Title: Bound, Pt 3: Square Holes, Leaf Shaped Pegs
By TrinityLast
E-mail: trinitylast@wambtac.com
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I live with my parents. If you sue me, I’d have to live with you. Something tells me you won’t like that.
Distribution: Jay and Starkitty...anyone else let me know first, ok?
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Ditto, again.
Feedback: If you don’t have something nice to say.....ahh, hell! I wanna hear it anyway.
Notes: If you haven’t read the first two Parts, my god will you be lost here.

// = thoughts

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Chapter One

_______________

“So, what’s her name?” Jenny leaned into her vampire, Derek, who wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

“Buffy. Her vampire’s name is...one moment, let me find it...” Jenny’s current Watcher, Leonard, started rifling through a folder. Derek sighed.

“Before you die, please.”

Leonard shot him a disparaging look while Celeste and her vamp, Jorn, chuckled behind them. The others weren’t set to arrive for a few more hours yet, but these four always traveled together, because the two slayers were usually assigned one Watcher to share.

“Ahh! Angelus, also known as Angel...what?” The blonde Watcher frowned at the startled look on both vampire’s faces. “What?”

“Angelus? As in, Darla’s Childe? Grande Childe of the Master himself? Scourge of Europe? That Angelus?” Jorn had grabbed the file from the Englishman’s hands and was now rifling through it himself. Derek watched with interest.

“My god.” Jorn, the younger of the two vampires by just over twenty years, raised his eyes to meet Derek’s. “It *is* him. Angelus.”

Derek raised an eyebrow and turned to Leonard. “Ok, then I have a question. Why didn’t they send older couples? I’m only...what, a century older than Angelus?” He shot a glance at the younger vamp who nodded. “Really, that’s not that much. And...Angelus is more than exceptional. Even his Childer, younger than him...even they’re Masters now. With their abilities and what they’ve done...” Derek shrugged. “Why the hell would they listen to us?”

Leonard took the folder back from Jorn and glared. “Well, we aren’t the only ones sent. There will be six couples...though...” He frowned at the page in his hand. “None of them have bounced Watchers. That’s odd...it says here that Buffy’s bounced, so really, there should be at least one...”

Celeste came up behind Jorn and snatched the papers back from the Watcher. “Ok, let me get this straight. She’s bound to a descendent of the Master, which is unprecedented. She’s close enough to her Watcher that the binding bounced.” Celeste scanned the page and her eyes got wide. “And apparently, she wasn’t bound until her *fifth* year...oh my God!” She looked up at her Watcher. “I thought it had to happen earlier? And how did she survive for five years, unbound?”

He shrugged. “We have no idea what happened. All I know is that I’ve been hearing about her, supposedly the strongest Slayer who’s ever lived, for almost three years now. And...”

Celeste cut him off. “And they’re sending *six* couples to train her.” She exchanged a look with Jenny who rolled her eyes. “You think, possibly, the Council’s afraid of her?”

The two Slayers turned on Leonard who backed off a step. After a minute he closed his eyes and gave in. “Buffy Summers doesn’t follow rules...neither does her Watcher, who, by the way, is her *second* Watcher. Her first was killed by Lothos. Buffy works with friends, she dates, she disobeys her Watcher and she defies the Council. Just last year she *quit* the Council because they refused to help a friend of hers. The year before, Mr. Giles was fired for interfering with a Council test. Buffy died, yet didn’t *stay* dead, causing a second Slayer to be called, Kendra. When Kendra was killed through some emergency here on the Hellmouth, the new Slayer went rogue after coming here and working with Buffy’s ‘team’. Mr. Giles did nothing to aid the Council in retrieving her. These two also managed to turn another, younger Watcher against the Council, a Mr. Windam Price, who was sent to replace Mr. Giles when he was fired. Mr. Giles refused to leave.”

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “And now she’s bound to one of the Master’s line, bringing her

Watcher with her, and the Council is afraid that they might be a problem?”

Leonard nodded. Celeste giggled.

“Does the Council know that we don’t follow rules either?”

This time Jenny giggled. The Watcher sighed.

“No, you two have shared a Watcher since Jenny was bound, and for some reason, none of them chose to report your activities to the Council proper.” He grimaced. “And, as I have only been your Watcher for a few months, I have yet to have occasion to report to the Council at all. So, no. They have no idea.”

Derek chuckled. “Well, I like it.” He grinned at Jorn who grinned back. “At least they’ll have people rooting for them on the home team.”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh please!” Jenny rolled her eyes and leaned back into Derek. “You honestly think we’re going to help break a team like that?” She giggled again. “I bet her friends are fun too. Hey, if we leave right now, we can beat the ‘good’ guys there.”

