Title : Broken Shield II
Series: Samian Wine and Pyrrhic Dances Stories 12
Author: Surnia
Rating: R
Pairing: Spike/Willow Buffy/Giles
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by Joss Whedon and is owned by 20th Century FOX. No copyright infringement is intended

Finding yet another drained body artfully arranged at his front door, Spike burst into a tirade of profanity. "Shittin'ell! Another sodding little gift. She does love to prat about, the bloody slag. Bad as a cat leaving mice. Hello, I'm still here and I can hunt. Pain in the bleeding arse." Continuing to grumble, he hefted the body onto his shoulder and headed for the nearest sewer opening and dumped the body down it.

"Not very imaginative," a voice remarked.

He turned and glared at her, "I'll leave the artistic displays to you, ducks. Or are you too much of a slut to clean up after yourself these days?"

"It's so difficult to get proper help these days. "And," she remarked, lighting a cigarette and offering him one, "this town doesn't provide much opportunity for really striking art. It's so ... provincial."

"So go back to Central Europe again. Or South America. Have you tried South America? Brazil? They might appreciate your displays."

"I did pass through central Africa and had a lot of fun there. But it all got so boring. So repetitive. No intellectual challenge."

Spike snorted, "And there's one here? Don't take the piss."

"There may be."

At the tone of her voice, his head shot up and he said, "Leave him alone, Lulu."

"You actually care about these people, Spike, don't you? It's true. My God, you really have gone soft."

He snarled at her, fangs exposed. "Don't push it too far, Lady Muck. I told you. I care about my witch. She cares about them."

She blew a few smoke rings and studied them. Then she said, "And here we have another conundrum: when is a vampire not a proper vampire?"

"When it broods. Why don't you go and find Dru and do your thing somewhere else?"

"Because things are far too interesting here. And Dru's with Angelus."

"Angel, the ensouled version."

"So where is she?"

"Haven't got a clue, pet. Nor more do I care."

She insinuated herself against him and stroked his face, "But, Spike, sweet, how can I go and find Dru if I don't know where she is?"

He pushed her back away from him, "Look. Seek and ye shall find. That sort of thing."

"Maybe I will. I'll think about it. Does she know about your little red-headed witch."

"Yes."

He turned on his heel and strode away, muttering to himself. An extremely unpleasant smile played on her lips. "Perhaps I should expand the game," she murmured. "This could prove quite amusing."

Over the following nights there were no unwelcome gifts from Lulu. Which worried Spike even more than the corpses had. At least he knew what she was doing with the corpses. Not having any clue at all as to what she was up to was even more unsettling. Willow told him not to worry. She had probably gone away to torment someone else somewhere easier. If course, Willow didn't know Lulu. Lulu loved a challenge and he was a nagging suspicion that they hadn't seen the last of her. He told her just to make sure that Giles was still taking precautions.

In fact, Lulu had actually disappeared from Sunnydale for a few days. She had taken up Spike's suggestion to go and look for Drusilla. After torturing a few vampires in various locations, she discovered where Angel was keeping Drusilla. One night while Angel was out, she let Drusilla loose and took her out for a night on the town. Several corpses later, she put her in the car she had appropriated from one of the corpses and drove back to Sunnydale. Drusilla was spouting her usual insane babble and Lulu humoured her. She promised her that they would have a wonderful time and punish all the naughty people - if she did exactly what she was told. Otherwise she would be punished.

In Prague, Drusilla had always done exactly what Lulu told her, including openly attacking the orphanage which had provoked the mob which attacked and nearly killed her. The truth was that Lulu had become bored with Drusilla and her babbling and had hoped that the mob would destroy her so that she could take off with Spike. She had shrugged it off as bad luck when she survived and moved on. Drusilla, of course, had no idea of Lulu's true intentions, and she still obediently followed any suggestions that Lulu made. She was in awe of Lulu's artistic displays. She was also in awe of her capacity for cruelty and knew what Lulu did to anyone who disobeyed her.

Lulu took her to the house to which she had moved after she let Giles escape. She had equipped the basement with the usual chains and manacles. She had also prepared yet another house with similar equipment. Past experience had shown her that a single base left one too exposed.

Drusilla continued to be delighted to be with Lulu again, saying how they were going to punish Spike and then he would come back and then they could make Angelus come back. Lulu smiled. In her game, Spike was merely a piece on the other side. In chess terms, perhaps a knight to be removed while she concentrated on her true object: Giles.

Once back in Sunnydale, Lulu insisted that Drusilla stay inside while she brought her back a meal. But, in any case, Drusilla was quite sated by their spree in L.A. Lulu spent the following night seeing how tight security was and what patterns of movement Buffy and friends. She found that in her absence they had become a little more relaxed about security. Lulu decided to maintain the situation for a couple of days. Let them relax a little more. It wouldn't do for them to know that Drusilla was back in Sunnydale. That would spoil all the fun. The first thing that she had to find out were Willow's movements. She already had a fairly clear picture of those of the Slayer and they seemed to be the same.

