| Captive by Noelle |
| Chapter #5 - Getting Inside |
| A/N: I know a lot of you feel like the story has a slow start, but I was just trying to build a plotline and I do like the interaction between Spike and the Scoobies. But I promise this is a Spuffy fic and Spike and the gang will be inside the Initiative in the next chapter. This fic hasn't gotten nearly as much feedback as my first, so I'm asking that you do review just to let me know what you think of the fic so far and even if you have any suggestions or something you'd like to see happen. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed and are interested in the story. Chapter Five: Getting Inside "How are things coming along in here?" Professor Walsh asked as she approached. Dr. Angelman was hovering over Buffy, running tests and taking notes. He looked up when his colleague entered the room. "So far so good," he answered returning his attention to the semi-conscious slayer. "And how is our other patient?" "Adam is almost complete." She stepped around the table opposite of where Dr. Angelman was standing. "Once we’ve tested the skewers from the Pogara demon, we’ll be ready to move into the final stages." Dr. Angelman shot Professor Walsh an annoyed look. "Do you really think we should be discussing this here?" he asked nodding in Buffy’s direction. "She won’t be relaying the information anytime soon." *** "I think it’s pretty obvious that the Initiative is holding Buffy hostage!" Willow insisted as she paced back and forth in Giles’ apartment. "And what do you propose we do? Storm into the Initiative and demand they release her?" Giles asked sarcastically. "We need a plan before we do anything rash. Planning is imperative considering we are severely outnumbered and down a slayer." "Giles is right," Xander broke in from his place on the couch. Willow shot him a look of irritation. "You know I want to help Buffy just as much as you do, Will, but we won’t be any help if we get killed in the process." Willow sighed before collapsing onto the nearest chair. "Okay, I’m all for a plan." They all looked at each other in silence. "Well? I’m not hearing any!" Giles stood up. "We mustn’t panic. Let us start by continuing our research on the soldiers." He turned to the redhead. "Willow, can you hack into the Initiative's main computer?" Willow opened her laptop, instantly beginning to type. She stared intently at the screen and mumbled to herself in the process. "And, Xander," Giles started turning to the other male. "Your military knowledge will prove incredibly useful in all this." Xander nodded, ready to do anything to help. "Plus we’ve got Faith fighting for the good guys now." "And Spike," Willow added without looking up from her computer. "Yeah-huh? No!" Xander looked to Giles for help against the vampire. Instead of voicing his dislike for Spike, Giles seemed to be thinking over the suggestion. "I’m not saying he’s the answer to all our problems," Willow amended, turning to face the group. "But he is the strongest one out of all of us and we’re going to need all the help we can get." "We’d get more help from the devil himself," Xander scoffed. "What makes you think he’d even want to help Buffy? He’s tried to kill her all these years. He’s probably happy there’s someone else out there to take her off his hands." Willow shook her head. "He’s not like that anymore." Xander and Giles both looked at her like she was crazy. "Okay, okay so he’s not Mr. Innocent. And he might not be willing to help us save Buffy, but we have to at least give it a shot. Buffy deserves that, right?" she asked them sadly. Neither Xander or Giles had the heart to disagree with her. *** Professor Walsh looked up from the papers she was grading. "Yes, Riley?" Riley stood in front of her desk, exhibiting perfect military stance. "I’ve come to request permission to see the slayer." Professor Walsh dropped the pen she was using in frustration. She’d known that this day would come, and she had hoped the agent she looked at like a son would act professionally. "This is hardly the place to discuss official business, Agent Finn." She picked her pen up again, ready to get back to work. "Request denied." "With all due respect, ma’am, why not?" "The slayer is no longer your concern," she reminded him. "Leave the research to us. You should be focusing on the entrapment of Hostile 17." "I assure you I can do both," he insisted. Professor Walsh shook her head, looking back down at her papers. "Forget about her, Agent." She looked him in the eye. "That’s an order." *** "I’m a what?" "A slayer," Giles repeated patiently. He wasn’t surprised at Faith’s confusion, he’d expected it. "I know, I just needed to hear it again." She began pacing back and forth in front of him. "So you’re telling me that vampires and demons are real, and it’s my job to kill them?" "Yours and