Derek kissed the top of his mate’s head. Jorn and Celeste smiled. Leonard groaned.

**

Four bound couples stepped off the plane, having gotten acquainted during the flight. There were only three Watchers among them, one couple having recently lost theirs and no replacement sent yet. They piled into a van and headed to Rupert Giles’ home, as per instructions.

Every last one was clean-cut and straight forward. They all loved rules.

And they were three hours early.

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

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Chapter Two

_______________

“So, when do they get here?” Spike flopped onto the couch at Giles’and winced as Willow dabbed a wet cloth against his forehead. The large gash was still seeping blood despite his vampiric healing, and she was worried. He was the last of the vampires to be bound, Willow having so much magic that she hadn’t really needed help until tonight. A large, blue demon had attacked her from behind. Spike had saved her and managed to get himself pretty banged up to boot.

And now, it seemed, that once a vamp was bound, she *cared* that he was hurt helping her! It felt very strange.

“What? Oh, yes, the ‘trainers’. Umm...” Giles went to his desk and started rifling around in the papers. “Ahh...tonight, though we knew that. It seems that there are two Slayers who share a Watcher...the Vampire Masters they are bound to are of the same Sire...they should be here...within the hour actually.” Giles glanced at the clock and nodded, confirming his words. “The others shouldn’t be here until...” He turned another page. “Oh...I’d say four or five hours from now.”

“Where are they meeting?” Xander popped a can of soda as he came out of the kitchen and handed another to Willow.

“Here.”

“Ok.” Spike grabbed Willow’s wrist and pushed it away, ignoring her disapproving glare.
“So, shouldn’t the bound couple be here for this?”

Giles shook his head. “No, actually, we thought it might work better if the rest of us were here without them.”

“Yeah. Give us a chance to show them how loyal we are to Buff.” Xander sank onto a chair.

“In other words, to hopefully scare the shit out of them.” Penn sat on the hearth, and nodded at Xander who nodded back. The two had an interesting relationship: over the last day they’d decided that they didn’t *not* like each other...in fact, they kind of enjoyed each other when the other was around...but they didn’t actually *like* each other enough to seek the other out as a friend. Yet. Of course, it probably had something to do with Angelus liking Xander so much and Penn not being used to friends in general.

But he was thawing towards Xander. After all, if the kid didn’t like Spike, he couldn’t be all bad...

“In a manner of speaking...yes.” Giles sat down on the couch opposite Spike and reached for his glass of Scotch on the coffee table. Xander smiled and raised his soda can in a toast.

“To the Immortal Ordem, whatever the hell that means.”

Oz came in with two mugs of blood and handed them to the vampires, taking his own juice and sitting next to Willow, who giggled and lifted her Pepsi.

Penn smiled at Xander. “May we blast it out of the fuckin’ sky.” Xander chuckled.

“Hear, hear.” Giles downed his drink.

**

“Remind me what we’re supposed to be doing?”

Buffy made a face at her mate and straddled a tombstone. “*I* am supposed to wait for this bloodsucker...” she pointed at the grave opposite her, “...and stake him. Then, I am supposed to patrol the college, do my homework, and then get some sleep. *You* are supposed to keep me company, and, since Willow is at Giles’ tonight to meet the incoming ‘trainers’ from the council, to possibly keep me from getting any homework or sleeping done.” She smiled at him.

Angelus grinned back. “Oh, really? Not worried about your grades then, are you?”

Buffy made a face. “Please. The likely-hood that I’ll even make it to graduation...” She trailed off and got a funny look on her face while Angelus smirked. “Wait.” She turned to him. “I probably will now, won’t I?”

He nodded. “If I have anything to say about it, and I do, yes. And to graduate school, and the first rocket ship to Mars, and to the next galaxy...”

“Ha ha.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he managed to catch it with his teeth before she could pull it back in. After a minute of wrestling, the Slayer gave in and Angelus pulled her tongue into his mouth, suckling and teasing it with his own.

Buffy moaned into his mouth and then pulled away reluctantly. “We can’t, not right now.” She tilted her head over at the fresh grave. “Work, remember?”

Her lover nodded, but didn’t step away, instead sliding his right hand through her hair while letting the other run down her bare neck and shoulder and play with her tank-top strap.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t play. Haven’t you ever heard that saying? ‘All work and no play...”

“Equals every Slayer on earth but me.” She sent a wry grin up at him. “And while that has never been a rule I’ve followed well, I do have a certain duty to the world, yada, yada, yada.”