So Lulu quietly dogged the footsteps of Willow while keeping out of sight, making sure that she didn't get anywhere near Spike in case he sensed her. She got Drusilla some victims to amuse herself with to ensure that she stayed inside. She reinforced her instructions when she told Drusilla that the stars were angry with her and she had to stay inside while they were angry or they might burn her. That news made Drusilla whimper with fear, but Lulu reassured her, saying that they wouldn't be angry for much longer.

She decided that she needed to make sure that Willow's family would be away so that Willow would be sure to go to Spike's place. A couple of evenings she posed as a German psychiatrist who wanted to compare notes on male authority figures with Sheila Rosenberg. It proved to be quite easy to ascertain when they would be out of town.

Finally her pieces were in order and she decided that it was time to set things in motion.

First she enthralled a local master vampire wannabe and arranged for him to send his little band of seven to attack the Slayer, telling him that her ability was vastly overrated. Once the minions had left to attack her, she staked the wannabe. "Loose ends," she remarked, brushing the dust off. "That should keep the Slayer busy." She was certain that Spike would stay and help her. He was always up for a good fight. The next step should be child's play.

As she expected, Willow was on her way to Spike's house. Lulu chuckled. This was just *too* easy. As she was digging in her pocket for the key to the house, Lulu stepped behind her and clapped a chloroformed handkerchief over her face. When Willow dropped, she pocketed the handkerchief and carried Willow to the house where she had left Drusilla.

When Lulu deposited Willow on the bed in the basement. Drusilla looked at her gleefully. "Oh goody! Can I play with her now? Please, can I play! Please, Lulu, please, please!"

"You can play with her head, Dru, dear, but I don't want her physically hurt - yet. This game requires time and I need my bait intact. Now I have to go out for the next part of the game."

Noticing the malicious expression which came over Drusilla's face at she looked at Willow's unconscious form, Lulu said sternly, "Dru, no physical torture. No biting or drinking from her. Play with her head if you like, but it's not the time for more than that yet. I don't want the game spoiled. If you're naughty, you don't get to play." She drifted closer to her and whispered in her ear, "And the stars will never be happy with you again."

"Yes, Lulu," she said obediently, eyes wide with an almost childish terror.

Lulu set out, ready to observe the glorious fireworks when they discovered Willow was missing. Her guess was that Spike and the Slayer would split up to look for her. She just had to wait to catch the Slayer alone and she was ready for her.

As expected, the fight with the mindless minions was over rather quickly. Spike was feeling charged. Nothing like a good fight to spice up the night - preferably followed by a lively night with Willow. Buffy left him and went back to report to Giles. She was feeling like she deserved a reward for her efforts. Seven! Maybe he could help her get the dust off in the shower.

She let herself and found him at the books as usual. "Please, Giles, tell me you haven't discovered any obscure prophecies!"

"Not as far as I can see. How was patrol?"

"Patrolling with Spike is still well wiggy, but it was good he was there. A group of seven vamps came after us. They weren't very smart. More dust added to the Sunnydale cemeteries."

Giles frowned. "Seven in a group? Does that mean a new leader?"

"Well, if that's the best he's got, he's not going to be a problem."

She reached around Giles and removed his glasses, leaving her arms around his neck. "I need a shower. I got lots of vamp dust in my hair. It's very hard to get out."

He smiled, "And you need some help? It's that arduous?"

"Yes to the first. I think yes to the second."

"Well, I might be prevailed upon to ..."

They were interrupted by a frantic pounding on the door. Giles went to the door and looked through the view port and turned to Buffy with a puzzled expression, "Spike."

"What? Here? Now?" Buffy said, marching across and opening the door. "Spike?"

"Willow's gone. Not at my place. Not at home. Doesn't answer her mobile." He looked in and asked hopefully, "Is she here?"

"No," Giles said. "Buffy, ring Xander and Oz."

"Oz is out of town on a gig. I'll try Xander."

Spike started to pace in front of Giles' door, growling in frustration. Giles eyed him but he had no intention of inviting him in. Buffy came back and said, "According to his mother, Xander's locked in his room listening to country music. Serious depression. That means no Willow." She thought a moment, "Still no sign of your Prague friend?" He shook his head. "Right," she said, " let's go do a search."

"I'm going with you," Giles said, turning to get his jacket."

"No," Buffy said, "you stay here. That way if she phones, there'll be someone here. We can phone if we need you."

"All right. That makes sense."

"Giles, I always make sense - well, at least most the time."

As they walked away from the condos, Buffy said, "I'll check the cemeteries and parks. You check the possible warehouses. We'll meet back at your place. If we don't have any luck, we'll go beat up Willy. He might know something."

