The Plan - The Really, Really Bad Plan...Whose Plan Was This, Anyway?
Pict by the wonderful Zo.
“I’m neutered!”
“Do you have a…four?” Anya asked.
“I can only fight demons! This is awful!”
“Go fish,” Willow happily replied.
“Are you people listening to me?”
“No,” Xander told the vampire without looking up. “We’re not.”
Spike huffed and folded his arms, refusing to play. “This sucks. My entire life sucks.”
“No,” Anya pointed out, “You did suck. And now you’re a neutered puppy who can’t play.”
Spike growled, but did nothing more.
“Do you have an eight?” Willow asked him, casting him a sympathetic look.
“Bloody hell. Here.” He tossed the eight of hearts at her and continued to sulk.
“Where do you suppose Buffy is?” Willow asked as she laid down her pair of eights.
“Give me a queen, Harris.”
“Go fish!” he smirked at the vampire before quickly looking back down at his cards at the look Spike cast back. “Where else would the Buffster be?” Xander shrugged and asked Anya, “How about a duce?”
“Go fish.”
“She’s with the poof out at the dilapidated mansion,” Spike grumbled. “Where else would she be, certainly not with you schmucks.”
“And yet here you sit,” Anya reminded him.
Spike growled again, but no one paid attention.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Let me get this straight,” Angel smirked. “Riley actually wanted to put Giles in a cage?”
Leaning her head against his chest, Buffy let the hot water seep into her sore muscles, relieving the tension from the last weeks. Angel was doing a fine job of that, too. It was always nice to have her lover with her.
“Well, he was a demon at the time,” Buffy pointed out, not so much in defense, but in fact. “But there was the whole ‘Demon evil, must kill’ factor going on.” She giggled at that. “He was trying to be all manly, but really, it didn’t work. All loaded with lasers and tasers and ray guns or whatever he carries. And a radio. Oh!”
She laughed again, tilting her head to the side with a sigh as Angel’s fingers absently ran across her belly, up to cup her breasts. “So this radio, right? All connected with his team and all, right? With call signs and everything.”
“Call signs?” Angel smirked, but couldn’t resist leaning down to taste her mouth, lazily kissing her as they relaxed for the first time in ages.
“Hmm,” Buffy murmured, slowly opening her eyes. “What?”
“You were about to impart what was no doubt a brilliant secret code on Riley’s part.”
“Oh,” she laughed again, and Angel felt his heart flip at the sound. It was again light and carefree, like she used to laugh with him. He wondered what their life would have been like the last year and a half if they’d known about the soul-permanence earlier. Then again, he was glad he’d gone to LA. If not the fact that he’d left Buffy, Angel was glad he’d met Doyle, and even – to an extent – Cordelia and Wesley. “Lilac.”
“Huh?” he hadn’t been paying attention again. Oh, it wasn’t her, he could listen to her speak for hours, but it was more the sound of her voice, the rise and fall of it than the words. Though he enjoyed hearing about her days, too. “Riley got you flowers?” he growled.
“No, silly,” she swatted his arm, sending a slash of water at his face. “That’s his call sign. Lilac.”
Snorting in amusement, Angel shook his head, laughter sparkling in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but let the mirth free. “His call sign is a flower? What a dork.”
“Spike calls him Captain Cardboard.” Buffy grinned, settling back against Angel. “Xander’s title for him is Captain Boring. Anya has the best, though, and I think she wins the prize.”
“Have you decided what that prize is going to be?” But he was, again, only half paying attention. He had his beautiful lover in his arms, and intended on taking full advantage of that fact. They didn’t get to see each other all that much, to waste this time together was foolish. And he was not a foolish vampire.
“No, but she still wins. She calls him Captain Potential with a Small Brain and Equally Small Penis.”
Angel snorted with laughter again, distracted from Buffy’s neck. “What?”
“Hey, how she knows these things, I don’t know, but that’s the winner.”
Lifting her up, Angel turned her around, settling her over him. “He doesn’t know that you’re the slayer?” he asked, but he was soon distracted by her breasts, and he took one nipple into his mouth as Buffy sighed his name.
“Who knows I’m the slayer?” Buffy mumbled, eyes drifting close. She rocked over him, taking him deeper into her body with each movement. Water splashed over the rim of the tub, but neither paid attention to that. It was water on tile – it’d evaporate later.
