“It’s not going to work.”

Spike had said as much before, and Buffy was getting tired of hearing it. He disapproved of the plan the gang had come up with to shake some sense back into Faith, but so far he had not offered any alternative.

With a sharp look and a tilt of her head, she indicated that she wanted to go outside. They had been standing so far on the edge of the mansion’s main room, where they could see Faith shackled by the fireplace and hear Angel as he tried to talk to her. The brunette Slayer couldn’t see them from where she was, it would be better if she couldn’t hear them either.

“It’s our only option,” she told the vampire when they had walked out. “We can’t just pretend nothing happened.”

She really wished it had been possible to simply forget, like Faith had suggested it, but she realized it wasn’t possible. Moreover, she knew Spike realized it too, knew he had tried to tell Giles the previous night before finally leaving the task to her. He ought to see there was really nothing else to do. Yet, he didn’t, and he kept objecting.

“And you can’t convince anyone of anything when you have them chained to a wall. It’s not going to work.”

His stubbornness, added to Buffy’s own doubts, was finally too much, and she snapped at him.

“You keep repeating that, but I didn’t hear you suggest anything else.”

Watching her with too cool eyes that seemed to pierce her to the core, he lit a cigarette and took a long drag before replying.

“I don’t have the answer, and neither do you. You know it, you just won’t admit it.”

“Admit what?”

Too caught up in her argument with Spike, Buffy had not heard Angel join them. She quelled the instinct to reach out and take his hand, not sure she’d be able to stomach it if he refused the contact.

“Spike thinks we won’t get anywhere with Faith.”

Angel’s features closed as he stared at the other vampire. His voice was ice.

“Good thing we don’t give a damn what Spike thinks then.”

As expected, he looked at her when he said this, the barest touch of a question showing on his face. She returned the look blankly. She was more than tired of his hints that she gave too much of her time and attention to the blond vampire, and this seemed like another attempt at making her feel bad about it. Were both souled vampires determined to antagonize her to death? It certainly seemed like it. She didn’t reply to his comment, wordlessly daring him to say more. The silence was broken by a venomous growl from the blond.

“Fuck you both.”

Startled, Buffy shifted her gaze toward Spike, catching the end of his two fingers salute before he strode away, clearly upset. She called his name, annoyed by his flare of temper, but Angel’s touch on her shoulder brought her attention back to him.

“Let him go,” he said softly, almost pleadingly. “We don’t need him.”

“And we don’t need to lose another ally,” she retorted. “Won’t you ever accept that he’s on our side?”

For an instant, she thought she saw hints of amber glittering in Angel’s eyes, but it was gone before she could be sure. She told herself she had probably imagined it; it was too dark anyway. The alternative, where Angel could become jealous to the point of anger when he was the one refusing to be closer to her, wasn’t something she wanted to consider.

“A soul doesn’t making him perfect, Buffy. You shouldn’t trust him so much.”

Her eyes widened in incredulity that he, of all people, could say such a thing.

“This is ridiculous. You’re telling me that I shouldn’t trust Spike, even souled? Next you’ll tell me I shouldn’t trust you!”

Incredulity transformed in incomprehension as Angel nodded. “I’d say that, but I don’t trust myself for the both of us, so you don’t…”

Raising her hands in front of her in a sign of surrender, Buffy took a step back. “I’ve had enough for now, I think. Thanks for helping with Faith. I’ll see you later.”

Blocking out the sound of Angel calling her name, she walked away, unable to deal with a new round of his self-recriminations. She didn’t know how, but she would have to find a way to prove him he wouldn’t lose his soul, wouldn’t hurt her or her friends again. They couldn’t keep playing this game.


Spike was livid as he left the mansion. Weeks of thinking the Slayer valued his help were wiped away in an instant. Of course, she wouldn’t contradict Angel. She was still caught up in her dream of happily ever after, too blinded to realize it was already over. Nevertheless, until she did realize, Spike was nothing to her, and it was time he accepted that.

If she didn’t want to listen, at least her Watcher would. They were making an even bigger mess with Faith than things already were, and it was time to bring some sanity back into it. Spike couldn’t believe Giles had agreed to the way they were trying to ‘help’ the brunette Slayer.

