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Chapter 35
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As she swam her way through the murky depths towards consciousness, the first clear thought Buffy had was to realize her legs throbbed painfully. She moaned in agony as pieces of memory began to float her way, most of it still staying just out of her desperate reach. She remembered Eduardo suggesting a quaint little hotel near the beach in Mexico and her amusement when she first saw it in all its faded glory.

They had dinner in a small, candlelit restaurant that had wonderful fresh seafood and some tasty California wine that had seeded the cloud now covering her mind. "He must have drugged me, the bastard." Buffy couldn’t figure out why her boyfriend of the moment would feel the need to drug her; she had been a regular accomodatathon for him, after all. She had been playing in the Eurotrash sandbox with The Immortal for the better part of the last year!

She had some vague memories of being taken to another part of the hotel, away from their charming room.. Not much else was clear, although she did seem to recall being asked to dance by a guy who looked a lot like Angel and Riley tossed in a blender. "Ewwww, maybe not a blender. More like one of those ‘if they mated’ thingies…yeah, that’s better. More on the mixy, less on the messy."

She kept her eyes closed because she just knew that wherever she was, it would be spinning and no way was she going to boot all over her dress. She remembered
what she was wearing last--some things a girl remembers!

The damned thing had cost a week’s salary at the vintage shop, but it was a Versace (Gianni, NOT Donnatella, thank you very much) Spring 2001 Collection, halter-topped, body-hugging confection in white, superlight silk jersey with peacock blue polka dots.

Just having it helped Buffy pretend that she had been a carefree Vogue reader that spring instead of the girl who lost her mom, fought a hellgod and died only to be pulled down from Heaven and start down the road to Depresso!Buffy.

Okay, parts of that year and the next had their good points. "Spike! Yeah, I remember. Spike was here. No, that can’t be right. Spike didn’t make it out of Sunnydale." Buffy was doubly sure she didn’t want to open her eyes now. Something was trying to pass itself off as her dead vampire and it was breaking her heart all over again.

Buffy was startled from her reverie by the entrance of her former Watcher. "Buffy, my dear girl! Thank God we’ve found you. Willow has been working non-stop trying to locate you. I refuse to say ‘I told you so’ about the Immortal but shall simply rejoice in finding you. Are you quite all right?"

"Giles? How did you get here? This is a weird hotel with lots of mojo and demons, too. I think I was under some kind of spell." Buffy threw her arms around her rescuer and nearly wept in relief. "There’s somebody or something here that’s trying to make me think he’s Spike. I don’t know why. They even had him save me from the neverending dance of doom."