"Right. Can I eat him?"

She glared at him and they separated. The trailing vampiress smiled and said, "Perfect. Off you go, Spike. So predictable."

She quickly ran to where she had set her net trap in the trees at the edge of one of the cemeteries and waited for Buffy to make her round. When Buffy was passing though the cemetery near the trees, Lulu made a squeak of distress and Buffy came over to investigate and promptly found herself in the air tangled inside the net.

She thrashed around frantically and saw the blonde vampiress approach. Damn. "Lulu?" she inquired.

"Pleased to meet to you, Slayer," Lulu replied with a smirk.

Buffy eyed her up and down and said, "What is with you vamps and skanky clothes?"

"Sorry," Lulu said, levelling a dart gun at her and firing.

Buffy pulled it out of her shoulder and stared at in disbelief as everything blurred and then went black. Lulu chuckled and cut the rope holding the trap. Buffy landed with a loud thump. She handcuffed her hands behind her back and carried her off in the direction of the second house, which was not too far from the first house where Drusilla and Willow were. Dumping the unconscious Slayer on the bed, she unlocked the handcuffs and replaced them with manacles. She checked her pupils and nodded in approval. Should be out for a couple of hours, even with Slayer metabolism. Now: what are Spike and the Watcher going to do? This should be interesting.

***

Spike finished his unsuccessful search and stomped back to his house in a fury. He felt like going to Willy's and trashing the place and then twisting off Willy's head once he told them where Willow was. He stormed around the front of his house waiting for Buffy. No sign of the Slayer. Bloody females, he muttered to himself. No damned sense of time. After marching around for a time and being unable to wait, he went to look for her. After covering all the cemeteries, there was still no sign of her. Bloody frigging Hellmouth! What is this? Disappearing people. The place has turned into a bleeding Bermuda Triangle.

After kicking over a couple of head-stones, he went back to Giles' and once again pounded on the door. Giles opened and started at the sight of a vamped Spike. He snarled at Giles, "Now the bloody Slayer's disappeared as well."

"Are you certain?" Giles asked in shock.

"Absofuckinglutely certain."

Giles looked at him for a moment and said, "I'll probably regret this. But come in, Spike."

He did. Lulu watched for a distance chuckled. "Someone's taking chances then! Fancy a Watcher inviting Spike in!"

Spike was now pacing furiously up and down inside Giles' living room. Giles eyed him in exasperation and asked, "Why don't you sit down?"

"Because I don't frigging want to sit down!"

Giles scowled at him started thinking out loud. "First Willow. Then Buffy. And not a sign of either of them. No bodies. No blood. Nothing."

"So?" Spike snapped, still pacing.

"It's too precise. And I, for one, do not believe in coincidence."

"What? Say again?"

"While you two are busy fighting a new group of vampires - relatively weak vampires - Willow disappears. You split up to look for her and Buffy disappears." He looked at him, "Do you see the pattern?"

Spike stopped pacing. "It's too clever by half."

"Precisely. And who might target Willow and Buffy?" When he didn't answer, he added, "Or you and me?"

"Bloody fucking Hell. She wouldn't. I'll fucking kill her."

Giles continued, "I thought she might be playing a game when she let me escape. After nothing happened, I put it to the back of my mind. Now I fear that she may have just been playing a waiting game, lulling us into a sense of security."

"So what do we do?"

Giles raised an eyebrow in surprise at Spike's request. He hadn't really expected his co-operation. He replied, "Normally I would have Willow use the net to narrow possibilities. I might draft in Oz for that purpose, but he's out of town. So we'll just have to do this on our own. " He went and poured himself a scotch and another for Spike. Handing the glass to him, he said, "You know her. What's she likely to do?"

Spike punched the wall, "Whatever she bloody well wants."

"Spike," Giles said sharply, "get a grip. I need information - more precise information - from you *now*."

Spike looked a little sheepish and surprised by the hard edge to Giles' voice. "Fine, Watcher. Shoot."

Giles started to pace slowly. "I've gleamed some information about her habits from the journals, but you have first-hand experience. Obviously, she targets Watchers. Does she have a preference for other victims?"

Spike blinked and said, slowly, "You know, she usually hunts men."

"I thought as much, but it's good to have it confirmed. Let us assume, then, that Willow and Buffy are simply bait. The other possibility is that they're already dead."

Spike leapt up, "I'll fucking kill her!"

"You said that. Sit down. Or undead. But I'm assuming that she'll keep them alive - at least for the moment."

Spike had pulled out a cigarette and was smoking furiously. He added, "And separate."

"Why?" Giles asked, relieved that the volatile vampire was finally thinking rather than reacting.

"She always had more than one base. She liked being several steps ahead. And not putting her eggs all in one basket."

