Title : Hope of Courage
Series: Samian Wine and Pyrrhic Dances Stories 13
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

Having lost the game she had played with Giles, Lulu left Sunnydale. She had first taken Drusilla to Los Angeles, but Angel's proximity posed problems for them. Lulu soon tired of Drusilla's constant mooing about 'her Angel' and she had her work cut out for herself keeping her away from him. He went back to Sunnydale for the Mayor's failed ascension and then returned to L.A. Lulu kept an eye on him and was deeply amused by his goody two-shoes attitude, but eventually she became bored with it. Then he teamed up with that wretched half-demon which caused no end of problems because he seemed more aware of her presence. It all became frightfully dull and repetitive. The problem with living - or non-living, she thought, was the boredom. A good traditional war would be nice, she thought idly. Lots of blood, carnage and mayhem. Somewhat primitive, but anything was better than tedium.

Reflecting on the Slayer and her friends in Sunnydale, she was impressed that they had stopped an ascension. Damn, but that Watcher was good, she thought. The first time she had *ever* said that about a Watcher.

She finally decided some cultured blood was in order - and perhaps a challenge. Something to get the blood moving in her undead body. Back to England. Well, at least for Drusilla it was back to England. Prague was Lulu's home, but she could hardly drag Drusilla back here after her last visit. Someone might still be around who remembered her role in the fire. Still, things were unsettled enough there that the hunting in eastern Europe could be good. But England first. She was curious to see what the old farts on the Council were going to do now that they had a couple of rebels on their hands. Perhaps there would be a chance to pick off one or two of them. Then torture them slowly. That would certainly relieve the tedium.

Once they were back in London, Lulu found that Drusilla was fast becoming tiresome. She resolved to pack her off with an interesting demon as soon as possible. But for the moment she had her uses. But she really had to find something to interest her. If she didn't, she might start listening to Drusilla's ideas about destroying the world.

Lulu moved in the shadowy world of the undead in London, looking for something, asking questions, searching for a handle to take hold of. Dammit. She couldn't get that damned Watcher out of her mind. She'd never been beaten before. Ever. Hundreds of years and no one had ever beaten her at her own game. She didn't whether to be angry or pleased, but she found that her thoughts kept coming back to the Watcher, visualising him with the sword in his hand, lounging against the door-frame. Damn. She shook her head. If she didn't find something to focus on, she would soon succumb to a vampiric obsession. She shuddered. The idea of behaving like Drusilla was highly disturbing. So she kept looking. She wanted something, but was unsure about what it was.

Eventually she found something and tracked it.

That something took her to disused building which was due to be pulled down. In a corner under a broken window, Lulu spotted the pale thin blonde girl. She was wearing torn jeans and a black tank top over which she had a loose shirt with long sleeves. Out of sight, she observed her while prepared her fix by the light coming through the broken window. She had piercing all over her - ears, nose, navel, and probably a few others which didn't show. Lulu watched patiently with a sort of angry humour until the girl lay down on her back with a blissful look on her face.

Lulu approached and looked down at her. There was no way she would drink from someone in her state. She had far better taste - and sense - than that. Tainted blood. But she wanted information - as soon as this poor creature was lucid again - if she was who she thought she was. She checked her pockets to see if she had any ID on her. Emptying her pockets and reading the name, she smiled. Perfect. She hefted the girl on her shoulder and carted her to the car she had appropriated from an earlier meal and plonked her in the back seat and drove off.

Locking her in the car, she went off to look for a drug dealer. After draining him and pocketing his goods, she returned to the car. The girl was still out of it.

She drove to an alley near their new base and carried the girl down to the basement of the old house. She went to check on Drusilla and sniffed the air. When she went into the living room and looked down, she discovered that Drusilla had left her meal lying where she had dropped her. She'd been concentrating on young prostitutes. Well, at least Lulu had made her concentrate on those who lived on the street, so that there wouldn't be any great searches for lost children with media and re-enactments and the like. "Drusilla!" she shouted!

"Hmm?" Drusilla wandered dreamily into the room. "Lulu?"

"I told you to get rid of the bodies. Take her to a tip, drop her down a drain, dump her in the Thames. Whatever you like. Not here."

"Sorry, Lulu," she said in her best little girl tone.

"Just do it," Lulu said tersely. Her eyes narrowed as Drusilla carried the body out. She had a feeling that part of Drusilla's demented behaviour was simply an act, perhaps a defence mechanism in response to Angelus' brand of insanity which he had inflicted on her. She went downstairs again and handcuffed her prisoner's wrists to a pipe. Wouldn't do to have her wandering off when the euphoria of the fix wore off. She looked at one of the packets of white powder she'd pocketed . She'd get the information she wanted out of her one way or another.

She went through what she had found in her pocket: a dark grey plastic container which held her expired student rail pass, identity card and a very scratched cash card. She reached behind the card. A strip of photos of a young man with longish dark hair, followed by the two of them together. Taken in one of the photo machines. Two grubby five pound notes. A scrap of paper with a couple of phone numbers: two London ones, a Cambridge one and one in Manchester. She looked again at the travel pass: Vanessa Travers. She glanced down at the girl in the cellar. They really didn't look after their young, did they, the smug bastards? Particularly the females unless they didn't have a son to carry on the family tradition and then the entire weight of tradition came down on their heads. Or they might marry them to a suitable husband. Even then they didn't get looked after. Endemic neglect. Really. As long as she had known them. It's a wonder they were still functioning.

All of that made her even more intrigued by the Watcher at the Hellmouth who had defeated her. What did the Council think about him now - and what they were going to do about it. This could be interesting. They had to go something. Their entire raison d'être had been taken away. The prize specimen had left the cage. They would have to act. So the game could be larger and then turned back on all the snooty plonkers. Or not. Eternity did get so dull at times. Let's see what happens when the poor little cow is compos mentis.

It was late in the day when Vanessa came around and found that her hands were stuck. She muttered to herself, What sort of shite was she stuck in now? Her hands wouldn't move at all. Okay, I'm still asleep. She opened her eyes and in the darkened room could see that she was handcuffed to a pipe. Okay, I'm up shit creek. Pimps? Serial killers? Rapists? Social Decency vigilantes? What? She looked down. Okay, she still had her clothes on, so probably not a rapist. She pulled at the cuffs and looked closer at the pipe and then decided to see if she could break it. Shifting position, she kicked at it a few times and yanked at the pipes. This went on for some time with no result.

While she was so engaged, a voice spoke up from the other side of room, "What a noise! Enough to wake the dead. They won't break, you know."

Vanessa exhaled. A female voice. Probably not a serial player, given the law of averages. Not a pimp or a rapist then either - hopefully. She managed to switch position so that she could see the blonde woman standing in the doorway. Looking at her clothes, she mentally put a question mark by pimp.

"Could you unlock these?" she asked, rattling the cuffs.

"Why?" Lulu asked.

"Because I need to pee."

Lulu smiled. She wanted to play games. She went over and opened one of the cuffs and led her up the stairs to the WC and pushed her in and remained standing in the doorway.

"Some privacy would be nice?" Vanessa asked.

"Possibly, but it's not available," Lulu said.

Vanessa looked uncomfortable and Lulu said, "I'm not a voyeur. I'm just waiting here for you to finish."

Vanessa was distinctly uncomfortable, but decided that the pressure in her bladder was far worse. She didn't fancy staying in wet smelly jeans. So she went ahead, noticing that Lulu was just waiting and not actually watching. She finished and washed her hands at the tiny washbasin. Then Lulu took her to a box-room and locked the door, remarking, "I'll bring you some food."

Vanessa looked around. There was a tiny air vent at the top, but it was boarded up from the outside. A few glimmers of light seeped in around the corners. It wasn't large enough to escape through anyway. There was a mattress on the floor and she sat on it. Things were not looking good.

The door opened and Lulu came in with a mug of tea and some water biscuits. Vanessa took the tea and drank it, eyeing her captor.

Lulu took out the rail pass and said, "Vanessa Travers. A student then?"

Vanessa shrugged and said, "Technically."

"Not doing much studying at the moment?"

She shrugged again and said nothing. Lulu looked up and said, "What's your father's name?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. She said, "Is that what this is about? You want money from my father? Forget it. He wouldn't even bail me out when I got arrested for demonstrating."

"Against what?"

"New motorway."

"Eco warrior then? You weren't one of the tunnellers?" she asked in amusement.

"Chained myself to a tree," she said with a shrug.

Lulu smiled and said, "Quentin Travers, isn't it? I can't really see him supporting that sort of thing."

Vanessa shrugged again and Lulu added, "Unless it was located over a Hellmouth or some such thing."

Vanessa's head shot up as she realised that perhaps things were worse than she thought. She looked carefully at the other woman. Not Council. No one from the Council would dress like that or wear that amount of make-up. Which left ... Oh fuck. That left vampires, demons, witches, sorceresses. Nothing good. It was know a question of just how bad.

"Could we cut to the chase here?" she asked reasonably. "What do you want?"

"Your help," Lulu replied.

"My help? Then why did you bring me here and handcuff me to a frigging filthy pipe in a basement?"

"So you wouldn't disappear before we could talk. You weren't exactly with it when I brought you here." She smiled at her, "You should be grateful - lying unconscious in a derelict building - all sorts of things could have happened to you. Perhaps the least of which is becoming someone's supper."

"I thought vampires didn't like tainted blood," she said defensively.

"Some might not be so discerning until they had already started," she replied. "And then they might be seriously annoyed."

Vanessa hugged herself and sipped the tea. She tentatively took a cracker. "Point taken," she agreed. "What help?"

"I need to find out what the Council is up to."

Vanessa laughed bitterly and said, "What the Council is up to? Saving the world from the forces of evil - No, cancel that. Watching young girls save the world from the forces of evil. Sitting around congratulating themselves on keeping standards up and maintaining their fucking antiquated traditions."

"More specifically, I'm curious about what they're going to do about a renegade Slayer and Watcher."

"Renegade?"

"Mmm," she agreed, "The Watcher was fired for caring. Slayer quit because she was fed up with the Council not helping her."

"Good for her!" she said. Lulu waited and Vanessa studied her for a moment and then asked, "Are you working for them?" Lulu gave her a look of disgust and Vanessa explained, "They're not above skulduggery, as long as they don't have to do it themselves. You strike me as someone who could do some damage."

"Let's just say I have an interest," Lulu said.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to take me to the family home and invite me in. Quite simple."

"Invite you in?" Realisation dawned, "Oh shit, you're a vampire." Lulu smiled and Vanessa said, "No, no way. I'm not going to invite you in so that you can murder everyone!"

Lulu said, "I have no intention of murdering them. I want information. Killing them would cut off the information."

"No," she said sullenly. "Won't do it."

"Very well," Lulu said, "then you'll remain my guest for the moment."

Vanessa looked startled. "What? Aren't you going to bite me?"

Lulu said, "I have no intention of ingesting your drug-ridden blood, my dear."

"So you're going to starve me?"

"No."

"Torture me?"

"No."

"Murder me?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I'm just going to keep you here. You'll be fed. But no drugs." Saying that, she closed the door and left.

Vanessa was blinking. Shit. I thought she said no torture.

A bit later, Lulu brought in a plastic bucket, a bottle of water and a couple of sandwiches and left again without a word.

As time passed, Vanessa's nose and eyes started to run and she started to sweat. Then she started to shake. Shit. Shit. Shit. It got worse and she tossed around on the mattress, unable to get comfortable. When Lulu came in the next time, she squeaked, "I need the loo."

Lulu escorted her as she stumbled her way to the toilet, keeping her hand on the wall to support her wobbly legs. She vaguely noticed an insane looking pale woman with long dark hair gazing hungrily at her. Another one, she thought, bloody fucking great. A whole nest of them. Probably waiting to play pass-the-victim. When she finished Lulu took her back to the room. As she closed the door, Lulu waved a plastic packet with a brownish white powder in it at her. Vanessa tried to grab it but the door was slammed in her face. She pounded at it futilely for a time and then slid down next to it.

Drusilla came up behind Lulu and stared at the closed door. Turning to Lulu, she muttered, "She has a hunger for something and her thoughts are all muddled and dark."

"She'll come round," Lulu said.

"Why aren't we killing lots and lots?" Drusilla whined. "London isn't fun anymore. I used to have such fun here with my Angel and Spike."

"Because it's not time for slaughter yet," Lulu said. "You never learned the importance of timing." She walked down the hall and glancec into the living room. Another corpse. "Drusilla!" Drusilla looked sheepish as Lulu pointed at the corpse.

"I'll clean up now," Drusilla said, sounding like a child caught with an untidy room. Watching Drusilla remove the corpse, Lulu said to herself that she was really going to have to send her on her way - perhaps to eastern Europe after all. How *did* Spike put up with her all those years?

Lulu fetched of a bottle of burgundy blended with blood and just a trace of cognac and poured a glass and frowned. It really needed lead-free crystal. It would have to do. She sat down to ponder the situation. Once the girl had come around, she was still going to need more information. She needed a computer nerd - a hacker. A pity she didn't turn the little redhead back in Sunnydale. She would just have to use her contacts to locate a suitable candidate. The problem was when you turned someone, you could never be certain of the result. Perhaps she would just have to go back to Sunnydale and get the redhead to help.