“Ok, but we don’t have anything to do while we wait...I mean, it’s not like we can just leave and come back.” He flashed a half smile, half smirk. “We’re stuck here. Might...”
he kissed leaned down and placed a light kiss on her shoulder, “...as well...” another at the crook of her neck, “...make the best...” another just under her ear, “...of the situation.” The last words were whispered into her ear. He hovered there for a minute, his breath lightly tickling her, and Buffy was suddenly struck by the fact that he had to know exactly what he was doing to her.

Vampires don’t breathe.

Buffy moaned and Angelus finally gave in, placing a light, teasing kiss just behind her ear and then sucking her lobe into his mouth. That, of course, was the moment the newly-made vampire chose to rise.

Buffy flipped a stake into the un-dead without even looking and turned to her lover.

“Let’s go back. I don’t think we need to patrol tonight.”

Angelus smiled.

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

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

Chapter Three

_______________

Buffy rolled her head forward as she unlocked the door to her dorm room, opening her neck to her lover’s talented mouth. “You do realize...” She took a deep breath as Angelus slipped his hands around from behind and twisted her nipples through her shirt. “You do realize that as we speak, our ‘family’ is meeting with the Councilmen?”

Angelus mumbled something and moved over to her scar, teasing it with his tongue. Buffy moaned and leaned forward against the still closed door while he slid one hand down from her breasts, slipping it between her body and the wood of the door until he reached her jeans button.

“Yes...” Buffy bit her lip and pressed her hips harder against the door and into his hand. Angelus continued to flick his tongue around her scar as he undid the top button and moved down to get the zipper...only to find another button. He growled.

“What did you wear *these* for?” He moved up and bit her earlobe for emphasis while tugging on the button. She whimpered.

“They look good, and they’re comfy and...oh, god, right there!” The last came out as a moan when the Vampire slipped his hand down her partially open jeans and cupped her mound, pressing a finger in against her clit through her panties. He smiled at her outburst and started to whisper into her ear.

“You like that, my little Slayer?” He rubbed just a little and stopped.

“Yes. God, yes.” She squirmed, trying to get him to move again, and he smiled into her neck. Slowly, he moved his finger around her nub, the silk of her panties rubbing against her and getting soaked.

“I’m going to make you come right here in the hallway, baby.” He stopped rubbing long enough to snake his hand into her panties, then took her clit between two fingers and rolled it. Buffy moaned and jerked, banging her forehead against the door.

“I’m going to make you bite your lip to keep from screaming.” Letting go of her clit, Angelus slipped two fingers inside her and held still.

“I’m going to have you writhing in my hands, here, where anyone can see, where any boy here can know you’re mine.” He began stroking in and out at a leisurely pace, occasionally curling his fingers up to hit her g-spot. Buffy whimpered and raised her hands, bracing herself on the door and spreading her legs for her husband. He leaned in closer, pressing his cock into her ass.

“Here, where they can see that you belong to *me*.” Angelus shoved his fingers into her harshly on the last word and Buffy went rigid, her legs jerking and one knee banging against the door. He bit her ear.

“I want them to look at you and know that you’re taken, that I own you.”

Buffy moaned and bit her lip, refusing to answer him and he raised an eyebrow. Sliding the other hand down to join the first, Angelus slipped it into her panties, pinched her clit and released it.

“I want them to know that you’re mine. That they can only look when I’m not here and that they’ll never be able to touch.”

Buffy was breathing hard and trying to rub herself against his hand, trying to get friction on her clit from the finger that sat just against it, but wouldn’t move. Angelus nuzzled her neck again and twitched the finger.

Buffy cried out and then bit her lip, trying to stay quiet. She felt the vampire’s cock pressing into her and getting harder and she reached behind her to grab it.

“Inside. Please.”

Angelus raised his head and breathed into her ear.

“You, or the room?”

Buffy whimpered again and grabbed for the doorknob, twisting it. Angelus walked forward, pushing her in, and kicked the door closed behind her.

Hank Summers waited a beat or two before he finally stepped around the corner fully, staring at his daughter’s dorm room door.

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Chapter Four

_______________

Buffy whimpered and grabbed for the doorknob, twisting it. Angelus walked forward, pushing her in, and kicked the door closed behind her.

Hank Summers waited a beat or two before he finally stepped around the corner fully, staring at his daughter’s dorm room door.

**

He stood there for what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a few minutes, before turning and heading for Joyce’s house.

