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Ancient shades by Kur
 
7
 
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Thanks: To Melissa, best beta ever.

CHAPTER 7

Buffy chewed the same nail for the fourth time unable to focus on Willow and Giles chat. By the blush in her friend’s cheeks, which contended with her sleek hair, she’d have known that something really important had been achieved. Instead, all her mind was able to sing was the same dreadful song, as a soundtrack for the movie sliding inside her head. Faith had killed a man. Faith had killed a man and I was there. I was there and did nothing to prevent it. I’m a partner in crime. Faith had killed a man… She stared at her clean palms.

“Don’t you think, Buffy?” Giles sat at the end of the school library table with a steaming cup of tea. Buffy looked down at her own cup. When did she ask for it? She shook herself just to centre into the now and here.

“Sorry, I was just… I’m sorry.” Her nose nearly dived inside the cup.

“I was saying that I’ve…, you know, working on a spell… Just to find out who was behind the Angel… - Willow paused for a little but no flinch manifested in her friend’s attitude – thing and big news are that the traces… the traces of energy… a spell requires certain amount of…”

“Willow! Just say it, okay?” And let me think what I’m going to do to fix all this mess I’m into…

“Okay, I’m absolutely sure the Mayor had something to do with it. Or at least someone who works around him. The location spells are accurate. Can’t fail. Well, unless is performed in a very bad way but…” Willow nodded at Buffy’s intense gaze. “The traces that went out from Angel’s house went straight to the City Hall.”

Buffy gulped her tea. Maybe that man… ‘Allan Finch… His name was Allan Finch and I won’t never forget it…’ Another song of the soundtrack. Maybe he knew something… Maybe he was going to snitch his own boss? Had to do some research. Had to know why that man had been there, so close to a pair of Slayers… Spying? Watching them? Trying to fill his boss in about their routines? Only one way to know she had… Breaking into the City Hall. Find out… Easier said than done. If the Mayor was behind the Angelus outbreak… Better go with someone… As support…

“So we know who might be behind it but we don’t know how it was performed.” Giles bent over the table to grab a thick, green volume. “I think this might help. I’ve received them this morning – he blew the dirt from the cover and a thin cloud of dust made him cough – and this here is the most powerful and archaic grimoire I had the chance to achieve since I’ve arrived here. Of course, it’s not the only one and it’d help if we’d have at hand the impressive library…” Two pairs of eyes were sneering at him. “Perhaps you want to study it, Willow?”



Spike sat at Finch’s desk chair as if he were the owner of the place and were about to call somebody to bring him a cup of blood. One of his boots heels tapped the wooden surface with an annoying bit.

“Can’t you just stop doing that?” Buffy shut one drawer so hard that she almost crouched down for a second waiting for someone to appear.

“Just when you tell me what’s getting your knickers in such a twist. Spare me the I’m the Slayer and this bloke in here was eeevil…” He made a mockery of claws with his hands.

“I’ve told you…” The words strangled in her throat when a sudden flash of black and silver spread her onto the desk.

“You’ve told me a bunch of shit.” The tip of his tongue came out from his lips like the nose of a pink, tiny mouse. “Now, will you please be so kind to tell me?” That soft tone could have probably won William’s. For a shaking, fleeting second Buffy pictured him with glasses.

The facts escaped from her mouth before she had time to mull over the matter. A long, breathless speech that made the blue eyes grew wider than flat piñatas.

“Well – Spike sank back into the chair. A wry smile danced on his lips – that’s news worthy! A murdering, nutty Slayer on the loose! If you see her call the coppers! Don’t try to do anything! She’s bloody dangerous!” Buffy straddled his lap as her hand half stopped his guffaws.

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll gag you!” She promised casting a quick, nervous glimpse to the door. “It’s not funny! I was there!”

“Promise about the gagging…?” His hips thrust slightly upwards. “Okay, let me enjoy it for just another second.” He closed his eyes. His eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as he muffled another laugh. Buffy forgot she was angry. In that moment, she’d liked to hug him and kiss him as if they were in a desert island. Powerful feelings those he’d raise with only one stupid laugh. “That’s it. Now, what’s the big deal of you being there? Is not that…” Something in her eyes brought him to a halt. A worried shadow. A shocked shadow. As if she wasn’t worth anymore. “You are. Worth it, I mean. You didn’t do it, pet. Just had the bad luck to be there with her. It’s not that somebody is going to believe that crazy bint if she’s delusional enough to frame you…”

“But what if…?”

“If… I’ll bite her. And whoever believes her. Right now, I think we’d leave. Have wasted too much time and there’s nothing here anyway.”




“What’s a Slayer without a watcher?” The Mayor asked bending forward on his desk. His fingertips touched each other as though he was holding an invisible sphere. “Did you know, this is really funny, that her watcher’s great granddaddy was the keeper of the books that will help my ascension? It’s said that he kept other things as well. Powerful things. Extraordinary things. The Devil Stone. Siva’s sceptre. Among others.” His gaze was lost between his fingers.

