Title: Forgotten 5/7
Author: Cyberwulf
Rating: 18s (NC-17) for explicit B/G sexual scenes.
Pairing: B/G, but only in Giles' head.
Disclaimer: B:tVS characters belong to Joss Whedon. Ethan's nephew Donovan, Sue, Ricky and the other members of the Giles family belong to me (except James who belongs to Nick Fisher), as do the vampires.
Spoilers: Set after "Wrecked". Buffy and Spike slept together once, but Buffy's been staying away from him since then. Willow and Tara are not together.
Summary: Written in response to michamon's `Mindscape Challenge' at ODD. This chapter: Buffy and Sue go on a stakeout. Giles enjoys a quiet night in. The vampires come up with a new plan to make their prisoner talk.
Feedback: Feed the Wulf! cyberwulf_1andonly@yahoo.co.uk
Author's Note: // // denotes thoughts. ~~~ denotes reality change.
Author's Note 2: Damn you, work! Damn you, Lord of the Rings! To all those still reading this, thank you for your patience, and I'm so, so sorry this chapter took so long. The first four chapters of the story can be found here:
http://vampirecows.com/odd/authors/cyberwulf/forgottenbg01.html

Sue's kitchen was now the war room. City maps covered the kitchen table. Rick hefted a few more books onto the corner of the table and, with a small sigh, took away an overflowing ashtray. Buffy did her best to ignore the dusty old volumes - particularly the one that said 'Daemon' on the cover - and looked around at the group.

" We need a plan." She checked one of the maps and pointed to the building Tara had marked. " Is there any kind of spell we can use to find out how many vamps or demons are inside this place?"

" Tried already," Ethan replied. " But that blocker's still up. We need more power to get through."

Buffy directed a puzzled look at Willow.

" I'm sorry, Buffy," Willow said awkwardly. " I just couldn't do the spell this time. I - I'm scared that..." She noticed Ethan gazing at her and looked at the floor, blushing.

//Oh sure, you'll go ahead and bring me back here instead of letting me rest in peace, but when it comes to saving Giles, THEN you have second thoughts?// Buffy managed to keep a lid on her sudden burst of anger and impatience and instead said, " It's okay, Will." She turned to Rick. " This magic blocker - any idea what it is?"

Rick shook his head. " I'll have a look through the books, see what I can find," he answered. He took a pair of slim reading glasses from his shirt pocket and slipped them on before searching through the various piles of books littering the table. Buffy's chest tightened and she turned away, only to catch Xander's pained expression. He edged closer to Buffy and squeezed her shoulder.

" I saw them last night," he said quietly. " When he was looking at the TV guide." He glanced at Rick, who had found the book he was looking for, and was wiping his glasses on the end of his shirt. " Doesn't make it any easier, though."

" Where'd you get all these?" Dawn asked, picking up one of the books.

" Some are Uncle Rupert's," Rick answered. " Others I, eh... 'borrowed' from the Council archives." He put a finger to his lips. " Shh."

Sue came into the kitchen, lighting another cigarette.

" That was your granddad on the phone," she remarked to Rick. She addressed the rest of them. " The Council aren't going to investigate Rupert's disappearance." Sue smirked bitterly. "They won't even admit there's any supernatural involvement."

" Figures," Buffy muttered.

" Where've you put my ashtray?"

" Over by the sink," Rick answered. " Mum, shouldn't we tell -"

" For the last time, no," Sue interrupted. " You know what your Granddad Teddy is like. He'll just have more to worry about if he knows what we're up to."

Rick clearly didn't agree, but he nodded anyway. " Okay."

Buffy suddenly had an idea.

" Sue, you're a cop, right?"

" Yeah."

" You up for a stakeout?"

Sue grinned. " Yeah."

Buffy stood up.

" Okay. We put this place under surveillance, wait till one of the bad guys comes out, and then we grab him and pump him for information." She looked at the others. " The rest of you, research. We're looking for lizard demons, and things that can block magic spells." Buffy paused and glanced at Ethan and Donovan, unsure about leaving them with her friends. She made up her mind. " You guys, go home. Keep trying to get through whatever magic shield they've got."

