full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
Love Sanctioned by slaymesoftly
 
Six
 
<<     >>
 
Chapter Six

The Scooby meeting was not going according to Wesley’s plan. Cordelia was openly flirting with him, causing Xander to retaliate by exchanging innuendos with a more-than-willing Faith; Oz and Willow were busy gazing into each other’s eyes; Buffy was rubbing her neck and looking around the library as if expecting something to jump out of the shelves any second; and Giles was sitting at his desk, obviously enjoying the fact that his younger replacement could not get any of the teenagers in the room to focus on his ideas for defeating the Mayor.

In a fit of temper, Wesley slammed down the reference book from which he’d been quoting and took advantage of the temporary silence to say firmly, “This is a perfect example of why civilians should not be included in Watcher/Slayer business.” He pointed to an astonished Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia, announcing in what he hoped was an authoritative tone, “You four will have to leave. My slayers and I have important business to discuss and you are not included.” He pointedly avoided Cordelia’s furious glare, opting to turn towards Buffy and Faith with a confident air.

“Giles!?” Willow’s indignant squeal was echoed by Xander and Cordelia as they all appealed to the only true authority figure in the room. As usual, Oz was complacently silent.

“Mr. Giles is no longer employed by the Council either,” Wesley said stiffly. “I am allowing him to stay only because of his previous experience on the Hellmouth.”

With a wave of his hand, the ex-watcher indicated that they were to do as instructed. In spite of his enjoyment of the young watcher’s ineptitude, Giles sense of responsibility forced him to acknowledge the truth of Wesley’s words. It was necessary that Buffy and Faith focus on the mission ahead of them, and clearly that was not going to happen with the distraction of having the other young people in the room.

(We WILL be discussing his “allowing me to stay” in my own library) the older man vowed, even as he dismissed the others.

Shooting disappointed and incredulous looks at the librarian, the dismissed students began to make their way towards the double doors leading to the rest of the school. Just as they reached them, Buffy and Faith leaped to their feet, eyes scanning the room.

“Vamps!” Faith announced.

“Lot’s of vamps,” Buffy agreed, heading for the weapons closet. She threw an extra stake to her sister slayer and then grabbed swords for both of them. Without giving a word of instruction, Giles handed out crossbows, holy water and more stakes to the four suddenly serious teenagers now once more active members of the group. While Wesley watched with bewilderment, in the space of a few seconds the small group was armed and had formed a formidable back up force to the two slayers who were watching the double doors very carefully.

There was a tense silence, broken suddenly by the sound of shattering glass as the outside windows burst inward at the same time that the doors were flung open. Dozens of the Mayor’s vampire minions poured through the gaps, snarling as they attacked. Without speaking, Buffy and Faith positioned themselves on opposite sides of the room, taking on two or three vampires at a time. While a crossbow-wielding Cordelia and Wesley retreated to the relative safety of the bookcases, Xander, Giles, Willow and Oz did their best to take out as many minions as they could without risking hitting either of the two embattled slayers.

In spite of the best attempts of the slayers to keep all the vampires in front of them, it was soon one-on-one all around the room as the sheer numbers of the intruders began to tell. Gradually, they were forced back to the same area in which Cordelia and Wesley were doing their best to appear invisible. The new watcher held a stake clenched tightly in his hand, but seemed to have no idea what to do with it, while Cordelia was shrieking and whacking at any vampire that got too close to shoot at.

Giles and the three Scoobies were being forced back into the same small space as the two non-combatants, leaving Buffy and Faith to continue to fight the remaining vampires as best they could. It was becoming obvious that the attack had been carefully planned to eliminate everyone with any knowledge of the Mayor’s Ascension plan. The sheer numbers of the vampires attacking were beginning to overwhelm even the two slayers. Faith was the first to fall, her shout of surprise alerting Buffy in time for her to stake the vampire leaning over the downed slayer. While Giles dragged Faith’s semi-conscious body closer to the still-busy crossbows, Buffy was struck from behind and fell forward, turning as she fell so as to be facing her attacker, stake already pointed at his chest.

She managed to stake the first vampire that fell on top of her, but was quickly pinned down by several minions. She struggled frantically to pull an arm or leg free, but without success. She could feel the marks on her neck throbbing and hoped that Spike’s claim could work it’s magic again. Behind her, she could hear more shouting and Faith’s cry of “demon!” as the vamps holding her down looked up in surprise. An unfamiliar voice was shouting, “No, darlin’, I’m on your side!” but Buffy had no time to worry about it as the large vampire looming over her lowered his mouth to her neck, drooling on her skin in his eagerness to taste slayer blood.

