CHAPTER SIX
 
The door was somewhat uncharacteristically locked, and Buffy had to knock and wait for Giles to answer.  Which he did quickly, ushering them in and slamming the door behind them.
 
“What’s got your knickers in twist, Watcher?”
 
Ignoring Spike, Giles addressed himself to Buffy. “Your ‘boyfriend’ paid me a visit tonight. Uniform and all. He wanted to warn me that whatever our ‘relationship’...” Giles’s mouth twisted as if he had a bad taste in it. “...is, he felt it only fair to warn me that you were under surveillance as a suspected ‘hostile citizen’ and that it would be in my best interest to cut off all contact with you.”
 
“He what? And, if I got the drift of that ‘relationship’ crack, ewwwww!”
 
“Jus’ when you think somebody can’t possibly be stupider than he looks...”
 
Buffy shot Spike a puzzled look. “What do you know about what Riley looks like? You’ve only seen him all dressed up like some kind of ninja.”
 
“Not exactly,” Spike mumbled, looking away. “May have seen him... once or twice... in the evening... out and about...”
 
“ ‘Out and about’?”  She gasped. “You mean with me? When we were on a date?  Have you been spying on me?” 
 
Spike threw up his hands in only partially mock surrender. “Easy there, pet. Not like I was peeking in windows or anything. Just keeping track of your progress after the... altercation... we had. Wanted to know when you were all better.”
 
“Why? So you could half-kill me again? Not helping yourself here, Spike.” Buffy fingered the stake tucked into the back of her pants.
 
“Bloody hell, Slayer! We’re enemies! As you’ve reminded me several times lately. Yeah, I was thinking... I don’t know what I was thinking. Wouldn’t cheat and use the ring again, but if you were all healthy and strong...”
 
“You’d what? Take the ring off and fight me even-steven?” Buffy turned her back, scoffing.
 
“Doesn’t much matter now, does it? You’re the one can’t be killed. I could beat on you till the cows come home and you’d just pop back up like a bloody bad penny.”
 
“Buffy?” Giles was staring from Buffy to the angry vampire and back again. “Did you tell him?”
 
“He guessed, Giles. I didn’t see any reason not to admit it. I’ve got it, he doesn’t. End of story.”
 
Spike’s expression made it very clear that he did not consider the story even close to ending, but he said nothing, only pushing back his demon and sprawling in the big easy chair with a loud growl.
 
“Just so we’re clear – do you two still have a truce, or should I rearm the crossbow?”
 
“We’re fine,” Buffy said with a sigh. “We just aren’t very good at having conversations that don’t end in yelling.” She looked at the still-glowering vampire. “Tell him we’re fine, Spike.”
 
“We’re fine,” he imitated, smirking at her glare. He met Giles’s suspicious gaze and said more seriously, “She’s right, you know. It’s just what we do. We get mad, we threaten to kill each other...” He glanced at Buffy and then away. And then I notice how gorgeous she is and all that angry blood goes south. Deciding that wasn’t probably in his best interest to share, he continued, “Slayer’s a hard enough opponent when all the odds are on my side. If she’s got the Gem, and it’s working for her, then my chances of getting it back are slim to none. Doesn’t make me happy, but I didn’t live this long by being stupid.”
 
Buffy’s face flushed and she looked away from Giles’s curious glance to stare at Spike. She hadn’t missed his hesitation when he talked about their frequent arguments. He so better not be thinking what I think he’s thinking! The vampire gave her a wink as he draped one leg over the arm of the chair and tried to look innocent, failing miserably.  That is what he was thinking about! What a pig! Buffy tried very hard not to feel a little burst of pride that Spike found her so attractive he got hard even when they were just angry at each other.  She blushed and turned away from his amused gaze.
  “So, forgetting about their dirty minds and all, did you tell Riley what our relationship is?”
 
Giles shook his head. “I got the distinct impression that it would mean nothing to him, and I could see no good reason to try to explain about the Council to someone in the military. Council contacts are looking into the situation and will keep us apprised of whatever they find out—”
 
Buffy scoffed loudly. “Sure they will.”
 