By the time she went back to check on Vanessa, she seemed too weak to move and was by now a wet sodden lump. Lulu leaned against the door-frame and looked at her with a frown of distaste. Eventually she observed, "I'm of two minds here. The first is to simply leave you to get through it. Perhaps you will be more lucid once your cells have reconstituted themselves. The other," she said, fingering a packet, "is to relief your suffering - provided you help me."

Shuddering, Vanessa glared at her and muttered, "Why don't you just kill me?"

Lulu shrugged, put a bottle of water down and left again.

Drusilla returned from disposing of the body, looking sheepish. Suddenly a beatific smile spread across her face, "You going to do something big and wicked. The stars are singing to me again. You're going to hurt the bad men, aren't you?"

Lulu kissed Drusilla's forehead and said, "That's why we have to be careful. Otherwise we might not get to hurt them."

Drusilla swayed and added, "And the girl's going to help when she's not so sick."

"That's the plan, Dru. Let's go out. I want to have a look around... and you can find something tasty."

Drusilla jumped up and down, "Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," she replied.

Several corpses later, she came back to the home with Drusilla and went down to the basement to see her prisoner. She was not looking well and glared at Lulu. Lulu smiled and handed her a bottle of Scotch. "This will help," she said. Vanessa opened it and took a couple of drinks and her shaking calmed a little.

She made a miserable attempt at a glare and said, "Look, if you want my pompous sod of a father, he's not in England."

Lulu eyed her and asked, "And how do you know that?"

Lulu sniffed and took another sip. "I went here the day before you picked me up. Maid wouldn't let me in, self-righteous cow. Said he was away in the States." She sniffed and added, "I checked. He's not home. So if you want sodding Watcher to eat, you're out of luck."

Lulu looked her over. She sensed she was telling the truth. "Do you know where in the States?"

"California."

"Ah," Lulu said, "Sunnydale, no doubt."

Vanessa looked surprised and frowned. Then she said, "No," and she named a town near Sunnydale.

Lulu said, "As good as. Do you know why he's there?"

Vanessa snorted in derision, "He probably *watching* something or someone." She took another drink and looked dismally at Lulu, "So are you going to kill me now?"

Lulu was quiet for a moment and then said, "Would you like a holiday?" Vanessa stared at her uncomprehendingly. "A trip to California?" Lulu added.

"You really do want to kill him?" Vanessa asked in surprise, taking another drink.

Lulu shrugged. "I want to know what he's doing."

"He's WATCHING. He's a bloody sodding WATCHER. That's what they do! Whadaya expect." She grunted and said, "S' wank, innit?" She took another drink.

"But just what is he watching, this Slayerless Watcher?"

"Christ, get a life, why doncha? Who gives a toss?"

Lulu noticed she was getting drunk and said, "I'll arrange for a passport for you. Behave and I may let you go once I'm finished. It's really up to you."

She left, locking the door behind her, leaving a miserable Vanessa behind her.

Walking up the stairs, she wondered whether or not to take Drusilla back to Sunnydale. She decided that she would useful in neutralising Angel if he should decide to interfere. Pest that he was. It was just a matter of waiting until the girl was in a state to travel and taking a night flight back to the east coast and then another night flight to California. This could prove interesting. And the idea of working with the renegade Watcher on *her* side ... that was too enticing to pass up.

************************************************************************

Once Vanessa was eating normally and seemed presentable enough to get through immigration, the three of them made their way back to California. Vanessa found that she was getting used to a nocturnal schedule and also found herself a little intrigued by Lulu. Drusilla, on the other hand, she found deeply disturbing, especially when she wafted into her room and adorned her hair with dead flowers. Or left a bunch of white lilies on her chest while she was asleep. Deeply creepy. She remained a prisoner, but was provided with books, magazines and food and drink - and more alcohol. In her more lucid moments she would speculate about what Lulu had in mind and what she wanted with her father - not that she particularly cared. She also wondered from time to time if she was going to end up as a vampire or a corpse. The truth be known, she didn't really care. She had more attention in the past weeks from the two vampiresses than she had had for years at home. It was pleasant - in a morbid sort of way.

She noticed that from the moment they arrived in California, Drusilla started to become even battier, muttering about angels, of all things. She really needed something to drown it out if she was going to remain sane. Perhaps Lulu would get her a telly or a radio? She sighed in resignation as she heard Drusilla's insane babble echoing into her room. Blood, darkness, angels, stars, death. Maybe Lulu should get Drusilla a telly. It might shut her up.

Drusilla was, in fact, following Lulu, pleading in a childlike voice to be allowed to see her Daddy.

Exasperated, Lulu turned to her and said, "If Angel gets hold of you, there'll no more hunting for you. He'll lock you up and make you drink cold pig's blood."

Drusilla wrinkled her nose in disgust and whined, "But I'm a princess. He wouldn't be that mean to his princess, would he?" Then she said, "What about my Spikey?"

"Spike's not interested anymore. No, we'll be hunting something else far more interesting."

"When? When? When?" Drusilla chimed, jumping up and down impatiently.

"You must be patient. The hunt must be set up so that the game will run to us."

"Like pheasants?"

"Or grouse. Just be patient and do what I say. We don't want the Slayer to know that we're here, do we?"

"Nasty Slayer," Drusilla pouted, "this is all her fault."

Lulu kissed her lightly and said, "You have to be a good girl and wait."

"Yes, Lulu," she said.

****

Lulu set about finding out what the situation was in Sunnydale. The Hellmouth was both quiet and not quiet. The energy of the Hellmouth was still palpably there, but no one was drawing on it, so it was like the buzz of a radio not set to a particular station. Very attractive to demons and vampires, but with no dominant force dominating it. Very definitely the Wild West, she thought. The place absolutely cried out for a Master. Things could get quite lively here. She passed by the Watcher's house, which was quiet. Spike's place was also empty. The Slayer's house was dark.

Well, she thought, let's try the university haunts. As she approached the club, her nose twitched. Spike. Keeping to the trees, she approached cautiously and grinned. There stood Spike with his black jeans around his knees. Good view. Nice ass, she thought . He was holding the redheaded witch against a tree whileshe had her legs locked around his waist under his duster as he pounded into her. Lulu sniffed and smelled their arousal. She was in time to hear Willow's muffled cry as she bit into his shoulder. Spike growled his appreciation. Still at it, Lulu, thought, and the witch is still human. Spike is the strangest vampire.

After a few moments, Spike licked her neck and growled, "I wish you hadn't done that bloody spell, luv. I'd love to have a taste of you when you come."

Willow lowered her legs to the ground and started to straighten her skirt. "No biting, Spike."

He nipped her neck and said, "You liked it the one time I did it."

"But I don't want you to drink too much so I become a grr."

"I think you'd make a wicked vampire, pet."

"That's the problem. And then Buffy would stake you."

"It might cheer her up," he quipped.

"And then she'd have to stake me. That would so *not* cheer her up."

He made a grumbling noise and then said, "But just a little sip wouldn't hurt. Anyway, she could always give you a soul."

"If she even saw bite marks on my neck, she would totally wig. And so would Giles. And you know what a bad mood they are in at the moment. Would you want to be on the receiving end of it?"

"Okay, pet," he replied in a tone which clearly conveyed that he was not convinced.

She sighed, "If only Angel hadn't had to come back to help us with the Ascension. I mean, we needed him to fight the Mayor, but still it still complicated things ... and set up Mrs Summers."

Spike snorted, "Big pooftah always causes problems. Spent too much bloody time with bloody Byron if you ask me. I think that must be where he picked up this tragic brooder trip."

"Byron? As in the poet?"

"Yeah, the only reason he didn't turn him was that he would have been competition. He would have made a wicked vampire. He was going to turn Percy, you know, but he jumped into the bloody lake."

"Angelus was responsible for Shelley's death?!"

Lulu drew back as the couple departed. Interesting. Angelus always did manage to cause trouble - even with a soul. She could always send Drusilla after him again if necessary. She half wondered what Spike's response would be if she turned the little witch for him. Well, she'd have to think about that one. And it would be interesting to know why the Slayer and Watcher were depressed. But first, Travers.

***

Lulu arranged for Vanessa to call home and get a contact number for her father in the States. She claimed to be in Los Angeles looking for a career in films and to have run short of money. Needless to say, her father was surprised to hear from her. He was surprised that she had managed to get the funds together to even get to California, let alone look for a career there, but then thought that he hadn't had much contact with her. Perhaps she had pulled herself together since last he had heard of her. He also thought that if she made too much of a fuss, she would call attention to him and, by extension, to the others, and that simply wouldn't do. If she were to get arrested and give him as a contact ... well, it was unthinkable.

When she offered to come to him, he immediately agreed to meet her elsewhere, taking that as the lesser of two evils. He would not countenance the possibility of her embarrassing him before the other Watchers. The sum she requested wasn't unreasonable if she really was seeking a career. He decided that if she appeared to be clear of drugs, he would give her the money and tell her to get on with it. Otherwise he would have to see that she was removed. That seemed fair to him. With that in mind, he headed for the meeting-place.

He arrived and parked the car. He got out and looked around. In the light of the setting sun, he could see her waiting for him at the pre-arranged spot by the sea. Of course, he had no idea that Lulu was concealed out of the sunlight in the bushes, waiting for him to join Vanessa who was walking on the edge of the sea, letting the waves wash over her feet, enjoying the chance to be out in the sunlight for a change. Travers straightened his jacket and cautiously approached his daughter, trying not to get sand in his shoes.

"Vanessa!" he called out, "Van!"

She turned and walked back towards him. He studied her and noted that she was wearing three-quarter length sleeves. That was a good sign, he thought. She wasn't completely covering her arms. He gave her a nervous smile and said, "Van, I haven't seen you go paddling for years. Not since you were a child."

A slightly bitter smile appeared on her face and she observed, "I wasn't aware you ever went paddling with us. Oh, wait, once at ... Lyme Regis, was it? The odd day off? The only day off."

Travers looked uncomfortable, but replied in a stern tone, "You know what we do is extremely important, Van."

She nodded, "Of course. The great war between good and evil. Saving the world. And all that." She looked at him sadly, "You do actually know that the world is composed of human beings, don't you?"

"Don't be presumptuous, young lady."

"I would never presume," she replied. "What on earth are you doing in California, of all places?"

"Important business," he replied pompously. "and I could ask the same of you, young lady. So you think you can make a career here?"

She indicated her thin frame, "Maybe they'll make an American version of Trainspotting? Worth a go."

"Yes, well, You said that you were short."

"Nearly skint actually. No going on the social here, is there?"

He took out an envelope and handed it to her. "Here, use this carefully and it should see you through for several months at least, if you don't misuse it - or spend it on ... what you were spending your money on before. And please don't get in contact again while I'm here. Things are very sensitive."

"Is this good-bye forever then?" she pouted.

"Any calls in the next six months will not be accepted. I just hope that you appreciate the time I spent coming here. I'm extremely busy at the moment - my present business is extremely important."

"Surprise, surprise. Plus ça change."

"Yes, well, you seem well at the moment. Keep it up. There's a good girl."

She smiled wanly at him, wondering why this man ever had children. Maybe his attitude was due to the fact she was a girl and not the son he wanted. She watched him stiffly turn and make his way up the beach. Not even a hug. Heartless monster. Even vampires were more human, she thought.

She heard the car drive away and walked up to the road. Lulu was waiting and smiled at her. "You did very well,' she said approvingly.

"Yeah and I even got to glimpse the sun," she said faintly. "Almost forgot what it was like."

"And the sea. You deserve a reward. How about that radio you were asking for?"

"So you're not going to kill me?"

"Silly girl. Come along." When Vanessa hesitated, Lulu said, "I intend to find out what that tosspot you call a father and his mates are up to. Co-operate and you live." She nodded at the envelope, "And you'll have a good stash to be getting on with."

"What about a telly?" she asked.

"I'll think about it," Lulu replied.

Lulu had not only attached a magical locator to the car, but had sprinkled enchanted sand on the seat which would make it possible to track the person who sat on it - Quentin Travers in this case. She was feeling quite pleased with herself. This was all going going to plan. The pieces were falling into place quite nicely. And she decided to keep Vanessa for the moment - just in case there might still be a use for her.

Travers was driving back to the Watcher base, feeling very pleased with himself. He had dealt with his errant daughter, who actually seemed less likely to disgrace him at the moment - unless she got into the porno industry. It appeared that there was no need to initiate any measures against her. In fact, it was probably just as well that she was out of England. Less likely to call attention to himself with the High Council. Now he could concentrate on getting rid of that infernal Giles and his presumptuous little Slayer.

His blood level shot up just thinking about it. The little bitch was meant to die in the cruciamentum - and he had hopes of getting rid of Giles in it as well. He knew that those idiots at the boarding house would muck up. They were meant to muck up. Then in his private scenario, the Slayer is killed and Giles rushes in to save her and is also killed. No such luck.