He arrived to Giles’ flat soon enough, and the door promptly opened when he knocked. The human had his jacket on, as if he had been on the point of going out, but Spike needed to talk to him right away. He took a step forward as he answered his greeting, ready to enter the house, help himself to some liquor and argue his point until the Watcher could do nothing but agree. He was stunned when mid-stride a barrier of thin air stopped him.

The human gave him an embarrassed look as he walked out, locking the door behind him.

“I was on my way back to the library. Was there something you needed?”

The vampire blinked, swallowing his hurt pride. He wasn’t going to let the Watcher see how much he cared about having been disinvited. In fact, he didn’t care about it, not at all. It wasn’t as if he had any reason, or desire, to spend time with a boring guy, who could barely drink more than a glass before losing any coherence. It wasn’t as if he wanted any human friends. He was a soulless vampire. Humans were food, even if he had taken them off his diet.

“Yeah, wanted to say you’re all playing a bloody stupid game. You’re going to drive the bint around the bend, if she’s not already there. How’s that going to help when you have a fully psychotic Slayer to deal with?”

Giles sighed, and Spike felt like doing the same when the human took off his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief. That habit of his was downright maddening.

“It’s a delicate matter,” he offered after a couple of seconds.

“And your council of wankers have been dealing with Slayers for how long? Don’t tell me they haven’t anything planned for this kind of mess.”

Giles’ features hardened.

“As a matter of fact, they do,” he said shortly. “But I doubt sending Faith to England by force and locking her up after a small approximation of legal procedure would be of much help to her.”

“But you trust Angel will be able to do better.”

The human snorted as he walked away. Spike followed him through the complex’ courtyard.

“Angel and trust are not words I readily associate together,” Giles commented. “But he believes he can help her, and I see no harm in letting him try. Unless you had a better idea?”

The ex-Watcher only nodded when Spike did not reply and asked him if he was coming along to the library. Spike declined the invitation, saying he’d join the group later. Thoughtful, he lit a cigarette and watched Giles drive away in his battered excuse of a car. He could not understand why he was being so patient with the man, with all of them in fact, when his efforts at being good where leading him exactly nowhere. He wasn’t even sure what he was trying to achieve anymore.

He had lost his soul, but he still hadn’t resumed killing and continued to fight along side the Slayer. He had managed to fall in love with the girl who was supposed to be his mortal enemy; and even though she had said she valued his help she still ran back to Angel when things got complicated. What was the whole point of this? He had to prove to her, prove to her little group, that he wouldn’t follow blindly without them ever listening to him. The problem was to find the best way to show them he wasn’t a simple pawn in their game. He thought about it as he made his way to the library, and was still thinking when he crossed path with Buffy as she hunted for the escaped Slayer. She didn’t ask for his help and he didn’t offer it; but he followed her, at a distance, just to be sure she’d be safe, cursing himself all the while. He almost jumped into the fight when she found Faith and vampires attacked them both, but the two girls didn’t need him to sort things out.

When Buffy left, he stayed behind, wondering if he could talk to the brunette, maybe succeed where the others had failed. Still pondering how to approach her, he shadowed her, more than a little surprised to see her walk with determination to the town hall. He had heard what the two Slayers had discovered about the Mayor’s implication with vampires, but couldn’t believe that Faith would be foolish enough to confront him without back up.

It didn’t take him long to find which window was the Mayor’s office, and he soon knew exactly what Faith was doing. He thought of immediately warning Giles or Buffy, before remembering he wasn’t welcome in the first’s flat anymore, while the second didn’t care about what he had to say. Still bitter about both facts, he pondered his options.

When Faith walked out of the building, he had made his decision. If a Slayer was joining forces with the current Big Bad, why couldn’t a Master Vampire do the same?