He’d been planning on surprising his daughter with theater tickets and dinner, a nice Father/Daughter night out. He hadn’t even been in the States for almost a year, and the last time he’d seen Buffy had been the summer before her junior year. It hadn’t really occurred to him that she’d be back quite so late tonight, and he’d been waiting for over an hour before he’d admitted to himself that she wasn’t going to be back on time for the show. So, he’d left and exchanged the tickets for another night, and come back just to wait and see her. Just to say hi.

What he’d actually come back to see was some man with his hands in his daughter’s jeans, and possibly in *her*, outside her dorm room for the world to see. For a minute, Hank had been ready to attack the man for assaulting his daughter...until he realized that she was moaning and pushing back.

One thing Joyce had *not* mentioned was a sexual relationship with a much older, dark haired man, and that was something she was more than likely to bring up. Because he was older...much, much older by the looks of things, and if there was anything Joyce wouldn’t like, it was a guy that much older than her daughter having sex with her.

Especially out in the hallway of a dorm building, where anyone could see them.

So, she didn’t know. Because if she had, she’d have mentioned it. Repeatedly. Both when he phoned from the airport and when he stopped by looking for Buffy earlier. She hadn’t.

No...wait...

Joyce *did* mention a boy. Randy? Ricky? Riley! That was it, Riley. A nice college boy, only a year or so older than Buffy. She’d had a picture. Tall. Nice smile. Blonde.

Blonde.

That was *not* the man she’d just been...doing whatever it was she was doing, with. Hank had only seen the man’s back and profile, but it was definitely a different guy. Taller. Not broader, but stronger looking, more formidable. And while Riley was a nice-looking boy, *this* had been a man.

A very dangerous-looking man.

Hank walked faster.

**

Celeste leaned back into Jorn while Leonard knocked on the door. Jenny and Derek were still out on the sidewalk. ‘Talking’.

Right.

The door swung open and a man wearing jeans and a black t-shirt appeared. Celeste mentally purred. He had a nice stubble on his face and slightly ruffled hair. The glasses almost added to the look, making him seem both smart and dangerous.

A wonderful combination.

“Mr. Giles?” Jorn frowned and looked back in his paperwork. He could have sworn that Rupert Giles was older than the man standing in front of him.

The man inside the door shook his head. “No, Mr. Windham-Pryce. Wesley Windham-Pryce. And you are?”

Celeste almost died. The English accent wasn’t at all like Leonard’s, which was a faint cockney and barely there most of the time. Wesley’s was a stark contrast, a clipped formal accent, trained and educated.

Absolutely delicious.

“Leonard Greyhom. And this is Celeste and Jorn. Is this Mr. Giles’ apartment?”

Wesley raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Yes, it is. If you can excuse me for one minute?” He smiled apologetically at Jorn. “I don’t live here, so he’ll have to invite you in, and I’m not sure if he’s here, as I just got back myself. Let me go ask Xander.”

“Yes, yes of course.” Leonard muttered to himself as he rifled through the papers, looking for a record of Mr. Windham-Pryce. He’d been told that the younger Watcher had left the area with one of the ‘friends’ of the Slayer, and gone to LA or some such place to fight evil. There was no record of his return, and it upset Leonard that he couldn’t remember being told of it.

He did *not* like being at a disadvantage for information. He liked to know everything up front.

Well, at least there wouldn’t be any *more* surprises.

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

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Chapter Five

_______________

“So, where *is* Mr. Giles?” Leonard’s voice was desperate. This was the third man he’d met and asked. First Windham-Pryce, then that, that *Spike* Vampire, and it was getting upsetting. It seemed he’d been informed of *nothing* prior to coming here, or rather, the information he’d been sent was completely wrong.

He and his Slayers had been at Mr. Giles’ for twenty minutes now, and had met one ‘extra’ Watcher as that Spike put it, *three* Vampires (Childer who had followed into the bond...a highly unusual practice, really..) two witches, a *werewolf* of all things, an ex-demon (who made Leonard rather nervous, as he knew *exactly* who Anyanka was) a boy who had been introduced as a ‘military genius’ and a *Seer*! An actual *Seer*! Who received visions from the Powers That Be, no less.

After shuffling his papers around for a full ten minutes, Leonard had been forced to admit that these were indeed the ‘team’ he’d been warned about.

A little more warning would have been nice. A class in occult defense would have been nicer.

And he was still looking for Mr. Giles!

Needless to say, he was more than a little nervous about asking this question.

The ‘military genius’, Xander they’d called him, smirked. “Giles isn’t here. He left to run a few errands, but he’ll be back pretty soon. And we just call him Giles.”

One of the witches, Leonard thought her name was Willow, giggled from the werewolf’s lap. (Oz, he seemed to recall.) “Well, that’s when he’s not mad.”

