No Place Like Home chapter 12

[maryperk73703]

Xander confronts Spuffy and Angel finds out.

  

Chapter 12

"Miss Summers told you she's the Slayer, Agent Finn?" Maggie Walsh asked. She kept her eye on the monitor where she watched a recording of Buffy Summers.

"Yes, ma'am. She's harboring Hostile 17 too," Riley replied. He wanted to fidget under what he thought was Walsh's condemning attitude, but years of training stopped him.

"Interesting!" Walsh tapped her chin. "Anything else that you need to report?"

"Yes, Ma'am. She seemed to think whatever you're doing in Room 314 is dangerous." Riley watched Professor Walsh out of the corner of his eye. When she got a stony, cold look on her face, Riley wondered if what Buffy said was true.

"There's a leak," Walsh growled. "Someone has been flapping their jaw, and I when I find out who they'll be spending the rest of their military career scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush."

"I'm sure no one in my company has loose lips, ma'am," Riley assured Walsh.

"What about you, soldier?" Walsh eyed Riley. "You were interested in Miss Summers, weren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am, but I never told her about any of this," Riley said. "We barely spoke more than a few times. She's friends with that redhead in 101. You know, the smart one."

"Mmm," Walsh hummed in a noncommittal tone. "Maybe we should arrange for Miss Summers to 'join' us."

"Of course, Professor Walsh," Riley agreed. "We'll start on that right away."

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Spike and Buffy stepped out of Giles' apartment. They were halfway across the courtyard when Xander stepped out of the shadows brandishing a stake.

"He's got you under his thrall," the dark-haired Scooby snarled. Xander advanced on the blonds. "You don't know what you're doing. I'm going to solve this whole problem."

"Oh no, you don't," Buffy hissed. "I'm not putting up with this again, Xander. My life is mine. My mistakes are mine to make. You have no say in anything I do in my life."

"I'm your friend," Xander growled.

"Yes, you're my friend. You're not my father, not my brother, and never ever anything else." Buffy grabbed Spike's hand. "I love Spike, and he loves me."

"He's just using you," Xander shouted. "He'll turn on you the first change he gets. Just like Angel."

"Would you be quiet?" Buffy said with a sigh. "Let me tell you something. Spike is the one person in my life who won't turn on me. Unlike you, Xander, or any of the other Scoobies."

"When have I ever turned on you? I'll tell you! Never! Unlike you," Xander sneered. "Who was it that ran away after junior year?"

"Who was it that told me that Willow said to kick Angelus' ass instead of what she really said?" A tear trickled down Buffy's cheek. She was no longer in love with Angel, but the memories of sending first love to hell still hurt. "Could you have done what I had to do?"

"Send an evil, worthless vampire to his doom?" Xander raised his stake. "Yes, I could. Just like I can dust this one since you won't do your duty. AGAIN!"

"That isn't what I meant, and you know it," Buffy huffed.

"Evil doesn't change just because you boink it, Buffy."

"Xander, if you hurt Spike in any way, I'll never forgive you," Buffy replied. "He's helped me in ways you can never imagine."

"Only because of that fake soul of his," Xander grumbled. "That's how I know he'll turn on you."

"I'm tired of this." Buffy sighed sadly. "Either you accept Spike or you can leave us alone."

"I will never accept him!"

"That's fine, Xander. Really." Buffy gave Xander a small smile. "Have a good life, Xander. I'll miss you." Buffy walked away with Spike close behind her.

Xander watched Buffy leave. He wondered how everything could go so horribly wrong. He had thought for sure that she would see everything his way, and that she would turn on Spike. Xander was pretty sure there was nothing for him in Sunnydale any longer. He thought about the out of town job that his boss had offered him the week before. Xander hoped the offer was still open because he had a feeling his decision to take the job would come easier than he anticipated.

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LOS ANGELES

Angel limped out of the apartment building. He had been attacked by a big ugly demon, the likes of which the vampire had never seen before. He and the demon had been pretty evenly matched, but a garbage can lid falling in the alley had startled Angel, letting the demon flee through the window to the fire escape.

"Jonathan, you need to be more careful." A voice said from the dark alley.

"I'm sorry, Wesley," another voice said. "I wasn't expecting that demon thingie to leap out of the window."

"You did exceptionally well." Wesley stepped out into the open. "I can see why Buffy believes that under the wrong influence you could get in over your head. You do have potential with your abilities."

