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Chapter 16


It had only been a couple of days since the move to the mansion, but Joyce had somehow got it looking more like home. Everyone had started to feel more comfortable and old ghosts were laid to rest.There were more important this to worry about and that's what they all did, worry.
Raithe had made his presence felt and most of the demons that lived ,or unlived , on the hellmouth were leaving.Buffy and Spike patrolled together but rarely found anything but fledgling vamps. They stopped by to see Clem and found him packing up his crypt in a rush to leave town.He stood hunched over his box of mewling kittens and had said the one thing that had stuck in Buffy's head, " Sorry guys, I know you'll do your best, but this new guy, he's bad news, worse than your god, I wanna stick around, but, I don't want to be kibbles and bits either, good luck man, uh, see ya ". And he left, waving furiously from his VW beetle , arms flapping in the breeze.
Buffy saw the look of panic that shot across Spikes face, however brief it may have been and it agrivated her no end. Buffy Summers never lost a fight and somehow she always saved the world. They needed to deal with this guy and deal now, waiting til he had yet another victim was just stupid, what if Giles had it wrong? Buffy made a choice there and then to find this Raithe and get this over with, tonight.No more keeping him in a rock in the hellmouth, no more waiting, Raithe was going to die.

Spike could see the cogs going round in her head and knew it was bad, after what Clem had said, he knew that Buffy was now growing impatient and was thinking up something rash. He would have to keep a close eye on her, this girl had a tendency to rush in and fight without thought of her own safety, which may have worked in the past, Raithe was tough, tougher than her past foes and she would need all the help she could get. Spike was not about to lose his girl to some ugly mother or her own stupidity. He would talk to the gang later and let them know what he suspected and see if they can hurry up and get their parts done, He would do his part and keep Buffy alive.


Buffy saw a figure go into a mausoleum and ran over, stake raised and attacked , before Spike could reach her though, she came literally flying out through the stained glass window, landing on her ass, in front of Spike. He helped her up and checked her over, minor cuts and what he thought would be a nice bruise come tomorrow morning.
Spike switched to game face and with a swirl of leather, stormed into the mausoleum.

"Nobody touches my woman!"

Buffy sat nursing her bruised ass a while longer before getting up and following her vampire back into the creepy building. The sound of fists on skin could be heard amongst the growls and roars of her lover.

It was Raithe.


The Warlock didn't physically touch her , he had thrown her using powers that emanated from his fingertips. Now he was pummelling Spike with fists . His powers are fluctuating, not stable, the thought came from nowhere and she had no idea how she knew that. Buffy jumped into the fight and kept her punches aimed at his head. Spike and Buffy finally had the Warlock up against the wall and barely conscious. Once Raithe slumped to the floor, Spike hurled the Warlock over his shoulder, looked back at Buffy and smiled.

"Don't you bloody do that to me again!"
"It's not like I knew it was him " she half yelled back at him "It's not like he wore a sign saying 'evil warlock ask me how' is it!"
"Sometimes Summers your insufferable"
"Cos your so easy to get on with" she raised her brows at him and smirked. "So, what we gonna do with him?"
"Take him back to the mansion and get Red and the covern to sort him out tonight I guess"
"Sounds like a plan"
"Then I plan on giving you a bloody stiff......."
"Can't wait " she interrupted and then walked ahead at speed , smiling .
"Hey wait up Slayer.. this ponce is bloody heavy!"


Giles walked to the door and opened it as Spike walked through with Raithe over his shoulders, Buffy followed him in and shut the door. Spike immediately took the Warlock down into the basement and locked him up in heavy duty chains. Giles, Buffy and Willow came down the stairs and into the basement just as he locked the last chain.

"What the hell are you two doing, what were you thinking?" Giles yelled.
Spike looked up "Wha's it look like Watcher, we caught the soddin bad guy an' now we thought tha' gettin' rid of him would be a good idea, Best get Red and the covern ready, don' think we can wait til the bloke wakes an' starts with the abracadabra's , do you?"