Buffy’s," Giles affirmed with a nod. Faith stopped pacing and fell back onto the couch behind her. Giles watched her as she contemplated all that he’d told her in the last ten minutes. "I think I’ve got something," Willow called to him from her position at his desk. As Giles made his way over to her the front door opened and in walked Xander, Anya and an irritated Spike. "We got him," Xander stated, closing the door behind them. "Yes, after much bribing," Anya told them. "It was very boring." "What the bleeding hell am I doing here?" Spike asked Giles in annoyance. He took a drag from the cigarette he was smoking. "How many times do I have to say I’m not a part of your sodding Scooby club?" Giles made a face as Spike exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Put that blasted thing out, would you?” "Am I in the club?" Faith asked innocently from the couch. "There is no club," Anya told her as she sat down next to Faith. "He hates us. Oh, don’t worry," she told Faith who looked terrified of Spike. "He can’t kill anymore. You see, the same guys that took Buffy put a chip in his head and if he tries to hurt humans he gets a migraine." "Is he a demon?" Faith asked quietly, trying not to be heard by anyone else in the room. "Don’t be silly," Anya chided her. "He’s a vampire." "Anya!" Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. He turned his attention back to Spike. "I’m afraid we do need your help." "Bugger that!" Spike turned to leave, but found Xander standing in his way. "Out of my way, whelp." Xander crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Or you’ll do what?" "Giles!" Willow pleaded with him for an interference. She grabbed the mug of blood they’d been saving for Spike, and approached the two. "You know we wouldn’t ask if the situation weren’t absolutely dire," Giles started looking only at Spike. "As much as it pains me to say this, we can’t rescue Buffy without you." "And what makes you think I’d want to save a slayer?" Spike threw down his cigarette and stomped it out with his boot, giving Giles a pointed look. "I’m a master vampire, not some poofter with a soul!" Giles motioned for Willow to give Spike the mug. "You don’t have much of a choice, I’m afraid." Spike took the beverage, looking at it suspiciously. "Either you help us or we send the Initiative after you." Spike snorted. "Those wankers? You wouldn’t dare." "Wouldn’t I?" Giles and Spike stared at each other, neither breaking the intense glare as they dared the other to back down. Spike was the first to look away as he took a sip from the novelty mug. "I suppose I could help you all take down the soldiers. As long as there’s no group hug afterwards." Giles rolled his eyes, but was inwardly cheering at the submission. He knew Spike was key if they were going to have any hope of infiltrating a military institution of that size. With that settled he turned back to Willow. "Now, about that spell." *** "I don’t see why I have to be bait," Spike complained. "Because none of us are evil creatures of the night," Xander reminded him. "Now go away before they see you with us." Spike threw Xander a glare before marching off further into the cemetery. He made himself comfortable on a tombstone and began whistling tunelessly. "I can’t wait to meet Buffy," Faith whispered excitedly. "She sounds wicked cool." "Yeah, she’s just a barrel of laughs," Anya replied, rolling her eyes. Giles had suggested only Xander and Faith follow Spike, but Anya insisted on tagging along. She wasn’t going to leave Xander alone with Faith, especially not after Willow let their history together slip the day before. "Get down, someone’s coming!" Xander hissed, ducking behind a tree. Sure enough a team of five men in camouflage were heading straight at Spike. "I’ve got this one," Riley called out to his men. He approached Spike, trying to appear unafraid but not sure if the chip was active and working. "My, my if it isn’t Mr. Wonderful himself," Spike called out to the larger man. "How’s the little woman? Haven’t seen her about much." Riley’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Buffy. "You know Buffy?" he asked in disbelief. "We’re old friends," Spike replied with a grin. "She’s told me all sorts of things about you." Riley tried to ignore the infuriating vampire and approached him with even more determination than before. Spike was up in a flash and landed a hard punch to Riley’s nose. Pain ripped through his brain, but it was worth it just to hit the sell-out. Riley fell to the ground from the force of the punch, but the other officers grabbed Spike, who was too incapacitated from the pain to notice. Xander looked at Anya and Faith, hoping everything was going well with Tara, Willow and Giles, because ready or not they were going in. Faith smirked at him, reminding Xander of her pre-coma days. "Showtime." |