Come with Me

"Okay. Explain this to me slowly. Agent Forrest, Agent Finn, and Agent Graham- you are my most competent soldiers. I expect the others to follow your example. I trust you with my most important assignments. So, how exactly did Hostile seventeen manage to elude you, my supreme oers ers and their team?" Professor Walsh said to the three shame faced men.

"Professor Walsh, he fooled the doctors into thinking he was drugged. Then he used Winters and Andrews as shields, so we didn't have a clear shot to tase him." Riley replied

"Yeah, and it's not like he had a chip or anything. He could've killed any one of us and-"

"But he didn't. Do you understand how important he was to me? To this entire operation?\lsh lsh said cutting off Forrest's explanation.

"I want him back, and I want him back now." she said with finality as she stormed away.

"This totally sucks, man. With that much of a head start, and no tracking device, it could be anywhere." Graham said dejectedly.

"Not this time, guys. I know exactly where it's going." Riley said eerily happy.

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

"Buffy, you're right. The Initiative is pretty big. He's probably been down there all along." Willow said.

"Well, we have to go down there. We have to go down there. We have to go down there *now*." Buffy said frantically.

"Buffy, do calm down. There's no way we can get down there this very moment. We have no idea what's down there and I for one do not want to be shot." Giles said.

"But Giles, we're running out of time; Spike's running out of time." she said with the beginnings of a pout.

"I agree with G-Man, err uh, Giles. Only if we had a friend to help us infiltrate into their system... oh wait! We do." Xander said sarcastically.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Xand. Riley and I have kinda been on the outs since we "broke up" or whatever."

"But, if he is there, then wouldn't Riley know by now? Ya know, since he's there everyday and is one of the like, head soldiers or whatever. I mean, who knows, maybe he even orchestrated the entire capture in a horrible fit of jealousy. I've seen it happen many a time in vengeance days." Anya said thoughtfully; glad that she could contribute to the conversation. Everyone looked pensive for a moment, letting the information marinate into their thoughts.

"No, but Riley wouldn't- would he?" Buffy asked more to herself than the others.

"I mean, he just seems so honest and non-vindictive. And not so much with the big evil secrets." Willow said.

"Well, the point of a secret is to keep it a secret, Will." Xander pointed out.

"Yeah, and- and it is plausible. I mean, since he was, I mean prejudice of demons. And the, the thought of losing you to a vampire probably sent him over the green edge of jealousy." Tara said. Buffy's face slowly began to harden at this new revelation.

"Well if that's true, then I am so gonna hurt him." she said determined.

Before anyone else could comment, they were all interrupted by someone hastily coming through Giles' door.

"You need to give me asylum." Spike said while still facing the door, appearing to try to compose himself.

"Spike? Oh god, what happened to you?" Buffy said as she ran up to him and flung herself at him.

"Hey, luv. Didn't expect you to be here. S'not safe. Soldier boys are after me."

"So, you decided to come here and endanger me?" Giles asked.

"Well, yeah. But also 'cause I need a bit of help. Lousy bastards been trying to poke and prod at me. But thanks to my trusty gem, they couldn't cut me." he said triumphantly. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and glanced down at his hand to admire his mystical savior, and saw that it wasn't there.

"Spike, did you drop it or something? It's not here."

"Well no, it is here. Just not on me anymore. It's inside of me. I swallowed it just in case of a really dire situation." he explained.

"But I mean, will it still work?" Buffy questioned.

"Well, appears that way, since, its blinding sunlight all around out side and I'm not a blowin' in the wind."

"Now, when you said the soldiers were following you, are they on their way here now?"

"Oh, um no. I lost them ways back. But you never know."

"Well, unless one of the soldiers was Riley and therefore knowing exactly where Giles and Buffy live." Anya added.

"Oh yea. That bloody bastard was there right along with 'em, trying to electrocute me and such." Spike said. Buffy's grip instinctively tightened on him.

"Oh, that's it. I am so gonna-"

"Hold on there, pet. That's not exactly the smartest or safest thing to do." Spike said as he lightly grasped her hips.

"Buffs crs crazy as this may sound, but Spike is right. The type of manpower they have, and the uh, condition that you're in," Giles paused as he briefly cleaned his glasses. " I think the best solution is to go far, far away from here."

"But Giles, I never run away from-"

"If you want your child as well as yourself safe, you'll do as I say."

"But they not not even after me, Giles. Why do I have to leave?"

His typically, stubborn, pseudo daughter. *She surely isn't going to like what I'm going to say.* he thought wearily.

"Not yet, but they could be. Riley knows that Spike is the father of your child. If he's alarmed the others at the Initiative that... It's not safe, for either of you here. Here as in Sunnydale." he finished a bit more harshly than he intended.