“Riley,” Angel tried to say the name, but it came out as a sneer. He kissed his way back up her chest, biting down on her neck, much to her appreciation. She hissed in a breath, clamping down on him as ripples of her orgasm spread through her. Kissing the mark, Angel gripped her hips, urging her movements faster.
“Riley what?” Buffy’s breath caught, and her mouth sought Angel’s. “Oh, Riley.” She pulled back, and Angel growled in displeasure. Running her hands over his cheeks, through his damp hair, she added, “No. He doesn’t know I’m the slayer. I don’t think the government went for research smart when they recruited for The ‘Dale’s Dimwit Demon Detail.”
Another laugh, and Angel wondered if he’d ever laughed so much in one conversation. “The what?”
“Willow,” Buffy gasped when he returned his attention back to her neck. “Her contribution to the bashing of Riley party Giles had.”
“I think,” Angel commented, kissing her silent, “She deserves a prize, too.”
Then they were done talking, at least about Riley Finn.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Buffy!” Hearing a voice, Buffy stopped walking, and shared a glance with Willow.
“Remember, I won the bet with Xander,” Willow reminded her friend as Riley raced across the quad. “I get to listen and impart details.”
“What’re the odds at Willy’s?” Buffy whispered as Riley got closer.
“Fifteen to One the whole operation goes up in a ball of smoke equaled to our illustrious graduation day spectacle by May.”
“Did you bet?”
“Of course,” Willow said, sounding indignant. “I have twenty bucks you can do it by March.”
“Do what?” Riley asked, puffing slightly from his race across campus.
“Learn a new dance routine,” Buffy lied smoothly. “So what’s up?” She hadn’t talked to Riley in weeks, and wasn’t sure if he was purposely avoiding her since those creepy floaty-men meeting, or if there was something else going on with the commando. Like he’d learned who she was. Besides the obvious.
“I need to talk to you, Buffy,” Riley said, pointedly looking at Willow. Willow, for her part, refused to move, smiling serenely at him in the bright December light.
“Willow…?” Buffy asked with a huff when it became clear Riley wasn’t budging. Whatever he had to say she’d tell Willow anyway, so he might as well just save her the trouble of repeating it.
“Nope,” her friend grinned, slipping out her sunglasses. Settling them on her nose, knowing how easily her emotions could be read on her face, she added, “We have finals to study for, Buffy. And you promised me you’d spend the rest of today and all tomorrow doing so.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, smiling never abating, Willow nodded, resolve face to the fore. “I’m not leaving.”
“Ah…” Riley trailed off, clearly not expecting that.
“It’s okay,” Buffy shrugged. “Willow knows all my secrets, anyway.”
“All?” The skeptical look he sent was part confusion and part fear. For his secret, Buffy wondered, or because he didn’t think her best friend should know all hers?
“Yup. All. It’s in the Best Friend Handbook,” Buffy nodded sagely. “Besides,” she whispered in a stage voice, leaning closer to Riley and casting sidelong glances at Willow. “That’s her Resolve Face. There’s no getting away from that.”
Riley laughed, relaxed now. And it was clear he didn’t believer either woman, but shrugged. “If you say so. Are you sure…?” But Buffy just smiled. “I just wanted to tell you I figured it out.”
“It?” Buffy asked, confused. “What it?”
“That you’re the slayer,” he said in a low voice, wary of the rest of the students. “It wasn’t in our Dictionary of Mythical, Metaphysical, Magickal, and Mythic Creatures-”
“You have a dictionary with all that?” Willow cut in, excited. At Buffy’s look she quieted, “I’m just saying…”
“Er, yes,” Riley nodded, watching students wander past them, but none seemed interested in their conversation. “Are you sure we can’t go someplace not so public?” Buffy shook her head, but that was because she was rooted to the spot. “Well,” he continued in a soft voice, and she was just grateful he wasn’t shouting it over creation. “I finally found several references in our Database of Suspect and Possible Additions to Slayer-comma-the. I have to say, when I told Professor – I mean when I told my commander, she was thrilled.”
Buffy swallowed, fear settling cold and heavy in her belly. “You told someone?” Willow put her hand on her arm, and Buffy looked sharply at her. The silent look that passed between them said it all. No more secret identity, no more secrets, period – too much was out in the open now. Giles was going to be so pissed.