Then he had thought that Wyndham-Pryce would get her killed or that at least his ineptitude would lead Giles to intervening so that the young fool would report him. But such report came from Wyndham-Pryce - which could only mean that Giles had co-opted him. It couldn't imagine Giles sitting back and allowing Wyndham-Pryce to put his precious little charge in danger. Otherwise she would have surely been dead by now. It simply wouldn't do to have an untrained girl as the most successful Slayer in recent history. This was all wrong. This was not the way things were done. Blast it all, the Master was meant to have killed her in the first place according to the prophecy which they had withheld from Giles.

His mental rant came to an end as he arrived at his destination and waited at the gates of the estate that the LA firm of Wolfram & Hart had secured for them. Strange lot, that firm, but reliable and close-mouthed as long as you paid them well. The guard looked him over as he rolled down the window and waited. Travers put out his hand to allow some holy water to be poured on it. Satisfied by the result, the guard retreated to his station, opened the gates and Travers drove in and through the grounds to the house.

He stopped the car and got out. A waiting servant got in the car and drove it off to park it. Adjusting his jacket, Travers went inside and went straight to the study. A tall grey-haired man was sitting in a comfortable chair reading a book. He looked up and asked, "Travers. How did it go?"

"Fine. She seems well, just short of funds."

"She's not going to be ringing and asking for money next week, is she?"

"I trust not. She seems in good health."

"Excellent. We wouldn't want any complications arising, would we?"

"No, sir, we've certainly had quite enough trouble already."

"Good," the older man said, resuming his reading.

***

Lulu had the Watchers' base pinpointed and noticed that it was well-warded, especially against vampires. Well, that was to be expected, wasn't it? After all, they did train Vampire Slayers. She reflected on the game she was planning to play and grinned fiercely. Her plan of action was so bizarre that they would never expect it - not to mention the fact that it seemed to him absolutely irresistible.

She went back to Sunnydale again. No library, of course. She looked with admiration at the pile of rubble. So where did the Watcher go at night then? She imagined that they would use his apartment as a base of operations. This time when she went by, she could see the Watcher inside. She'd just have to wait. And, sure enough, Giles had to go out to get to some milk for his tea one night. She followed his car and when he went inside to buy the milk, she slipped into the back seat of the car. When Giles got back in, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Hello, ex-Watcher."

"Not again," he groaned.

"Hey, you won the game last time. No hard feelings."

He maintained his calm. This vampiress was very unpredictable. "And to what to we owe the dubious pleasure of this visit?"

"A new game."

He groaned again and she chuckled. "This time I'm on your side."

"Who's the opposition then?"

"A group of Watchers led by Quentin Travers."

Giles gritted his teeth at the mention of the hated name. "Quentin Travers?"

"Who, along with some other Watcher types, has a base not far from here and is being awfully secretive. Now why do you think that is?"

Giles frowned, feeling slightly ill. He wondered when he'd be hearing from them. He said carefully, "I don't actually know."

"But you can hazard a guess? And it's not good, I shouldn't think."

"And your part in this?" he asked casually.

"To defeat them," she said, playing with his hair. "Higher odds. I like it. And I like the idea of being on your side this time."

"And how do you know about this?"

"That would be telling," she said with a little pout. "How can I tell if we're not on the same side?"

Curiouser and curiouser, Giles thought. "What do want then?"

"Mutual co-operation. The help of the little witch."

Giles felt alarmed and asked, "This isn't about Willow and Spike, is it?"

"Of course not. I could care less what Spike does. But I do need her computer skills. I thought about turning someone, but that can be so unpredictable." She put her elbow on the top of the seat and rested her chin on her hand, watching him.

"So you think that they're coming after us, do you?" he asked.

"Highly likely, given the level of secrecy, but we'd need to find out. You didn't think that you could dump them and then they'd leave you alone, did you?" Noticing him frowning in thought, she said, "Come on, Rupert, face it: you're going to need all the help you can get."

"Where's Drusilla?" he asked.

"With me here in Sunnyhell." Feeling him jump, she said, "but I'm intending to send her off to Los Angeles to harass Angel." Giles snorted and she added, "He deserves it."

"No arguments here," he replied.

"Well," she asked, "are you up for it?"

"All right," he said as he reached down to put the key in the ignition.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To my place," he said.

She sat back with a wicked grin, "Splendid."

Giles spent the journey debating over his insanity in view of the fact that he was about to ally himself with an extremely dangerous vampiress and invite her into his house. If, however, the Council were planning to move against Buffy, he was willing to form a truce with her. From what Spike had said and from his previous conversations with her, he had the feeling that she, like Spike, possessed an odd sort of vampiric honour. She would honour the agreement until enough time had passed for her to forget about it. By then, he would have disinvited her. Spike could also keep an eye on her - provided Drusilla was out of the picture. Talk about a loose cannon. He shuddered.

He parked the car and walked towards his apartment, without bothering to look behind him, all the while fingering the cross in his pocket. He opened the door and stepped in and then turned, took a deep breath, and invited her in.

She grinned at him. "I'll got to say, Rupert, old boy, you've got bottle."

"Either that or I'm certifiable," he muttered.

She wandered around his apartment, looking at his books while he went to the phone to call Spike and explain the situation. Then he called Buffy at the university dorm and told her what he'd done. He had to hold the phone some distance from his ear as she registered her opinion of his sanity. He told her to get Xander and come over.

Having summoned them all, he went to the kitchenette, filled the kettle with it and turned it on. "Do you drink tea?" he asked nonchalantly.

She exploded in laughter and then asked cheekily, "Got any AB negative in the fridge?"

"No, but we can get you some fresh bull's blood or pig's blood," he replied.

She flopped down on the sofa and said, "I'll pass." She looked around and noticed the state of the apartment. "Are you still shagging the Slayer?" she asked.

He froze for a moment and replied coldly, "I fail to see what business that is of yours."

"No, then," she concluded. "So who dumped who?"

"No one dumped anyone," he said. Noticing her look, he said, "Her mother was not at all pleased with the situation. She came to see me and pointed out that I was being as much of a hindrance to Buffy's prospects as Angel had been. So it was decided that she should be free to experience life as a student."

"Who told her about you?" she asked.

"Angel," he muttered.

"Typical," Lulu observed. She looked at him with a look of disbelief and exploded into laughter. "And you went along with that! Do women always push you around then?" She frowned and said, "Unless you took it as an opportunity to finish it with her."

A look of fury came into his eyes and he yanked her upright by the shoulders, "Don't you ever say anything like that again! How could you think I would ..."

Surprised, Lulu disengaged his hands and looked at him, "Then I think you're both fools. It's not as if a Slayer can look forward to a normal life. Or a long life."

He stepped back and inhaled and then said, "Nonetheless, I think she should have the chance. First Angel, then me. She deserves the opportunity to see if she wants to be with someone not ... not so closely connected to slaying."

She reached up and touched his lips with her finger and whispered, "Are you sure you didn't suffer a loss of confidence when Angel came back from Los Angeles.?" He looked down and she said, "And I think she's a complete fool to give you up."

He looked up and into her eyes which were twinkling with a challenge to him.

They were interrupted by a banging on the door. Giles stepped back and said, "I'd better get that."

Spike stormed in and grabbed Lulu. She responded by smiling sensually at him and draping her leg around his thigh. "Spike," she purred. She looked over his shoulder at a very nervous Willow standing there, "and his pet witch."

"What the bloody fuck are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I'm trying to help this time," she purred, stroking his cheek.

"Not bloody likely."

"W-where's Drusilla?" Willow asked.

"Resting."

"Not in Sunnydale?" she asked.

"Indeed she is," she replied.

"You fucking daft cow, you brought her back to Sunnydale?" Spike shouted.

"Sshh, Spikey dear. I'm going to send her off to bother your beloved sire in Los Angeles."

Spike smiled then. "Peaches is welcome to her."

"So why are you here?" Willow asked.

Giles interrupted and said, "Perhaps we should wait for Buffy and Xander so that there's no need to repeat things. They should be on their way."

Willow sat down on the end of the sofa with Spike. Giles sat on the other end and Lulu sat on the arm of the sofa, stretching her arm out behind Giles. Spike and Willow glared at her, shooting visual daggers at her. Evil skanky 'ho, Willow thought to herself.

Visual daggers did not have time to develop into verbal ones because Buffy burst into the room followed by Xander. When she saw Lulu sitting on the arm of the sofa, her hand now toying with Giles' hair, an icy fury came over her. She was across the room in an instant and yanked Lulu upright.

Lulu smiled as her hand clamped on the wrist which held a stake and said, "People in Sunnydale seem to have a unique way of greeting people. Yanking them to their feet. Hello, Slayer."

Buffy looked down at Giles and glared, "What is she doing here? How could you possibly invite her in! Giles!"

"Buffy, let her go. I think we should listen to what she has to say and then we'll decide what to do. I can always disinvite her."

Buffy looked deeply annoyed but let go of her. Lulu moved to sit beside Giles again, but Buffy pushed her away and sat on the arm of the sofa herself. Lulu smiled slightly at the territorial display. She wandered across the room, pausing to smile sexily at Xander and then turned. "Perhaps you should give them some background, Rupert." She purred his name which caused Buffy to grind her teeth.

Giles sighed and said, "Lulu has located Quentin Travers."

"Where?" Buffy demanded.

"Not far from Sunnydale, Slayer," Lulu said.

"Buffy, if I could continue?" Giles said. "According to Lulu, he appears to have a somewhat secretive base of operations set up, as she said, not far from Sunnydale." He took a breath and said, "It's entirely possible, Buffy, that they have taken your resignation somewhat amiss and are planning to take some sort of action against you."

"Do you think Wesley ..."

"No, Buffy, I think this has nothing to do with Wesley." He leaned forward and said carefully trying to choose his words, "This is somewhat complicated. There are various ... opinions within the Council and various groupings. Ideas can sometimes be translated into action, and Travers is a determined man with a great of influence. I always thought him rather backward, but nonetheless he can be extremely dangerous if he is fixed on a particular course of action."

"So," Buffy said, "I don't understand what the problem is. I'm still fighting the baddies. Slaying vampires and demons. What's the problem?"

"But not under the Council's direction. I think as far as Travers is concerned, anything *not* under the direct control of the Council is rogue."

"So, what, they're going to arrest me like they were gonna do with Faith?"

"No, Faith wasn't considered rogue at that point. She was going to be examined and tried. If she had been rogue, they would have simply tried to take her out."

A deathly silence prevailed in the room. Xander said, "Wait a minute. Are you saying that the men in tweed are going to try and kill Buffy because she told them to take a walk?"

Giles said carefully, "I don't know. If they have a secret base, the idea has to be seriously considered. Perhaps their presence here is quite innocent. A closer base to the Hellmouth, kept secret to avoid vampire attacks. I must say, I would be disappointed not to hear from Wesley if that were the case. He did promise to let us know of any developments which might affect us."

"Perhaps he's out of the loop," Buffy said.

"Well, let's hear what Lulu has to say." His voice became chillier, "I understand that she wants to play a game, this time with us on her side."

"What if we don't want to play?" Buffy asked.

"You may have no choice, Slayer" Lulu said. "You may already be in the game initiated by the CoWards."

"I like that," Xander said, "definitely a term for Wes."

Lulu looked at him and wondered why he was still alive.

"I still don't see why should we play your little game with you," Buffy snapped.

"As I said, I rather think you're already in the game, Slayer. It's simply a question of who's on your side."

"Well, what if I don't want you on my side?" she demanded.

"That would be up to you. If you want to dice with death, that's your prerogative. But are you willing to play with your Watcher - ex-Watcher's - life as well?"

Buffy looked uncertain, "Why would they want Giles?"

"They might blame him for encouraging you to defect."

"But he didn't!" she protested.

Giles said, "It is true that the Council might not see it that way. I certainly don't think that Travers would see it that way. "

Buffy said, "You mean like when he said that you would be dealt with?"

Giles nodded.

Buffy said, "You don't think that Wesley said that you ..."

Giles shook his head, "Even if he didn't, Travers would draw his own conclusions. This may even be what Travers wants."

"Damn," Buffy said, "I really should have bitten him."

Giles smiled, but the smile rapidly faded. He looked over at Spike and said, "Spike, you haven't said anything yet."

"What do you want me to say, mate? That you're in deep shite?"

Giles said, "If they are involved, I wouldn't put it past them to target either Willow or Xander in order to get at Buffy."

Spike jumped up and spat out, "The fuck they will! Any of them come near Red and I'll rip their ruddy throats out."

"If you even get the chance, Spike," Lulu said.

"Let's not over-react," Giles said, "Spike, what do you think about Lulu working with us? Can she be 'trusted' for the duration of the agreement?"

Spike looked at Lulu who smiled enticingly back at him. He rolled his eyes and then nodded, "She'll live up to any agreement as part of the rules of the game."

Willow looked nervous, "How do we know that she's telling the truth here? How do we know that there is any game? And that we're not starting one?"

"That's where you and your unique skills come in," Lulu said. "I have a telephone number for Travers. I have the location of their base. What can you find out with your computer?"

"Quite a lot with that, with any luck," she said.

Giles said, "It would seem sensible to find out what is happening before we do anything rash." He grimaced at Lulu's smirk and then asked, "And just how did you get the information you have?"

"Travers' errant daughter," she smirked.