The nervous Watcher turned to her and raise his eyebrows. “What do you call him when he’s mad?”

“Ripper, Mate. But you really don’t want old Ripper making a show, so best not to get him angry.” Spike was grinning at him from the couch, the dark haired Vampiress on his lap. She seemed familiar to Leonard, but no one had introduced him, and he was, frankly, afraid to ask. Besides, she didn’t seem to be...all there.

Celeste just giggled at her Watcher. He seemed so lost. Personally, she couldn’t be more comfortable.

These were her kind of people.

Leonard glared at her and then back at the door. Jenny had stepped outside to talk to Derek, and Jorn was having one of those cigarettes he still insisted on smoking. To ‘help him relax’. When he’d first asked, the week he’d met the foursome, how tobacco relaxes you, Derek had simply chuckled and said that it wasn’t tobacco.

At Leonard’s blank look, Jenny and Celeste had all cracked up, and taken to calling him ‘Mr. Innocent’ for a week.

He still had no idea what they were talking about.

Eventually, the door opened and a man wearing a tweed jacket a t-shirt and jeans came in, carrying a bag of groceries. Leonard couldn’t help but notice the gold hoop in the man’s left ear. Xander jumped up to get the bag and unpack it, and, he noticed, to open and start on the chips.

Leonard approached the man, who was still by the door, reading the phone messages on the pad by the phone, and hesitantly spoke.

“Mr. Giles?”

The man looked up and Leonard fought the urge to take a step back. Those green eyes were frightening.

“Yes. I see the Council has arrived?”

This time the young Watcher did step away. The ice in Giles’ voice may have been subtle, but it was deadly.

Behind him, Leonard heard Celeste giggle again, and grimaced.

This was going to be a *long* two months.

**

About half an hour later, Leonard’s other Slayer came in, along with the two Vampires who were invited in by a nonchalant Giles. Leonard had always understood the idea of bonded Vampires, but had never accepted it, not really. He’d avoided them whenever they were at the Council, and he had fought this position tooth and nail. When that hadn’t worked, he’s simply resigned himself to it, but he’d never let the two undead out of his sight.

Giles, as he was being forced to call the man, had barely batted an eye, and hadn’t really looked up from what he was doing.

Leonard, after the initial introductions, was basically ignored by the group, who were instead talking to the two new Slayers and Vamps in the group. They were all swapping stories and talking, no one really bothering to notice that Leonard had gone outside to wait for the others to arrive. As he left, he heard them outlining a ‘battle plan’ to deal with the ‘square’ couples on their way. Leonard was sick to see that his two Slayers and their Mates were completely in agreement with this group that the rules would in no way apply. But it was what he caught as he left that truly scared him, and caused him to look for a pay phone once outside.

Anya had been quiet through most of the discussion, but just as Leonard reached to shut the door behind him, she’d spoken.

“So, what do we do about Quentin?”

Spike had been the one to answer. “Anyone mind if I kill him?”

Leonard dashed for the courtyard, searching left and right for a phone. There had to be one around here *somewhere*!

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

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Chapter Six

_______________

Just as Leonard reached to shut the door behind him, Anya spoke.

“So, what do we do about Quentin?”

Spike answered. “Anyone mind if I kill him?”

Leonard dashed for the courtyard, searching left and right for a phone. There had to be one around here *somewhere*!

**

Fifteen minutes later, the gang was still laughing.

“Did you catch the way the door slammed?” Anya spoke between giggles, but when Spike nodded, she burst into another fit of laughter.

“Oh, I wish I’d’ve been able to see his face!”

The phone rang and Giles reached over to answer it, wiping tears from his eyes. “Hello? Ah, Mrs. Summers...No, she isn’t here...No, not that I’m aware of...Yes, she should be on patrol tonight.” He frowned into the phone and turned to Willow, making a gesture at her cell phone, which was hanging out of her bag. Willow nodded and quickly dialed their dorm room.

“Yes, Mrs. Summers, I understand....Well, no...you’ve never shown any interest at all in her duties, so I assumed...Yes, I do know Riley. He’s....yes....I see. What exactly did he see?”

Giles turned back to Willow who had just gotten Buffy on the phone (and was trying to ignore the obvious fact that she’d interrupted something) and mouthed ‘9-1-1’. The hacker’s eyes got wide and she spoke urgently into her cell.

“Mrs. Summers, I assure you that your daughter is very responsible...yes...no, I haven’t....I resent that! Of all the accusations...Well, there isn’t much you can do about that, Mrs. Summers. Her calling is not something she can ignore, and I am required...I see. Yes, well, I suppose you *can* try to replace me, but seeing as they’ve already done that once...yes...well, if you don’t ask, you don’t know, now do you? Yes.”

