Title: Slayer Central chapter 11
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.



Some fifteen minutes later, Giles left the basement and headed for the kitchen. He pulled a tumbler from one cupboard, and a bottle of single malt from another before seating himself at the table. He'd barely finished pouring the amber liquid when a voice came from the doorway.

"I hope the other fellow looks worse than you do."

Giles quirked a tiny half smile.

"For the moment, yes. Unfortunately, my recuperative powers are not as impressive as Spike's."

Leo shook his head as he joined his friend.

"Why on Earth did you get into a fistfight with a vampire, Rupert?"

"It wasn't a fistfight. There were also feet, knees, elbows and a bit of headbutting involved."

He downed his drink in one swallow, wincing slightly as the alcohol burned his cut lip. Leo rose and pulled a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer. He handed it to Giles.

"For your eye."

"Thanks."

"At least you didn't break your nose, this time. So what did Spike do?"

"Stole a bag of blood from the shipment."

"And...?"

"And, I don't care to discuss the rest of it. Suffice to say that once upon a time he'd have been left in far worse shape than he was tonight."

"Ah. So it was the honor of a lady, then. Let me guess: Buffy."

"All of them, really, but Buffy in particular. How the hell does he do this to me, Leo? Last spring he fed me a load of tripe and I nearly drank myself into oblivion rather than tell him to go to the devil. Why did I ever listen to him?"

Leo replaced the single malt in the cupboard and lit the burner under the kettle.

"Because if there's one thing I've noticed about Spike in the last few days, it's that he always finds a person's weak spot and then manipulates it. He's an expert. Your weak spot is easy to find and exploit. You lack self confidence, and you'll go to any length to protect Buffy, if only her honor."

"Wanting to protect my wife is a weakness?"

"Only because you're still unsure you deserve her."

*****

Wesley smiled as Cordelia rested her head on his shoulder. He dropped a kiss on her brow as she snuggled closer to him.

"I've missed this."

"Yeah, well, I have too. I never really had anybody to just...sit and cuddle with before you." The girl paused as she ran her hand over Wesley's chest. "I really don't want to fight anymore."

"Nor do I. In fact, I never did."

"So why the protest, then?"

"Could we not do this just now? My head is hurting dreadfully and I'm not entirely certain anything I say tonight will make much sense."

Cordelia nodded.

"Okay; not tonight. But tomorrow we talk. Angel's been right all along - and if you ever tell him I said that you are so going to suffer. Got it?"

"Got it. And Cordelia?"

"Yeah, Wesley?"

"I love you."

*****

"You've really been doing this since you were fifteen?"

"Yup. Undead disposal, four years running. Almost five."

"And Rupert's been training you all this time?"

Buffy's face clouded slightly.

"Not the whole time." After a moment, she brightened again. "But ever since I moved to good old Sunnydale, it's been me and Rupert all the way. Well, me and Rupert and the Scoobies."

"Okay, so I get that you're the Slayer, and Rupert's your Watcher. What about the others?"

"Willow's a witch and so is Tara. Anya's an ex-demon. She used to do vengeance stuff for scorned women. Cordy's got these visions now, though she didn't when we first knew each other. Angel and Spike are vamps, and Wesley's another Watcher. Or he was. He kinda got fired. But he knows lots of stuff and some magic. I guess Leo must, too, since he used to be in the Council way back when."

"What about Xander?"

"What about him?"

"What is he? I mean, is he into magic? Does he know a bunch of martial arts? What's so special about him?"

Buffy looked confused.

"I dunno. I guess it's just he's...Xander."

*****

Angel slipped quietly into Spike's basement.

"If you've come to laugh at me, you can save it Peaches."

The elder vampire shrugged slightly and moved further into the room.

"Who's laughing? I'm certainly not."

Spike winced as he touched a damp cloth to his bleeding lip.

"Me neither, mate. Who knew the bloody Watcher had it in him? Never thought he had the wrinklies."

"Then you're an idiot, Spike. You saw what Angelus did to him..."

"What you did to him, Angel. I know you like to hide behind your little soul and say 'oh that was never me; it was big, bad, soulless Angelus', but the fact is you're him and he's you. You were the one I saw holding that chainsaw over him. You're the one who snapped his fingers one by one. You're the one who whipped him and beat him and then...you bloody poofter. Yeah, I like to take the piss out of him and I got no problem with a fair fight with the bloke, but you...Does the Slayer know what you did to her old man?"

"It wasn't me!"

Spike laughed.

"That's right. You just keep on telling yourself that particular fairy tale. It's your favorite, after all. Oooh, and I shouldn't have said 'fairy' should I? Not so politically correct, that term, is it? Just piss off, Peaches. For all your soul, I'm the better man, and you know it."

"And how the hell do you figure that?"

Spike faced his Sire squarely.

"He knows. See, I was man enough to tell him when he's past it, I'll be there to give the missus a bit of what she likes. I said it to his face, mate. I didn't go behind his back and pretend to be his friend. I'm not the one with the sodding art gallery devoted to the one who bloody got away. At least I'm honest about it. More than I can say for you."

"And look what it got you, Spike. Your face is a mess, you've got two black eyes, and unless I'm very much mistaken, you've got a few cracked ribs, too."

"You forgot the dislocated kneecap. You want to watch out for his feet."

"Thanks for the tip."

"My bloody pleasure. Now sod off."

"Fine. I'm gone. But I have one thing to say before I go and I'm going to say it."

"What? Say it and get out."

"You may be right. Maybe I don't deserve her. Maybe I'm fooling myself that she and I can ever be anything to one another but friends. Maybe I'm everything you say I am, but there's one thing you can't change: Buffy loved me. On some level, she still does, because you never forget your first love. I may have lost her, but you Spike...you never had her and you never will."

Angel turned and left the room.

*****

Giles opened the door of his bedroom a crack. Crystal still lay on his side of the bed, and had clearly fallen asleep. Buffy was propped on one elbow observing the sleeping girl.

"It's okay, Rupert. You can come in. Just keep it down a bit" she whispered without turning.

"How did you know it was me?"

Buffy turned to face him.

"I always know. There's this feeling I get, like everything's gonna be alright. So what happened to you? I know you didn't have a black eye the last time I saw you."

"Ah. You noticed that, did you?"

"Kinda hard to miss. So who gave you the shiner?"

"Spike. And if it makes you feel any better, I returned the favor double."

Buffy got up and crossed the room.

"Spike? He still has the chip. How did he do that with the chip in place?"

"Screaming in agony the entire time. It did as much damage as I did, I think."

"But it didn't stop him."

"No. It didn't."

Buffy bit her lip in thought.

"Riley never said how long that thing was supposed to last. If the battery's wearing out, we're all in trouble. Rupert, we've got to get him out of here."

"Agreed. I'll talk to Angel and Leo in the morning. We'll get him out before he can do any damage."

"Good."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"Do you mind if I don't wake Crystal? She had a kinda rough time tonight."

"No, that's alright, luv. I can take the sofa. Is she doing any better?"

"I think so. I kept wishing I had Mom here. She'd have known exactly what to say.

"Yes. I imagine she would."


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