Giles sighed and nodded. “Quite right. However, it is in their best interest that their only available slayer not be captured or confined so as not to be able to do her duty. They suggested that you remain out of sight until they have done further investigation and/or begun the process of alleviating the situation.”
 
“What the hell does that mean?  I’ve got classes to go to!”
 
“As I recall, that was never one of your priorities before,” Giles said with a wry smile. “I cannot imagine being absent for one or two sessions is going to ruin your college career.”
 
“Not much of a scholar, Slayer?” Spike’s grin was too happy to suit Buffy.
 
“Like you’d know anything about how hard college is!” she snapped back at him.
 
He gave her a long look, then turned his gaze to Giles. “Know old Rupert here probably went to Cambridge – not a bad university, but not as tough as m—some.” His tone was casual, as if he’d just mentioned it was raining.
 
Giles frowned at Spike, vowing to pull out the old Watcher’s diaries and see what else they had to offer about William the Bloody’s life as a human.  “Hard to imagine that a thug named ‘Spike’ knows anything about the rigors of British universities...” he said, hoping for more information.
 
Spike just gave an enigmatic smile and made no reply.
 
“Did I just miss something?” Buffy stared back and forth between the two Brits – one so very stuffy and seeming so old to her, the other so very much unstuffy and, despite his appearance, so very much older. 
 
“Nothing important,” Giles said. “What is important, is to decide where you can hide for a few days until we know more about whether or not it will be safe for you to—”
 
“Giles! They’re torturing... things. And yeah, okay, evil things by and large, but still... I mean vampires are... what’s that word that means sorta like people?”
 
“Sentient,” Spike answered first.  “The word you’re looking for is sentient. Self-aware, capable of feeling fear and pain, and of understanding the concept of being a slave.”  His jaw clenched. “And so are many demons, Slayer. And not all of them are evil.  Most of the demons in Sunnydale are here for the boost the Hellmouth gives them; they’re just going about their lives, raising their families and minding their own business. Ought to be able to walk the streets without having to worry that they’re going to be snatched up and turned over to vivisectionists.”
 
 Giles stared at Spike. “You seem more touchy about this than I would have expected....” He waited while Spike seemed to be wrestling with himself.
 
“Been there already,” he finally said. He slid his eyes sideways at Buffy. “Not sure how the big— Never mind. Here’s all you need to know. The Nazi’s had a plan during WW II to make weapons out of vamps and demons. I was one of the three that survived their attempts to make us controllable. Wasn’t the most pleasant time of my unlife. Only got away because they underestimated us and...” He looked at Buffy again. “And we got away.”
 
Buffy stared at him. “Okay, what’s with the shifty eyes? So, I’m guessing you killed some Nazis? Not finding myself caring a whole lot about a bunch of bad guys who would have been dead by now anyway. What aren’t you telling me?”
 
“Nothin’ you want to hear, Slayer. Point is, the only difference I can see between these wankers and the Nazi wankers is better technology. Same intent to use demons as weapons, and same lack of interest in how many they kill or maim in the process.”
 
Giles reached for the phone, putting it back down when he realized it was still the wee hours of the morning in England.  “I will let the Council know this new information. Surely if something like this was going on, they would have something about it in their records.”
 
“Was an American operation by the time I got out,” Spike said. “Which probably explains why it’s happenin’ here and not in Merry Olde.”
 
Giles stared at Spike, his eyes narrowing. “I should like very much to learn more about this... adventure... of yours. Including exactly how you got away.”
 
“Maybe.” Spike glanced at Buffy again. “One of these days, Watcher.”
 
Buffy stamped her foot, glaring at Spike. “What aren’t you telling me?” she repeated, moving closer and getting right up next to him.  “What don’t you want me to know?” She fastened her glare on him, daring him to look away.
 