Giles huffed , rubbed his forehead and went in search of Willow, he took his cell phone and dialled the covern. Trust Buffy and Spike to rush in. He just hoped that it would turn out to alright. Trusting Buffy when he knew that Spike was always in the equation now, would be hard and this little stunt wasn't helping.

Willow must have heard the commotion and guessed what was happening downstairs as she was gathering the items needed when Giles knocked on at her door. She breezed passed him and went down to the basement immediately.The first spell she cast was an enchantment of the chains that bound Raithe, she strengthened them against magic and physical strength. She also drained any power that he had, so that there couldn't be any surprises. As she concluded her second spell, her eyes turned onyx black and she smelt the sulphuric ash that filled her . The magic she had ingested from Raithe would have to channelled back into the earth in a ritual later, but for now she could use his power against him, or that is what the covern had said.
Everyone hoped they were right.

The covern were in contact with Giles and he joined everyone in the basement. The covern and Willow talked and synchronised their voices and chanted the binding spell that would trap Raithe in the rock and place it in the mouth of hell. Willow felt the surge of power in every cell, every atom of her being. Slowly , rock formed at his feet and gradually materialised up his legs and crept up his torso. His screams and plea's echoed around the room, Willow felt the power surging from her and encase the Warlock. The rock grew thicker and was encasing him from his chest down, making it hard for him to breathe. Every breath he took meant the rock strangled his ribcage, preventing him from screaming now.Rock formed up his neck and along his chin, his last words were of vengeance , finally the rock snapped around his head and thickened .

Willow chanted a different spell and the rock blinked out of existence and Willow collapsed. Giles took the phone and spoke to the covern leader . She assured him that Willow would be fine and that she wouldn't suffer any ill effects from the magic, dark or otherwise.

"If only the Watchers Council was this easy to get rid of" Spike whispered
"What should we do about them?" Buffy asked Giles
"I have no idea as of yet. They haven't arrived in force yet, until then we shall have to wait until they show us their cards Buffy" he replied
"Jus' bloody hope we got an ace up our sleeve then won't we Watcher" Spike raised a scarred brow at him.
"Trust me Spike we do, we really do"
"An' that would be?"
"You"
"An how the hell did you work that one out?" Spike sounded a little pissed off, he was nobody's pawn.

"Can we get out of here now?" Buffy asked , a touch of exhaustion in her voice
"I think we need to go over all the information we have regarding the Council" Giles walked up the stairs, not looking back at the rest of the faces that watched his back , sighing.

Spike watched Buffy slump into the couch and Willow threw herself next to her, Buffy put her legs up on Willows lap and yawned.

"Do we really have to do this now? The girls are knackered and M'not exactly full of beans myself, what are the wankers going to do overnight? "
"You've made your point and I can see that the girls are tired. I guess that they should go and get some rest. They won't be any good if they are worn out. Take them home and please, Spike? Be careful!"

Spike nudged the girls back to consciousness and took then home. Once he had dropped Willow off, he pulled Buffy to him and nuzzled into her neck.

"We best get back. Mum will be worried 'bout you"
"Yeah, wait til we tell her that the latest threat has been dealt with though, she'll be okay. I'm really beat, will you be going back to the house tonight or the crypt?"
"Crypt, it's closer to you, now get that gorgeous arse up to that house and into bed, I'll come by the Magic Box tomorrow "

Buffy sighed , it was getting harder each day, to watch him walk away and to not have him by her side.

Four Months Later

Spike has had to run an errand for Giles


"Only two more weeks to go, you must be getting nervous"

Buffy scanned the Bronze for the vamp that she could sense . She smiled at Willow and nodded , Xander came back to the table with Anya , both were laughing.