"Yes, well, Buffy, there are some things I can help you with understanding. You are safe now, that is the important thing." Giles smiled down at the young woman.


~~~

Spike came to feeling like his arms were aflame. He knew what that felt like from personal experience. He was not able to see very well owing to the swelling in his face. Gradually he realized that he was suspended from chains, his toes barely glancing the ground. His arms seemed to be dislocated at the shoulder, making maneuvering difficult and painful. "Buffy? Slayer? You in here too?" He had little real hope that they were still together but thought it worth a try.

As he had both expected and feared, there was no reply from his lady love. "Bugger! Course they didn’t leave us together. Can’t make it too easy on the vampire, now can they?" he groused aloud to himself.

Spike heard the sound of a door opening and shutting and noted the rapid heartbeat of another in the room. "Well, you have presented us with a few challenges along the way. Frankly, you’ve been a bigger thorn in our sides than Angelus ever was. Always able to figure him out, depending on whether he has that soul or not. You’re a regular wild card, aren’t you? Big Bad scourge of Europe, Slayer of Slayers, gets tamed by a slayer, even goes out and gets a soul. Messed up plenty of prophecy interpretations with that bit, I have to tell you. Suddenly you put all our plans and predictions in question. Then you do us the favor of taking yourself out of the picture only to return from ash. Very inconsiderate of you!"

Spike sensed this being coming closer and tried to focus on his location. Whoever it was wouldn’t be expecting him to have much fight left in him at this point. Spike grasped the chains and felt a corresponding bolt of fire shoot through his shoulder blades to his spine and down his back. He tensed in readiness. "Come on, closer, you prick," he thought.

The being stayed just out of range for any contact from his chained captive. One thing the Senior Partners had learned about this vampire was not to assume anything. "You’ll be wondering about your little girlfriend, I suppose. Really don’t see the appeal myself. Tamed both you and Angelus…or rather Angel…but I don’t see it at all. Valley girl with no chest to speak of and the vocabulary of a ten-year-old. I prefer more sophistication and womanly curves personally. Don’t concern yourself about Miss Summers, she is in far less peril than you at the moment. In fact, she is blissfully enjoying a reunion of sorts as we speak. Touching, to be sure. Not a
dry eye in the hotel."

"Reunion with who? Don’t think she’ll be as happy to see Eduardo as you seem to think." Spike was fishing for more information. He only hoped that Buffy remembered her anger towards her immortal boyfriend, if that was who they had sent to guard her.

"No, not Marcello. I prefer to call de’Medici by his birth name; it reminds him of his place. It seems that Miss Summers has been rescued at long last. She was delighted to be reunited with her old Watcher and friend." The being was still keeping a polite and safe distance from the chained vampire.

"Balls! Had to follow me in. ‘I trust you Spike. We’re relying on you Spike. We know you’ll bring Buffy safely home’, my ass! Shoulda known the old wanker’d lay on the butter and not mean a word. Deserve it, I do, for fallin’ for it all over again." Spike berated himself for trusting the same group of people who had never made him one of them in the past and had betrayed him at least once when it counted.

The being in the room with Spike began to laugh in amusement at the ease with which both his captives had just accepted the ruse without question. So very gullible, each in his or her own way. It was almost too easy to nip this situation in the bud. Shame about Hart, but he had always been a bit of a weak link.

"What’re you laughing at? Think I don’t know they aren’t riding to my rescue? Know bloody well I’m disposable." Spike was more than just irritated, he was hurt and didn’t want it to show, not for this wanker.

"Oh, my! You are amusing. I can certainly see why the Slayer chose to keep you around. You are quite entertaining. I didn’t say it was actually her Watcher, now did I? Thank you for the information that Mr. Giles of the Watchers Council is in town though. Our acolytes would have returned with that information of course, but I do appreciate the idea of you letting that slip. Would you care to let me in on the rest of of the rescue force?" At Spike’s facial expression, or what could be made of it, the being shook his head and smirked. "No, I didn’t suppose you would. Pity. Well, for you at least. I don’t mind a bit of torture to while away a few hours."

"What are you on about? Not Giles, then who the bloody hell is with Buffy?" Spike was suddenly wishing Rupert HAD followed him in to this dimension. At least Buffy would be safe with Giles.

"Come now, you’ve seen shape shifters before. So has the Slayer. She’s seen it here lots of times if she would just use that little mind of hers. Like I said, gullible." The being laughed again at the thought. "Thinks her Watcher is real and you are the one in borrowed form. Yes, I begin to see the attraction. The two of you are quite similar in some ways, aren’t you? You see what you wish to see even in the face of the obvious. Seems a shame she still can’t seem to see you. Must not want you at all."

"She thinks I’m dust, you birk. Knows her Watcher’s still kickin. Shows how smart Buffy is to figure that out. Not her fault she doesn’t have all the facts." Spike defended Buffy. He’d always felt bad for her low self-esteem where her mental abilities were concerned. Poor mite never had much of a chance to study. How was she to be expected to shine in school? Didn’t make her any less intelligent. "All right, not Giles. Then who? Who are you, while I’m askin’?" Spike didn’t know if he’d get a straight answer but thought his jailer might be smug enough to give some info.

"I let my partner play his games with the lovely Miss Summers while I deal with you. Don’t worry, I doubt Wolf will kill her. It’s far more his style to play with her a bit. Did you know that the story of Little Red Riding Hood was seeded in his venture into your world as Fenris? ‘What big eyes’ indeed. I can almost see your Slayer with that little hooded cape and earnest, innocent face as we speak."

"So you’d be the goat then?" Regular barnyard you’ve got here. Anyone ever explain the term ‘dumb animals’ to any of you lot?" Spike hoped to anger the Partner enough to draw near enough for him to get in a healthy kick or two. The vampire wasn’t sure enough of his arms to try to use his legs beyond that just yet.

"You think to insult me? I could not care less what you choose to call me. I have no vanity. I know my power and that is enough." Spike could still hear a bit of an edge in the voice of his tormentor, enough to know he didn’t take insults nearly as well as he wanted Spike to think.

"Oh yeah, I tremble before your might …NOT. Did in your other horned buddy with his own antler. Thinkin’ of the best way to use one of your curly growths and do the same to you. Have to tear those wings off you first." Spike still couldn’t see Ram but remembered the description they had on his true form. Spike would have to watch out for that poison. It wouldn’t do to be paralyzed on top of everything else.

"Intriguing! How is it you can see me in my true form? How is it you can see at all, for that matter?" Ram leaned in a bit closer, trying to see Spike’s eyes that appeared to him to be swollen shut.

Spike took his shot and aimed for the voice. The vampire bellowed in pain as he used all the energy he had left to deliver a sharp kick towards the Ram. He felt it connect with some part of the Partner’s anatomy but couldn’t tell how much damage he’d been able to do.

Ram was kicked back about five feet from the swinging captive. His human body had the same fragility as any human being and Spike’s kick had cracked a couple of ribs. It wouldn’t do to let the vampire know he had done any damage however. "I can see you have not learned to respect your betters, half-breed. I’ll leave you to think on it for a bit while I look in on the lovely blonde in the other room."

~~~

"We knew at once, of course, that it wasn’t Spike. We did call Angel to confirm it though. I am so terribly sorry that these beasts have chosen to use such a painful image to try to trick you, my dear." FalseGiles was so very comforting to Buffy, so concerned with her well-being. "You’ll be fine now, Buffy. I won’t let a thing harm you now. I will need to leave you for a bit to hunt down that Immortal and put an end to this charade once and for all. Will you be all right here by yourself for a bit, my dear? " FalseGiles was every bit as solicitous as the real one would have been in this same circumstance.

"I’ll be fine, Giles. Be sure Eddie knows he’s history with me, will you? God, can I pick ‘em or what! Tell you what, Giles, you get to pick my next boyfriend, okay?" Buffy grimaced in pain as she rubbed her still aching legs. "Go on. I can’t wait
to get out of here and into a hot tub."

Wolf leered at the naïve slayer and stood to leave the room. "I think I’ll see if there is something for you to eat while you wait for me to clean up the rest. You need to build your strength again. I’ll return shortly with a basket of something or another."


Wolf closed the door to the room containing Buffy and softly, silently, engaged the lock. "Good thing our shamans reinforced these or the bitch could just snap it off," he thought.

Ram was approaching from the room where they had taken the vampire warrior. "Well, did you get anything out of him, other than blood?"

"Nothing we didn’t already suspect. The Watcher, at least, is in town. That probably means a contingent of slayers as well. Funny they sent one vampire in here alone. Not sure what to make of that. Oh, and this Spike is able to see me as I truly am. That’s a trifle disconcerting, especially as his eyes look to be closed shut." Ram had a small frown as he thought about the vampire. He didn’t like surprises and that one in there was full of them.