“My commanding officer, yes. I had to, Buffy.” The explanation did nothing to ease the dread spreading through her. Professor…wait, the only professor she knew Riley worshiped was Walsh, the mean bitch.
“And what,” she asked through clenched teeth, “Did Professor Walsh say to that?”
“How did you know…?” But Buffy just glared, and he shook his head in resignation. “Never mind; you seem to know way more about us than we'd like, anyway. She was thrilled. Wants to meet you. She said she wasn't aware that the Slayer was real, and can't wait for this chance to study, ah, talk with you. She has so many questions she wants to ask you.”
“Yes, I’m sure she does.” Buffy looked again at Willow. So much for finals studying. “Look, Riley. I have to go. I…” God, what was she going to do now? He expected her to keep his secret, not that she had but that wasn’t the point, but he just blurted out her secret? Angel was going to kill him – if Buffy didn’t first.
“After finals,” she agreed, making an instant decision. “I’ll meet with Professor Walsh.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Well how did he find out?” Giles demanded. He went back into the kitchen for a glass, forgoing the tea already cooling on the counter. He needed something stronger.
“How should I know?” Buffy mumbled into her tea from her position curled on the couch. “I told him he had to figure it out for himself, I didn’t think he actually would!”
“Obviously, you were wrong, Buffy. Now what do you intend on doing about it?”
“What do you mean?” she shrugged. “Nothing. He knows I’m the slayer, fine. So does his boss, fine. What can they do to me?”
“I don’t know,” Giles admitted, “but I don’t like it that they know who you are. When it was just the school, they weren’t a threat, in fact,” he smiled here, remembering the umbrella they gave her at the prom. “They adored you for it. This is the government, and I doubt they’ll blithely accept you doing what you do without testing you somehow.”
“What kind of tests,” Buffy asked, panicked. She looked to Willow who tried to look reassuring.
“Strength, endurance, I don’t know, white blood cell count? I don’t know, Buffy. Please, be careful.”
~~~~~~~~~~
She was. Super careful. But that didn’t matter, when, apparently, the government was after her. Or maybe not her. Spike. Yes, it was all Spike’s fault. She was sure of it.
“Damn it, Spike,” she grumbled. “I’m so kicking you ass for this!”
“Not my fault, slayer,” he shot back, laughing. Ducking under a swinging arm he deftly staked the vampire before leaning against the headstone to watch the rest of the show. “Watch her,” he repeated in a really bad imitation of Angel’s voice. “Make sure she’s okay, help her slay if you have to, but keep an eye on her.”
Switching to his own voice, Spike continued, “Yes, Sire, anything you say, Sire, what else shall I do, Sire” Back to Angel’s voice, “Go out and buy new hair gel for me – I need a new brand for my perfectly coiffed locks.”
“Spike!” Buffy laughed, “I’m going to stake you for that!”
“Oh, no!” His voice raised in a high pitched way. “The slayer’s going to stake me! Help!”
“Stop it,” Buffy staked the final vampire and turned to glare at her ‘help’. “He told you to help me, not to mock him.”
“All part of the service.”
Buffy walked up to him, tapping the stake against her thigh. “Spike,” she threatened, eyeing him as he pushed off the tombstone. “Go high,” she whispered and he nodded, swaggered closer as if he was going to attack. “They’ve spotted you, but I know,” she smiled, “You can out run them.”
“Staying alive is another part of the service,” he nodded, shoved her, hoped she didn’t tattle on him to the poof for that – Angel was so overprotective – and leapt on top of a nearby mausoleum. The commandos tried to follow, in fact three encircled Buffy and two more tried to chase him, but really, they couldn’t track him, not even with their nifty machines.
It was, he convinced himself, pure fluke they’d caught him the first time. If he hadn’t been so focused on killing the slayer…it was all her fault. But he stuck around now, just in case these commandos decided to start killing humans. Angel’d really kill him then. Slowly. Painfully. And with lots of toys.
“Buffy,” Riley said, and she turned to look at him, calm and sure. They had a lot to learn about stealth-mode.
“Hello, Riley. Graham, yes? And Forest?” She nodded as they stiffened, guns rising higher. Or not guns. Those ray things Willow wanted so badly to study. Buffy wondered what they did to a human if they could knock out a vampire.