Angelus paced slowly along the office, lifting every object and turning them in his big hand as if he was picking something in a gift shop. “I wouldn’t mind to take care of Giles…”
Wilkins’ giggle caught his attention. His fingers clutched a crystal globe as though he was considering its potential harm.

“And turn it into a failure again? Mr. Spike is around again, isn’t he? No, this must be performed… I wonder if this Watcher knows about the sceptre… Maybe it’s hidden somewhere… Of course, he wouldn’t answer if we asked him, would he? He’s a tough guy after all. You know that.”

“We could steal it.” Angelus put the crystal orb on the shelf again. “We could steal it from the keeper himself.”

“I’d really like that. It would be really poetic. Do you know what happens to a human being when time is severed? When certain things that should have happened are erased from the time slate? They vanish. Simply as that. Intriguing thing.” The Major leant backwards. His eyes veiled for a second. An idea was swimming in them, so clear that Angelus could almost read it in the constant movement of the dark pupils. He liked the forming plan. He really liked it.

“We’ve got more important things to deal with right now. This little witch… She is close. Very close to know about the Vessel.”

“Willow?” Angel snorted with disgust. “She is a novel, little brat. Can’t do anything…”

“That’s not what our warlocks have said…” The Mayor swung a finger in the air. “Again, the same question. What’s a Slayer without a Watcher? What’s a Slayer without her personal witch? That who casts the spells the Slayer needs for certain tasks…”

“What’s a Slayer without his personal demon? A traitor who helps the one who he is supposed to erase?” Angelus added with a wolfish grin. He liked the idea. Oh, yes. From this beginning to the exceptional end.

“There’s a problem, though.” Wilkins stopped his twisted contemplation. “There are two Slayers.”

“I might have some helping news…” Demons chatted. Rumours travelled in the night as hidden spectres. “I’ve heard one of them has been naughty… Have crossed certain boundaries… Maybe I could… talk her into… joining us? As protection, naturally. She’ll be expelled. Or convicted in far, far, England. Yeah, I could try…”

“Admirable inspiration.” The Mayor grin was a white brick wall. “I knew having the best of all times by my side was going to be an extraordinary attainment. You and me will rule this world, my friend. And others, of course. We’ll be able to choose which keep and which throw to the trash can of the Universe.”




Buffy peeked out the hall before stepping out into it. Suddenly, Spike grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the office. They spied through a crack of the door as The Mayor walked out from his own office, his hand resting on Angelus shoulder. Spike stepped back to a window and opened it slowly enough to avoid any crack. They both jumped to the street and didn’t stop running till they were six blocks away from the City Hall.

“So little Red was right, ah? The bloke has been behind this all the time.” He lighted a fag and took a deep drag. “Wonder what he needs that bleeding ponce for…”

“Stopping the world? A massive, hellish apocalypse? Releasing a green toxic fog to raise all the dead of the world for eating our brains?” She teased waving the smoke out of her face.

“Watching too much TV, blondie? Guess I haven’t been around enough, then.” He snapped the fag away. His arm held her waist, pulling her closer. “I agree with the apocalypse thing, though. This will be massive, that’s for sure. He wouldn’t have jumped into it for another piece of stone.” His tongue licked one corner of her mouth. “It must be more than an ordinary apocalypse. Guess he was promised the world or some rot like that” His lips glided along her neck.

What? Apocalypse? World? Buffy was beyond words. She just wanted him to keep on doing that for the years to come. Even if the world exploded in that very second. Her hands grabbed his red shirt just to deepen the kiss. “Yes, maybe… I have to stop…” Her hips swayed against his like a kite in a lurid sky. “Have to stop… them.”

“What colour is it?” His hand cupped one ass-cheek.

“Hmmm?” She nibbled his earlobe.

“Your knickers. What colour…”

She pulled back a little. “Why? Are you starting a private collection?” Her eyes widened in surprise. That smirk… “You are! I can’t believe what a perv you are!”

“Oh, come on, honey… You love it. Admit it…”

“What I’m going to admit right now is that we’ve got to go back to Giles and brief him.” She brushed off the hands that were trying to seize her. “Willow is working on this spell… If they find out…”

“Okay. Don’t want to spoil your duty fun.” His hands disappeared inside the pockets of his duster. Buffy dared to take a quick glimpse at him. Pouting. He was pouting. That sexy, irresistible lower lip of his was jutting out for her to bite it. She wasn’t going to. No way. A murdering Slayer and a serial killer at large was more she had ever expected to find in her more than demon-crowded path. No pouting or malicious look would possibly make her forget…

“Stop!” She whirled round with her hands on her hips.

“Are you completely out of your skull? Haven’t done anything here!”

“Playing the fool is not your best suit, Spike.” She started walking again, her back rigid as a wall. “And before you say something idiotic… first we have to talk to Giles. Then… we’ll see.”

“Thanks for the encouragement, pet. And for the crumb.” He mumbled lightning another cigarette.

