Title: Slayer Central chapter 27
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.



Spike turned his head in surprise. Nobody had come to see him in his room the last couple days.

"What do you want, Peaches?"

"Oh, just to have a little chat."

The blonde vampire regarded his Sire warily.

"Angelus?"

"Now why would you think that? I haven't been that happy in a long time."

"Then why are you grinning like the sodding Cheshire Cat?"

"Because I've discovered something, Spike. Being a vampire isn't so bad after all."

"Is it someone you ate?"

"Still on the pig's blood. Well, actually, I can't say that for sure. You never know what Willy's serving. Could've been baboon or meercat or maybe even weasel for all I know."

"Hang on a minute; are you saying you drank at Willy's Place last night?"

Angel grinned and nodded.

"Yeah. And then I went with a cute little blonde back to her crypt. Guess what? I can have cheap, meaningless sex!"

The darker vampire laughed.

"Goodie for you, Peaches. Your mummy will be so proud."

In a flash, the laughter was gone.

"Oh, and Spike? I'd get out of here before daylight if I was you."

"Why?"

"Because Giles isn't too happy about that black eye you gave him - not that it isn't decorative, but, well, you know how he gets."

"Ooooh, you got me ready to piss myself in fear and alarm."

Spike laughed as he lit a cigarette and sat on the bed.

"Look, Peaches, he's had dozens of chances to stake me good and proper and he won't do it. Neither will Slutty. I think I'll take my chances."

"Then you're an idiot, Spike. He may not do anything himself, but he's called Riley. Those Initiative scientists will be here within the week. And guess what? These aren't the ones who made your chip, so they probably won't have a clue what they're doing. They're gonna scramble your brains until you don't know which way is up. But if you don't care about that...."

Spike swallowed hard.

"Bloody hell," he whispered.

"Yeah, that's about what it'll be: bloody and hellish. I might just stick around for the show. I love to see Buffy smile."

*****

"Anya!" Buffy giggled.

"Oh come on, Buffy, you said truth and now you have to answer," Anya reiterated impatiently.

"But I didn't know you were going to ask how my husband is in bed!"

"It's a legal question," Cordelia ruled. "You have to answer or you're out of the game and we know you're a big chicken."

Willow made clucking noises in the background. Buffy threw a pillow at her.

"Okay, okay! He's...great, okay, and that's all I'm saying."

"But I wanted details."

"Well you're not getting any."

"That's rude," Cordelia asserted, "seeing that you're the only one who got any tonight."

"Hey, not my fault and not my problem."

Buffy laughed and ducked as a barrage of pillows flew at her from all sides.

*****

"He did what?!"

"I promise you, he did."

Giles shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Are you quite sure, Wesley?"

"I think I can tell when someone is licking my neck."

"See? This is what I've been saying all along, guys: Deadboy is bad news."

"Oh do be quiet, Xander."

Giles replaced his glasses.

"It's just...I've seen no sign of odd behavior on his part. He's been patrolling every night, and has been quite protective of Buffy. If Angelus had manifested, we would probably all be dead already."

"I don't think this is Angelus," Wesley ventured. "But he isn't Angel, either."

"Angel, Angelus, it's the same corpse," Xander said. "When are we going to get it through our heads that it's not safe having vampires around - even ones with supposed souls?"

"Perhaps you'd best stay the night here, Wesley."

"I'd appreciate that, Giles, thank you."

"What? Are we gonna leave the girls all unprotected with an insane, homicidal bloodsucker in the house?" Xander couldn't believe his ears.

"No, we are not going to leave the ladies unprotected."

Giles took a stake from his weapons chest and handed it to Xander.

"Stand guard over Cordelia's door and try not to let them know you're there. I don't want Buffy upset without a damn good reason. In the meantime, I'm going to have a bit of a chat with Angel."

He slid a stake into the pocket of his robe smoothly and was out the door before either of the others could say another word.

Wesley took up another stake and followed Xander to Cordelia's door.

*****

Giles walked into the living room just as Angel came in the front door.

"Angel. How was patrol?"

The vampire shook his head.

"Still nothing. This has me worried, Giles. Somebody should be out hunting by this time."

"When is the next blood shipment?"

"There was one last night. No action."

"None? None at all?"

"I'm as confused as you. Have you found anything in your research?"

"Not yet, though I must admit I've left most of that in Wesley's hands of late. Still, if he'd found anything, he would have let us know."

Angel shook his head.

"I dunno, Giles. Wes...he's trying really hard, but even at the best of times, he's not the researcher you are. And then this whole thing with Cordelia...you know I wouldn't say a word against the guy, but I think he's starting to lose it a little bit."

*****

Spike took one last look around the room. He'd brought nothing with him, and had only stolen a few small items to perk up whatever crypt he found to hide in. Still, he might have left something useful; maybe even something that would be particularly amusing to take.

The basement had little in it. The only thing it had ever really had to recommend it was the fact that it was away from Puker and Harm.

That and the fact he'd gotten to see Buffy every day.

Still, if the nancy boy tin soldiers were after him, Spike knew it was more important to leave than to moon over a bird he could never have anyway.

He was perplexed, however, that Angel had warned him.

Not Angel. Not really.

But whoever the hell it was looked and sounded like Angel...except that he was far too cheerful.

He wasn't outright evil, like Angelus, but he wasn't a broody goody- two-shoes like the Great Poofini, either.

Still, Spike had no time to worry about that. While it was an interesting puzzle, it wasn't his business. He had a skin to save: his own.

"Right. I guess this is it, then."

Slinging a small bundle of odds and ends over his shoulder, the vampire headed out the basement door and into the night.

*****

Angel smiled to himself as he took up his sketchpad. Really, for a smart guy, Giles was awfully gullible sometimes. All it had taken was a wide eyed stare of innocence and a few well-placed words to make him think the real danger was Wesley.

Just like dear father.

Liam had been the cause of two serving wenches being sent away to have their bastards in the country before his father had begun to suspect who had corrupted them.

It was a pity to make Wesley suffer any more than he had to, but if there was a choice to be made...

Angel liked his own skin a deal more than Wesley's when it came down to it.

*****

Wesley and Xander tiptoed to the door of Cordelia's room and settled themselves to stand guard. At first they remained quiet, not wanting to startle the girls. After a while, though, they realized from the amount and volume of laughter emanating from the other side of the door, there was no way for the girls to hear what was going on in the hall.

"What do you think they're discussing in there?"

Xander shot the former Watcher a disgusted look.

"What do you think? Us. We're being dissected in there."

"You and I?"

"Well, yeah. Probably Giles, too. And every other guy that any girl in that room has ever dated in their lives. Angel, Oz, even Buffy's dad. We're being compared."

Wesley swallowed hard.

"Good heavens. Compared...? You don't mean...? Do you?"

Xander shrugged.

"By now, they're probably comparing that, too."

"Oh dear."

*****

Buffy held her hands apart and viewed the distance critically. She widened the span another inch.

"About like that."

Cordelia's jaw dropped.

"No way! That's huge!"

Anya stared straight ahead.

"I would never have thought that Giles would have such a big one."

Willow wrinkled her forehead in consternation.

"Wow...um...doesn't that...y'know, hurt?"

"Well, duh!" Buffy assented. "What good is a custom stake if it doesn't hurt the vamps?"


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