“What are you doing here?” Riley asked, yanking his mask off. “And what are you doing with a vampire?”
Wondering how they knew about Spike, or if they were just good with faces, Buffy smiled. “Information.”
“Information.” Riley repeated, not believing her. “What kind of information could a vampire possibly have?”
“You’d be amazed what your HST’s have to say about bigger bads in the area.” Buffy hoped Spike hadn’t heard. He was sensitive about that, especially since the chip incident.
“Then you won’t mind sharing,” Graham said.
Hmm, well there you go, then. “Oh, nothing much today. Apparently, it’s actually a quiet week in Sunnydale. Must be the holiday rush.” This conversation wasn’t going at all like she wanted, so... “Well, it’s been real, but I have other places to sweep.”
“Wait,” Riley said, grabbing her arm to stop her. He didn’t hear Spike’s growl, but Buffy did and winced. He’d heard the comment about the big bad, then. “Buffy,” he cast a look over his shoulder at the rest of his team, Graham and Forest and two others rejoining them from the failed Spike-hunt.
“We need to talk.”
“Not tonight, Riley,” she shook off his hand. “I’ve got…places to be.”
Riley watched her walk away, wondered what she was hiding, and rejoined his team. They still had Hostile 17 to find, whether or not he had information. “Spread out,” he ordered. “Find Hostile 17; he couldn’t have gone far.”
Spike laughed at that and disappeared before they could regroup.
~~~~~~~~~~
“I have a meeting with Professor Walsh in the morning,” Buffy told him. The sharp look he sent her way had her shrugging. “What? I know it’s a bad idea.”
“Buffy, this isn’t only a bad idea. It’s a dangerous one.” Angel checked the chicken he was grilling for dinner.
“I have to agree, Buffy,” Joyce added, coming back from the dining room table. “It’s bad enough these people know who you are. Walking into the Lion’s Den, so to speak, only gives them the advantage.”
The phone rang and Joyce moved to her office. “That’s the Atlanta call I was expecting,” her voice drifted back. “Start without me, I don’t know how long this is going to take.”
Angel watched her go, shaking his head. Leaning across the island, he kissed Buffy. “When did she decide she liked me?”
“About the time she realized the commandos were a really serious threat to me.” She pulled him back for another kiss. There was also the little argument they’d had about Angel being back in her life. It hadn’t been pretty, but in the end it was enough to convince her mother that she was staying with Angel and that was that.
“I don’t like this,” Angel said, moving the chicken from skillet to plate. “It’s dangerous. I don’t like you in danger.”
“You’re sweet,” she smiled, kissing him again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby, but don’t change the subject. I still don’t like it.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The meeting wasn’t going well. In fact, Buffy never realized how strong a hold on her temper she had. Her mother would be impressed. Giles would do flips of joy. As it was, she was proud enough to maintain the now painful smile she directed at Maggie Walsh.
“No tests,” Buffy repeated. For the fourth time. She really didn’t like repeating herself. “I’ve had enough of those to last me a lifetime,” she added in a grumble. Stupid council.
“I’m only interested in seeing how you measure up to our boys,” Maggie grinned, and Buffy wanted to smack it off her face.
“You want to see how I measure up?” Buffy stood, nodded. “Let’s go, and I’ll show you.”
“You’re hardly dressed for such a thing,” Maggie pointed out, but stopped when Buffy leaned against her desk.
“Here and now, Professor, or not at all. I’m in a rush, today. I’m…” meeting my lover in two hours so he can tell me what a bad idea this was. “Meeting my mother for lunch.”
Nodding, Maggie gestured to her secret entrance to the underground facility. Buffy resisted rolling her eyes. Secret entrance to a secret lab. How clichéd.
“Where’s your sparing room?” She asked, watching Maggie the moment the doors opened. The rest of the place continued on with their work, barely sparing her a glance, but Buffy made sure to memorize everything she could about them. She had no idea what Giles could get from her observations, but it was good to have.
Fifteen minutes later, Buffy stood over her twentieth…victim. Some had gone down easier than others, but she had to admit, they had the moves. Just not her strength, speed, skill…yeah. She was so better than them.
“I have to go,” she smiled at Maggie and Riley – her first victim. “But,” she swallowed, kept on smiling. “I’d like to see what else you have going on here. It’s nice to have help.”