His own anger rising to meet hers, he snapped, “Don’t want you to know that the Americans somehow got your rat-eating, souled up ex to swim down, save what was left of the crew from me and the two ugly old buggers they’d captured along with the Nazi sub. In the process he turned a good man so as to save the ship and the few men left of the crew.  And then, after the vamp did his job and fixed things, he threw us – me and the new family member he’d made – out in the water to sink or swim. Didn’t think you’d want to know that your precious Angel could be that flexible about his “no siring new vamps” rule.” He glared back at her, waiting until her own anger had turned to dismay before breaking their staring contest. He turned away, muttering, “I know you don’t care about what he did to Sam and me; that’s a vampire thing. But it was pretty much off the charts in terms of how you treat family and newly created members of it.”
 
While Buffy turned away, struggling to adjust to the idea that Angel had turned an innocent man – it never occurred to her to doubt Spike’s word – Giles gestured for the vampire to move closer. Although he kept his hand within easy reach of a large cross, he felt comfortable enough to say, “I’d like to know more about this event, if you don’t mind.”
 
Spike blinked at the sudden politeness from the man he knew didn’t trust him at all. He nodded, but jerked his head at Buffy. “Later, Watcher,” he said. “It’s nothing you need to know now.”
 
“I think if the souled vampire Buffy trusts is capable of killing and turning people – contrary to what he would have us believe – it is important that I know about it.”
 
Spike shrugged. “The poof isn’t as squeaky clean as he’d like Buffy to think he is, but I doubt he’s been running around siring vamps for the past sixty or seventy years.  She’s safe enough. ‘Specially if he stays in LA,” Spike added in a whisper. He met Giles’s eyes and said, “The important thing is that it was Americans who captured that sub and the records of what the Nazi’s were trying to do. Seems like they might have kept those old records around until somebody decided to give it another try.”
 
Giles nodded his agreement and turned to watch Buffy. Having recovered from her shock and putting the new knowledge aside as something to worry about later, when she didn’t have a bunch of commandoes trying to capture her, Buffy walked over to where Spike and Giles were standing.
 
“So, what are we supposed to do? Sunnydale’s not very big. We can’t stay here, I can’t go home – I don’t want them to know where my mom is. I can’t go back to the dorm. And we know they’re trying to find you.  Where can we hide?”  She missed Spike’s smile as she included him in her question.
 
“Vegas!”
 
“What?”
 
“Las Vegas. We can hide there. It’s not that far, but they’d never think to look for us someplace like that.”
 
“For good reason!” Buffy put her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to Las Vegas. Not with you or anybody else.”
 
“You are such a bloody goody-two-shoes,” Spike said, sighing in mock despair. “Somebody really should take you in hand and teach you how to live.”
 
“I live just fine,” she muttered. “I don’t need advice from evil, piggy vampires.”
 
“Never know till you try it, luv.” He laughed as she pretended to be staking him, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer. “Whenever you ready to take that stick out of your delectable arse, You let me know, yeah? I’m here to help.”
 
Giles cleared his throat noisily, causing them both to realize exactly how close together they were. They broke apart, Buffy blushing while Spike snickered at the glower her watcher was aiming at him.  “I believe I found you less disturbing when you were trying to kill her,” he said. “Do remember that the crossbow is always nearby.”
 
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, old man. Slayer and I were just having some fun.”
 
“It’s okay, Giles,” Buffy agreed. “He can’t help himself. I’m not a ho, and I’m not crazy or stupid. He just doesn’t know what to do with me.”
 
Spike snarled, then leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I know exactly what to do with you, luv. Just say the word.”
 
“The word is ‘ewwwww’,” Buffy replied, shoving him away. “Now can we please make some kind of serious decisions about what to do? If we don’t decide something by morning, we’ll be trapped here and they can just waltz in and grab us whenever they want—What?” 
 
Spike had frozen and held up his hand for silence. While the vampire was obviously listening to something neither she nor Giles could hear, Buffy moved to the weapon chest. Giles picked up his crossbow, but also slipped a handgun out of a drawer and into his pocket.  When Spike’s demon came out and he faced the front door, snarling, Buffy threw open the chest and yanked out two swords. She offered one to Spike, but he shook his head, baring his fangs.
 
“Got my weapons, pet.”
 