Giles frowned and thought out loud, "His daughter. I vaguely remember hearing a daughter mentioned. But I can't remember him ever referring to her."

"Smack head," she said.

"That would explain it," he agreed and then looked alarmed."You turned her?"

"No. Did her a favour, really. Cleaned her up."

"Where is she?"

"Safe. Well, as safe as anyone is with Drusilla."

Buffy jumped up and said, "Drusilla! You brought that bitch back here!"

Lulu replied, "I'm going to send her off to pester your ex in LA." She looked knowingly at Giles, "But, you know, she wouldn't mind an evening with you, Rupert."

Buffy crossed the room and snapped, "If you let her anywhere near him or anyone else here, you and she are dust!"

"And what are you planning to do with Miss Travers?" Giles asked a little coldly. "I trust that part of your plan is not to turn her and send her after her father?"

"No, she might prove useful as a contact. For that, she needs to be alive. I think he would notice if she were a vampire. She's meant to be an aspiring actress as far as he is concerned."

"I don't really approve of her staying with you," he said.

"I don't trust what she'd spend her money on not staying with me," she replied.

"Very well," Giles agreed grudgingly. "but I am not going to assist in some murderous personal vendetta of yours. Let Willow find out if there is anything happening and we'll go from there."

He looked at Buffy, "Buffy?" she nodded her reluctant agreement.

"Willow? Spike?"

"Seems okay," she said. Spike growled and nodded his agreement.

"Xander?"

"Head 'em off at the pass, I say."

Lulu pulled out a folded piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Willow. Willow took it with a certain amount of distaste and unfolded it. She frowned and asked, "What're the license numbers?"

"The first is the number of the car Travers was driving. The other two are cars which have gone into their compound. They have a gate, complete with guards who check those going in with holy water. The wall around the compound is warded."

"Thorough buggers," Spike muttered.

Willow nodded and said, "I'll get on to this now. Spike?"

"Let's go, pet. The sooner we sort this, the sooner we're rid of loopy females."

"Love you too, Spike," Lulu said with amusement.

Spike looked hard at her and said, "Get Drusilla out of here."

Lulu nodded. Xander followed them, wanting to put distance between himself and the vampiress. Buffy saw them to the door. When she turned back around, Lulu had crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Giles' neck. She purred, "We should really work closely on this, Rupert. Much much closer."

Buffy stepped between them and pushed her away. "Keep your skanky hands off of him!" she ordered.

Lulu looked amused and said, "That's up to him, isn't it? I heard that Mommy told you to go and play with the college boys. Which leaves Rupert here up for grabs."

"Not by you!"

"It's nothing to do with you, is it, Miss Bossy Boots?"

"You're a vampire!"

"And so was your dear Angel."

"He has a soul!"

"And Spike and your best friend?"

"Spike's different."

"Oh?"

"Spike's helping. And Spike has so far shown he's reliable."

"It's probably just as well you did the spell to make her blood unpalatable to him or she'd probably be sporting a pair of fangs at the moment."

Buffy looked unhappy and said, "I've got my eye on him."

Lulu grinned at her and said, "And if I promise not to bite Rupert? Well, at least, not in a vampiric sense."

"No way!"

Giles observed the exchange. Part of him was rather chuffed at being fought over by a pair of beautiful women and part of him was deeply offended. Offended pride finally won out and he said, "All right, both of you. That's enough. I will make my own decisions." He looked at Lulu, "Perhaps it's time for you to leave and deal with moving Drusilla on? I must admit, the idea of her presence in Sunnydale is quite alarming."

"Afraid she'll jump your bones?" she asked teasingly.

"There is that, and there is also the danger to Willow."

She grinned and said, "All right. I'm off." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips and sashayed to the door. Stopping momentarily before she went out the door, she blew Giles a kiss.

Buffy turned to Giles and glared.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"What was that?"

"You have trouble with a vampire flirting with me?" he asked in disbelief.

"You weren't exactly pushing her away!" she retorted.

He shrugged. "So?"

"Remember what happened with Drusilla? Ring a bell, does it?"

"Drusilla is totally mad. Lulu is merely sociopathic."

"Oh, just sociopathic? You fancy undead sociopathic whores now, do you? This is what you get up to in your spare time! Does she bring out the Ripper in you Your suppressed sociopathic tendencies?"

As her voice rose, Giles had trouble not grinning. The truth was that he had been disappointed that she didn't put up more of a resistance to her mother's plans for her - which included keeping her away from him. He finally failed to control his smile and Buffy looked furious.

"And the funny here is ... what?"

He chuckled and said, "I've missed you. Truth is that I couldn't resist winding you up."

She pouted and asked, "You missed me? Really really missed me?"

He bent over and missed her forehead, "Terribly. Intensely. Even infinitely."

She brightened and said, "So we can forget about this dorm business and I can move in?"

"No," he replied.

"I'm an adult!" she said, stomping her foot.

"I know, but I have to agree with your mother about you getting the full student experience." A cloud crossed his face and he said, "You might find that you enjoy it."

She put her hands on her hips and stated, "It's a conspiracy."

He stroked her cheek fondly and said, "No, it's not. I just want to make sure you have no regrets."

"Giles, look at what happened with Angel. I have lots of regrets. I may not live long enough to have more regrets. I may regret not carpe diem-ing."

"Carpe diem-ing?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Yes, I've learned over time to decipher your mangling of the English language."

"I don't mangle it! I speak American!"

He raised a disbelieving eyebrow and she assumed a pout. He shook his head a little helplessly and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and grinned up at him. "This is much better. I like this. I've missed this."

"Hussy," he murmured, kissing her and allowing his tongue to explore her mouth which ended in a battle of tongues. Pulling back, he murmured, "Actually, so have I."

"So can I stay tonight?" she pleaded.

"All right," he agreed. "But if your mother finds out, I'm going to get another lecture about ruining your prospects. I wouldn't be overly surprised if she were to take a rolling pin to me."

"Prospects," she muttered, snuggling into his neck, "Horny frat guys who want to lay as many girls as possible. Even Spike would be a better prospect."

Giles pulled her head back and said, "If you start shagging another vampire, as your Watcher, or ex-Watcher, I'm going to very put out and I shall have to give you a severe ticking off."

She giggled and said, "As long as you put *in*, there wouldn't be any need to get put out!"

"Shameless tart," he muttered, kissing her soundly.

"Upstairs?" she asked huskily.

He proceeded to make his way up the stairs, grateful that she was so light. On the way, she began to undo his shirt buttons, and started to sing off key:

"Five little buttons to go on the shirt

Five little buttons to go

Open one, Open it up.

Four little buttons to go,

Four little buttons to go on the shirt..."

"Buffy!" he protested.

She giggled and unrepentantly continued, "Four little ..."

She was finally stopped by a kiss and then he simply dropped her on the bed.

"Giles!" she protested.

"That stopped that infernal racket."

"It's singing, not racket!"

As he descended on top of her, he said, "Racket," but the topic was soon forgotten.

****

Willow had been hard at work on the computer, trying to find some information. She had to keep batting off Spike who kept nuzzling her neck. "Leave it and come to bed, pet. It's nearly morning."

"Spike, this is important."

"I know other things more important," he murmured, letting his hands clasp her breasts.

"Stop it. I can't concentrate," she protested, trying to twist away while her eyes were still fixed on the screen.

"That's the point, luv," he whispered.

"Spike, let me finish this first. This could be life and death. Us as well as Buffy and Giles." She pulled his head down and gave him a kiss. "I won't be long. I just need to finish something." She winked, "And then I can give you all my concentration."

He prowled around the room, growling, waiting impatiently for her to finish. When he heard the whirling of a disk being ejected, he grinned and came around behind her. As soon as she closed the laptop, he grabbed her and headed for the bedroom, nipping at her neck and tugging at her clothes, dropping her blouse on the way.

She giggled at the look of concentration on his face as he pushed her on the bed and removed her skirt. He growled and remarked, "What's so funny?"

"You look so intent," she chuckled.

Dropping the her skirt on the floor, he crawled up between her legs and said, 'I *am* intent - on ravishing you."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she remarked, "Violence or potential violence always makes you horny."

"Too right, luv," he grunted.

Later in the day Willow went over to Giles'. She had called the dorm, but Buffy wasn't there. She really hoped that she had stayed with Giles. She would at least be less frustrated and hence less likely to something rash and dangerous.

Buffy opened the door almost as soon as she knocked. "Will!" she said cheerfully, "find anything?"

Willow grinned at her and remarked, "Someone's feeling good this morning." She whispered in her ear, "It's a wonder what a good shag will do for you!"

"Will, you evil creature!" Buffy giggled, looking nonetheless quite pleased.

Giles came humming into the room. "Ah, Willow. I assume you're here for a progress report."

She gave him a look that bordered on the saucy and then controlled her desire to say something salacious and said, "I did some work." She sat down and pulled some papers out of her bag. "The compound was leased via a L.A. legal firm of Wolfram & Hart, to a J. Evans. They've also arranged for a security firm for the compound. It's an unlisted firm and seems to have a varied - and unusual - clientele." She picked up another sheet and said, "There's been a number of calls to the U.K. from there." She looked up and said a little sadly, "It's not much to go on."

"It could be nothing," Giles said.

"Could be," Buffy said without conviction.

"I'm going to call Cordelia and ask her to find out if Angel or that Irish guy with the visions knows anything," Willow said. Noticing the expressions on their faces, she added, "At least about this law firm."

Giles nodded his agreement, "That seems logical. They may have come across them."

Buffy asked, "J. Evans - a Watcher?"

"Could be anyone," he said, "There are a lot of J. Evans. It's just not as transparent as using John Smith."

Willow looked a bit nervous and said, "Giles?"

"Yes, Willow?"

"Um, well, I mean the only real Watcher besides you that we've seen is Wesley. Are they any real threat?"

Giles smiled wryly and said, "I don't think that an army of Wesleys would pose that great a threat. Sorry, that was unkind."

Buffy said, "Don't forget Gwendolyn Post."

"Eech," Willow said.

"And Travers," Buffy continued, "You never met Travers. Travers is ... practically an alien."

"True," Willow agreed, "I never met him. He sounds eech in a nasty British way." She looked quickly at Giles, "No offence intended, Giles."

"None taken," he replied, "and it's quite an accurate description."

Giles started to pace and Buffy and Willow looked at each other in alarm. He stopped and turned to Buffy. "Pleasantries aside, just what did you really think about Travers?"

"Other than the fact that I should have bitten him?"

"Besides that."

"He sort of gave me the creeps."

"Take that 'creep' factor and multiply it and then mix in a measure of magic, lots of money and influence, and the desire to maintain tradition at any cost."

Buffy frowned and said, "Eech."

Willow said, "Are we talking like - Taraka assassins here?"

"They're quite capable of hiring them. They're also capable of using vampires."

"Ieesh," Willow said.

"Of course, we may all be over-reacting."

"How?" Buffy asked.

"I had hoped that they would allow you a period of reflection and then would try and convince you to accept a new Watcher."

"I told them that I'm through with them. And I meant it."

"Which they won't accept. They probably think that it's a temporary aberration."

"Like a sort of Slayer temper tantrum?" Willow asked.

Buffy glared at her, but Giles said, "Yes, something like that."

"Giles!" Buffy protested.

Giles smiled and said, "From their point of view. That was the line I was hoping they would take."

"And now?" Willow asked.

"If they have a compound and the secrecy surrounding it, I'm beginning to wonder. It's totally unnecessary if they're planning on wooing you back."

"So what could they do?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked a little distressed and said, "Well, there's no need to worry about details at this point."

"That bad?" Buffy asked.

"We don't know that there's danger for certain, but we should be cautious," he said.

Willow frowned, "But if they were that mad at you guys, won't Wesley have let you know?"

"If he knows," Giles said. "I don't think that he's very highly thought of at the moment."

"So what do we do?" Buffy demanded, "and is there anything I can kill?"

Giles shook his head and said, "I'll try to make contact with some of my sources to see if there's anything happening that they're aware of. But I think that may be a long shot. Willow, keep looking, but please make sure that you can't be traced. I really don't want anything to happen to you."

Willow laughed, "No, no, I'm caution girl." Noticing the look of disbelief that they were giving her, she added, "Except with Spike. But even that's caution because of the spell we did and he would be one very pissed off vampire if anything happened to me, and I'll be quiet now."

Buffy got up and wrapped her arms around Giles, pulling his head down for a kiss. She said, "Can I stay here instead of the dorm?"

Giles replied wistfully, "There's nothing I'd like better, but if I let you I would have to suffer the Wrath of Joyce."

Buffy pouted, "Not fair."

"She'll come round eventually," he said reasonably. Buffy rolled her eyes in disbelief. He continued, "She came round about your slaying. Give her a little time to adjust."

She sighed and said, "Fine, but you are so going to have to make it up to me."

"With pleasure," he grinned.

She gave him a hug and left with Willow.

***

The object of their discussion was in her gallery, going through some new paintings which had come in. Her sorting was interrupted when her assistant informed her that some gentleman had arrived who was interested in a valuable Russian icon that she was selling on commission. She went into the gallery to deal with him. "Hello," she said, stretching out her hand, "I'm Joyce Summers. Could I help you?"