The now-expected recoil from Spike’s bite, which had flared into visibility immediately, gave the slayer the split second that she needed to head butt him away. The vampire attempted to reach her again, but each time he was thrown back by the force of the claim. Those holding her were snarling at him to “get the job done”, although the older ones were beginning to sense that there might be more at work here than a stronger than usual Slayer.

“What’s the problem, man? Bite the bitch!”

“She’s claimed, you morons! She’s got a fucking big claiming bite right on her neck. Helluva strong one too – I can’t fight it.”

“Who claims a slayer?” the one on her right arm sneered, only to hear a powerful and chilling voice behind him.

“I do.”

Before the vamp could register his shock, he was gone – his dust floating to the floor. Buffy immediately brought that arm across her body to stake the minion that was sitting on her left arm, leaving her free to sit up and knock the original attacker off. The force of her blow sent him careening into one of the vamps holding her legs and with three of her four limbs now free, the remaining vampire barely had time to realize his precarious position before he too, was floating away.

As the minions that had been attacking the hard-pressed Scoobies turned back to help with the once again dangerous slayer, they found themselves facing not just the small girl that they expected, but a grinning blond man who slid into a master’s game face as they watched. The grin on his face never reached the amber eyes that were completely focused on the vampire that had dared to attack his mate. His guttural “mine”, as he turned to face the visibly frightened minion that had tried to bite Buffy, carried to everyone in the room. There was a pause as the reality of the situation began to sink in and then a babble of sound.

Giles, of course, had seen the marks in action before, although their effect on Kralik had been nowhere near as powerful as what he had just witnessed. Faith’s only response as she quickly figured out what kept Buffy’s neck safe was a muttered, “Damn. I want one of those.” Wesley, being more knowledgeable about vampire rituals and lore than Willow or Xander, immediately understood and began babbling about notifying the council, the dangers of having a compromised slayer, and generally dithering like an old woman until Giles tersely ordered him to “Shut your bloody mouth!”

The Scoobies were pretty much at a loss, recognizing only that Spike was now turning the remaining vampires into whimpering mounds of flesh. Buffy staked a few minions almost absently while she watched him take out his fury over her close call. Then, with a shrug, she went to sit beside Faith on the steps and watch her lover work out his anger.

“So,” Faith drawled. “That’s your honey?”

“Yep.” Buffy’s voice was both proud and embarrassed. Behind her, she could hear Xander demanding to know what the hell a claim was and why Spike would have one on Buffy. When no one answered him, he subsided into angry muttering about vampires and people not learning their lessons the first time. When both Willow and Cordelia hissed at him to “shut up”, he glared at them and went over to sit by Wesley.

Doyle, who had retreated to the stacks when Faith identified him as a demon, emerged and smiled ingratiatingly at Willow and Cordelia.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he almost purred at the tall brunette. “Where have I been all your life?”

‘Dublin, from the sound of it,” Giles interjected, as Cordelia sniffed dismissively. “Who or what the bloody hell are you?”

“Name’s Doyle. I’m an emissary for the Powers that Be, assigned to help short, blond and violent there find his proper path.”

“You’re with Spike?” Giles voice held all the suspicion he tried not to project around Buffy.

“Alas. But I’m a much more charming man. I promise.”

“You’re also a demon.” Faith’s voice slid into the conversation, even though she had not taken her eyes off Spike’s continued decimation of the remaining minions.

“Only half, actually,” Doyle admitted cheerfully. “What can I say. My da was always a sucker for a pretty face and my mother had a soft heart.”

As the last of the dust settled into the cracks between the floorboards, Spike finally turned to look at Buffy. The slayer had risen to her feet, but made no attempt to approach him until he spoke.

“Hi, Cutie.” He smiled at her and spread his arms. With a happy squeal, she leaped off the step and into his willing embrace, the force of her leap carrying them both to the ground - where they remained, happily ignoring the fact that there were other people in the room.

“Missed me then, did you?” he purred in her ear while she lay on top of him, oblivious to the snickers and shocked gasps from the other people in the library. Before either of them could do or say anything to demonstrate exactly how much they had missed each other, Giles’ constant throat-clearing finally got Buffy’s attention and she sat up, blushing furiously.