“Agent Finn will see you out, Miss Summers.” Maggie nodded. “And I’ll see about allowing you limited access here.”
“So demon hunting,” Buffy said as they walked back through the room. “How many have you, ah…what do you call it?”
“Capture. We capture them.”
“Right. For experiments.”
“They’re animals, Buffy. They don’t deserve anything more than studying them so we can better kill them.”
Fuming over his words, Buffy clenched her teeth – again – and hoped, when the time came for her checkup, her dentist appreciated she saved his life last year from the marauding antelope-looking demon. “Right.”
“You’re angry,” he stopped her. “Why?”
“I’m not angry,” she said as calmly as she could. “But to experiment even on animals? Killing them is more humane.”
“Then how can we know what they’re about, their physiology, their habits? The more you know about an enemy, the better you can kill it. How about,” Riley offered at the look on her face. “We change the subject? We’re about to capture a really great prize.”
“Prize? What prize?” she asked as they resumed walking.
“Some of the HSTs here are talking about a vampire. Goes by the name Angelus.” He didn’t notice Buffy’s face drain of color or her sudden erratic breathing. “Word is he’s stronger than any vampire we have – older, stronger. It’d be such a coup, taking down such an old HST; we’ve only manage to get the babies in this town.”
“That’s because you never look in the right places,” Buffy murmured, but shook her head at Riley’s questioning look. It was just as well he hadn’t heard her.
“Professor Walsh is looking forward to, ah…learning from him.”
“Yes,” Buffy choked out as the elevator ascended. “I’m sure she is.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“So the meeting didn’t go well.” Giles inferred from the look on Buffy’s face.
“They’re after Angel,” she whispered. Giles blanched and ushered her inside. Immediately going to the kitchen, he put on the kettle for tea. Wondered if maybe she needed something stronger. No, probably not, but he sure as hell did.
While there, knowing full well that she could hear him, Giles called Willow, told her to get Xander, and yes Anya, too. For only a split second he debated calling Angel’s cell, then did so. With Buffy undoubtedly distraught, she was going to need him; plus, Buffy was to meet the vampire later. If she didn’t meet him, Giles knew Angel would, to use a Buffy term, freak.
“Buffy,” he said gently, handing her the steaming mug of chamomile tea. “Angel’s on his way.” She nodded as if she already knew that, and Giles supposed he shouldn’t be too surprised that she did.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to him,” Buffy said, staring up at her watcher with clear, determined eyes. “Whatever I have to do, I’m not going to let anything happen to him.”
“I know you won’t Buffy. Now why don’t you tell me what you mean by, ‘they’re after Ang-’”
He was cut off by the crashing of the door opening to his basement. At first, he’d been resistant to it, but considering the necessity since Angel’s return to Buffy’s life…
“Baby?” Angel asked, moving directly to Buffy’s side, ignoring Giles. Kneeling before her, never noticing Willow, Spike, Xander, and Anya burst through the front door seconds later, he cupped her face with his hands. “What happened?”
Turning that same determined look on him, Buffy repeated what she’d said to Giles. “They’re after you, and I’m not letting anything happen to you.” Placing the mug of tea on the side table, careful to position it on the coaster, she took a deep breath. “I love you, Angel. And I don’t care what I have to do, they’re not getting you.”
“They who?” But the question was from Xander. Angel already knew.
“Is that what your meeting with Walsh was about? Me?”
“No. It was about me and the fun filled tests they want to do on me and my nifty powers.” Buffy nodded at Angel’s growl, taking his hands in hers. For comfort, for the feel of his skin against hers. Breathing easier, knowing what she had to do, Buffy smiled. “They so couldn’t take me. But as I was leaving, with Maggie’s promise of clearance or something, Riley tried to impress me.”
“Hope you kicked his ass,” Xander chimed in. “He’s such a meathead.”
“Course the slayer kicked his ass,” Spike snorted, patting down his duster for his cigarettes. What was it about this gang that made him smoke so damn much? “How embarrassing for her if she hadn’t.”
Buffy smiled, but her eyes never left Angel’s. “Some of the vamps they captured talked. About Angelus and how he was seen in town. When questioned, they were all too happy to spill what they knew. Luckily, it wasn’t much; just that you were seen in Sunnydale and were a Master older than all of their captives put together.”