He smiled and replied in a British accent, "Evan Zarins. This is your gallery?"

"Yes, it is. You're British."

"Technically. My family's Lithuanian. Emigrated to England when the Communists took over."

"Ah," she said, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. She had come to associate British with Watchers. Lithuanian was therefore a relief. "You're interested in the icon?"

"Indeed, what's its provenance?"

She replied, "It belonged to a Russian émigré family, but they're experiencing financial difficulties and need to sell it. I have all the documentation."

"It seems a reasonable price for the item. I have a collection of them, you know."

"Really?"

"Our family brought a number of them with them. I like to add to them when I can. Do you get many icons here?'

"No, I'm afraid not. Sunnydale is so small. Do you have a large collection?"

"Not too large, I'm afraid. I've got it here with me in the States as I was thinking of putting the collection on display somewhere while I'm here. It seems a loss to deprive people of the chance to see them." He glanced around the gallery and then remarked, "Would you like to show them here - for a short period? Seeing as you've given me the chance to add to the collection, it seems only fair. Of course, that would depend on your security being up to it."

"That would be wonderful and a great honour."

"Good," he said, "Why don't I take you to supper and then you can have a look at the icons. We'll take it from there."

"That would be lovely, Mr. Zarins."

"Please, call me Evan."

"All right, as long as you call me Joyce."

"Excellent. I'll pick you up at 7.00?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

Joyce watched him as he left the gallery. He was a very handsome man, she thought. Sandy hair, hazel eyes, exuding confidence. Very sophisticated. This could be an interesting contact - in more ways than one. She arranged for her assistant to look after the gallery when she went home to chance and put on something which was quietly sexy and a bit more make-up than normal. Not too much though. She didn't want to appear common.

She was waiting for him at 7.00 and he arrived spot on time. He took in her appearance and remarked with appreciation, "Joyce, you look lovely."

"Thank you," she said, basking in unwonted masculine appreciation.

He took her to an expensive restaurant and then to his apartment. The icons were stored in boxes. She examined them and said, "These are really stunning. It really is a shame that they are hidden away in these boxes."

"I couldn't agree more," he replied, "I feel quite guilty about it. The artists who painted them meant for them to be seen."

"I would be honoured to exhibit them if you're willing to do so. We're never had any security problems."

He lifted her hand and kissed it, remarking, "There is nothing I would like better. Beautiful icons in a gallery run by a beautiful woman. It seems quite fitting."

She giggled girlishly. It had been so long since she had had the opportunity to enjoy such blatant flattery. A couple of glasses of wine later, they had agreed on a showing once the final details about security were ironed out. He said he would drive her home and she followed him to his car, well pleased with herself.

Once they were at the Summers house, he escorted her to the door, and she invited him in so she could give him some paperwork. As he stepped through the door, he hesitated a moment and glanced towards the side of the house, smiled, and stepped in.

Joyce went to fetch the paperwork and came back in the room and placed the papers on the coffee table. She started to explain what they meant when there was a knock at the door.

"Who can that be?" she asked, perplexed.

She looked out, but didn't recognise the person. Well, as long as they weren't invited in, she didn't have to worry about vampires, she reasoned. She opened the door and said, "Yes?"

"I'm looking for Buffy," said the strange man standing on her porch.

"She's not here. And who are you?"

Zarins stepped up behind her and grabbed her firmly by the arms, pulling her away from the door. "He's an acquaintance of mine," he said. "Come in!" he called to the figure in the doorway.

He didn't have to be asked twice. The man stepped through the door, closing it behind him. As he turned back towards Joyce, his face changed into that of a vampire.

Joyce didn't even have time to scream before he sank his fangs into her neck. She gasped and then sagged while Zarins held her as she started to collapse. The vampire bit into the vein in his wrist and forced it against her mouth. She swallowed convulsively and then drank eagerly. Her eyes closed as her heart beat stilled.

Zarins lowered her gently to the floor and ordered the vampire to move away. When it snarled in protest Zarins made a gesture to it and it snatched at its neck in pain. Whimpering, it withdrew. Zarins pulled out a mobile phone, flicked it open and keyed in a number. When it answered, he said, "Gibbon." A few minutes later, another voice came on. "It's done," he said. "I'll take her back to the flat to wait for her to rise once I've finished here. Green is in the house." He keyed the phone off and replaced it.

He went upstairs and examined the house. Buffy's room had cases inside it and he nodded his approval. She wasn't likely to be home then. After a good look around to make sure that no one else was staying there, he pocketed her keys and ordered the vampire to carry Joyce to the car. Once she was inside, he told him to go back and stay in the basement until he was needed. The vampire reluctantly went back inside.

Zarins drove back to the apartment and then carried Joyce in through the back entrance. Setting her down on the sofa, he went into one of the rooms, pulled back the carpet, exposing a pentagram on the floor. He returned, picked up Joyce and placed her in its centre. He checked the curtains on the room and then set the candles in place. Glancing at his watch, he noted that he didn't need to perform the controlling spell for another couple of hours. Everything had gone according to plan.

He went back to the main room and poured himself a brandy. He flicked open his mobile phone and hit redial. When they answered, he repeated the password, "Gibbon." A few moments later he said, "She's in place, Travers. Make sure that whoever you want to be the focus of control is here no later than two hours from now."

"Fine. No problems?"

"None."

Putting the phone down, he wandered to the door of the room where Joyce was lying on the floor. Pity, he thought, she wasn't half bad looking and seemed a nice enough person. But at least this would discharge the favour he owed the Council. He grimaced in distaste. He'd be well clear of them. And he really hoped that they would come a cropper. He moved away and went over to the CD player and put on Beethoven's violin concerto, closed his eyes and relaxed.

When the knock finally came and he opened the door, he was not overly surprised to find Travers standing there. "Well, well," he remarked, "decided that there's nothing like doing things yourself?"

"One can never be too cautious," he remarked. He came in and deposited a bag inside the door. "Where is she?"

He took him to the room where Joyce was and Quentin nodded, "Good. Then it's all in order."

"God, you really are a heartless bastard, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

He pointed to Joyce, "Just what has she done to deserve this?"

Travers shrugged. "In a war, there's always collateral damage."

Zarins looked coldly at him, "That's usually unintentional."

"Sacrifices have to be made for the cause."

"Well, if you're not the one making the sacrifice."

"That irrelevant," he retorted, "In any case, the Slayer should have been separated from her family to begin with. Perhaps she had been, she would have been more sensible."

"Malleable, you mean."

Travers glared at him and said, "You know nothing about our traditions. Certain behaviour will not be tolerated. We have traditions to maintain. Are you going to fulfil your end of the bargain or not?"

"I'm not a welcher. But this ends any debt I owe the Council for your help."

"Agreed. We'll have no more dealings after this."

"Good." Evans turned away and then looked back at him with distaste. He didn't trust Travers, so he was putting a little insurance in the spell, a little unadvertised addition to keep him protected as well. The woman would be under the control of Travers, but she would be unable to attack Zarins. Just in case. As Travers said, one can never be too cautious. Particularly with an utter bastard like Travers.

He gestured to Travers to stand at the top of the pentagram and then proceeded to light the candles while intoning the spell. He stepped forward towards Travers holding a small knife and made a light cut on his hand and placed a handkerchief over the wound. Travers didn't notice that Zarins had palmed the handkerchief so that he didn't that some blood was already on it before it absorbed his blood. Then he placed the bloodied handkerchief over Joyce's face and recited the rest of the spell.

He stepped out of the circle and said, "That's it. You have to be nearby until she rises. You can stay in here or in the spare room."

Holding his own handkerchief over the cut, Travers said, "I would prefer the spare room."

"Not keen on keeping a wake with a corpse that's going to wake up a vampire then?"

Travers said, "It simply strikes me as macabre. I'm English, not Irish."

"And making someone into a vampire isn't macabre?" Zarins walked out the room and then pointed to a door. "The spare room is there. Your firm seems to adequately equipped everything."

Travers picked up his bag went into the spare room. He turned back at the last minute and said, "I presumed you've primed the vampire at the house to receive us."

Zarins nodded, "His name is Green and he's in the basement." He handed the house keys over to him.

"Splendid. Until morning then." With that he went into the room and Zarins grimaced in disgust. At least he didn't pretend to be on the side of good.

***

After sunset the following day, Zarins and Travers waited inside the room with the pentagram. Suddenly Joyce's body twitched and she reached up and snatched off the handkerchief over her face. She stood up snarling, face distorted with vampire ridges. Travers stepped in front of her. She sniffed and waiting, growling. He handed her a packet of blood and she tore at it and greedily drank it. He gave her another and she did the same thing.

"Joyce," he said, "try to control your face." She looked at him in confusion and touched her face. "Human features," he ordered.

She concentrated and her face gradually cleared. "Hungry," she said.

"Yes, do as you're told and you'll have more blood. Come along now, we're going to take you home."

Joyce obediently followed instructions. They went down to Travers' car and got in, and then drove to the Summers' house. Travers didn't notice the car which was following them.

When they arrived at the house, Travers whispered something to Joyce before he opened the door and invited her into her own house. He tapped on the basement door and Green came up into the room.

"Your sire, I believe," Travers observed.

Joyce smiled and went up to embrace the vampire who grinned like a idiot. When her arms were wrapped around him, she sank her teeth into his neck and started to drink. Green struggled but it was too late. He collapsed on the floor and Travers finished him off with a stake.

"Well,", he said, "that spell seems to have worked. You had no trouble with your sire. Excellent, excellent." He rubbed his hands together. "Now we have to decide which to eliminate first: Rupert Giles or Buffy."

"Buffy," Joyce snarled.

"Yes, well, we'll see. First of all, go and move those crates out of her room. we don't want her to feel unwelcome, do we?"

"No," Joyce said.

"No, sir," he chided. "Manners, Joyce."

"No, sir."

"Good. Off with you now."

As she went upstairs to move the trunks, he went to examine her supply of alcohol.

Lulu stepped away from the window and went back to her car, seething with rage. Leave it to the bastards to involve the Slayer's family. My God, to deliberately turn her mother. They're worse than demons. They belong in the lowest pit of Hell - no, far below the lowest pit. The lowest pit was far too good for them.

Lulu went straight to Giles' apartment. She knocked and stalked in as soon as he answered the door, still seething. vampire features evident. Alarmed, Giles made sure he had a cross to hand. "Those fucking bastards. Selfish evil fucking bastards," she fumed.

Surprised at the level of her rage, he cleared his throat and said, "The Council, I presume?"

"Where's the Slayer?"

"On patrol. It's a good time for rising, as you know."

"Is she coming back here?"

"Yes, we're meeting here to compare notes."

"She's not going home, is she?"

"No. Why?' he asked with a tinge of alarm.

She burst into another tirade of profanity and then said, "Good."

Giles was now feeling very alarmed indeed and asked, "Why?"

Lulu inhaled - unnecessary as far as need for oxygen was concerned, but in order to calm herself. "They've turned her mother," she stated.

He dropped the cross in shock, "Joyce? The Council?"

She nodded.

"No," he protested, "that's not possible. The Council wouldn't do something like that. If she's been turned, it was some other random vampire."

She snorted and spat, "It's about time you woke up, Rupert dear. I've been tracking Travers. He escorted the new model mother back to her house and invited her in. Then he had her drain her sire. He's got some magic which enables him to control her and keep her from ripping his throat out. Charming, isn't it?"

He looked at her in disbelief and then sat down slowly. "How do you know this?" he asked.

"I told you. I tracked him, and I watched through the window."

"It's simply not possible. It's - it's atrocious. It's unconscionable."

"Well, that's the Council for you. Wake up - when did the Council give a toss about a Slayer's family? They don't think that the Slayer should even *have* a family."

"There's a difference between that and ... and doing what you say that they've done. They have been known to kidnap or even buy a Slayer, but ..."

"Rupert, try to think clearly here. It tidies things up nicely for them. Mother kills daughter - domestic violence. Mother won't be around to talk because she's a vampire. No trial. No publicity." She stopped pacing and spun around saying, "Mind you, they'll probably slay her afterwards as well, and so they'll both be gone."

"Bloody wankers," he muttered bitterly.

"Can she slay her?" Lulu asked, "given the fact that she couldn't slay Angel?"

"I don't know. I'd rather she didn't have to."

She nodded and said, "They're probably counting on her not being able to do it. Using her perceived weakness to destroy her. That would tally with their logic."

Giles studied her and said, "Are you ever going to tell me why you're obsessed with the Council and the cruciamentum?"

"Perhaps," she replied.

"Were you a Slayer?" he asked bluntly.

"No," she replied. "Let's leave that topic for the moment. You know, they'll probably have a back-up plan."

He sat down heavily and put his head in his hands and said, "I was sincerely hoping that we were over-reacting. That as long as Buffy continued to slay, they would let her get on with it. This is so ... counter-productive."

"Too much power in one group," she shrugged sitting down beside him.' "Blame it on St Vigeous."

He looked confused, "Why St Vigeous?"

"The Council originally had two branches with slightly different political structures and approaches - the older one in the East and the one in the West which ended up in Britain."

"I know that. All right, the eastern branch was wiped out in the St Vigeous crusade."