"I am, just you know, I'm going to be marrying Spike, and the Council still haven't done anything yet. I can't help but be worried"
"We know, I doubt they will do anything, and Giles and I did that spell , the second they do anything we'll know"

Buffy felt the tingle and watched as the vamp lead a girl out the back door of the Bronze.
"Be right back guys, job to do" she nodded towards the vamp and ran off

"She really doesn't know yet?" Xander asked
Willow shook her head "How do you tell someone that the man they're s'posed to marry in less than two weeks , has been captured by the Watchers Council and that her Watcher is the one that did it. "
"But he only did it cos they were going to kill both of them" Xander looked into his lap and sighed "I mean it was him or Buffy, what do you think Spike would have said or done?"
"We all know he would have chosen to die and left Buffy alive , but don't you see, that proves how much he loves her and how much he's changed, can't Giles and the rest of the Council members see that?" Anya said angrily
"Anya all they see is demon , they don't care, they never have. Angel was close to death and they knew that he had a soul and that he was working for the almighty powers, they didn't help Buffy then either and she put her life at risk to save him"
"Are you saying that if Buffy found out that Giles had sent Spike off to a trap that the Council had set up , she would risk her life to save him?"

" Yes she would!" Buffy stood behind them, having staked the vamp and crept back , and over heard their confessions "So you guys knew and you didn't tell me?"

Tears ran down her face, betrayal and loss at the epicentre of her pain.
Buffy ran out of the club and to confront Giles.

"Yet again we did that thing.... we really need to stop doing that thing" Willow nervously babbled

Spike sat in the dark, damp chamber. Starved and beaten, he leaned against the wall and cried. His demon screamed for retribution and it's mate. The man inside cried for the girl and the life he would never share with her. He had let her down and been foolish enough to think that Giles trusted him and respected him enough to approve of his relationship with Buffy.


Buffy ran back to Revello Drive first, to pick up a few 'things'. She was going to find out where they had Spike, one way or another Giles was going to tell her.
Once she had her surprises, she walked out, ignoring Joyce , and went straight to confront her Watcher.

Giles sat watching tv, drink in hand and lights off. 'How bloody cosy', Buffy thought as she peered through the window. Giles was unaware of the Slayers presence. Until that is, she kicked his large wooden door off it's hinges.
The door flew inwards , causing a dust cloud to rise and billow out across the floor. Giles shot out of his chair and held up his cross bow, aiming it at the opening where his door had once been. Seeing Buffy stood there he dropped the crossbow onto the cabinet beside him.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Giles"
"Buffy.... I can explain"
"Really? Explain how it is that you sent the one person I can truly trust , to his death," Buffy wiped the tears away and stepped into the apartment "I never expected this from you , how could you do that to me?"
"The Council gave me no choice, you have to believe me"
"Why should I?" Buffy was crying uncontrollably, her anger overwhelmed her.

Buffy punched Giles, sending him off the couch and across the floor. He touched his mouth and looked at the blood. He was shocked that she would strike him, but then again it was less than he deserved for betraying her.

"It was send him to the Council and he die , or they would have taken both of you and killed you both"
"And you didn't think to tell us, warn us so that we could have fought them. That's what you could have done, you did have a choice"
"I couldn't sit back and watch you die for him"
"Why not? Isn't that what couples do? Now your going to tell me where they are holding him "
"It's too late , they've probably got all the information from him and he's probably......"

Buffy interrupted him

"No he's not " her tears fell in torrents down her cheeks "I'd know if he was dust, you have to tell me where he is so that I can go get him"
"He's in the Council quarters in L.A"
"Good, I can be there in two hours , your helping me. Get Willow, we're going now"

Buffy picked up his phone and threw it into his lap. Never before had he seen her so annoyed and determined . The hurt and betrayal that he had caused, was pushing her to make rash choices. Giles now wished that he had been honest with her , he had shamed himself and let his Slayer down. He just hoped she was right and Spike was still alive.


The group of Watchers that had captured Spike sat discussing their next move. The vampire had refused to give them the information they needed and regardless of the beatings they gave him, he stood strong. His sarcasm and obstinance was driving them mad. Never before had they seen a more stubborn creature. Even the treat of a damn good staking wouldn't shift his attitude and even though he was a vampire, he gained some respect from them because of it , not that they would admit it.