" I told you already that it didn't work," Ethan insisted. " We aren't strong enough to -"

" Ethan, I'm gonna be REAL upset if you're still here when I get back," Buffy interrupted. "Are you sure you wanna have to deal with that?"

Ethan seemed to weigh up his options for a moment or two, then capitulated. " Very well. Come along, Donovan. We know when we're not wanted."

Buffy followed the pair to the front door and watched as they got in the van and drove away. She lingered for a few minutes to make sure they were gone, then returned to the kitchen. Sue was putting on her coat.

" Where've I put..." Sue patted down her coat pockets, then reached into one and pulled out her car keys. " Ah, there we are."

Rick looked up from his book.

" Got any weapons?"

Buffy blushed as she realised the answer was no. She hadn't even thought to bring some stakes. //Stupid.//

" Wait there," Rick said, setting his book aside and standing up. He left the kitchen and returned a few minutes later, carrying two swords in their scabbards. He offered them to her. "Here, take one. Katana or broadsword, they're both good for decapitation."

A memory arose, unbidden, of Giles swinging a sword and telling her about the Samurai caste and how they killed themselves rather than be dishonoured. Buffy managed to keep her tears from falling.

" Broadsword's fine," she said gruffly.

Rick handed it over. " Mum, you'd better have something, too." He headed for the door again. " Back in a tick."

Buffy unsheathed the broadsword and swung it carefully back and forth, testing the balance, getting used to the weight of it. She slid it back into its scabbard and looked at her friends, seated round the table.

" Don't sweat it, Buff," Xander told her. " The Research Guys and Gals are on it."

" And I promise to whittle stakes and not look at the evil books," Dawn added.

Buffy managed a smile.

" Here." Rick came back in and pressed a stake and a bottle of holy water into his mother's hands. Buffy slung the sword on her back and looked up at the older woman.