"Leaving all one power in group. All the debates on the proper way of using the Slayer ended. One group were convinced their views had been divinely sanctioned by the elimination of their rivals."

"You're obsessed, you know?"

"Know thy enemy." She sighed and continued, "The fact is, Rupert, that the High Council is convinced that their methods are not only valid traditions, but that they have a sort of divine sanction. Divine right, as it were. Your Slayer challenges that. They have no choice but to eliminate her - unless, of course, she decides to go crawling back to them - preferably in sackcloth and ashes."

"I can't see Buffy crawling anywhere," he said.

"Have you ever met anyone from the High Council?" she asked.

"No one knows for certain who's on it. There's always been a lot of speculation. Is Travers?"

She shook her head and replied, "Can't see it. Wouldn't do what he's doing now, if he was. He would have someone else do it. Or he'd use magic."

"You think that the High Council has a base at this compound?"

"Possibly."

She had inched closer so that her thigh was resting against his. He jumped as he felt her hand on his leg.

He looked down and then removed her wandering hand. "Spoilsport," she complained.

"We had a similar conversation last time you were in Sunnydale."

"But you said you were spoken for then."

"I still am."

"Well," she purred, turning on her side so she could insert her knee between his legs and run her hand up his chest, "if she gets to have the student experience, shouldn't you be having the bachelor experience?"

"No," he said, trying to push her away.

He almost jumped when the door slammed. "What is she doing?"

Giles saw Buffy standing there indignantly. "Trying unsuccessfully to seduce me," he replied.

"Then get the Hell off him," she ordered.

Lulu extricated herself and remarked, "I was trying to convince him to try the bachelor experience." She looked back at Giles with a hungry look and then said to Buffy, "It's a pity we can't share."

"No sharing! What are you doing here anyway?"

Giles' expression suddenly turned serious and Lulu's leer disappeared. Buffy looked at them in alarm, "What? What's happened?"

Giles stood up and walked over and put his arms around her. He said quietly, "Buffy, Lulu's brought some very bad news."

"What? Is someone dead?" Seeing the expression on his face, she continued, her voice rising, "Who? WHO IS IT? Willow? Xander? Spike?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Your mother. She's been turned."

She shook her head in denial, "No, no. It's not true. She's not involved in this. She's out of it. No. No! IT'S NOT TRUE!"

"Buffy," Giles said gently.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" she protested, pounding her fists on his chest. "Not true. Not true. Not true. Can't be true. She knows about vampires. She wouldn't put herself in danger. No!"

"Buffy, I'm truly sorry," he said.

"How do you know? How do you know it's true?" she demanded, as a tear began to slip down her cheek.

"Lulu saw her," he said.

"Then she's lying! It's NOT true."

Lulu spoke up. "It is true. I saw her with Travers. He must have arranged this. The Council has started it's move against you and your mother was the first target. I don't know how he arranged it, but he had her house keys and another vampire was already inside the house. She must have been taken elsewhere for her rising. Travers is controlling her, probably through magic."

Buffy kept shaking her head in denial. Lulu continued, "It's a logical way to get at you. It would be difficult for you to stake her and you wouldn't be on your guard."

"No, they wouldn't! That's - that's obscene!"

Giles pulled her closer, feeling her trembling.

"Yes, they would," Lulu stated.

After a time, Buffy took a deep breath and pulled away, trying to pull herself together. She looked at Giles, "Can we give her a soul? Do we have one of those orb thingies? Willow can do it, can't she?"

"Well, I suppose. .." he began before Lulu cut him off.

"They may well have magic to counter it. They *do* know about the curse?" Giles nodded. "Then I think we can assume that they've allowed for that."

"How do *you* know that?" Buffy demanded.

"I've been studying them for some time. If I were them, I would make sure that you couldn't use the curse."

"So we get hold of Travers," she concluded. "And then I make him bleed," she added through gritted teeth. "He removes whatever spell it is and we give her back her soul."

As she turned towards the door, Giles grabbed her arms and stated, "Buffy, listen. He's with Joyce at your house. If you go there, you're going to killed or end up having to kill her. Are you ready for that?"

She looked at him tearfully and sagged against him, sobbing, "Not fair. It's not fair."

Lulu looked at her and agreed, "No, not fair."

Buffy pulled away again and went over and grabbed Lulu, "And you! Why didn't you stop them, you blood-sucking bitch!"

Lulu replied calmly, "It must have happened last night. While I was taking Drusilla to Los Angeles."

At that point Spike and Willow arrived. As Giles opened the door, Willow took one look at him and demanded, "What's happened? Something awful's happened, hasn't it?"

"Joyce," he said.

"Oh God, Buffy!" she said rushing to comfort her friend.

Spike growled and said, "Joyce? Dead?"

"Turned," Giles replied.

"Who did it? I'll dust his sorry arse."

"Too late, Spike," Lulu said. "This is all courtesy of the Council. In particular, Quentin Travers."

"Where is the fucking pillock? I'll rip his spine out and then beat him senseless with it."

"We could do with information from him first," she said.

"She says that he's at my house," Buffy said.

"Then let's go and get him. Where's Joyce?"

"They're both at her house," Lulu replied.

"I can ensoul her, Buffy," Willow said eagerly. "It'll be okay."

Lulu said, "I'd be willing to bet that there's some sort of magic preventing that." She thought a moment and asked, "Spike, do you have access to her house?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"There's no reason they would know that. Angel's in Los Angeles. They won't be expecting any other vampire to have an invitation."

Spike smiled slightly as he said, "There's always the bedroom window." He looked at Buffy, "Surprise, surprise.I can't wait to see the tosser's face before I wipe the floor with it."

"Three if you invite me," Lulu said.

"What about us?" Willow protested.

"We don't want to go en masse. I suggest you, Giles and the lad - whatever his name is - stay here. I wouldn't want you to come back to any surprises."

"You even care?" Spike asked in disbelief.

"This is my team for this game," she replied. "I expect to win. For that I need the pieces intact."

Buffy grabbed her by the throat and spat out, "You think this is a game!"

Lulu removed her hand and said calmly, "A life and death game, but a game nevertheless. Think of it that way and then get emotional once you've won."

Giles put in it, "I think what she means is that you have to keep a clear head. The Council people will have no emotional involvement at stake."

Buffy nodded slowly.

Lulu sat down reflecting, "If you just turn up out of the blue, they might be suspicious. Does your mother work?"

"She's got a gallery."

"So she won't have been at work yesterday. Anyone else at the gallery?"

"She's got a regular assistant."

"Ring her and ask if your mother left a message for you."

"What?"

"It would seem odd if you asked whether or not she was at work yesterday."

"Right." She picked up the phone and dialled a number. "Linda? Hi, this is Buffy. I wondered if my mother left any messages for me. I was too busy to come in today. ... Oh. Really? ... What's his name? .... Thanks."

She put the phone and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Well?" Lulu asked.

"She didn't come to work. She went out last night with an English customer. A message was left saying that she wouldn't be in today."

"Name?" Willow asked.

"Zarins."

"Ah!" Giles said.

"You know him?" Buffy asked. "Is he from the Council?"

"No, he's a sort of sorcerer. And I only know him by reputation."

"Like Ethan?"

"Stronger."

"So why is he helping them?"

"No idea." He looked at Lulu, "I think that I'd have to go along with the magic theory."

"So now we go trash Travers," Buffy growled.

Lulu said, "I have a plan. Spike, you go in through the bedroom window. Once you're in, Buffy goes to the door and says that she's come by to see if she's all right since she didn't come to work. Then you to go in. I'll be ready to come in if you two need back-up."

"Sounds good," Buffy agreed.

"Where should we take them?" Lulu asked.

"Darla's old place," Spike said, "it's got cages, chains. All the necessary kit."

Buffy and Giles nodded in agreement.

As they left they met Xander on his way in and told him to go and wait at Giles'. When he tried to insist on going with them, Lulu flashed his fangs and he retreated. They approached the Summers' house in a vile mood.

"Just for the record, Slayer, I really like your Mum," Spike said,

"I wonder what sort of vampire she makes," Buffy said a little mournfully.

"Just knock her out, pet. She's bound to know your weak points. Nothing personal, but when they first rise vampires really hate those who were close to them."

She attempted to glare at him but failed.

When they approached the house, Spike was around the side and up the house and into the window in seconds. Buffy looked behind her and that saw Lulu had concealed herself beside the house. Taking a deep breath, Buffy went up to the door and knocked.

The door opened and Joyce stood there. Buffy felt her vampire alarm going off the scale. Joyce smiled and said, "Buffy, honey, this is a surprise."

"You didn't come to work. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, honey. I was busy. Hey, do you want some hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, that would be good."

She went in and closed the door behind her. As Joyce moved to the kitchen, Buffy's eyes scanned the place, looking for Travers. Her ears picked up a creaking behind the stairs. Travers. Had to be. She would leave him for Spike. She moved to the living room and sat down. Joyce looked back at her in annoyance. "Why don't you come into the kitchen, sweetie?"

"It'd be nicer to sit in here - seeing as we don't see each other that much," Buffy replied.

She thought she heard a low growl from her, but ignored it. Her ears picked up the almost inaudible movement of Spike at the top of the stairs.

She decided to provide a target and moved to the mantelpiece to fiddle with a knickknack. She heard her mother moving behind her and waited, timing her move. As soon as she felt her hands of her shoulders, she suddenly spun around and momentarily froze. Even her prior knowledge did not stop her shock at seeing her mother as a vampire, As Joyce tried to bite her, Buffy twisted away and punched her.

"That's not very dutiful, is it, Buffy?" Joyce spat. "But then you were never a very dutiful daughter."

"It's not gonna work," Buffy said as she punched again.

Joyce laughed and said, "If that's the best you can do, it's no wonder you're such a failure and a disappointment."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Travers creeping forward followed by a flash of black duster as Spike jumped him. Joyce had also noticed the movement and Buffy's distraction and took advantage of it to land a punch on her jaw which knocked Buffy to the ground. Buffy was back on her feet immediately and held up a stake menacingly. Then, as Travers was knocked out, Joyce felt the control over her fade and turned and rushed out through the back door before Buffy or Spike could grab her.

Buffy raced to the door, but Joyce was already gone. She saw Lulu and shouted, "Why didn't you stop her!"

"I was at the front. Take care of Travers. I'll see if I can track her."

"Don't kill her!" Buffy yelled after her.

Lulu rolled her eyes and nodded and took off after her. Buffy went back to the house. Spike had an unconscious Travers tied up. He grinned up at her. "One Watcher, trussed up and ready for roasting," he remarked. "Mum get away?"

She nodded and said, "Let's take him to Darla's warehouse."

Humming, Spike hefted him on his shoulder and they took off, stopping on the way to pick up Spike's car to stop his constant complaining about the live weight.

When they reached the place, Buffy grimaced at the dust and remarked, "Yuck."

"Good, still deserted then," he remarked, dumping Travers. "Can I torture him, ducks?"

"Not yet," she said. "I think we'll wait for Lulu. If he wakes up, knock him out again."

"With pleasure, Slayer."

They did not have long to wait for Lulu to arrive. Noticing Buffy's apprehensive look, she shook her head. "Lost her. We'll have to deal with her tomorrow."

"What if she kills someone?" Buffy asked with a tinge of hysteria in her voice.

"I think she'll find a place to hide because we're chasing her. She knows that you're the Slayer, after all. We'll have to worry about her tomorrow." She looked at Travers and nudged him with her foot. "Piece of shit," she muttered. She looked around and went over to test the cage and the chain from which it was suspended. It seemed to be sound. "Spike, tie him to the wall - spread-eagled."

"Now this is sounding more interesting," he said with appreciation. "Facing out?"

Lulu nodded and then turned to Buffy, "You can either leave or stay out of sight."

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because we're going to interrogate him and I doubt that you'll like it."

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Not yet," she replied, "but I don't want him to see you. I want to keep my options open. If you can't control yourself, then you should leave. Make sure your Mum doesn't decide to go snack on your Watcher."