"Um, thanks." Jonathan stood next to Wesley. "I guess her and her new guy know best."

"I believe so." Wesley nodded.

"Wesley?" Angel asked in a perplexed voice. "What are you doing here?" He had heard that Wesley had left Sunnydale around the same time he did, but the vampire never expected to run into the ex-Watcher.

Wesley looked at the vampire. He nodded a slight greeting. "Hello, Angel. I heard that you were living in L.A. now."

"You've spoken to Buffy lately?" Angel tried to sound uninterested.

"Actually not as of yet." Wesley raised an eyebrow. Somehow he knew the conversation was already treading on thin ice. "I've had most of my contact with an associate of Buffy's named Anya."

Jonathan gave a chuckle. "Anya wants contact alright. Physical contact."

Wesley blushed bright red. "My personal life is none of anyone's business, Jonathan."

"Guess I shouldn't mention that she's really scary, huh?" Jonathan shuddered. "Even scarier than Buffy's guy."

"What's this about Buffy's new boyfriend?" Angel's interest was piqued. "Maybe I need to visit Sunnydale again."

Wesley gave Jonathan a look of warning before he turned his attention back to Angel. "Buffy's moving on, Angel, exactly as you instructed. I'm sure any visits you make will be unappreciated."

"Especially to her boyfriend," Jonathan muttered under his breath. "Spike is extra scary."

Wesley missed what the younger man was grumbling, but Angel didn't.

"What?" the outraged vampire roared. "Repeat what you just said!" He stepped towards the shorter human man.

Jonathan cleared his throat nervously and made a move to hide behind Wesley. "I didn't say anything. I was practicing a spell. It just sounds like I was talking."

"You're lying," Angel growled. He took another step towards Jonathan.

"Anya, help me!" Jonathan yelped, hoping the Scooby would come rescue him from the big scary vampire.

"What on earth is going on here?" Anya appeared suddenly. She looked at Angel. "I remember you. You're that broody ex-boyfriend of Buffy's who was unable to give her orgasms."

"Anya!" Wesley gasped at Anya's forthrightness. Although he had to admit it was fun to see the disgruntled look on Angel's face at the young woman's words.

"It's true you know," Anya said. "Spike is much better at giving orgasms, I'm sure."

"No! Oh, no!" Angel gurgled the words deep in his chest. He had things to do. He didn't have time to go save Buffy from Spike. It didn't even occur to him that if she wanted to be saved she was a big enough girl to do it herself.

"You know, Buffy really can take care of herself, buddy." Anya pointed a finger at Angel. She stopped talking, and she looked as if she was listening to something that only she could hear. "You need to get a move on. Cordelia wishes to wreck vengeance on somebody."

"Cordelia!" Angel rushed off, leaving Anya, Jonathan, and Wesley behind.

"Well, that was rude," Anya huffed.

"You think he'll forget our little slip up?" Jonathan asked.

"No, it's only a matter of time before he goes to Sunnydale," Wesley replied. He gave a small sigh. "I suppose you should warn her, Anya."

"Be right back." Anya nodded. She leaned in closer to Wesley to whisper, "Then we can lose the nerd, and we can have some orgasms of our own." She glanced at Wesley's leather motorcycle jacket. "We can play lady cop and bad boy."

When Anya popped out of sight, Jonathan muttered, "See? She's scary."

Wesley nodded in agreement. What he didn't say out loud that it kinda turned him on.

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Finding Glory and her host body turned out to be harder than either Caly or Amon had anticipated. As long as she stayed inside the host, Glory was virtually undetectable.

"We need a way to track her," Caly muttered. "Too bad we couldn't use one of the Elb'irt demons from the Helvish dimension. They </I>adored</I> her."

"Yes, they did." Amon chuckled. "Remember that time we gave her a whole litter of Elb cubs?"

"Yeah. That was hilarious." Caly's long red curls bobbed as he silently laughed.

"You know, Caly. That's not a bad idea." Amon snapped his fingers. "I think we should get one of those Elbs. They always seemed to find her when she was hiding from them."

"But their humming is so annoying." Caly shuddered.

"Only to us." Amon tapped his chin. "To humans the little fur balls are quite soothing."

Caly shuddered in disgust again. "I suppose there's no changing your mind, is there?"

"No. Besides we can always leave the Elb with the Slayer." Amon chuckled darkly. "Looks like she's gonna start her very own demon collection."

"You get to retrieve it." Caly crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'll wait right here."

"Wimp." Amon rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.