Giles covered his eyes and muttered under his breath, but the others in the room could just make out the words “tu m’emmerdes”. Anyone who spoke French had to stifle snickers while the rest of the group scrambled to the computer where Willow was already calling up her translation program, having hung up her cell.

Buffy and Angelus were on their way over.

“Mrs. Summers...” There was a pause, and Giles rolled his eyes and made a jerk-off sign that had Xander and Penn snickering. The group at the computer, having found the translation, was trying hard to hold back giggles.

“Look, this is not my business to begin with. If your daughter and this man fuck in the middle of the Bronze, it is *still* not my business! I am...” He was cut off again, this time by the dial tone, or so the group assumed, because he simply shook his head and hit the button to disconnect.

“Giles! You have a foul mouth!” Willow made an effort to sound reproachful but failed miserably and dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Xander just shook his head and waited for Giles to sit before speaking. “So. What was her problem?”

Giles let out a short laugh. “It seems that Buffy’s father came to town, and instead of calling to see if she was free after not seeing her for close to three years, he simply went to her dorm and waited. He saw Buffy and Angel...” the Watcher shrugged. “Well, from Joyce’s description, you’d think he saw them screwing, but apparently he simply had his hands in her jeans.” The Englishman ran a hand through his hair and made a wry face. “What’s normally called foreplay, I believe, though what she described was rather tame, in my experience. I’m sure Buffy got it in the room before they got to the...”

“Good stuff?”

Giles made a face at Xander who chuckled. “Sorry. Couldn’t help it.”

“Yes, well, it seems she blames me for her daughter’s ‘loose morals’ and doesn’t want me to have any further contact. She’s tried calling Riley, it seems, and got no answer.”

Spike sat up straight and put a hand up. “Back up. Her mother called the boyfriend to *tattle*? On her own daughter?”

The Watcher nodded. “It appears so, yes.” He raised his eyebrows and shot a glance at the phone. “From what I gathered, the incident upset Joyce quite a bit more than it did Hank.”

Anya snorted. “Of course not. He doesn’t know her, and barely sees her. It doesn’t affect him at all. Why would he care?”

“Yes, quite.” Giles took his glasses off and started to clean them.

The four newcomers to the group had watched this all with interest, and now Celeste giggled. Everyone looked at her and she smiled impishly.

“Well, it just seems to me that her mother was fine that Buffy might get killed any night, but the minute she starts having sex, all bets are off. And here I thought *my* parents were bad!”

Willow frowned. “What did your parents do?”

Celeste rolled her eyes. “They tried to burn me at the stake for being a witch.” At Willow’s look she giggled again. “No, you don’t understand. My father never even knew I existed, my mother was constantly drunk. I didn’t matter at all until one night when I saved my father’s life outside the mill. *Then* they decided I had to die. They tied me up with *rope* of all things.” She shook her head. “Like homemade rope could hold a Slayer.”

The witch’s face was solemn, however. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Celeste gave a confused look.

Willow just shrugged. “Been there.”

“Literally.” Xander got up for another soda and grabbed Willow’s empty can on the way. Just then someone knocked on the door.

Giles sighed as he stood to answer it. “Well, it’s not Buffy, she’d just come in, so I’d say the other members of the Ordem are here.”

Jenny made a face. “Oh, joy.”

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

French/English translation: tu m’emmerdes - you're bugging the shit out of me.

The idea for that line, as well as the line *itself*, came from Genevieve’s La Femme Nikita fic, “Burden Of Proof”, which can be found on the Alternative Universe LFN board at: www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/195341.

The chapter she used the line in is at: www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=195341&messageid=1026969606

It’s a great story, by the way!! Go read it! The first parts of her story are at: http://www.voy.com/15430/ The beginning is a ways back in the archives, but it shouldn’t be hard to find. :p If you like LFN characters, her story rocks!

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Chapter Seven

_______________

Someone knocked on the door.

Giles sighed as he stood to answer it. “Well, it’s not Buffy, she’d just come in, so I’d say the other members of the Ordem are here.”

Jenny made a face. “Oh, joy.”

**

“Mr. Giles?”

Giles met the cold stare of the young watcher outside his apartment with an even gaze. “Yes, I’m Rupert Giles.”

“My name is Gregory Keirs. I’ve been sent to replace you.”

Giles raised an eyebrow and stepped back to allow Gregory into his apartment. Behind him, Xander started laughing.