When Giles continued to clear his throat, she reluctantly stood up, offering Spike her hand as he easily popped back to his feet. He kept Buffy’s hand in his, challenging the watcher to dispute his right to do so. His eyes were then drawn to the curvy brunette whose emanations of slayer power were making his senses scream. He ran his eyes up and down her body appreciatively, laughing in admiration when she did the same to him and then licked her lips. He threw her a wink, then turned to acknowledge Willow and Cordelia.

“’lo, Red,” he said easily, as though it had only been yesterday that he last saw her. “It’s nice to see you again. Cheerleader.” He nodded his head at Cordelia. “You’re looking good, pet. Done something different with your hair, have you?” He gave Oz a tentative nod, his nostrils flaring slightly as he caught the faint trace of wolf from the boy.

While the girls blushed and preened under Spike’s British charm, Wesley glowered from his place beside an equally furious Xander. Ignoring the other men in the room, Spike sent his gaze back to Giles and asked quietly, “Tell me, Watcher, with two slayers, two watchers, a witch, and a werewolf?” He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at Oz who gave him a small nod. “…in the room, how the hell did Buffy end up in that position?” In spite of himself, her ex-watcher flinched at the cold anger in the vampire’s voice. The unspoken accusation- that he had failed in his duty to keep the Slayer safe - hung in the air between them.

“Clearly it was a planned attack; and equally clearly, we had no idea it was going to happen. We’ve had no way of infiltrating the Mayor’s organization.”

“Guess it’s a good thing there’s a new master in town, then, innit?” Spike said casually. The gasp his statement brought from Wesley brought his attention back to Xander and the very young-appearing Watcher beside him. “You must be the new watcher,” Spike mused, looking Wesley up and down with visible disgust. “Heard they did evil already, so I reckon you must be ‘incompetent’. What’s your name, Watcher?”

Drawing himself and trying to speak without a tremor, Wesley said, “I am Wesley Wyndham-Price, of the Council of Watchers. And you are…?” Although Wesley’s experience with real vampires was very limited, even he could sense the power coming from the one in front of him and he was curious as to whom Spike might be.

“William the Bloody.” Spike let his name hang in the air until he had seen the young watcher’s face blanch, then he shrugged and added, “Or Spike. I like that better, actually.”

“B-Buffy, move away from him.” To everyone’s astonishment, the usually cautious Wesley raised his stake and advanced on the grinning vampire. Spike tilted his head, waiting until Wesley was bringing the stake down towards his chest before catching the watcher’s wrist in a powerful grip. Their gazes met, and Spike stared deep into the other man’s frightened but stubborn eyes until he was satisfied with what he’d seen.

“I appreciate that you’re trying to protect my girl,” he said softly, easily disarming the man and pushing him away. “But if you ever raise your hand to me again…” He flashed his true face briefly and Wesley unconsciously gasped. He gasped again when Buffy turned to the snarling vampire and smacked him on the back of his head, telling him to “Stop being an ass and scaring everybody.” Even more astonishing, Spike actually dropped immediately back to his human face and looked mildly ashamed. To save face, he growled, “You are such a spoil sport, Slayer,” but he was smiling at her as he said it.

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on here?” Xander’s plaintive whine reminded Buffy that not everyone in the room even knew who Spike was, let alone that she had a relationship with him.

“It’s pretty simple, Xan,” Faith spoke up before anyone else. “Buffy has herself a pretty powerful undead honey and I think the odds in our favor just went waaaay up.”

“Spike,” he said flatly. “You think Spike is going to help us fight evil. What world are you living in, Faith?”

“The one in which he’s already saved my life several times, Xander.” Buffy’s voice was quiet and controlled, but her anger was clear. “Or were you in some other room just a few minutes ago?”

The boy looked from Giles, who, it was obvious not only knew about the relationship but had seen the vampire more recently than Xander had, to Willow who was wearing her least convincing “I-know-nothing-about-this face.” Even Faith, as new as she was to Sunnydale, apparently already knew that Buffy and Spike were together. Only Oz seemed to be mildly surprised by the news.

“Is there a reason why I’m the only one who didn’t know that you’ve taken up with another monster?”

Before Buffy could speak, Willow’s soft voice cut in - “Listen to yourself, Xander. She couldn’t tell you about Spike. You would never have understood.”

“You got that right,” he snarled, whirling and pushing his way out of the library before anyone could stop him.

Willow made an attempt to go after him, but Faith put a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm, saying, “Let me go. If nothing else, I can keep him alive until he has time to calm down.”

Willow nodded reluctantly, biting her lip as she watched the dark-haired slayer disappear through the same doors that her best friend had just used.






 
<<     >>