As he spoke, the door burst open and a squad of soldiers entered and spread out across the front of the room, their weapons trained on the two humans and one demon facing them.  Riley came in behind them saying, “I’m sorry, Buffy, but we need to figure out what you are.  There are two ways to do this. The easy way is that you and the vampire there come with us without a fuss, and no one gets hurt—“ He frowned when Buffy and Spike gave identical bitter laughs and settled themselves into fighting stances.  “Or, you can try to resist, and we’ll have to do it the hard way. Your choice.”
 
Buffy exchanged looks with Spike. “I’m not sure either one of us knows how to do things the easy way, Riley.”
 
Giles kept his eyes on the soldiers farthest away from them, thinking he could get at least one shot off, perhaps even more if they were concentrating on capturing Spike and Buffy alive.  “Perhaps you should rethink this and give it a couple of days. I don’t think your little group is quite as important as you think it is, and kidnapping coeds is frowned upon in many circles.”
 
Riley’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? You don’t know anything about us.”
 
“On the contrary,” Giles continued smoothly, “I know that your activities are connected to attempts to revive a program that initiated in Nazi Germany. I know that your group is not operating with the complete knowledge of your government.” Giles congratulated himself on a good guess when Riley visibly flinched. “And I know that your inability to understand Buffy’s role in Sunnydale and the depth and length of reach of her... employers... is not allowing you to make informed judgments. You really should have done your research on Slayers and the Council of Watchers before you took it upon yourself to attempt to thwart one in the performance of her duties.”
 
There were blank stares from all but one of the soldiers watching the exchange of words. His eyes were growing wider as he looked from Buffy to Giles and understood the relationship. He frowned in confusion when his gaze fell on Spike, but since neither Slayer or Watcher seemed afraid of him, he relaxed his stance and allowed his rifle to drop.
 
“Ah,” Giles said. “I see at least one you knows how to... what is the word I want?”
 
“Google,” Buffy and Spike said simultaneously.
 
“Enough of this, we need to—” Riley was interrupted by a buzz from his communicator.  His face paled as he listened, nodded and clicked if off. “Stand down, men,” he said. “We’ve been called back to base.” Without further conversation, the men marched out of the apartment, casting threatening looks at Spike and Buffy as they did so.
 
“Well, that was a mite disappointing.” Spike shook off his demon.
 
“What? We didn’t have to fight a bunch of armed men with a sword and your fangs?  I’m surprisingly okay with that.” Buffy rolled her eyes at him.
 
“Nice bluff, Watcher,” Spike said with a smile. “Remind me never to play poker with you.”
 
“Bluff? You were bluffing?”
 
Giles nodded. “I was. Although I suspect most of what I said was true or will be by this time tomorrow. I’ve no idea why they got called away, but it does give the Council another day to reach someone with the authority to shut that place down.”
 
“In the meantime....”
 
“In the meantime, I suggest we find ourselves good hiding places. I, personally, intend to call the Council again, then repair to a neighboring town until they can assure me it is safe to return. You are welcome to come with me,” he said, his expression as he glanced at Spike indicating exactly how not welcome the vampire might be.  He began stuffing books into the small safe under his desk.  “With luck, they will not burn my apartment building down looking for you two.”
 
“On that cheery note...” Buffy looked at Spike. “Vegas? Really?”
 
“It’s fun there, Slayer. Watcher doesn’t know what he’ll be missing. There’s cheap booze, cheaper shows with lots of naked women, and gambling. What’s not to like?”
 
“Um, booze, gambling, and shows with naked girls?”
 
Spike sighed. “There’s also sunshine, swimming pools, shops full of clothes, and everything is cheap – cheap hotel rooms, cheap food, cheap shows...”
 
“Why is everything cheap?”
 
“Because they make their money off the gambling. Don’t want people to not have money to lose, do they?”
 
“Speaking of money...”
 
“No problem, pet. We’ll swing by the cave and grab ourselves some pawn worthy jewelry.”
 
Buffy looked back and forth between the eager vampire and her frowning watcher. “I know I’m going to regret this,” she said as she followed Spike out the door.  “I just know it...” But I’ve never seen Las Vegas and this might be my only chance to go there...