Giles stopped pacing and sat down. After a moment he remarked, "If she's got them in two different places, then she almost certainly has someone helping her."

"Makes sense," Spike agreed.

"So either we split or go together. Bugger!" He suddenly threw his glass across the room and it smashed into pieces. He looked at Spike, "You see her game here?" Spike looked confused, "If we go together to rescue one of them, the other might die. If we split up, we may fail and both or one may die. I hate this sort of game. It's bloody twisted!"

"She *is* twisted, Watcher. So what are we going to do?"

Giles leant back and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What's your natural impulse?"

"Go and find Willow."

"Mine as well. Well, go and find Buffy and Willow."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing! Nothing! Bloody Hell, Watcher!"

"Nothing tonight because if this really is Lulu, she'll expect it. And you'll stay here, which she won't expect. I want her wrong-footed. In the morning I'll check your house and see if she left anything for us. You said that she was prone to leaving displays. I think she may well leave something to wind us up. I'll send Xander out to look in the day and narrow our scope. At least that should keep him out of my hair. Then we'll see."

"We *have* to do something!"

"We *have* to win this. Going off half-cocked is not going to save them - and I fully intend to save them - both of them."

Spike growled in frustration. "And how are you going to know what the rules of her little game are, mate?"

Giles gave him a cold look, "Because I'm going to make my own rules. I have no intention of playing by hers." He glanced around the room and added, "Arrange things so you won't come down with a case of terminal sunburn tomorrow morning. I have a call to make."

"Calling in the Council of Wankers for reinforcements?"

"Don't be an ass, Spike. That's about as useful as calling the local police. No, less useful."

Giles headed upstairs and looked up a telephone number. He had no intention of sacrificing either Buffy or Willow and he had his own suspicions about the type of game Lulu was playing. And he was definitely going to use his own rules.

****

The following morning, Giles took Spike's keys and left a growling vampire behind in his apartment, hoping that the place would still be intact when he returned. When he reached the house, he opened the door and stepped in cautiously, keeping hold of the cross in his pocket. The house was empty. He stopped in the bedroom and picked up Willow's hairbrush and put it in his pocket. He checked the basement. Empty. He opened the back door and looked down: on the step lay a lock of red hair tied with a black ribbon. Muttering a curse, he grimly picked it up and pocketed it. Predictable. A message. She's got Willow - which means that she also has Buffy.

He drove back to the library and, once inside, pulled out his book of telephone numbers. He rang the same number as he had done last night and made some arrangements. Then he phoned Spike and told him about the lock of hair. Holding the phone at some length from his ear, he waited for the flood of profanity to abate, and told Spike to get some rest. Then he phoned Xander and told him to come to the library immediately.

He sat back and then rubbed his face. Get a grip, old boy. If you cock things up this time, they could both die. Think clearly. He got up and went into his office and made sure that he had certain necessary supplies he needed for tonight and packed them in a bag. He sat back grimly and then started to study a map of Sunnydale. There wasn't a lot to be done until the afternoon. He certainly didn't intend to waste his energy playing the game the way Lulu wanted it played.

When Xander came bursting into the library, Giles sent him out to search in a certain area, certain that he wouldn't find anything, but he realised that he needed to give Xander something to do or he would spent the day driving him around the twist. When Xander dragged himself back into the library in the afternoon, Giles picked up his bag and told him to meet him at his apartment.

He opened the door of his apartment to find Spike pacing inside. Giles thought that he was going to have to air the place out or start smoking again. He glanced at the floor - and replenish his supply of scotch and beer.

"Well?" Spike snarled. Noticing Xander behind him, he added, "You brought the whelp. Another wank."

Xander froze at the sight of Spike, "Giles, have you completely flipped! You've invited Spike into your apartment. Angel was bad enough, but Spike!"

"And I can disinvite him later," Giles stated. Looking hard at Spike, he added, "And will do."

"Yeah and I love you too, mate."

"Spike, I need you and Xander to move the furniture so we have a clear space."

"You gonna do some magic shit?"

"Something like that." He looked at his watch, "I need that ready. I'm going upstairs to change."

He left them to it. They moved the furniture as requested, Xander carefully keeping a distance between him and Spike while secretly being impressed by the vampire's talent in cursing. As they finished, Giles came downstairs wearing black jeans and a dark top. He had his earring on.

"Whoa!" Xander said, "tweed-free zone."

"I need to think in somewhat unconventional terms for this," he remarked. "The clothes will remind me of that fact."

There was a knock at the door and Giles opened it, "Good. You're on time," he said.

"You made yourself perfectly clear on the phone. I'd like to keep my anatomy intact, Ripper," Ethan Rayne said as he stepped in.

Xander gaped at him, "He's here! You invited him! Giles!"

Giles looked him at him, shrugged and said, "I said I was changing the rules."

Xander said, "You didn't say you were throwing away the rule book completely!"