" Let's do it."

~~~

Giles woke from a light doze on the couch. He stretched sleepily and looked around for Buffy. Dawn was staying with friends, so he'd cooked Buffy her favourite meal and they'd dined by candlelight. Then they'd moved to the couch for a kiss and a cuddle. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but Buffy'd felt so warm, nestled in against him, and he'd had a long day. Now, though, he felt quite refreshed. He rose from the couch and went in search of his wife.

He hadn't far to go. Buffy was in the kitchen, standing in front of the sink. Giles came up behind her and rested his hands on her belly.

" What are you doing on your feet?" he admonished playfully. " You should be lying down."

" Really?" Buffy asked.

" Really," Giles answered. " Preferably with me on top of you."

Buffy laughed and shook her head.

" Giles, one of us has to do the dishes."

" Fuck the dishes."

" You would," Buffy remarked. She pushed her bottom against his erection. " And to think I was worried that you wouldn't touch me when I got big."

" It's all these curves," Giles remarked, nibbling at her neck. He slid his hands up and cupped her big, full breasts. " They're new and exciting." He kissed her behind the ear. "C'mon, let's leave these to soak, and have a little fun."

" Okay." Buffy let the plates slide into the soapy water. She turned to her husband, who kissed her and then made to pick her up.

" No!" Buffy protested. " Rupert, seriously. I'm way heavy now." She pouted at him. "And if you put your back out, that means no sex."

" Very well," Giles murmured with a smile. He took her hand and they made their way upstairs.

Giles flicked on the bedside lamps, bathing their bedroom in a soft glow. He sat on the bed and held his arms out to her.

" Come here, love."

Buffy sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. He captured her mouth with his own and brushed his hands against her breasts. He moved on to her neck, kissing and nibbling his way up to her earlobe.

" Wait." Buffy slid off his lap, squatted by the chest of drawers and took something out. " Put on your tiger T-shirt and your stripy shorts." She trailed a fingertip down his chest and handed him both items of clothing. " Just… for fun."

Giles smirked at her.

" And what'll you be wearing?"

Buffy gazed down at the floor, a coy smile on her face.

" I picked up something today," she said innocently. " A little gift for you."

" Oh, any clues?" Giles asked.

" No." Buffy turned him around and pushed him out. " Now go change."

Giles grinned and headed for the bathroom. Once inside, he peeled off his clothes. He held up the tiger T-shirt and gazed at it for a few moments before slipping it over his head. He'd bought it on their honeymoon. Buffy had asked him to wear it that night, "for fun". Who knew a simple white cotton T-shirt with a tiger iron-on would excite her so much? Speaking of excited… Giles looked down at himself and sighed. He was very erect now, and he really didn't want to try and put on any underwear. But Buffy'd asked him to do it. He reached for the silk, orange and black striped boxer shorts. He'd bought them as an extra present for Buffy on her birthday. They even had a tail attached. Giles eased them very carefully over his rampant cock. He was fairly sure that he and Buffy had been playing tigers the night he made her pregnant. Giles chuckled. How was he ever going to look his firstborn child in the eye?

He stuffed his clothes into the laundry basket and made his way back to the bedroom. He knocked quietly on the closed door.

" Buffy," he called softly. " Buffy…" He made a tiger noise and raked his nails down the door.

" Come in," Buffy called back.

Giles opened the door and entered the room on all fours, growling. He crawled onto the bed and stopped.

Buffy lay, waiting for him, dressed in a shimmering white nightdress. The material was almost transparent, except for little zig-zags of white lace that ran elegantly under her breasts and along the hem, which reached to just below her bottom. A small gush of saliva ran across Giles' tongue as he looked at her.

" Oh..."

Buffy smiled and patted the mattress next to her.

" C'mere, Daddy Tiger."

He smirked and moved up on all fours beside her, taking her mouth in a hungry kiss. He cupped her breasts, enjoying the texture of the material that covered them. Despite the demanding pressure in his pants, he felt no urgent need to rush. He could caress and kiss her all night; she was so warm, and soft, and his - all his.

" Mmm." Buffy slid her hand over his distended cock, stroking it through the silk. " I love how big you look in these."

He made a noise between a moan and a growl as she cupped his rather heavy balls. With her other hand Buffy caressed his neck, kissing him again as she did so. Giles responded eagerly, allowing his own hands to wander. One went round her, the other slid slowly up her leg, until it was almost, but not quite, at the damp warmth between her thighs. Buffy purred into his shoulder and pushed down against his hand. Giles bit his lip as a wave of desire washed through him, funnelling into his throbbing cock.

" Oh, God, my dick's so hard I could cut diamond," he mumbled thickly.

Buffy slid her hands around his back and down to his rear.

" Snarl for me," she growled.

Giles snarled.

Buffy pushed her hands inside his boxers and squeezed his butt.

" Roar," she commanded, moving against his hand.

Giles gave the best tiger roar he could.

" Good," Buffy murmured. She kissed his neck and then moved away on all fours, facing the headboard, presenting her rear to him. Giles threw away his underpants and pushed her nightdress up her back. He held her gently by her hips as he entered her, shuddering in pleasure as his thighs brushed against her round buttocks. He began to move, trying to strike a balance between thrusting as hard as he wanted and keeping his weight on his knees and not on Buffy.

" Don't stop, Giles, don't stop," Buffy urged breathlessly, pushing back against him. Giles slid one hand over her swollen belly, wishing he could reach as far as her big, soft breasts. Thinking about her tits brought the pressure in his loins to critical.

" Oh, God..."

His whole body tensed as he came, sweat streaming down his face. On the periphery of his senses he was aware of Buffy groaning his name. He sat back, slipping out of her as he softened. Then she was there, kissing him.

" Oh..." Giles looked at her apologetically. " Sorry, love. I wanted that to last longer..."

" Hey," Buffy murmured, shushing him. " You hear me complaining?" She held him tightly, rubbing her hands up and down his back. " Come lie down with me."

They slid under the covers and Buffy nestled against him, resting her hand on his chest. Giles put his arm around her, relaxing in the heat radiating from their bodies. He'd been longing for this, all those years of bachelorhood: affection; closeness; a connection to another human being.

" I love you, Giles."

He smiled.

Giles stirred, stretched and opened his eyes. It was still dark, and the figures `01:07' glowed at him from the alarm clock. Buffy was moving restlessly in the bed beside him. He rolled over and brushed her bare arm.

" You all right, love?" he yawned.

" Yeah," Buffy murmured. She gave a short sigh. " No." Giles kissed her shoulder. "The baby's hungry."

" Oh," Giles replied. " What does the baby want to eat?"

" Fried chicken." Buffy shot him a pleading, apologetic glance. " Sorry."

" Hmm." Giles pushed himself up on one elbow. " Let me see if I understand you correctly. You want me to get out of my nice, warm bed, at one in the morning, and drive to an all-night takeaway to get you some fried chicken?"

" Well…" Buffy shrugged. " When you put it like that… I guess I could just go eat some potato chips…"

" If I do this, will I get sex later?" Giles asked with a smile.

Buffy leaned over and kissed him.

" This will win you a lot of points," she promised.

" All right." Giles got out of bed and picked his underwear up off the floor.

" Nice view," Buffy drawled as he leaned over. Giles looked over his shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at her. He pulled up his boxer shorts, smoothed down his T-shirt, and rummaged in the wardrobe for some trousers. A pair of soft blue jeans was the first thing that came to hand, so he put them on, and gave his hair a quick brush.

" C'mere."

Giles sat on the bed beside his wife. Buffy reached up and teased out a few strands of his hair at the front, making them fall over his forehead in little curls.

" There." She kissed his cheek. " Be careful, baby."

" I will."

Giles made his way downstairs and collected his keys and wallet from the hall table. He pulled on his leather jacket and stepped outside. He paused on the porch, all senses on full alert, searching for shadows or shapes that didn't belong. Then he walked smartly to the car, opened it and got in.

It wasn't far to the nearest KFC. Giles parked the car and looked around before he left it, scanning the area not just for vampires, but drunken idiots as well. All was normal. He crossed the well-lit car park and entered the restaurant.

As he waited in line, he noticed a younger man in a similar state of dishevellment standing in the queue next to him.

" Let me guess," the stranger said with a grin. " Your wife's pregnant too?"

" Yes," Giles replied. " Seven months gone, now."

" Mine too," the young man replied. " It's our third."

" Our first."

" Congratulations," the other man said with a smile. " It's gonna change your life."

Giles smiled back. " It already has."

No more loneliness. No more fear of dying alone and forgotten. No more long, sleepless nights spent regretting that he'd never settled down, feeling like he'd left it too late to start a family. He was safe; he was loved; he was happy.

