A/N: Thanks to AthenaHahn for her wonderful betaing.

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Spike laughed so hard that tears were running down his cheeks. “Pet, if you knew how often I wanted to do that to that bloody bastard…” He couldn’t continue, he was laughing too hard.

“She… She… holy frijoles… she cut out his… tongue!” Xander sputtered, disgust and fear waging war in his face.

The others refrained from commenting, but you could see the horror in their faces, all except for Anya of course. “He should be glad that she didn’t remove his head. Then again, she may make him beg for death before she’s finished with him. She can be very inventive when it comes to vengeance, as I said before.”

Hank looked about ready to faint, his eyes huge as he looked first at Angel, then at Buffy. “How… why… you…” He couldn’t organize his thoughts into any semblance of coherency. Finally he seemed to gather his wits and turned a glare on Hammond. "I demand that you contact the senior partners and get me out of this mess, immediately.”

Hammond looked at Hank with disdain. “You have no right to demand anything of me or the senior partners. Besides which, even if you did have that right, they won’t take on HER for anyone.” Shaking his head at Hank’s foolishness, he turned to Buffy. “What would you have of me, Lady?”

Buffy smirked at the look of confusion and outrage on Hank’s face. “A few answers if you would be so kind.” Beckoning Spike over, she tugged him down so he was sitting on the arm of her chair. “What type of contract does Hank Summers have with the senior partners?”

“Basic employee contract, with a longevity clause.” Hammond replied.

“For those of us not up on lawyer-speak, could you put that into English?” Xander asked as he sat on the couch, pulling Anya with him.

Glancing at Buffy for permission, and receiving a nod for him to continue, Hammond explained, “The basic contract consists of 2 main elements, Money and Power. Since Mr. Summers is human, the power he would be granted would be of a human nature.”

Buffy interrupted, “And the price for the basic contract?”

Hammond answered succinctly, “His soul.”

“And the longevity clause?” Methos queried.

“He wanted to live forever. I believe it was so he could amass more power in the human world.” Hammond replied. “The price of this clause was the sacrifice of someone of direct descent from him. In this case, the girl Dawn Summers.”

Spike let out a growl at that thought, his demon pushing forth in immense anger to glare at Hank. “I should kill you for even thinking it.”

Buffy laid a hand on Spike’s arm. “Easy baby, he’ll get what’s coming to him, I promise.”

Cassandra, from her place behind Angel, inquired, “And just how were you going to conduct this sacrifice?”

Hammond closed his eyes for a moment, as he mentally asked his bosses what he should do. He opened his eyes with a start and looked fearful. “The senior partners have instructed me to tell you everything. The sacrifice was tied into Hank’s lifestyle and predilections. It did require a death, as it was meant to stand in place of his. It required blood, as all our contracts do, in this case the blood of an innocent. And due to his tastes, it required the sexual act.” Looking around, he asked, “You are aware of his predilection for sexual contact with young girls?”

Giles yanked his glasses off and started polishing them. “We were informed of his tastes before your party arrived.”

“I see, well in that case I believe we are finished here?” Hammond turned towards Buffy with an inquiring look.

“Not quite. What’s the penalty for defaulting on his contract?” Buffy asked with a wry grin.

Hammond blinked slowly and a wicked smile graced his face. “Defaulting on the standard contract would be the opposite of what he had contracted for. Instead of money, he would be destitute forever. Instead of power, he would never have any influence again.”

A look of understanding passed over Amanda’s face, and she grinned. “And the longevity clause? What’s the penalty for defaulting on it?”

“His immediate death.” Hammond replied.

Hank paled as he realized what he had signed up for. “NO! You can’t do this to me! JOYCE! Tell them, they can’t do this to me.”

Quick as a snake, Amanda’s right hand struck Hank across the face. “Silence. Or I’ll do to you what was done to that worthless vampire beside you.”

Buffy leaned forward, a smile on her lips. “Hammond, I know you can talk to the senior partners. Tell them I am willing to make a deal.”

Hammond’s eyes almost bugged out as the response from his bosses was immediate and almost desperate. “What did you have in mind?”

Leaning back, Buffy ran one finger about and down Spike’s thigh. “First, I don’t want Hank Summers to die…”

“WHAT? After what he did…” Willow started to yell but was silenced by a chilling glance from Methos.

“Patience my dear. She knows what she is doing,” he said, and then winked.

“As I was saying, I don’t want him to die… YET. Give him the long lifespan,” and here Buffy’s smile turned sinister. “And place within his mind all the pain, fear, humiliation and desperation every abused child has suffered or ever will suffer. For the next 100 years.”

Spike leaned down and whispered something to her which nobody could hear.

Buffy nodded in agreement. “My companion has reminded me of something. In addition to what I asked for, make it impossible for him to be driven insane by the torment he will suffer. Doesn’t do to punish someone, if you leave them an escape route into insanity.”

Hammond nodded as he passed on Buffy’s demands. After a moment he responded by adding a stipulation. “The senior partners are agreed, under one condition.”

It was Duncan who spoke. “And what would this condition be?”

“They want you to take Angelus off their hands,” Hammond replied.