?” Darla queried with a raised brow. “No… THAT I learned from Angelus.”

Buffy launched a fist at Darla and the fight resumed.

~~~

Giles peered out the window of Summers house, frowning when yet again he was met with nothing. Buffy had been gone for almost an hour. And he was worried.

“It doesn’t take an hour to walk up the street.” Spike said, voicing Giles’ exact thoughts as he joined the watcher at the window. “I could go…”

“Don’t even think about it.” Dawn said as she joined the pair, folding her arms over her chest. “YOU Spike, are going nowhere.”

“Bit your sis…” He protested, only to be cut off by Xander.

“Will castrate you if you so much as step one foot out that door.” He said with a bright smirk. “Actually, that might be kinda funny to watch.”

Spike snorted. “Yeah I’ll bet you’d get a real kick out of it.”

He knew that the whelp was covering his concern for his friend with sarcasm.

A set of headlights shone through the window and Giles’ peered out once again. The passengers exited the vehicle and it was when they began walking up the path that the light illuminated their faces and identified them.

“They’re here.”



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A/N: Hope you enjoy guys! More will be up tomorrow. Please read and review.
 
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