~~~

" Willow... Willow..." Xander waved a hand in front of his best friend's face. " Hey, Willow!"

" Huh?" Willow shook herself and looked up at him. " Oh. Hey, Xand."

Xander gazed at her for a few moments, then said, " Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

" Wrong?" Willow repeated, eyes darting nervously from left to right. " Nothing's wrong. What makes you think there's anything wrong?"

" Well, it might take me ten minutes to read a page," Xander joked, " but not you. And I know you've always been the Study Queen to my Slacker King, but we've been at this for three hours straight. C'mon, it's time you took a break." He took the book gently from her hands. "Or at least filled me in on what's bothering you."

Willow gave a small sigh.

" It's just something Ethan said," she explained. " He thinks people who use magic are better than regular people." She looked up at Xander. " What if - what if deep down, that's how I feel, too? What if subconsciously that's why I started doing spells - so I could be all, 'Woo, look at me, Little Miss Super-Powered Witch Girl'?" She looked away. " I was too scared to do that spell this morning. What if that's what magic does to you? What if I kept going and I ended up all twisted and weird, like -"

Xander shook his head.

" No way," he told her. " There's no way you could ever end up like Ethan. And this girl who started doing magic so she could be some kinda uber-mensch - she's not real. She's not the Willow I've known since kindergarten."

" I guess," Willow said with a half-hearted smile.

Xander put his arm around her.

" Hey, if you don't wanna make with the big magic mojo any more, then don't," he said. "We'll understand."

" I don't think Buffy will," Willow answered quietly.

" Buffy... Buffy's kinda all over the place right now," Xander admitted.

" Because of me."

" She'll deal, Willow," Xander assured her. " We - we just gotta give her some time."

Willow turned away, took a deep breath and blew it out.

" Look," Xander tried, " every outfit needs brains. And that sure as heck isn't me."