"Well, if that's the case, shouldn't we all make ourselves a bit more scarce around too? I mean, I for one don't wanna be captured and tortured just so those idiot soldiers can find out where Buffy and Spike are. That would be highly unpleasant." Anya said.

"Well, Riley knows where we all live, except for Xander. What are we gonna do, Giles?" Willow asked worriedly. And then the gears in Giles' mind quickly began turning as he formulated a plan; a highly feasible plan that worked itself out in more ways than one. The tiniest hint of a Ripper like grin appeared on his face before he said, " Well, we could always..."

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

" Of all of the bloody places on the bleeding planet, why the hell do we haveta go there?" Spike said as he harshly gripped the steering wheel.

"Because it's like a safe haven. It's all full of safeness. None of the people after know where it is, and extra muscle is always of the good." Buffy explained cheerfully.

"I don't want you anywhere near Peaches muscle. Ever." he said as glared steely at the road in front of him. He'd been in a pissy mood ever since they left. She didn't know that he felt that threatened. She gingerly placed her hand on his arm.

"Spike, pull over please." He gave a sigh of exasperation and did as she asked, mentally preparing himself for the lecture he was so sure he was getting.

"Look, we haven't had much time to talk since we left, and considering the way we left things the last time we saw each other... I just wanted you to know that I'm- I'm sorry." she said as she began to fidget with her hands. He looked at her with a quite puzzled expression.

"Whatever for, pet?"

"It's just, I got so scared when you- and I didn't want to- and I was just understanding how I- but you see how I mean, 'cause-"

"Well actually I don't. Mainly 'cause I didn't catch one soddin' sentence. Mind backin' up a bit and actually completing a thought?" he said in a teasing voice. She gave him a slight glare before continuing.

"I'm sorry for being scared at your admission to loving me, and the fact of the matter is, I was just plain scared of, scared of realizing that I love you back." she said, resuming to look down at her lap.

"Buffy-"

"No, let me finish. I also thought it would be a good idea if I mentioned that you have nothing to worry about. Angel is so in the past. He'll always be in my heart, but I think it's fair to say that I have definitely moved on." she said as she gave her belly a gentle pat.

" Thank you pet for saying that. But Buffy, you don't know how possessive he can be. He doesn't know about you, me, and the bit. This whole thing might cause him to go round the bend several times over. I mean, it would have been easier if we could've called or something. Bloody phone taps." he muttered. He then reached into the glove compartment and took a generous swig from his flask.

"He's gonna throw it in my face, and yours bout how I'm evil, don't have a soul; how I'm all unbroody and unrepenting for my sins... Blah di blah... Then he'll probably try and stake me."

"You know I won't allow that to happen. I mean, attempting to kill the father of my child would totally piss me off. And an angry Buffy is a totally insane and therefore irrational Buffy. Especially with the added hormones."

"Yea. Just hope you and Rupes are right." he said as he began to shift gears.

"I just hope they're all okay."

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

Summer's Residence

"Sorry Ri, but looks like they cleared out. And no one's at the Giles residence either." Forrest said.

"Damn it! Where the hell are they!" Riley slowly wiped his face in a attempt to calm himself.

"If we don't find them, Maggie's gonna have all of our asses." Graham said.

"Well, they didn't just disappear. They have to be somewhere." Riley said, looking around as if they would just pop out of the walls.

"Where do we start?" Forrest asked.

"I think I might have a lead. You guys go do recon at the campus. I have to go check something out." Riley said as he headed out. *Faith's bound to know something.* he thought.

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

Xander's Basement

"Do you think they got away okay?" Willow asked.

"I'm sure they did. Besides, when Giles gives us the word, we'll meet 'em up there." Xander said.

Giles' plan was to send Buffy and Spike to the Hyperion for their own protection while he and Joyce took a trip to merry old England to see one Quentin Travers. The others were to wait at Xander's place.

"Somehow, I just don't see this plan working. The Council's main purpose is to rid the earth of demons. But with a whole agency of demon hunters, why would the Council feel obligated to stop them?" Anya asked.

"Well, you've never seen Giles in his 'Angry Ripper' mode. Quite intimidating. Plus with angry mom Joyce, their case should prove worthy." Willow said.

"Yea, and besides, once they bring up the whole 'threatening the line of the slayers' with their weirdo scientist tests schemes, that should surely piss off the Council. Their main concern may to be to rid the earth of demons and stuff, but their main priority is of the Slayers, and their part in saving the world. Pretty much broken down to ego." Xander explained.

"Well, now that that problem's temporarily outta the way, what about Spike?"

"What about him Ahn?" Xander said dismissively.

"Well it's just, I don't think that Angel's gonna take his presence in his home too well. Especially with an impregnated Buffy." Xander thought this over briefly before saying, "Dead boys will dead boys with their crazy pissing contests. Or would it be blood contests?"