Spike sat in a ball against the door. He could hear the Watchers coming and groaned. Time for another round of torture and he rolled his eyes. When were they going to get the bloody message, he was not about to give them the one thing that was keeping him alive.
His demon was calling out for it's mate. He knew that she would come for him. He gave a sigh and stood up. His shirt had been stripped from his body and the gashes and cuts had healed , his bruises had finally faded to a yellow green colour , the blood that they had provided had helped to heal him enough for the next interrogation. Spike closed his eyes and hoped that Buffy had heard his demon , he sniggered to himself, why should she? These were the blokes that gave her her orders and it had been Giles that handed him over.
He couldn't believe that Buffy had anything to do with this. They only had two weeks left until their wedding day. So close and yet so far. It seemed to him that the Scoobies hadn't forgotten that he was a vampire, even if Buffy herself could.

The Watchers entered and stood at the edge of the room. The tallest, Hardy, took it upon himself to use the cattle prod to push Spike back onto his bunk. Smithe, who was short and well rounded, laughed as Spike grunted and shifted into game face, earning another stab from the cattle prod.

"See, stupid.... told you these creatures are brainless, why else would he still change to the face of the demon? He knows what it gets him" Hardy said pointing down at Spike
"I am not bloody stupid! You poke anyone with a cattle prod an' they will react with anger. Your the fucking idiots for thinking this shit will work on me"
" Smithe? Chain him up. Got a new question for you? If I bore a hole in your chest and pour holy water in, would you still dust?"

Spike panicked and struggled against the chains "You would just love to find out wouldn't you? You call me a fucking evil monster , you surpass me you vindictive bastard"
"But your not a human being so I think it kind of makes this okay in my book" Hardy said smiling , as he advanced on Spike.


Outside the head quarters , Angel stood, game face on and backed by Gunn and Wesley. He too, had heard the call from Spikes demon. Buffy and Giles stood the other side of them , Willow at the back. Nerves were taught and energy crackled in the air, it was time.

The door flew across the hall, Angel and Buffy charged in first . It was deserted . Were they expected ? Was this a trap to get her?


The torture session was interrupted by another thin Watcher, who had a look of despair , Hardy rolled his eyes and growled.
"Well if it's just the Slayer, use the bloody tranq gun on her, how hard is it to work out?"

He stormed out telling Smithe to wait til he got back, after all, it was just one small girl, how hard can it be?

Spike laughed, deep , and from his gut "Oh you are so for it now"

Smithe slapped Spike across the face and told him to shut up. Spike just gave a gutteral growl , and vamped "I am gonna enjoy paying you back for that, last Watcher I drained pissed himself from fear , almost put me off" he smirked and licked his lips "Mind you, I did eat his Slayer first an' made the poncy bugger watch, they don't call you Watchers for fuck asll now do they"

Smithe slowly backed out the room and looked for anyone else in the vicinity. He was alone "Fuck"

"No-one around to hear you scream? Shame, I always did like an audience, not gonna wait for them though, kinda feel a bit peckish"

Spike pulled at the chains, just knowing that Buffy was there and trying to get to him, gave him the boost he needed. The chains gave way and Spike roared, alerting the Watchers downstairs, Angel and Buffy that he was in deed , still alive.

The chain wrapped around Smithes neck and Spike gave it a yank, pulling Smithe towards him . The chains wrapped around his arms and pinned him down. Spike leapt onto Smithe, grinning and baring his teeth.

"Now , what was it you were goin' to do? Oh yeah, cut a bloody big hole in my chest and dissolve my bloody heart using holy water. What do you think I should do to you hmmm? Maybe cut you heart out and suck the blood from it? What do you think mate?"
"No! No... I'll take you to them, get you out of here, please don't"
"I used to like listening to people beg me for their lives, but unno wha'? It gets boring after a while." Spike put a hand each side of his head, as if he was going to break the Watchers neck. "Your not worth it, you pathetic git" Spike threw Smithes head down hard, hard enough to knock the Watcher out.

Spike looked down at Smithe and walked out. He couldn't believe that he was leaving the ponce alive, but he had more important things to do, like find his lover and get the hell out of there.
His shirt and duster laid over a chair in the room just beyond the cell he was in. He pulled his shirt on, and shrugged on his duster. Now he felt like William the Bloody! He gave another roar and heard one back.
Angelus
"Bugger!"