Spike looked intrigued. This was looking better. "So what have you got in mind, Watcher?" he asked.

"We're going to locate them first," he said. "I don't fancy bumbling around searching for them while Lulu gets off on it in the bushes."

Spike snorted in amusement. He was beginning to think that Lulu might well get a taste of her own medicine.

After Ethan and Giles had prepared a circle, Giles brought a large-scale map of the area he had decided was Lulu's probable base and positioned it in the centre of the circle. They then set up their candles and crystals. "Have you got the samples?" Ethan asked.

Giles nodded and brought out some of Willow's hair which he had taken from her brush and some of Buffy's hair. Ethan and Giles sat down facing each other in the circle with the map between them. Ethan did the incantation, ending with the repetition of "MOR DIAL HKTGA" three times. He nodded and Giles first handed him the blonde hair. Ethan's hand hovered over the map and he finally placed it on spot on the map. Then he did the same with the red hair and he placed it some distance from the first.

Ethan reached out to break the circle and said, "Well, there you go, Rupert. Two addresses. Grab your white horses and off you go to rescue the fair damsels. Can I go now?"

"No," Giles said bluntly. "Just sit down and wait."

Recognising the tone of his voice, Ethan quietly went and sat down. Remembering the last time Ripper had used that tone of voice, he shuddered. He really did want to avoid hospital this time around.

Spike and Xander gathered around to peer at the map. Giles said briskly, "Right, so Willow is here and Buffy is there. It would be logical for Lulu to be with Buffy and therefore she must have someone else watching Willow."

"Fine, " Spike said, "I go and get Willow. You go and get Buffy."

"I want us all to get out of this," Giles said coldly, "and if you go off half-cocked and cause either to be harmed, I'll remove your head myself."

Spike blinked in surprise at the Watcher's tone. Then he asked, "So what's her game, then?"

He said, "I think it's her form of the cruciamentum - twisted and inverted. Mind you, the cruciamentum itself is twisted enough to start with." He looked at Spike, "Did she play any mind games in Prague before taking the Watcher there?"

Spike looked surprised and replied, "I didn't pay that much attention to what she was up to. I was concentrating on doing the Slayer. But I think she did."

"She asked far too many questions about the test. I think the answer lies there. I have some ideas to research about that if we all survive this little charade, but first things first. If I'm right, as in the cruciamentum, the first thing she'll do is weaken us. In chess terms, she's taken the Queen and ... a bishop."

"Well, if you're the bleeding king, I'm not going to let you sacrifice Willow to save Buffy."

"Of course not. This isn't chess. I have no intention of sacrificing anyone. But we need to think clearly about our strategy. It's obvious you'd go to rescue Willow, so she probably took her her to weaken or occupy you so that you can't help Buffy. And then again, she may know about Willow and me."

"And what's to stop me from just going and staking the pillock who's got Willow and then coming to help you?"

Giles held up the black ribbon. Spike looked at him and blinked. "Oh bloody Hell. The fucking slag. The devious slapper."

Xander looked confused. "What? Black ribbon?"

Spike snarled, "It's bloody fucking Dru. That's where she's been. She did go and find Dru, and then she bleeding brought her back to play her frigging stupid games."

"It would make sense - a macabre way," Giles agreed. "Let's be paranoid and go with the worst case scenario. We'll assume it's Drusilla unless it's proven otherwise. We should allow for that."

"You've got a plan, then, Watcher?"

"You two are going to rescue Willow."

"And if she's hurt her, I'll rip her fucking head off and piss on the dust." He turned to Giles, "I don't how big your goolies are: you can't take on Lulu on your own, Watcher."

Giles turned towards his old associate and said, "Ethan."

"What, Rupert? Look, you know that I'm a congenital coward. There is no way I'm going to start fighting vampires."

Giles gave him a nasty grin. "We're not going to fight fair. We're using magic. That's what you're for - oh, and I'll let you drive."

"I don't ..." Catching the look in Giles' eye, he shut up, thinking that he should have stayed in England or New York. Anywhere but here.

Giles continued, ignoring the dismayed expression on Ethan's face, "Ethan, we need to time this exactly."

"Uh, Rupert, what if something goes wrong? That seems to be a common occurrence on the Hellmouth."

"Then your priority is to get Buffy out."

"Rupert..."

"Shut up, Ethan. I intend for us both to get out. As I said, I'm just covering any worst case scenarios. Is your car close by?"

"Yes. Why?"

Giles looked at his watch. "Half an hour until sunset." He turned to Xander and Spike, "Half an hour after sunset you'll leave. I'll allow twenty minutes for you to get there. Get Willow out. If need be, Xander, you can see that Willow is safe while Spike deals with Drusilla. Or whoever it is if it's not Drusilla."