She still looked uncertain, and then looked at Spike. Finally she steeled herself and said, "Okay," and spun and went out the door. On the way to Giles', she kept telling herself that he was a murderer anyway.

~~~~~~~~

Lulu turned to Spike and asked, "How much do you think they know about you?"

"That I helped the Slayer against Angelus. Might have seen me with Willow."

"Okay, we'll say that you were friendly with Joyce and you're now with me. Let's go for the aspiring vampire master wondering what a spare Watcher is doing in the Slayer's house and go from there."

"How much torture are we talking here?" he grinned, "Removal of bodily parts? Organs? Breakage?"

"Pain, Spike, lots of pain. But keep him in one piece. Possible bait, you know."

"Got it, pet. Oh, I've missed this sort of thing."

She went through Travers' pockets and removed his wallet and papers. Hissed when she touched a cross and removed the bottle of holy water.

"Let's wake him up, Spike."

Spike tested a faucet on the wall and half filled up a bucket of water and came back and through it in Travers' face and then started to slap him. He shook his head and said, "What?" He realised he was tied to the wall and stared in dismay at the pair of vampires in front of him.

Lulu swayed towards him and said, "Oh, look, Watcher's finally awake."

"Who are you?"

Lulu inhaled and grinned savagely. She could feel his fear - and loved it. "And you are," she saved his wallet, "Quentin Travers. Of the Council of Useless Watchers of Pestial Slayers." He swallowed as she moved closer, "Now, I have to ask myself, what is a Watcher doing at the Hellmouth without a Slayer to protest his sorry arse?"

"Just, just investigating."

Spike looked at him, "And at the Slayer's house too."

Travers remembered being jumped and demanded, "What were you ... how did you...?"

Lulu said, "He's a *close* friend of the Slayer's mother. Someone she thought he was good, silly moo."

"And what happens, mate? I go to pay a visit and what do I find? You, and then my protégé runs out of the house, followed by the Slayer. How the fuck did she get vamped? I really get narked when someone nicks what's mine. *I* was going to be her sire. Since she wasn't gnawing on her neck, you must be in the know here."

"I'm not saying anything," he stated defiantly.

Lulu produced a knife and sliced the buttons off his waistcoat and then split open his shirt. A flick of the knife cut through the tie. She ran the knife down his chest, grinning as he reflexively tried to pull away from the cold steel. "Really?" she purred. "It's so much more fun when one is forced to be persuasive. Otherwise it's so boring." She pushed the knife down the front of his trousers so that the steel was flat against his abdomen. There was a sharp intake of breath as she moved the blade a little lower.

Spike spoke out eagerly behind her, "Can we cut off bits now?"

"N-now wait a minute" Travers stammered, "What do you want to know?"

"How 'bout why you turned Joyce, sunshine?"

"I didn't turn her."

"If you hadn't had something to do with it, she would have made a meal of you."

"I used magic to protect myself."

"It's not very protective now, is it?" Lulu purred, stroking his neck with the knife.

"It was only for Mrs Summers," he squeaked.

"Why?" Spike demanded, "If she was going to be turned, it shoulda been me. So what's this protection? How did you do it?"

"I didn't. A sorcerer did."

"Who?" Lulu asked.

"He's called Zarins," he said.

"Where is he?"

"Left town. The spell was to repay his debt."

"Okay, we're back to why." When he didn't get an answer, Spike looked at Lulu, "Cat's got his tongue."

"Do you want his tongue?" she asked, flicking the knife and caressing with his cheek with it while she grinned at him.

Spike shrugged, "Maybe later." He looked around, "Now I know I left some spikes around here somewhere."

Travers swallowed hard again and said, "I'm sure we can come to a deal."

"Really?" Lulu said, undoing his belt and then dragging down his trousers. She was silent for a time and then chuckled, "I think the tongue is bigger."

Spike wandered back over, having located a spike and took a look. "You're probably right. Not really worth having, is it? Mind you, I always thought the Watchers were dickless wonders."

They both exploded in laughter. Travers was mortified. She lifted the object in question with the knife and remarked, "Someone doesn't get off on violence. Maybe he goes in for what we used to call le vice anglais."

"What, he's a mollie?"

"No, that's what the French call le vice allemande. Flagellation."

"A good whipping. Now, I'm always happy to deliver that."

"No," he squeaked as Spike produced a cat-o'-nine tails and checked the knots. "What do you want to know? Please! Not that."

"Why the Summers woman?"

"To take out the Slayer."

She made a clucking sound. "Now why would the Watchers want to take out a Slayer?"

"She's a renegade," he replied.

"For a renegade, she's killing a lot of our kind," she observed.

"She left the Council!"

"Bright girl," she remarked.

"Turning the bird doesn't seen a very clever plan, mate, even for you wankers," Spike observed. "One more vampire running around. A fledging anyone could dust against a well hard Slayer." He looked at Lulu, "Maybe inbreeding's beginning to show in the duffers?" He looked back at him, "Even her Watcher could take out a fledging."

"He's a renegade too," he protested.

"You mean he's gone over to the vampires?" Lulu asked innocently.

"No!"

"This is all very confusing, Spike," Lulu said.

"I say he's lying," Spike growled. "I say we flog the skin off him and see what's underneath."

"You may have a point. Not exactly a clever plan, but enough to be getting on with."

Spike cracked the whip as Lulu reached for Travers' wrist. "That's not the whole plan! It was just the first move!" he pleaded.

"What's next then?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I'm only second in command here."

"So who's in charge then?" she asked. "There aren't more of you plonkers running around the Hellmouth, are there?"

"I can't tell you," he said pitifully. "I'm not allowed."

Spike put the whip down and they both untied him and flipped him around and retied him. Lulu slit his jacket, waistcoat and shirt from the back and then slit the shoulders so that they fell off. "Please!" he pleaded.

She nodded at Spike, who prompted brought the whip down on Travers' backside. After five lashes, she nodded for him to stop. She rubbed in finger in one bleeding welt and leant against the wall and licked her finger critically. "I've tasted better," she remarked.

"Please," he pleaded.

"Are we more talkative then?"

"Gordon Carey."

"Ah," she said, "your superior. Who is?"

"A Watcher."

"High Council?" she asked.

"I-I don't know," he said.

She nodded to Spike and he delivered three more lashes. "How's the memory now?" she asked

"Yes," he sobbed.

"Yes, High Council?" she repeated.

"Yes," he sobbed.

"I take it they have other plans for the Slayer."

"Yes," he repeated.

"What?"

"I don't know. No, no more!" he pleaded. "I really don't. He hasn't told me."

"Well," she said, "we'll see.

She released him and Spike picked him up and tossed him into the cage and locked it. Then he raised it up on the chain. Travers looked down at them through the bars. "Are you going to leave me here to starve?" he asked in a pitful tone.

She stuck a bottle of water through the bars. "That should be enough to be getting on." She looked at Spike and they walked out together, locking the door behind them.

"That was fun," Spike said, "I miss that sort of thing."

"Becoming rather tame these days, are you, Spike?"

"Shut your gob, bitch."

She chuckled. "Let's go see the others."

****

When they arrived back at Giles' place, there was an extremely agitated Buffy pacing the floor like a caged tiger - an enraged caged tiger. Willow was steadfastly chewing her nails while Giles was sharpening his weapons, a grim look on his face.

When she saw Spike, Willow fairly flew to his arms. "Did you ... you didn't ... I mean, did you ..." she spluttered.

"He's still alive and in one piece," he replied, "a somewhat painful piece."

"So colour me so not upset about his pain," Buffy said.

Giles carefully put the weapon down and said, "I assume you have some information for us."

"Welcome to the game," Lulu grinned.

"I would prefer information," he said sternly.

Lulu sat on a chair and crossed her legs and studied the ceiling for a moment. "Let's see," she began "the mum was Travers' idea. Not a very bright one, as far as I can see. He's not in charge. Someone from the High Council is. So you can expect more fun and games from the boys in grey."

"Who?" Giles asked.

"Gordon Carey," she replied. He raised an eyebrow and she said, "Serious, huh?"

"What else?" he asked.

"They have further plans, which include you."

He started to slowly pace. Willow and Buffy looked at each other and mouthed "Uh-oh." He said, "Do we know whether it's possible to ensoul Mrs Summers? Or if there's some magic to prevent it?"

She shook her head and said, "We didn't want to let on that we're working with the Slayer."

Buffy said, "Well, then I'll go and ask."

Lulu put her hand out to stop her. "I was going to suggest that the witch go with Spike. They probably know that they're together and Willow can play the indignant friend."

"Play?" Willow snorted, "I *am* the indignant friend."

"But I think he should stew for a little first."

Xander said, "When you say 'stew', I hope you're not being literal."

"Now there's an idea," Spike said.

"Not literal then," Xander said. He looked at Giles still pacing slowly and said, "So what do they do next? Vamp one of us?"

Giles shook his head and said, "That was probably just Travers' little scheme."

"So what then?" he asked.

"If it's the High Council, then magic is a distinct possibility," he replied.

Buffy said, "Wait a minute. I thought that was a no-no. They threw Gwendolyn Post out for magic."

"Did they?" he asked. "that's what they said they did."

"You mean," Willow said, "mad psychotic lady was part of this High Counci?."

"Possibily," he said, "or a candidate for it. We'll never know, I suppose. But it's well-known that they know a lot of magic. The logic is that they will be the last bastion in case the demons start winning."

"Great," Xander said, "just great. A lot of scary guys with lots of magic and lots of fire power. Great."

Giles looked a little pale, "I'm inclined to agree with you. This is not going to be easy."

Buffy said, "Relax, Giles, we dealt with the Taraka." She looked at Spike and her eyes narrowed, "Which was you, wasn't it."

"Well, no worries about them. They have an unfulfilled contract with me for you, so they won't take out a second one on the same target. Unethical."

"Assassins are worried about being unethical?" Xander asked in astonishment.

"So no Taraka," Buffy said. "Just the Council."

Giles said, "I don't think 'just' is the operative word." He noticed that Lulu didn't look her usual confident self. "Is this game not up to your standards then?" He asked.

"I'm not much on the magic bit," she replied with a shrug.

"Well," Giles said, "it seems that we're winging it at the moment."

He noticed that they were all looking to him for instructions. Bloody great, he thought, dump all the responsibility on me. Buffy was unsettled because she had nothing to fight.

He said, "Willow, you see what you can find out about what they actually did. Take Xander home on the way. I don't want you or Xander outside on your own. Ring for a lift if you need one. Understood?" They nodded. He looked at Lulu, "You still have the Travers girl?" When she nodded, he said, "What are you planning on going with her?"

"Keeping her for the moment. I got her a telly. She's fed. Not to worry."

"All right. We'll meet again tomorrow, as early as possible."

"And me?" Buffy asked.

"Stay here until we find out about Joyce and if we're going to have to go looking for her."

"She may turn up here," Lulu said.

He sighed as they all headed out the door, and sat down and started to rub his face. Buffy slipped behind him on the sofa and started to massage his shoulders. He grunted in pleasure as she kneaded his tense muscles. Neither of them spoke. He closed his eyes as she continued to massage his shoulders, relaxing into the welcomed pressure. Then she started to massage his temples and he completely relaxed, letting the worries ebb into the distance for a moment.

She kissed the top of his head. He smiled and then said, "I should be comforting you."

"Well, at the moment it's all on your shoulders, isn't it?" He was silent, "What are they going to do now?"

"Probably something involving magic. I may have to call some favours in. But I really need someone on the ground to help. There's no telling what they'll attempt. Buffy."

"What?"

"I don't want you patrolling alone."

"Why not?"

"In case you run into magic."

He moved forward as she slipped down behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She murmured into his shirt, "We'll beat the baddies. Give Mom a soul. Send the Council packing."

"I hope so," he said. "The High Council's a bit of mystery. All experts in magic - supposedly the last line of defence to protect the Council. Answerable to no one. Buffy, it's not going to be easy."

"Is it ever? Well, at least I get to stay with you again."

***

After they dropped off Xander, Spike and Willow went back to the warehouse. Lulu had briefed her on what had line to take with Travers and she stayed outside while Spike and Willow went in.

As her eyes fell on the cage, she swallowed hard. Travers was lying curled up on his side and the welts were evident on his bare back. She looked crossly at Spike who shrugged unrepentantly. He banged the door shut and Travers slowly turned over and looked at him. He saw Spike and shuddered, but looked more hopeful when he saw Willow.

He crawled over to the side of the cage and said, "Please, tell him to let me go."

Willow steeled herself. This man was the one who had put Buffy through the test which nearly got her and her mother killed, the man who had fired Giles, the man who had a part in pushing Faith over the edge, the man who deliberately had killed Buffy's mother and had her vamped. She didn't feel very merciful. She stated in a dangerous tone, "You had Buffy's mother killed."

"Well... I'm sorry. But it was necessary."

"And turned into a vampire. You're meant to be destroying vampires, not making more of them!"

He sagged a little.

"And why didn't she kill you?" she demanded.

"A spell, done by a sorcerer, to give me control."

"That's a picture, pet," Spike said, "Watchers with pet vampires. Were you planning to take her for walkies or did you want to shag her?"

"No, no, no... it seemed a good idea," he finished miserably.

"Here's the next question," Willow said." What other magic did you do on? Something to stop a soul restoration?"

He nodded miserably and she spat, "You miserable despicable nasty ... I can't think of anything bad enough!"

"Total cunt?" Spike suggested, "Spineless shitbag? Wanking tossbag?"

"How do you reverse it?" she asked.

"Reverse?" he asked in befuddlement. "The protection spell will wear off."

"The non-soul-restoration part."

"The same time. They're tied together."

Willow turned to walk out and Travers said, "You're not going to leave me here? You can't!"

"I think you should stay put until Mrs Summers gets her soul back. If she and Buffy have to suffer, so should you."

"Nooo!" he shouted as the door slammed.

Spike put his arm around her. "Good show, Red!"

When they got outside, Spike got hold of Willow and pushed her onto the hood of the car.