Buffy hadn't wanted to inform the great ponce . She had said that he would just get broody, over protective and possibly jealous, so she had wanted to wait until Spike had claimed her.
Didn't she realise that he would know the second that Spike took her for his own. The bite that Angel had given her had marked her as his, so, Spike would be violating an age old vampire law. You don't covet another vampires mate or else.
Sod it, he thought, he left the chit alone for years before Spike had fallen for her. He didn't want the girl, so, she was game as far as Spike was concerned.

Angel, had knocked three Watchers out and Buffy had dealt with the ones that attacked her. The Watcher that had sat up on the balcony had been effectively incapacitated by Angel as well.Hardy stood on the bottom step, gun in hand, aiming it at the Slayer.
The group froze. Angel snarled

"I wouldn't be so gallant vampire. This has nothing to do with you"
"It has everything to do with me, your aiming at my girl and you have my childe here. Let him go or I'll tear your limbs from your body and beat you with them"

Hardy laughed , Buffy and Angel looked at him and then to each other.

Buffy sighed "I am not your girl, not any more"
"You'll always be my girl, you told me that before I left" he huffed "Now is not the time for this anyway Buff, lets get this done first"
"Right... Where is he Hardy?" she asked

"Dead by now... so all this was for nothing"

A Watcher groaned at Giles' feet, so he kicked him in the head, knocking the guy unconscious again.
"He isn't dead yet, I know all the tricks Hardy, now tell us where he is or I shall instruct my Slayer to take you out, and don't think a gun will stop her"
"Better yet, I'll let Angelus have a guilt free feed" she shrugged "Can't see him feeling guilty for eating an evil prick like you. After all you threatened him, me and almost killed his childe"

Angel looked at her and smiled "I am rather hungry, and I haven't tasted human blood in a while" Angel morphed and sucked on his fangs " My fangs almost itch at the thought"

Hardy looked from Angel to Buffy and then at the rest of the group "How can you work for and protect such creatures? " He looked at all of the weapons aimed at him and knew that he was losing the battle. He was alone and surrounded.

Angel advanced and Hardy backed up. His back hit something hard. He gulped and turned his head to look over his shoulder.

Spike grinned, showing his fangs , then lunged at the Watcher. He sunk his fangs into his neck and pulled his blood into his mouth, the Watcher yelled for someone to stop him. Nobody moved. Spike felt the Watchers heart slow down, but not enough for Hardy to pass out or doe. He threw him onto the floor in front of Buffy. Spike morphed back to human features and rushed at Buffy. Pulling her into his arms he covered her face and neck in kisses, before pulling away and checking her for injuries.

"I'm fine Spike, are you okay? What did they do to you?"
"I'm fine, really, nothing they could do to me hurt as much as being away from you" he pulled her back in his arms.

Angel sighed . Now he knew why she had said that she wasn't his girl anymore. He cleared his throat and pointed to the disorientated Watcher.
"What do we do with this ?"

Spike looked down at Hardy and shrugged "Nothing we could do would be bloody bad enough. I don' care either, do what you see fit Sire"

Angel looked at Spike and then to Giles "What's the norm for this sort of thing?"
Giles walked forward "Well, he is the head of the L.A branch, he would have to resign to begin with, there would be a hearing on this matter and then his elders would decide his fate. Normally he would be assigned to a potential Slayer. He would be shipped back to England and he would be stripped of all benefits"
"Lets just go, I'm tired of this hell hole" Spike said as he turned to Buffy and smoothed the loose hairs back behind her ears.

Angel lead the way out, the others followed him out. Not one of them looked back. Giles stopped , still facing the door .

"I suggest you disappear before the Council come looking for an explanation. If I ever see you again I won't hesitate in killing you. As far as the Council are concerned William the Bloody was executed and the Slayer is back doing her duty without distraction. "

Hardy nodded. Not that Giles saw it. But he knew that Hardy wouldn't be stupid enough not to carry out his order. That was the last anyone saw of the Watcher.