Xander nodded. Spike scowled and said, "So what *are* you going to do, Watcher? You know that she'll be waiting for you."

Giles nodded and shrugged, and then continued undeterred, "If you finish there, you can come and help. But I'm assuming that you'll be detained and won't arrive in time. Just make sure Willow's all right. I have my own ways of dealing with this." He grinned at them, "Trust me on this." He turned to Ethan, and gestured with his head upstairs. "We need to talk."

"In your bedroom?" Ethan grinned.

"Shut up and move your arse, Ethan."

"Yes, sir," he said.

Once upstairs, Ethan asked what he had in mind. Giles replied, "You're going to open a portal for me to the basement of the house where Buffy is. Then you get your arse in the car and drive there in case we need transport."

"Fine, just as long as I don't have to fight anything."

Giles snorted. "The idea of you fighting anything is a non-starter."

"The basement," Ethan repeated.

"Precisely. Lulu will probably be watching and waiting outside for me to enter the house. Instead we'll emerge from it or trap her in it."

"You could just get out."

"And wait for her next game? Not now that she's used Buffy and Willow. I won't have it. And Ethan," he added with a trace of menace in his voice. "Don't even think of doing a runner. I may still need your help." He stepped up until he was right in his face, "And if I don't get it, I'll make sure you regret it."

Ethan looked back at him and asked nervously, "Sure you still have the stomach for it, old man?"

"If I don't, Spike does." He gave him a nasty grin and added, "Do you know how Spike got his name?"

"I don't think I want to know," Ethan replied with a shudder.

"Then don't do a bunk."

"All right. I think I can act as wheel man. It's not too dangerous."

"Good. Lucky you. Then you'll get to survive in one piece."

Ethan exhaled. Although Ripper in action was exhilarating, it was also alarming if you truly wanted to stay in one piece.

**

Having made certain that Ethan understood what was involved and what he had to do, Giles went back downstairs and opened his weapons chest. He took out a sword and a couple of stakes. He pulled up the leg of his jeans and strapped a dagger to his shin.

Xander looked at him a little awe-struck, "Ready for bear then, G-man?"

Without looking up, Giles replied, "Ready for vampire. You have stakes, cross and holy water?" He nodded. He looked at Spike, "Need a stake?"

"I'll manage, mate." He glanced in the chest, "Got some good stuff in there."

With a glare Giles banged the chest closed and glanced at his watch. Twenty minutes to go for you two. Are you ready?" Spike shrugged. "Xander?" He nodded. He turned to Ethan and ordered, "Redo the circle."

Ethan started doing the circle and Spike said, "You're going to do some heavy magic shit then?"

"No, I just like having arcane circles on the floor."

"Sarky."

Giles glared at him and Spike realised that he really wasn't a good person to cross. He shrugged and got ready to go.

When Xander and Spike were out the door, Giles turned back to Ethan, "Are you ready?"

"Just about."

Giles opened a drawer and took out a couple of items. Ethan raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you kept your tools for lock-breaking."

"You never know when they might come in handy. I suspect I'll have a couple of manacles to pick tonight - given past experience. The only problem will be if Buffy's unconscious. If she is, I'll have to wing it." Donning the scabbard, he adjusted the position of sword on his back and put on an old leather jacket. He carefully put the tools in his pocket.

Ethan finished his handiwork and dusted his hands. Giles examined the double circle and nodded in approbation. Looking at Ethan, he stretched out his hand, "Now that we're alone, I'll take the other items I requested."

Ethan handed Giles a couple of small bags which he also put in his pockets. "Don't you want your little band to know what you're up to?"

"I need the element of surprise. The fewer people who know what I'm up to, the more likely it will be a surprise."

Ethan clucked and remarked, "You're turning into a bloody para here."

"Shut up, Ethan, and do what you're told."

"Fine. Just get in the inner circle. I've narrowed the portal. The hair should ensure you end up where Buffy is." Giles stepped into the inner circle. Ethan hesitated a moment and said, "Good luck, Rupert. Don't get yourself killed. All right?"

Giles grinned at him, "I'll do my best."

****

After the spell, Giles found himself in a basement as he had expected. He looked around. Buffy was lying down with her hands manacled to a bed. She looked at him in amazement as he materialised out of thin air. "Giles?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Buffy, you're all right. Thank God." He promptly started to pick the lock on the manacles. "Is it Lulu?"

"In the undead skanky flesh," she replied.

"When did you see her last?"

"Couple of hours ago. Is Willow okay?"

"I hope so. Spike and Xander should be rescuing her as we speak. Although I think that Drusilla may be there, which is an added complication."

She rolled her eyes. "Great. A pair of 'hos. Lucky me."

"Lucky you? What about me?" One of the manacles fell away and he started on the second one. "Lulu will be expecting me to come in the front or back door. Not via magic. We'll surprise her."

"How *did* you get here?"