**

“Ok, remind me why we *stopped* and decided to get dressed and go to Giles’? As I recall, we weren’t going to meet these people until tomorrow night.” Angelus had his arm slung around Buffy’s shoulder, and the scent of her ever-present arousal was getting him slightly frustrated.

Buffy shook her head and leaned into her mate. “I have no idea. But Willow said it was a 9-1-1, so I didn’t think to argue.”

Angelus just nodded and glanced at a street sign as they crossed an intersection. They were only three blocks away from the apartment.

**

“So, you’re supposed to replace Giles, huh?” Xander managed to stop laughing long enough to get the sentence out, but at the other man’s arrogant nod, he lost it again.

“Why, exactly, is that funny?”

Xander just shook his head. Wesley smiled and offered his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Wesley Windham-Pryce, of the London Windham-Pryces.”

Gregory smiled and eagerly shook the other watcher’s hand. The Windham-Pryces were very well respected in the Council, and even in his clothing (obviously chosen to placate this group he was forced to work with) Gregory could see that Wesley would be an ally.

Having introduced himself, Gregory motioned towards the still laughing Xander. “Why is he laughing?”

Wesley shrugged. “I suppose it’s the idea that *you* could replace Giles that’s got him so amused. However, it might be the picture you’ll make when the council has to scrape you off the sidewalk.” To that Xander started laughing harder, and Willow started to giggle. Gregory stared in shock.

“I beg your pardon?”

Wesley shook his head. “Not mine you need. It’s Buffy’s, but if you introduce yourself to her that way, you aren’t likely to get it. I speak from experience. I was the last ‘replacement’ they sent for Ripper.” He smiled wryly. “All I got was insulted and ignored. Now that he’s immortal from the binding bounce, I can almost guarantee that you’ll get even less.”

Gregory gave him a pleading look. “Surely, since you’re still here, she listens to you now? Follows your orders at least?”

Wesley laughed. “If there is one thing Buffy does not do, it’s follow orders. Giles can get her to do what he wants because...” He stopped and turned to Giles, frowning. “You know, I never did get how you do that?”

Giles grinned. “Don’t look now, but if you asked her right, she’d do it for you as well these days.” Wesley’s eyes got wide for a minute, then he shrugged.

“Don’t want to.”

Giles nodded. “That’s why.” Wesley chuckled, and Giles started to clean his glasses. Gregory just stared.

This time there was no knock, the door simply opened. Everyone looked up to see Buffy and Angelus come in, hand in hand.

“So, Giles, what’s the emergency?”

Giles stood up and put his glasses back on. “Buffy, I’d like you to meet Gregory Keirs. He’s here to replace me.”

Buffy looked the new man up and down and then rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.” She turned on her heel and walked out again. Angelus just smirked.

“Angel, would you please...? That isn’t why we needed her here.”

Angelus nodded and went out after Buffy. Gregory watched him go and turned back to the group, sinking into the couch. “I’m not *going* to replace you, am I?”

Giles just smiled and Xander clapped. “Give the man a cigar!”

Gregory shook his head and dropped it into his hands. “I rather think a drink would be better.”

“That I have.” Giles stood up and went to get Gregory a glass of scotch.

**

“Buffy!” Angelus wandered over to the table Buffy was sitting at, staring out into the street. She hadn’t actually left Giles’ courtyard, just gotten out of sight of the door.

“Why do they keep doing that?” She didn’t look up. “They keep trying to take him away. What did I do to them? I save the world on a regular basis. I fight every single night. I live for *five years* un-bound. You know, if he had left when they fired him, I’d be dead right now? He’s the reason I keep fighting. Why do they hate me so much that they want to take him away from me?”

By the end of the speech she was crying, and Angelus gathered her into his arms. Softly stroking her back he managed to suppress the growl forming for the man inside who’d done this to her.

“They don’t really get it. They haven’t been out of those stuffy offices in London for years. None of them knows what you fight on a day to day basis. They don’t understand, so they don’t get what he really is to you.”

Buffy shook her head. “Quentin does. He knows. He was here. He fired Giles anyway.”

Angelus closed his eyes. “We’ll take care of Quentin, Buffy.”

“He’s coming. He’s going to be here. Here, in Sunnydale. He might be here already, on his way to the apartment, just waiting to...”

“We’ll *take care* of Quentin, Buffy.”

“Promise me.”

Angelus nodded and kissed the top of her head, his mind working a mile a minute. “I promise.”

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

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

Chapter Eight

_______________

“Scandalous!”

Joseph Morton ignored the other watcher’s outburst. Instead he stared at Leonard and shook his head. “I don’t believe you. Granted, she’s rather unconventional, but this is the strongest Slayer to ever live. I don’t believe she is as you say.”