“And what makes you think they can take me, lover?” Angel demanded.
“Well they do have all those nifty science fiction weapons,” Xander said. “And they got Spike, look at the nice puppy we have now to follow us around.”
“They’d do worse to Angel,” Anya said, reaching into Gils’ cookie jar. “He’s older, stronger, and has a soul.’
“They can’t take you,” Buffy said, though she heard the banter between the other couple. “But I’m not taking the chance.” She dropped her voice, leaned her forehead against his. “I can’t let anything happen to you. If they actually do happen to somehow manage to get you, I…” she’d kill everyone and everything in her path to free him. “Anya’s right. They’ll do more experiments on you then they did on Spike. I’m not letting that happen.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Buffy,” Angel assured her. “I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, that’s what Spike said,” Anya offered. When she noticed Spike’s pout, she patted him on the arm in a condescending way. “Sorry.”
“I’m not about to let that happen to you, Angel.” She kissed him, pulled back. “But I need access to these goobers. The easiest way is to pretend interest in Riley. With me on their side, and dating one of their little army men, I’ll have access to things I wouldn’t if it was just me.”
“Keep your enemy close?” Willow asked. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Buffy? What if they find out?”
“They won’t. I’m not about to let them.”
“Forget it,” Angel flatly stated. “You’re not getting near them.”
With a serenity that surprised the gang, Buffy nodded. “Yes I am. Besides the obvious I’m not letting anything happen to you, there was a whole section labeled with yellow tape and big caution signs. I think that’s where this Frankenstein thing from Doyle’s vision is. I need access to find out what’s behind door number one.”
“Forget it, Buffy.”
“There has to be another way,” Willow offered. “I mean to get in, to have access without dating Riley.”
“No matter how much ‘clearance’ they give me,” Buffy pointed out, “It’ll never be enough to look at their top-secret stuff. Riley already has clearance, and the trust of Maggie Walsh. I’m not going to marry him,” Buffy shuddered at that, “I’m only going to pretend I care for him, so I can gain his trust.”
Angel growled at her. “Absolutely not. No way. Forget it, Buffy. I’m not letting you anywhere near him. He’s not touching you or looking at you, let alone dating you. There’s another way.”
“There has to be,” Willow added. “I’m sure there’s another
thing we can do, some other way we can get this information.”
“Buffy may be right,” Giles added, and stood his ground when Angel turned golden eyes onto him. “If she has Riley’s trust, then she’ll be able to learn more about what they do down there. She’ll be watched less, allowed access to more. At least Riley will give her access to more, maybe not top level, maybe not this three-one-four, but more than Walsh will allow.”
Buffy nodded. “Angel, it’s the only way. You think I’m happy about this?” her voice dropped even further, though both knew Spike could still hear her. “You think I want to hide the fact I’m in love with only you? That I want Riley anyplace near me? That I want any of this?”
She kissed him, but Angel remained perfectly still. “I’m only going to date him, nothing more. Just that to show that I can be trusted more than they think I can be.”
“You’ll be putting yourself in unnecessary danger. I won’t allow it.”
She bristled at him not allowing it, but went on. “Right now, I’m this rogue element to them and their little organized minds. If I can prove I’m not, if I can convince them I like this help, then I’ll have access to more of their toys. Including that room.”
“What I think-” he cut himself off, looked over his shoulder and stood. Taking her hand to help her rise, he said, “We’ll discuss this at home.”
With that they were gone, through the basement and into the sewers to ‘discuss’ Buffy’s outrageous plan.
“He’ll never allow her to do that,” Spike predicted in the silence that followed the couple’s abrupt departure.
“You sure about that, Spike?” Xander asked.
“The poof’s way too possessive over the girl. All obsessed with her, all 'I’m her mate and no one else touches, looks, breathes in her'.” He shook his head. “Nope. Never happen.”
“I’d have to agree,” Xander nodded. “But for the one fact you’re missing.”
“What’s that, Harris?”
“If Angel’s in danger, there’s no way anything on this planet will prevent Buffy from protecting him. Even if she has to date dork-boy to do it.”
“Care to make a little wager on that?” Spike offered.
“Such as?” Xander asked, intrigued.
“Winner gets to tell Captain Pathetic everything once this latest apocalypse is over.”
“Agreed.” Xander offered his hand, and they shook on it.