" Xander -"

" Save it, Will," Xander told her with a grin. " I'm comfortable with my role as the plucky comic relief. You're the smart one. You were before the magic, and you still are. Like Giles, except computer literate." He grimaced. " I mean, not that I'm grooming you to be his replacement, because we're gonna get him back, and..."

Willow smiled at him. " Thanks, Xander."

Xander smiled back. " Any time." He punched her gently on the arm. " I can't believe you listened to Ethan Rayne. C'mon, you gotta taste British potato chips."

~~~

Giles poked his head around the bedroom door. Buffy lay in bed, dozing. Giles grinned and crept into the room. He gripped the edge of the bucket in his teeth and took off his jeans, then crawled onto the bed.

" Mummy," he murmured. He set the bucket of chicken down next to Buffy. " Mummy Tiger…" Buffy stirred. " Look what Daddy Tiger caught for you."

Buffy opened her eyes and stretched.

" Ooh, chicken!" She sat up a little and kissed him. " Thank you, Daddy Tiger."

Giles slid in under the quilt and took a wing from the bucket.

" This is so bad," Buffy remarked. She bit into a leg. " The sheets are gonna get all greasy."

" Oh, the sheets have got sweat and come on them already," Giles replied, " what's a little grease?"

Buffy whacked him on the arm.

" Filthy."

" I shouldn't be doing this," Giles declared, starting on another piece of chicken. "Every time you get a craving, I end up joining you." He patted his belly. " Burst my zip this morning."

" Sorry, Giles," Buffy replied. " No sympathy from me. I haven't worn anything zippable in months." She fished around in the bucket until she found another leg. " And so what if you're carrying a few extra pounds. Look at me."

Giles kissed her cheek.

" A lot of that's the baby," he assured her. " With your metabolism, you'll lose it all after the birth."

Buffy kissed him back. " Thank you, sweetheart."

" Besides," Giles continued, gently squeezing her thigh, " that's young fat." He looked down at himself. " Old fat, on the other hand…"

" Stop," Buffy told him. " You're not old." She took his hand. " Can't be old. You're gonna be a daddy."

He smiled.

" That's more like it," Buffy declared around a mouthful of chicken. " Every time I say the `D' word, your whole face just lights up."

Giles slid his arm around her and rubbed his free hand over her bump.

" Sing to the baby," Buffy commanded imperiously.

He nuzzled her neck. " What shall I sing?"

" Anything but `Beautiful Boy'," Buffy teased.

" I heard a song on the radio today," Giles told her, " that I hadn't heard in years. All the words came back to me right away, it was incredible."

" Let's hear it," Buffy said.

Giles cleared his throat a few times and sat up properly. He stroked Buffy's belly while he sang, keeping time in his head. He felt the baby kick once or twice, and wondered if he or she already recognised his voice. He finished the song, letting his voice die away, and looked to Buffy for her opinion.

She giggled.

" What?"

" You sang the guitar parts," Buffy explained. " 'Dow-dow-dow, dow, dooow...'"

Giles chuckled.

" I know that song," Buffy remarked. She arched an eyebrow. " *You* like Def Leppard?"

" I'll have you know I saw them when they were on tour with AC/DC," Giles told her haughtily, " back when they were just starting out. Long before all you Americans jumped on the bandwagon."

" Yeah, well, we saved your ass in World War II," Buffy teased. Giles laughed and gave her a kiss. Buffy put the bucket of chicken bones on the floor next to the bed.

" Is the baby full now?" Giles asked teasingly. " Because there's chocolate ice-cream downstairs."

" Mmm." Buffy snuggled up to him. " Save that for tomorrow when I'm feeling depressed and hormonal."

Giles slid his arm around her shoulders. His cock shifted in his underpants at the feel of her body against his. It wouldn't take long for him to get ready again. But Buffy was tired and needed her rest. Besides, there was always tomorrow morning. He closed his eyes and listened to her gentle breathing as she slept.

~~~

" What's the joke?"

Blaise scowled and swore under his breath. He liked this body, except for its ridiculous laugh. He could affect a sinister chuckle if he chose, but when it was involuntary - when something tickled him just so - it came out girlish and giggly. He snapped the book he was reading shut, clicked off the torch and scooted around to face the eavesdropper.

