Bending to Her Will

SET SIX MONTHS AFTER BENDING TO HER WILL AND LILAH’S WILL

It had been six months since Faith Lehane had been stolen from her bed in the Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. There were no new leads, and the police had relinquished the file to the growing stack of cold cases. Rupert Giles himself could only classify the disappearance as stealing. Faith had certainly not been able to leave on her own mobility.

The idea that someone wanted a Slayer so badly that they would steal a comatose one bothered Giles more than he let on to Buffy and the other Scoobies. The only one that had an inkling of his unease was Spike. In fact, he and the vampire were to have a private meeting that afternoon to discuss Faith and her disappearance while the others were at school or work. Both Brits were worried that if what ever nefarious plans someone had for Faith fell though that they’d come after Buffy.

Giles went about preparing for the meeting by getting out his scotch and glass tumblers. He had long since come to terms with his Slayer’s choice in boyfriends. After all she had booked no arguments from any of the Scoobies when she had declared she was going to let Spike pursue her.

Giles admitted that there were worse choices than the bleached blond. Angel immediately came to mind with his cryptic messages and cursed soul. Thank God Jesse and Xander had nipped that in the bud before it got too far. Luckily the cursed soul wouldn’t be a problem. Jenny Calendar and Amy Madison anchored the soul over two and half years before. Any human males that Buffy had tried to date just got in the way. A vampire was clearly the better choice for the spunky Slayer.

“Hey, Rupes.” Spike slipped into the apartment.

Giles still had trouble coming to terms with Spike’s sunlight invulnerability. If the vampire wasn’t completely in love with Buffy, and her willing slave, the Watcher worried about the havoc Spike would cause while wearing the ring of Amara.

“Spike.” Giles nodded his greeting.

“I haven’t found any news in the demon world about your stolen Slayer.” Spike took one of the shot glasses, and he filled it to the rim with the golden alcohol. “Good riddance to bad rubbish if you ask me, “ he muttered.

“I know you don’t like Faith, but her disappearance doesn’t bode well.” Giles poured his own drink. “Faith is volatile at the best of times, as you well know. In the wrong hands, she’s potentially the worst thing we’ve faced thus far.” He had some speculations he wished to discuss with Spike, but he wanted to find out what the vampire knew first.

“What do the Wankers have to say about the stolen Slayer?” Spike sprawled in one of the Watcher’s armchairs.

“Not much.” Giles sat in the other chair. “Quentin assured me that there hasn’t been another Slayer called.”

Spike sneered at the mention of the Head Watcher’s name. He had no respect for a man that would steal the Slayer’s power, and then force the helpless girl to fight a monster. Until he had met Buffy, that hadn’t been a problem, but there was something about the girl that made a monster want to be a man. “Bloody git,” he growled under his breath.

“I don’t trust him either,” Giles agreed to Spike’s unspoken distrust.

Giles remembered how irate Spike had been after Buffy’s eighteenth birthday. Even though he had been proud of Buffy’s ingenuity in offing the insane Kralick, the bleached blond vampire had wanted to go to England to get revenge on Travers for what he called a travesty against the Slayer. It had taken all of Buffy’s persuasive wiles to keep Spike from storming the Council walls.

“There can’t be much use for a stolen Slayer though.” Spike stared off into space. “The bint isn’t a virgin, and as you noted, she doesn’t co-operate worth a hill of beans.”

Giles decided it was time to tell Spike the information he gleaned from Los Angeles. He turned to look at Spike. “Wesley may have the minutest of clues. As you’ve heard, Angel is rubbing a demonic law firm in Los Angeles the wrong way. One of the lawyers, one Lindsey McDonald and his witch concubine…”

Spike chortled. “Who the bloody hell says concubine anymore, Watcher? Call the bitch what she is, a whore rivaling Darla by the sounds of it.”

Giles gave a nod of concession. “Anyway, McDonald tried to lure Angel away from his path with a very sweet, young girl. One, I might add, that bore a remarkable resemblance to Buffy.”

Spike snorted at the thought of Angel falling for a Buffy-lookalike. The older vamp learned early on that Buffy had particular tastes in her men. Tall and broody with enormous foreheads just didn’t do it for the petite Slayer. “Bet the Cheerleader didn’t take that lying down. The stolen Slayer would have better luck with the old poofter. He likes them dark.”

Giles continued to speak as if Spike hadn’t interrupted him. “One of the other lawyers talked about a secret weapon. Wesley speculated that it could be Dru, or our stolen Slayer.”

“Either one would work on Gramps.” Spike finished his drink in one long swallow. “He holds a lot of guilt for both bints; Dru for the pain he caused before he turned her, and Faith because he thinks he failed her when she killed Finch and turned to Wilkins.”

“It would explain why all the locater spells have bounced back when Amy and Tara cast them.” Giles stared off into space. “Wolfram and Hart’s protection spells are the best in the dimension.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“After we deal with the Initiative, and ensure with our own eyes that Faith is not in their custody, you and Buffy need to visit Los Angeles.” Giles sat back, and he crossed his legs. “Although, to be quite frank, I don’t think the Initiative have her.”

“Me either,” Spike agreed. “I’m sure that cornfed pillock nosin’ around m’ girl would have said something otherwise.”

Giles grinned. “Now I know your real reason for getting rid of the Army’s little experiment.”

“The Slayer likes a little monster in her man,” Spike said with confidence. “Finn never stood a chance.”

The rest of the meeting went without a hitch as the Watcher and the vampire planned to take out the Initiative, a trip to Los Angeles, and a search for a stolen Slayer.

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

Lilah Morgan stared through the one way glass at the dark haired girl. “Is she ready? Will she do exactly as I tell her?”

The white coated doctor nodded his head. “Yes, Ms. Morgan. Her will has been stolen from her. She is yours to command.”

“Excellent.” Lilah’s face broke into a malicious grin. “Angel will fall into our hands, and I will be the top dog. Take that, bitch.”