"Well, Ethan has his uses."

She rolled her eyes. "God, tell me that we're not indebted to Ethan!"

"No, he owes me. Just not quite so much now."

The second manacle fell off and Buffy flung her arms around him and kissed him soundly. Finally satisfied that it was indeed Giles and not some shapeshifting demon, she asked, "Okay, boss, what's the plan, then?"

"Lulu's playing a game which is directed at me as a Watcher. If at all possible, I'd like to find out what it's about and why she's killed so many Watchers. It's obviously a personal vendetta on her part. Otherwise, slaying is good."

Then the way he was dressed dawned on her. She grinned at him and fingered the earring. Stroking the leather jacket, she purred, "Gosh. You're really dressed to kill, aren't you?"

He chuckled, stood up and, reaching over his shoulder, unsheathed his sword. "Most definitely."

She leapt up with a grin. "Gotta a stake for me?"

He tossed her one and she said, "Let's kick ass, then."

"With pleasure."

He tested the door. Locked. "Move aside, Giles, and I'll kick it down."

"No need for that, love," he said, kneeling and picking the lock. The knob turned, but the door still didn't open. "Dead bolt," he observed. "Looks like you get to kick it down after all."

He stepped aside and she said, "My pleasure."

She kicked it hard and bolts came loose. A second kick and the bolts gave away and the door swung open. Giles peered out the door, checking for surprises. He nodded and they rushed up the stairs, Buffy in the lead. They found the place empty. "Where is that bitch? I'm so going to kill her," Buffy muttered with a growl of frustration.

"Probably waiting for me outside as I had hoped," Giles said. "Why don't we surprise her? She'll probably be here in a minute - as soon as she knows Spike is rescuing Willow. She'll assume that I'm on my way here and will want to welcome me." He passed a moment, "Although 'welcome' may be somewhat of a misnomer." Noticing her slightly blank look, he gave her a crooked grin and then looked around. "Go behind the stairs and I'll step into the kitchen. Let me confront her first. I'll bet she stops to chat. If I beat her myself I think that the games will stop."

"Once she's dust the games will cease."

"I'd rather do this myself."

"Giles, *I'm* the Slayer."

"Humour me this time, Buffy. I can deal with this."

"Are you sure about this?" she asked worriedly.

"Trust me, Buffy. You'll be close by anyway if anything should go wrong."

"All right," she said reluctantly, "but don't get hurt. I will be so angry with you if you get hurt."

"I'm not planning on it," he replied, giving her a quick kiss and pushing her towards the stairs. She gave him a quick pout before she moved.

They moved to their respective positions and a few minutes later the door flew open and Lulu strode into the house glowering. Giles sauntered out of the kitchen and lounged against the door frame. "In a rush?" he asked casually.

She stopped and looked at him clearly shocked. "How did you get here?"

Her eyes ran over his frame and took in his very unwatcherly attire, including the sword he held easily in his hand and earring in his ear. "I see why they sacked you. Where's the uniform? And you must have used magic to get here before me. Naughty boy."

He didn't reply, but simply smirked at her.

"I take it you've released the Slayer," she observed.

"Did you think I would sacrifice either of them for some silly half-arsed game?"

"Isn't that what the Watchers do?"

"I don't give a flying fuck what any of them do. *I* don't do that."

"Well, then, I guess you passed. Congratulations."

"Is that what this is about? Some twisted inverted cruciamentum? Why? All those Watchers failed and so you tortured them to death?" He raised his sword, "Well, perhaps it needs to end here."

"You and me?" she asked in disbelief, looking at his sword.

Buffy stepped out of the shadows, "No, you and *me*!"

"Buffy, stay out of this," Giles ordered, stepping between her and Lulu. "Yes, you and me."

"Watcher, you wouldn't last five minutes," she sneered.

"Are you sure of that?"

"Absolutely," she replied, not noticing him palming one of the bags which Ethan had given him. "You seem to have forgotten that it's the Slayer's job to slay. Watchers watch them slay and get slain. Read books and drink cups of tea ... or drown their sorrows in glasses of drink."

"Not this time."

She laughed and said, "Perhaps you might be able to take out some fledging, but not a vampire of my age."

"Are you sure of that?"

She chuckled and spread her arms open wide, "Well then, Watcher, let's see what you've got. Come on! Give it your best shot."

Giles turned slightly and suddenly threw the contents of the bag in her face while muttering the spell to activate the contents. She choked and started to claw blindly at her face, as if she was trying to drive something away. While she was struggling with something invisible, Giles swept the flat edge of the sword against her legs and she went down, still waving her arms about.

Then, to Buffy's shock, Giles brought his foot down hard on the vampiress' kneecap. Lulu screamed in pain and clutched at her knee. He yanked out a pair of handcuffs which were inside another bag Ethan had given him and handcuffed her hands behind her back.