Mayor Wilkins was  still contemplating the day’s latest developments and whether it had been a good idea to add the Slayer to his payroll, when for the second time his office’s door revealed a much unexpected person. He wasn’t particularly alarmed at the vampire’s presence here, after all nothing could harm him until his ascension. Not alarmed, but curious. Ever since Trick’s unfortunate attempt at getting rid of the vampire, the Mayor had kept a discreet surveillance on him. He knew where his lair was, knew that he patrolled each night with the Slayer, knew that he had spent a few nights in Los Angeles and hunted there while he didn’t hunt in Sunnydale. His guess was that the blond had a plan of some sorts that involved having the Slayer’s trust. The only reason he wasn’t dust yet was that the Mayor believed he could distract Buffy Summers and keep her attention away from other possible threats.

“Mr. Spike,” he acknowledged as the vampire slouched on the chair across from him. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“’S just Spike,” the vampire drawled. “And you owe the honor to the fact that I’m bored.”

“Bored?” the Mayor repeated, slightly amused. “With two Slayers in town, I’d think that any Master Vampire would have enough to occupy himself.”

A nasty grin curled Spike’s lips. “The thing is, I could kill them. Easily. They trust me, and would never see it coming. But that’d be too fast. There are a few things on Summers’ tab, and it’ll take a lot of pain to pay it up.”

More interest than amusement, now that his words confirmed the Mayor doubts.

“Pay what exactly?”

The vampire shrugged. “Cursing me with a soul. Treating me like a lapdog. A few things of the same kind.”

“A soul?” the Mayor repeated, curious. It was certainly unusual, but it also explained a lot.

“Got rid of it,” Spike added with a dismissive gesture.

That explained the sudden trip to LA and the kills that had followed.

“So, seeing how you’re now employing a Slayer, I thought you’d want someone to keep an eye on her for you.”

Inspecting his nails as he thought, the Mayor considered Spike’s words. The vampire knew about Faith, which made both of them liabilities. The question was whether their worth was greater.

“Why would I want to keep an eye on her?” he asked idly. “Fine little lady.”

“Yeah, fine little killer, too. She told you she offed your man?”

The vampire’s casual tone contrasted with the intense look in his eyes. The Mayor absorbed the information, his perspective on his newest employee changing slightly. Maybe he ought to keep an eye on her. Moreover, she could keep an eye on Spike in return. It would work quite well.

“What kind of payment would you require for your services?”

Spike’s smile widened a little more.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find me very reasonable.”


And the waters muddied a little more.

Usually, the equation is easy. Evil vampires eat clueless humans. Good little girl kills the evil vampires, and every now and then, they have one good day and kill her. Boring Watchers record who eats whom and when. Not much interaction between vamps and Slayer beyond kill or be killed.

Sunnydale… well that was a whole other story. First, there was not one but two Slayers. According to Rupert, it was the first time something like that happened. It could have meant easily killing more vampires, and for a time it did, but eventually it turned out not to be such a good thing. So yeah, Faith might not have been the finest candidate ever to become a Slayer. Girl had issues, and getting freakish powers one day out of the blue certainly wasn’t the best thing that could have happened to her. Still, I have this feeling she could have done better if she hadn’t had to compete with Buffy. To be told that you’re the one and only and then discover that you’re not really unique… Ask Peaches, he still has the mental scars.

So. Two Slayers, one Hellmouth. You’d think they would have sent her to the Cleveland one or elsewhere. But no, the wankers didn’t. Instead, they sent one inexperienced Watcher for both girls, one who made up for his young years with an extra dose of stuffiness. And they tried to get rid of the one they both trusted. Only tried, thankfully. God only knows what would have happened if they had completely gotten rid of old Rupert.

Bad enough as it was, two Slayers fighting on opposite sides, it wasn’t all. In addition to the Hellmouth’s common lot of vamps, demons, and wannabe ascending Mayor, there were also two vampires fighting the fight. The good one. The one where you save people, and don’t kill them. The exact opposite of what vamps are supposed to do. One of them doing it out of the guilt filling his soul. The other playing the game because he’d do anything for love. Talk about messing up the cards.

I had crossed the line once when I had decided to help them. I saw an ex-Watcher cross it too, then a Slayer, the other way around. I crossed it again. It’s all a big game, and we all wear more masks than we can afford. It’s just a matter of keeping straight who you are, and what side you are ultimately on. Not always easy.