"What?" she asked.

"That's made me randy as Hell," he growled. "Can't you see I'm gagging for it?

"What is it with you vampires and violence?"

"We're violent beasties, Red," he grumbled, pulling up her skirt. She giggled and said, a little weakly, "Spike, someone might come!"

"Sod 'em," he said, "they bother us and they're history."

He reached up and tore her panties off and she gasped at the feel of cool air just before his even colder cock entered her. He grabbed a wrist in each hand and stretched them out above her head and to the sides, growling as he pumped into her. She gasped again as she felt his mouth descend on her neck and suck at the skin over her throbbing vein. Incoherency was rapidly approaching as her legs flailed about as she helplessly tried and failed to something to brace her feet against. Oh God, she thought, I'm going to be so sore tomorrow.

She finally had to wrap her legs around him as it was the only part of it her free to move. As soon as she did so, she felt Spike growl against her neck and increase his pace. Sensory overload finally reached, she screamed, "Spiiike!" and Spike roared as he came at the sound of her cry. He released her hands and nuzzled her neck contentedly, like some great cat. Willow finally got her breath, deeply relieved that they hadn't had an audience.

They did, however, have an audience. Lulu was watching from darkness, grinning. How ever did Spike manage to do that and not bite her?, she said to herself. When they eventually disentangled themselves and got into the car, Lulu let herself into the warehouse. Travers was whimpering in his cage. He visibly cringed when he saw her.

She came up and pushed the cage slightly so that it swung in the air. "Whatever should I do with, you snivelling pompous piece of shit?" she asked.

The only response was a whimper.

She wondered about killing him, but decided that it could wait. He hadn't suffered nearly enough. She moved behind him and grabbed his hair through the bars and cracked his head against them.

As he slumped against the bars, she lowered the cage and opened it. She dragged him out of the cage and rolled him on his back and then sat down on his abdomen, straddling him. She slapped one, twice and the third time he started to come round. He opened his eyes and looked into her glittering yellow ones.

"No, please..." he mumbled.

She bent forward bringing her face down to his, grinding her lower body against his. "You really are worthless now. No one's interested in rescuing you," she hissed, "and you've probably been lying to my old friend, Spike." He bent and scrapped his neck with her fangs. "So you're not of much use, are you?"

"No, no, I don't know what they'll do. The Summers woman was my idea. I wanted to impress them. Please!"

She suddenly sunk her fangs into his shoulder which caused him to scream. She licked the wound and said, "A screamer. I taste fear and a little magic." She looked at him in the face again and added, "If I drain you, will that end your little magic trick?"

"No, no, no, it ends tomorrow night - at sunrise."

She worried the wound on his shoulder with her tongue and then said, "I think that's the truth."

He exhaled. "Do you have any children to mourn your departure?" she asked casually.

"No," he replied.

"Liar!" she spat and then asked in a sly tone, "Don't you want to do a trade? You're not exactly in your prime."

A cunning look came into his face and he said hopefully, "I've got a daughter. She's in L.A. I could arrange a trade."

A look of utter disgust crossed her face and he felt alarmed. She brought her face close to him again and spat, "You Are. Disgusting. Lower than a bog demon."

She picked up his hand and snapped a finger and he screamed. She snapped another and he sobbed. She whispered in his ear, "It's a pity I don't have time to met out the punishment you deserve. It will have to wait because it will take a *very* long time. By the way, I don't believe I ever mentioned my name, did I? It's Lulu. Perhaps you've heard of me." She bit the lobe of his ear, tearing it. Then she tossed him back into the cage and raised it up again, turned on her heel and left.

Gordon Carey was in the study awaiting the report of a junior Watcher. As still there had been no word from Quentin Travers. Carey had reached the conclusion that he had failed. All of Travers' somewhat quaint vampire-related schemes never worked. You could never rely on the creatures, not to mention how distasteful it was to actually use them. As Travers hadn't returned, he was probably dead. Not much of a loss, really. At far as he could see, he had failed quite badly in his handling of the situation. He would not be missed. He frowned, unless the daughter made a fuss. Well, if she got in contact, he'd simply have her told that he had to go back to England on business. If she was back on drugs, she could be arrested and anything she said about vampires would be put down to drug-induced psychosis. He rang a bell.

The young Watcher came in and stood nervously to attention.

"Thomson."

"Sir."

"Report?"

"Still no word at all from Travers, sir. And the Summers girl is still alive."

"And her mother?"

"Nowhere to be seen, sir."

"Well, perhaps Travers has been devoured by his own creation. Thank you, Thomson."

And there was always the possibility that he had been turned, Carey thought. Or captured. And that simply wouldn't do. Travers had failed. And he knew too much. Not enough to be actually dangerous, but enough to pose a serious annoyance and inconvenience.

He stood up and crossed the room. Unlocking a cupboard he removed a small male doll and checked the label. Q.T. He relocked the cupboard and went into a large walk-in closet which contains a makeshift altar and lit the candles. After checking the positon of a bronze platter in the centre, he placed the doll on it and intoned the necessary spell. Taking a long wooden skewer, he heated the sharp point in a candle and then ran in through the doll in the spot where the heart would be located.

Back in the cage, Travers suddenly clutched at his chest, gasped in agony and stopped breathing.

Carey blew out the candle and said, "Well, that's one loose end taken care of."

****

After sunset, Lulu went out with a wary Slayer to look for Joyce. She still neither liked nor trusted Lulu, especially given the looks she kept directing at Giles. It had occurred to Buffy that they should check out the mansion since she knew that Joyce had been there before. As they approached the mansion, Lulu said, "You go in first. I'll follow."

"Why?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"Because she doesn't know about me which will give me the element of surprise if it's needed. We'll have play it by ear. I'm assuming you don't want to simply slay her?"

Buffy said quietly, "No."

"Fine. In my plan, we capture her, knock her out, and take her back to the warehouse." She smiled, "We could even give her Travers for dinner."

Buffy snapped, "I don't want her killing people."

"But he had her killed. It would only be fair."

"Did they really expect her to kill me?" Buffy asked unhappily.

Lulu shrugged, "They could hope. And if you killed her, you would be weakened by guilt, remorse - all that boring human stuff. That would make it easier for them to take you out."

Buffy looked grim and said, "Let's just catch her first."

"Fine."

Buffy went into the mansion and looked around cautiously. Joyce quietly stepped out of the shadows, "Oh look, the ungrateful daughter. Come to kill your Mom, then? Buffy, after all I've done for you, how could you even contemplate murdering me?"

"Mom, listen to me, everything will be all right," Buffy said.

"Will it? When? When you put a stake in my heart? This probably would never have happened if you'd been normal. Normal daughters don't murder their mothers."

"It's not my fault I'm the Slayer!" she protested.

"But that's why I'm dead. Is it my fault then?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then it's Mr. Giles' fault? Your precious Watcher who's sleeping with you? Who slept with me? Perhaps he arranged this to get me out of the way."

"It's nothing to do with him!" she protested.

All the time Joyce was slowly getting closer, but not in a direct line. "How can you sleep with him after he had sex with me? Isn't that a little kinky?" She pointed at the manacles, "Perhaps you and Angel got up to some kinkiness as well."

"No! Angel was only the once and not here. Angel was a mistake!"

"A big mistake. How many people died because of your mistake?"

"I didn't know it would happen! He didn't know either!"

Noticing her agitation, Joyce crept closer and said, "So what about Giles and me? Were you jealous?"

"That was the chocolate. Neither of you were responsible!"

"No, he wanted something younger, I suppose. Or perhaps Watchers always sleep with their Slayers - and he never told you until he got you between the sheets."

"Stop it!"

"You know one of the advantages of being a vampire, dear? One can speak the truth without worrying about the consequences."

"This has nothing to do with Giles. It's the Council."

"Oh really? And if he hadn't been so close to you, you would still be with the Council, wouldn't you?"

"No, I'd be dead and you would have already been dead before ... this."

"You can't give me a soul, you know. Part of the magic. And you can't kill me either, can you? You were always pathetically weak. You let your boyfriend run riot while you moped."

"Mum, stop it!"

Suddenly Joyce jumped at her and they fell to the ground struggling. Joyce got on top of her and strained to reach her neck. Buffy was weakening, finding it difficult to bring herself to hurt Joyce. He tried to twist her neck away. The problem was resolved when Lulu crashed a bat against Joyce's head, knocking her out. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and got up.

Lulu looked at her, "I thought you'd be used to vampires using guilt as a weapon after Angelus."

"It doesn't get easier," Buffy said. "Especially when part of it is true."

"Only seems true."

Lulu put Joyce on her shoulder and said, "Let's go re-introduce the pillock to his creation. Should be interesting when the spell wears off."

Buffy and Lulu walked in silence. "You all right, Slayer?" Lulu asked.

"Who's next?" Buffy asked.

"I shall be extremely disappointed in myself if they score another success. I hate failure."

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked.

"A shot at the High Council. Who could resist?"

"A lot of vampires. What is this obsession? You weren't a Slayer, were you?"

"No," she replied.

"Why then?"

"My sister was a Slayer."

"I take it she didn't survive the test."

"No, and I'm not going to talk about it anymore at this point."

They approached the warehouse and Buffy unlocked it. Lulu checked Joyce who was still unconscious.

Buffy said, "You really clobbered her. Is she going to be all right?"

"Slayer, she's a vampire. She'll be fine."

They walked in and Lulu said, "Oi, Watcher! Look what's we're brought! A chicken coming home to roost!"

There was no answer. Buffy walked over to cage, wincing at the sight of the wounds. Travers' eyes were wide open and fixed in a dead stare. "You killed him!" she shouted.

"Don't be ridiculous. He was fine when I left him."

"Then Spike killed him! I knew I couldn't trust you vampires!"

"He wouldn't."

She checked Joyce again and then put her down. She lowered the cage and opened it, dragging Travers out. "Definitely dead," she observed. "But no fatal injuries or bites."

Buffy looked down and asked tentatively, "Bad heart?"

Lulu looked closely at him. "Heart is right, But look at his chest."

Buffy looked and saw a purplish black mark over the heart. "What's that?"

"Magic. Looks like the Council decided he was expendable. Nice to know that the principle of expendability extends to their own."

"You mean the Council killed him - by magic?"

She nodded and said, "let's put Joyce in the cage until your witch can do her thing."

They put Joyce in the cage, locked it and raised it up.

"What about him?" Buffy said, pointing at the corpse.

"We'll leave him for the moment. It might be possible to trace the magic using magic of our own. Besides," she added, looking at the cage, "she might appreciate it."

Buffy said, "If he's dead, can we do the curse now?"

"Best leave it until the magic's definitely worn off."

"What do I do now?"

"I suggest you go inform you delectable Watcher about what's happened while I wait here. I do hate surprises." She nudged him with her foot and with mock regret, "And I had such plans for him."

Buffy grimaced but restrained her urge to stake the vampiress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles was alone in his apartment, poring over the Watcher diaries which Wesley had left, trying to find and indication of what the Council might try or how to reach those at the top and getting nowhere fast. As he picked up another volume, there was a knock at the door. When he went to the door looked out through the view port, couldn't believe his eyes.

He flung open the door and grabbed his visitor by the throat. "You frigging wanker. What are you doing here?"

"Rupert, you really are glad to see me!" Ethan grinned just before he started to choke as Giles' hand tightened on his throat.

"Are you a part of this?" he asked threateningly.

"Can we talk, old boy? I'm actually here to help," he managed to squeak.

Giles snorted in derision, but let go of his throat. Ethan came in, rubbing his neck. "I'm waiting, Ethan," he said dangerously.

"I know Zarins. He told me what's happening."

"And?"

"Look, Rupert, I'm actually here to help."

"You? Help? Now there's a contradiction in terms!"

"Well, if the wankers on the Council kill you, who will I have to pester? Not to mention the fact that stopping them will give me a bit of a reputation, a sort of cachet among possible clients. I could put in my C.V." As Giles glared at him, he said, "Admit it, Rupert, you need all the help you can get."

"Help, yes," he replied, "treachery, no. I don't want to have to watch my back."

"Rupert, I helped you last time!" His smile turned to a slight leer, "Not that I would mind watching your back."

Giles looked exasperated and said, "The only reason you helped was because I would have emasculated you if you hadn't."

"And Zarins might do something nasty to me. this time."

Giles raised an inquiring eyebrow. Ethan continued, "He didn't like being co-opted into their scheme. He owed them, but expected that the repayment would be something worthy of his talents. He found their methods ... sordid."

"So why not undo it?"

"That's why he sent me."

Giles sat down and eyed Ethan and then said, "You're a little late. We know about the spell. And that we have to wait to do the curse."

"Ah, you got hold of the scumbag Travers?"

Giles nodded and said, "We've got him."

Ethan said, "Then there'll be something else from the High Council - possibly magic."

Giles nodded again.

"Which is why I'm here," Ethan said, "for the magic."

Giles said sarcastically, "So you get a bit of a buzz as well?"

"Well, there's that. And, as I said, if those pillocks take you out, who will I have to torment?"

Giles looked hard at him and decided that this was a case of any port in a storm. Then he said, "All right, Ethan, but if there's the slightest hint of treachery from you, you'll find that your voice goes up several octaves."

Ethan grimaced and said, "Understood."

They were both startled by the door opening and Buffy rushing in. "Giles, they ..." She spotted Ethan and fairly screeched, "What is *he* doing here?"

"Offering my services, my dear," Ethan said cheerfully.

"Services?" she s