Leonard started to protest but the older man held up a hand. “No. We are going to Mr. Giles’ apartment to meet the newly Bound Slayer and her Mate. We will work with the team she sees fit to trust, and we will leave in two months. If she really is, as you seem to think, so undisciplined as to allow a vampire to kill Travers, I will inform the council.”

“But...Quentin...”

“Is playing with fire. He has already fired this girl’s watcher once, and is now attempting to replace him, even though the binding bounced.” Joseph shrugged. “He forgets, as most of the Council does, that we are here to serve the Slayer. Not she us.” He bent down and picked up his bags. His Slayer followed him, as did the other watchers and slayers. Leonard waited until they had all left the lobby of the hotel and were on their way up to their rooms before approaching the front desk.

“I’d like to place a call to London.”

**

Riley tugged at his chains again and then sighed. Three days of this and nothing. It was time he realized he wasn’t getting out of here.

And, apparently, no one was coming for him.

He shot a glance at the Vampiress chained in the opposite corner. At this point she was his only chance. If she got free, somehow, maybe she’d be angry enough at Angelus that she’d let *him* go too?

Riley laughed. Was he actually laying his hopes on the mercy of a vampire?

Dear god.

The door upstairs slammed shut and Riley winced. While Angelus hadn’t been down since chaining the young commando up, Riley had been given a beautiful picture of what would happen when he did by what Darla’s face had looked like.

And that was twenty-four hours after her torture had stopped. Seeing the way she healed, it made the young man sick to think of what she’d looked like when the vamp had first left her there to heal.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Riley held his breath. When Penn came into view, he let it out again, and the reflected that yes, he was indeed *relieved* at the sight of a vampire.

The world had changed in the last few days.

“Sorry to bother you.” Penn smirked and pointed at Darla. “I just need to ask my dear Grande Sire a question.”

Riley nodded, hoping not to piss the vamp off and was rewarded by being ignored completely as Penn approached the blond sitting on the floor.

“Oh, Darla.”

“What?!”

“Now, now. I just want to know where you put the reserve of holy-blood. We want to celebrate. Turns out that there’s only *one* Watcher from the Ordem that’s gonna give us a problem. Isn’t that nice? The other Watchers figure that she’s so strong that whatever she does is gospel. Oh, and there are two Slayers that are actually fun! Aren’t you so happy for us, Darla?”

She looked up at him and cocked her head to the side. “Thrilled.”

“So, where’s the good stuff, Darla? Angelus says you know where it is.”

Riley watched her start to hesitate, but then she seemed to see something in Penn’s hand that he didn’t. She closed her eyes and sat back against the wall, resignedly.

“Third wine rack down in the top cellar. All the bottles marked ‘Paris’.”

The male vamp smiled sweetly and turned. He nodded at the commando who just returned his gaze, and then bounded up the stairs.

Darla glanced over at Riley and laughed. “You’re never getting out, you know.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“My dear, dear boy.” She smiled. “I’m immortal, and his Sire. When he’s convinced that I won’t hurt his mate, he’ll let me go. We may even make up eventually. It’s not like this is our first fight. And while I may never get him back in bed, I will eventually get my Childe back. But you...” She chuckled and shook her head. “You’re going to rot away down here. You he’ll never let go.”

Riley caught her eyes for a moment, but had to look away. She was so sure. He glanced around the basement he was in and imagined never leaving. He shuddered.

Darla laughed again.

**

Giles rubbed his head as he came down the stairs the next morning. The other Watchers and Slayers hadn’t left until close to three, after setting up a training schedule for the next few months.

Apparently, the other Slayers would be training Buffy half the time, and the other half she’d be training the Watchers. They seemed very interested in her techniques.

Leonard had never come back. An old friend of Wesley’s had called to see if there was a problem. When Giles had questioned why he’d ask that, they’d been informed that Leonard had requested another assignment and an immediate flight back to England. He’d left from LAX at two a.m.

Celeste and Jenny’s reaction had been unanimous.

“Good riddance.”

Giles opened his front door and bent down to pick up the morning paper. He gave a quick glance through the headlines before dropping it on the counter and going into the kitchen to make his tea.

A moment later he came running back out and snatched the paper up again, re-reading the third headline of the Saturday morning Sunnydale News.

“Prominent Englishman found dead in Hayes Park last night. He was identified as a certain Quentin Travers, and is rumored to have been visiting Sunnydale on behalf of the British government. Police are not releasing the cause of death, but it is known that the body was drained of all blood...”

:: Part Four ::

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