“I heard that! This… it’s only a game for you, isn’t it? Can’t you see what I’m dealing with here? I saw somebody like me killing a man! It’d be me! I’d have done it! It isn’t something that I can talk freely about… I have to give her away and somehow I… feel sick about it.” She finished in a low voice.

“But you didn’t do it. You bloody didn’t! That loony bint did it and… what do you think? That she wouldn’t tell if it’d be otherwise? Or what? This isn’t only about her? Is that beloved Peaches of you what…?”

“I don’t give a damn about him, you sorry, silly vamp! I only want him out of my way! How can you say that when all I’ve done is hurling myself at you in… Forget it” She threw out her hands with a furious movement.

“You have…? Hurled yourself…?” Spike trotted behind her trying to peer at her face through gold strands of hair. Finally, when it was more than obvious she wasn’t going to stop pelting along the street, he yanked her coat to make her stop. “Talk to Giles. Talk to the whole sodding Council if you want. Only an hour. ‘Cause after you are done with the talking I’ll shag you so hard that you won’t be able to talk till next year. Got it? Now, let’s find that bloody Watcher of yours.”

He grabbed her wrist and nearly dragged her towards Giles’ house without further words. She didn’t need any. Her heartbeat was so loud that she didn’t need vampiric ears to hear it. Running, that was it. Running and that horror meeting show at the City Hall. Couldn’t be for that simple, arrogant and uncouth promise of him. She found herself wondering if there were any clocks in Giles’ flat…



Little black dots waltzed in front of his eyes life diminutive dwarfs wrapped in dark cloaks. Xander was drowning in a choking whirlpool and blackness was starting to blur Faith shape. He should have taken Buffy’s word. She knew how to deal with weirdoes. She had learnt to known if somebody was only screwing with your brains. If somebody was using you… So how in hell she was seeing that bleached freak? He was dying and he still had time for that… Lack of oxygen… Why in hell hadn’t he heard Giles advise? He’d promised not to go alone to confront this murderer Slayer but no. He had to cross his fingers behind his back as a spoilt child swearing not to curse again. Idiot! Before he fainted he took a glimpse of a dark shape at the threshold. Maybe the angel of death had come for him. Maybe some angel of aid. He needed some aid. He’d have welcome Spike’s help itself in that moment. His head fell on the pillow with a quiet thud.

“Is that your best show, Faith?” Angelus stepped inside the room walking straight to the bed. “Hmmm. Lousy. I mean, that child is not a real challenge…”

“What the hell…?” Faith leapt from the bed, reaching the stake she had left on the bedside table. “How did you…?”

“Entered? Well, don’t need an invitation in a public, cheap motel like this.” His arms reached out in a rush. The stake was suddenly waving in the air between two of his fingers. “You certainly should work in your style. It sucks, really.” His gaze made a quick jump at Xander’s figure.

“You think I need that to kill you?”

“And that’s how you thanks me for my help…” He threw the stake to a corner walking back to the door. “You see, since there are so many people interested in… locking you up, I said to myself… ‘Hey, maybe she needs somebody to protect her.’ He went out for a second and came back dragging a suited man by one foot. “You know, since they could probably want to commit her in some kind of Slayer asylum… far away where she will never see the…”

Faith rushed to the door and peeped out. Four more men were lying on the floor under the dim lamp of the porch. “So, who are they?”

“I could say some sort of Council welcome party. But of course, I can’t be sure…” He dropped the man to the ground and kicked him out of his way. “If you want to stay here and ask to the next bunch…”

“What do you want?” She asked without taking her eyes from the pile of humans spread at her feet.

“I thought we could make a deal. A trade better said. You killed Allan, our Mayor’s best friend…” His laugh had a mocking ring. It never lit his dark eyes. “So there’s a vacancy. I’m offering you to take it. What do you say?” He shortened the gap between them.

“With the Mayor. You worked for the Mayor…” It was her time to laugh.

“Not for. With. We could be… friends. Have some fun…” Angelus cornered her against the doorframe.

Faith mulled over his words for a moment. Of course, they’d come back for her. Not once or twice but hundred of times if she didn’t flee away. She was used to that. Running away had always been some sort of karma in her short life. This offering… something in it sounded so tempting. Using her power to make a difference. No matter which one. No one would judge her, or lecture her about morality and how little good girls sat with their legs appropriately crossed and remained chastely mute when gentlemen spoke. She’d be her own master, her own watcher and her own rules maker. With the extra bonus of a wild, handsome vampire to screw every night she might feel lonely. Bet B. knew something about that. If not, why in hell she’s screwing one at that moment? She knew the answer to that. He was gorgeous. He was hot and powerful and surely as hell she’d never be able to find someone that could match her in a better way. Her eyes finally left the Councilmen and climbed to Angelus’ face. He might not be Spike but he’d do… At least for now… “Sounds really interesting…” Her fingers traced his jaw. “May we start now?”

tbc...
 
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