Simon waited in the doorway, and had the good sense not to smirk.

Blaise grinned faintly and held up the book.

" That poser I had for supper on Friday had this in his trench coat," he said. " Did you know that we're not really evil?" His smile broadened. " We're just tortured and misunderstood. But with a little love and lots of forgiveness, we can abandon our wicked ways and lead lives of purity and atonement."

Simon laughed.

" Oh, well that explains everything!" he cackled. " I'm not delightfully mad after all! I just need a hug!"

Blaise's grin faded.

" You didn't come here to discuss trashy pulp novels," he remarked.

Simon sobered.

" No. I've found out where we can get some human food."

" Excellent," Blaise replied. He reopened the book and switched the torch back on. " As soon as it's dark, go and get some. Make sure it's fresh. And hot, if it's supposed to be hot. A whole portion, too, not scraps."

Simon nodded. He hesitated a moment, then asked, " But why?"

Blaise heaved a loud sigh. With exaggerated patience, he replied, " Haven't you ever watched any police dramas? Good cop, bad cop - it's a classic tactic. Now that he's coming off the drugs, it's time Mr. Giles saw a friendly face. Someone he can open up to."

Simon fidgeted nervously. " But why would he trust any of us? He's been trained all his life to kill us. It makes no -"

Blaise sprang from the crate he was sitting on and grabbed Simon by the throat.

" You came to me with an interrogation strategy that you said couldn't fail," he snarled. " And you fucked it up, Sy. You fucked it up *royal*. You don't get to ask any more questions. You get to sit still, shut up and do as you're told." He raised the torch and shone the beam directly into the other demon's eyes. Simon gave a garbled scream of pain and squeezed his eyes shut. Blaise let him go. " Clear?"

" Ve-very clear," Simon coughed.

Blaise sat back down and returned to the book.

" Take Leroy with you," he said. " When you get back, let him take the food to Mr. Giles. Have him give the Watcher some story about being a good demon." He frowned for a few seconds. " Or a not so evil one. Something like that."

" Isn't that a bit va-"

Blaise looked up sharply and Simon abandoned his question.

" I, I'll go and get Leroy," he mumbled, before hurrying away.

Buffy shifted in her seat for the nineteenth time and heaved a sigh.

" You all right?" Sue asked quietly.

" Yeah," Buffy replied. " Just bored." //And worried about Giles. And scared that someone's got him and I don't know what they're doing to him.//

" Shouldn't have long more to wait," Sue remarked, nodding at the gathering dusk.

Buffy idly poked at a candy wrapper on the dashboard and searched for something to talk about: anything to stop her mind from conjuring up image after grisly image of Giles being tortured, or hurt, or calling for her...

" Were you and Giles - uh - Rupert - close?"

" As kids, yeah," Sue replied. " We drifted apart a bit when he got sent to boarding school. I only saw him at Christmas and in the summer - y'know. We got closer when he came back to London after... everything, then he was sent out to California." She took a pack of cigarettes out of her jacket, then paused and looked at Buffy. " Is their sense of smell really that good?"

Buffy nodded. " 'Fraid so."

Sue gave the cigarettes a long look, and put them away again. " We didn't have a big falling out or anything, but..." She shook her head. " Ever since he went to the Watchers' Academy, there's been - not a distance exactly... more like he's holding something back. Hiding, almost." Sue shrugged. " Maybe it's because he's got to deal with things the rest of us don't ever have to think about. I mean, my job's no barrel of laughs, but what Rupert's got to face - what you've got to face, every night... I can't even comprehend it."

//Difference is that Giles gets to walk away.// The words almost escaped, but Buffy bit them back. They weren't even true, anyway. Giles was barely back in the old country before some demon decided to grab him. Buffy slumped in her seat and leaned her head against the window.

" Hang about," Sue said softly.

Buffy straightened up and peered through the gloom. Across the street, the door of the abandoned warehouse creaked open. A tall, thin man with short dark hair, wearing a dark shirt and black slacks, emerged from inside. He was followed by a green-skinned, reptilian demon, who was dressed in ill-fitting black shorts, sneakers, and sweater, the hood of which he pulled up as soon as he stepped onto the street. The pair made their way down the road and got into a dark coloured car.