Lulu screeched again and said, "Bastard! I'll just break them! You forget - I'm not human."

"I don't think they'll break, he replied. "They're magicked."

She snarled as she pulled at them and found to her fury that they held.

Buffy stepped beside him and asked tentatively, "Did you have to ..."

"She'll heal. It's just to keep her from running off."

"She's not gonna have time to heal," Buffy said grimly.

"Wait a bit, Buffy. I want to know what this is about." He dragged Lulu over to the stairs and made her sit on them. Buffy moved behind him, fiddling impatiently with her stake.

Lulu glared at them while she painfully straightened her knee slightly and flexed it gingerly. She looked Giles up and down and observed, "I underestimated you. That was cheating, you know: using magic."

"Only if I had accepted your rules - which I don't. If I cancelled the original test, did you seriously think I would play this one by your twisted rules?"

"Well, at least you recognised what it was. Most Slayers don't even have a clue about what they're going into."

"So," he remarked, leaning on his sword, "you're trying to right the balance? How terribly even-handed of you."

She glared at him and spat, "I'm just making sure that enough Watchers die as well. Balancing the books."

"How many passed your little test?"

"None - until you."

He raised an eyebrow. "As cruel and ridiculous as the cruciamentum is, at least most Slayers passed it."

"Maybe they all had help - like your Slayer did."

He knelt in front of her, "This is perverted. Because one thing is wrong, you do worse? Only a vampire would think like that."

She looked at him with a smirk, "Surprise, surprise. I'm a vampire. Well, are you going to take my head with that sword or are you going to let your Slayer do the dirty work?"

He looked at her grimly. "Since this is between us, I'll do it." He stood and said, "Any last words?"

"Fuck off?" she replied defiantly.

He sighed. He had hoped to learn more about her motives, but she was far too dangerous to risk the possibility of her escaping. He hoisted the sword, but before he could bring it down across her neck, he was knocked down by something moving fast, snarling and clawing. He rolled and looked up into the face of a snarling Drusilla who was trying to bite him. They rolled across the floor, struggling, while Buffy tried to look for an opening to stake or grab Drusilla. While she was occupied tried to extricate Giles, Lulu moved her hands down her back and up the back of her legs. Her knee was better already. In a moment she had her hands, still handcuffed, in front of her. Stepping up behind Buffy, she clenched her fists and crashed them against Buffy's head, knocking her out.

Flinging her hands with the cuffs over Buffy's head, she dragged her by the neck some distance from the struggling pair until she was close to the door. "Watcher!" she shouted, "do you want your Slayer to die?"

Forcing Drusilla up a little, he saw an unconscious Buffy held upright by Lulu's hands around her neck. "Drusilla, leave him!" Lulu ordered.

Drusilla made a sound of disappointment, but left him and backed away. Giles rose to his feet, clenching the sword, "You harm her and you're both dust," he spat out.

"Drusilla, where's Spike?" Lulu asked, ignoring Giles' threats.

"Coming, I think, when he's seen to his little friends."

"Out the back door. Now."

"Yes, Lulu."

Giles was inching ever closer. Lulu smiled at him and suddenly pushed Buffy towards him and raced out the back door.

Giles caught Buffy and, kneeling still holding her, checked her pulse. It was fine. He glared with frustration at the now empty door until he heard Buffy groan as she started to come around. She shook her head and asked, "Where is she?"

"Gone, with Drusilla."

'Damn. But we won?"

"I think so. We need to find out if Willow is all right."

"She's fine," Spike's voice came from the door, "but Xander managed to break his arm and get his head coshed. Lucky for him he got a very hard head." He looked around and observed, "They took off?"

Giles nodded and Spike growled, "Damn. Leave it to nancy-boy to let Dru get loose - again - and now she's off with Lulu." He suddenly smiled and said, "Maybe they'll go torment the wanker now! Now *that* would be just blinding!"

Giles stood up and pulled Buffy upright. "If they both stay away from here, I'll settle for that."

Spike grinned at Buffy, "Wotcha, Slayer! Let Lulu belt you round the head, did you?"

"Shut up, you nasty bloodsucker before I stake you."

"Whoa, someone's in a strop. We won."

"Indeed," Giles said. "Is Ethan still out there in his car?" Spike nodded. "Come on, Buffy. Ethan's going to play chauffeur before he departs."

"Oh goody. Does he know how to drive?"

"He drives better than you do."

She gave him a look, but he managed to keep a straight face and let him help her to the car. Once they were inside the car, Ethan remarked, "You did it, old boy. Can I leave now?"

"Once you've dropped us at my apartment."

Ethan dropped them outside and drove off, pleased to escape so slightly. They went up and then down the steps and noticed a heart pinned to the door. Written on it in red was "See you soon".

They both groaned.

HOPE OF COURAGE