" Right," Sue murmured.

They waited for the pair to start the car, then carefully tailed them through the darkening streets.

" What do you think?"

" The non-scaly one's definitely a vampire," Buffy said. She folded her hands across her stomach and tried to ignore the cramps. " I can tell."

" Got a plan?"

Buffy shook her head. " We need to get closer."

The car pulled in alongside a takeaway. Sue parked a few yards behind them, and frowned as the vampire got out of the car.

" Do demons usually eat pizza?" she asked.

" Don't think so," Buffy replied. She unsheathed Rick's sword. " You ready?"

Sue picked up the stake and gazed at it for a few seconds.

" I, I've never done this before," she confessed.

" Just follow my lead," Buffy told her. She undid her seatbelt and got quietly out of the car.

Leroy drummed his stubby fingers impatiently on the steering wheel and sank back in his seat as much as he could. He glared balefully up at the orange streetlamp which insisted on shining right in his face. It was all right for Simon - *he* looked human. What was taking him so long?

Abruptly the passenger door opened. Leroy looked over as Simon held up a cardboard box in triumph.

" You took your sweet time," Leroy growled. " I'm kinda conspicuous, or haven't you notic-"

Simon sat into the car and suddenly there was a bang, a roar, and Leroy was covered in dust. He stared at where Simon used to be, then jumped as the driver door was ripped off its hinges. He dove for the ignition and found a sword at his throat. He gazed along the blade and saw a small blonde girl at the other end of it.

" Okay, tall, green and ugly," Buffy growled, taking the keys out of the ignition, " you're coming with us."

Rick flipped through a book, frowning.

" The only thing that comes close here has wings," he said. " Although it could've had them removed, I suppose..."

" Oh!" Willow stood up suddenly, an open book in her hands. " I think I have a match." She showed the illustration to the others. " Look."

Rick nodded. " Yeah." He scanned the accompanying text. " Rotagilla. They're supposed to live in settlements underground. Some people think they secretly rule the world."

" Do they?" Dawn asked.

Rick shook his head. " Nah. It's kind of rare to find one working with vampires. They usually keep to themselves."

" Look, they've got a weak spot," Willow said, pointing to the text. She closed the book and headed for the garage.

Xander looked down the crossbow sights at the demon, safely chained and handcuffed to a chair. Buffy leaned against the table next to the prisoner, arms folded.

" Mind telling me what you were doing with the pizza?"

The demon glared at Sue and stayed silent. Sue straightened up and wandered over to the window.

" D'you know what I think?" she asked. She turned sharply and leaned forward. " I think you weren't going to eat it yourself." She lowered her voice. " I think you were going to give it to someone, because to me you look like you'd prefer a box of crickets as a snack."

The creature bared its teeth and hissed.

" Don't muck me about, Sunshine," Sue replied. Her voice rose. " We know you can speak English because we heard you talking to your mate! Now stop playing games and tell us where you're holding this human!"

She dropped a photograph of Giles onto the table.

" Fuck you," the demon spat.

Sue straightened up again and sighed.

Willow opened the door.

" Buffy? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Buffy gave the demon a particularly angry glare, then turned away.

" Xan, make sure he doesn't move." The Slayer walked over to where Willow was standing by the door. The demon watched intently as they conferred quietly. It followed Buffy with its ice-blue eyes as she approached Sue and whispered in her ear.

Sue turned her attention to the demon again.

" Right," she said. " Are you going to tell us what we want to know?"

The demon curled its lip in contempt.

" What part of 'Fuck you' didn't you understand?" it asked.

" All right, we'll do it your way," Sue declared. She nodded to Buffy. The blond Slayer approached the demon. It eyed her suspiciously as she crouched next to it. Buffy grabbed the demon's thick tail and squeezed it hard.

The effect was immediate. The demon screamed as the tip of its tail turned an angry red and inflated like a balloon. Buffy released her grip.

" Gonna talk?" she asked.

The demon clamped its mouth shut, tears streaking down its cheeks, and shook its head defiantly.

Buffy squeezed harder.

The demon screamed even louder, stomping the ground with its feet and struggling against its bonds. Buffy released her grip for a second and then redoubled her efforts. The demon roared and screeched and tried to break free, but it couldn't. Buffy leaned away from its bulbous tail-tip.

" I think this thing's gonna burst!" she bellowed over the racket. " Just needs a little more pressure –"

" Stop!" screamed the demon. Buffy relaxed her hold a little. " Stop, please," the creature sobbed. " I – I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything…"

" How many?" Buffy asked.

" Fifteen or, or twenty," the demon hiccupped. " All vampires. The - the leader's name is Blaise and he has four - three, I mean three..." It was overcome by a fresh burst of sobs. Buffy clenched her fingers around its tail and the demon let out a yell. " Three - three - like - lieutenants... then maybe a dozen minions... and - and me..."

Keeping the crossbow trained on the demon with one hand, Xander tossed a pad of paper and a pencil onto the table with the other.

" We need a map."

" Okay," the demon gulped. " Okay..." Sue carefully uncuffed one of its hands, and it began to scrawl a crude floor plan of the building on the paper.

" And keep talking," Buffy added.

" I will, I will, just don't hurt me anymore, please," the demon sobbed.

" Why'd you take Giles?" Buffy demanded.

" They, they have a plan to destroy the Watchers' Council," the demon gulped. " The - the - the people and the archives and the rare books..." It swiped its snout, which was oozing thick yellow mucus, along the back of its hand. " Only - only they couldn't get inside. There was a - a barrier. Something magical. So they had to get a Watcher...find out what it was."

" Why *Giles*?" Buffy asked through clenched teeth.

" I don't know." Buffy tightened her fingers ever so slightly around the demon's tail. " I don't know, I don't know, I swear!" the creature screamed, panicking.

" Yes, you do," Sue said quietly. She gestured to Buffy. " You know who she is, don't you?"

The demon nodded frantically.

" Yes," Sue agreed, nodding with it. " Now tell us."

The demon snuffled and looked at Buffy.

" Fact is, you're famous," it told her. " Lots of demons know - know who you are..." It looked around the room, its gaze resting briefly on Xander and Willow. " Know who you work with. Any Watcher would've done. We ran across yours purely by chance." We watched him for a while. He used to go to bars, alone. Get drunk, stumble home by himself." It smirked briefly. "Not too smart of him, eh? We hadn't heard anything about you moving here, so we thought he'd be the perfect one to take. No-one would miss him."

Buffy felt sick.

" Have you hurt him?" she asked through clenched teeth.

The demon shrugged.

" All I had to do was grab him," it explained, noticing that Buffy'd loosened her grip on its tail. " So no-one would believe any eye-witnesses." It marked a building on the map it had drawn with a cross. " That's where they're keeping him."

Buffy leaned over to look at the map.

Immediately the demon whipped its tail from her grasp and then smacked her with it, sending her flying.

" You think you can do that to ME?!" the demon roared. " Think again, you bitch!" It lunged for the map and Sue just managed to snatch it out of the demon's reach. Xander fired the crossbow as soon as Sue was clear, catching the creature in the shoulder. The demon screeched and stood up, trying to shake the chair loose from its body.

The door burst open and the rest of the gang piled into the room as Xander struggled to reload the crossbow.

" Buffy!"

Rick slid a sword along the ground towards the blonde Slayer. Buffy snatched it up and swung it at the demon's neck.

There was an eerie silence as the demon's head fell to the ground, followed a moment later by its body. Buffy gazed at the scaly corpse, oozing blue blood into the cement floor. Then she handed the filthy sword to Rick, who accepted it gingerly.

" Sorry about the mess," she told Sue.

Sue gave a weak smile.

" Well, that's - that's never happened in interrogation before," she replied.

" You got the map?" Buffy asked.

" Yeah." Sue spread it on the table.

The gang crowded round to look at it.

" Hate to be a party pooper, but how do we know Lizard Boy didn't just make all that stuff up?" Xander asked.

" We don't," Buffy said simply. She looked down at the scrawled map. " But right now, this is all we've got."

NEXT