Chapter 1
Spike sat on the ladder to the Magic Box’s upper book stacks. Several, but not all, of the Scoobies also sat around the room listening to the Watcher give a talk on what he had learned in England about the Hell God, Glorificus.
“Glorificus is looking for her Key, as we all know,” Giles said.
“Which the monks said that they sent to the Slayer as a sister,” Faith Lehane, the Slayer, replied. “Which I don’t have a sister.”
“But she doesn’t know that,” Giles pointed out. “She only knows that the Key was sent to the Slayer. If we convince her that some object is the Key, we can drop it in the Hellmouth.”
Faith grinned. “And good-bye Glory. She’ll follow it to Hell.”
Spike glanced at Angel. “That could make the whole soddin’ thing unstable. You better plan for an evac, tout de suite,” the blond vampire drawled.
Giles turned to Spike. He couldn’t believe what a good ally the vampire had become since Willow accidently ensouled him along with Drusilla, just a few years before when she had re-ensouled Angel. “That’s what I am hoping for. Faith needs to die.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at Giles.
“Say what now?” Spike asked in astonishment.
Giles got an almost constipated look on his face. “My friend Reggie and I overheard a plot to kidnap Faith.”
“By who?” Faith asked. She clutched at her girlfriend’s hand.
“The Council, I’m afraid,” Giles replied with a frown. “Apparently, you are not the first Slayer to die and be brought back. It happened twice before in 1887 and again in 1890. The two Slayers in question were actually siblings. One was called in 1885 and the other in 1887 when the first one died and was resuscitated. When the Council realized that they were not aging, or stopped aging, they kidnapped them both. The Council has been holding them prisoner and studying them ever since.”
“And Faith would give them a good opportunity for another subject to study,” Angel replied.
Giles nodded. “So, most of us must die. Certainly, Faith and Willow since they are always together.”
“Not really though, right,” Xander asked in a confused voice.
Faith and Willow both hit Xander on the back of the head. “No, silly. Pretend,” Willow replied.
“Oh, Ok. That’s all right then,” Xander grumbled while he rubbed the back of the head.
Willow turned to Giles. “We can’t leave those poor girls with the Council any longer. That is just wrong.”
Faith and Xander nodded in agreement.
“They’re probably loonier than Drusilla by now,” Spike said.
“I hate to agree with Spike,” Angel replied, “but he’s probably right. Who knows what sick things they’ve done with them!”
Giles nodded. “I agree. Reggie and I snuck in to where they are being held. The older sister is catatonic and the younger is screaming mad. I do mean screaming. The nurses have to do everything for them.”
“I don’t want to, because of, you know … “ Spike swirled his hand around at himself, “but I could break in and have one last good day. After all, I am the Slayer of Slayers.”
“So, blow up the Hellmouth, die, and rescue and-or execute two trapped 145-year-old or so Slayers,” Faith said, leaning back in her chair. “Sounds like a solid plan.”
After Faith and her friends left, Spike turned to Giles and Angel. “I know just the thing to help,” he said with a smirk.
“What?”
“You’ll find out.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THREE MONTHS LATER
Reginald Bey waited at the airport for his friend Rupert Giles. Rupert had just lost his Slayer a few weeks before when the Hellmouth in Sunnydale, California, had blown up. Reggie was unsure how Rupert was taking the whole business, considering that Reggie knew that Rupert had genuinely cared for the young woman.
Rupert walked towards Reggie followed by a curly haired young man with glasses.
“Don’t dilly-dally, William,” Rupert said to the young man. “We’re on a schedule.”
“Yes, Da,” William said while he picked up his speed. “I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry.”
Rupert sided. “I told you. Reggie has a tight schedule today. We’ll have plenty of time for ambling later.
Reggie saw William roll his eyes behind his glasses.
“Yes, Da.”
“Rupert! Welcome back.” Reggie stepped forward with his hand stretched out. After they shook hands, Reggie turned to William. “Who is this young fellow?”
“Reggie, this is my son William. William, this is my friend Reginald Bey. We will be staying with him until we figure things out.” Giles introduced his two companions to each other.
Reggie shook William’s hand. He turned to Rupert. “I didn’t know you had a son. Are you keeping secrets?”
“Neither did I,” Rupert replied. “His mother sprang it on me.”
William rolled his eyes again. “Don’t let Da fool ya. The tarty stepmom decided to research his family b’fore the weddin’. She’s the one who found me.”
“Anya isn’t tarty,” Rupert protested.
“Is so.”
Reggie grabbed Rupert’s bag, and he guided his friend and son towards the airport exit. He decided to change the subject.
Sort of.
“Where is the lovely Anya today?” Reggie asked.
“She and her entourage went to New York shortly before the Hellmouth imploded,” Giles replied.
Reggie nodded slowly. “I’m sorry to hear about your Slayer.”
“She sacrificed herself for her friends,” Rupert said in a sad voice. “It’s how she wanted to go out.”
“Still, it must be hard,” Reggie said in a soft voice.
Rupert tilted his head in acknowledgement.
Reggie glanced back at William who was trailing behind them. “Does he know about … you know?”
“Do you mean do I know about … “ William lowered his voice to a whisper, “ … vampires? Yes, I do. My mother was killed by one.”
“Oh, my word.”
The three men fell into silence as they approached Reggie’s car. Once the luggage was stored and they were on their way, Reggie spoke again.
“I’ve been checking the records. I have found that the elder Slayer is named Buffy Summers. The younger Slayer is her sister Dawn Summers. Two Slayers from the same family, called in succession, quite extraordinary,” Reggie informed Rupert.
“Could you repeat those names?” William demanded. He gripped Reggie’s shoulder.
Reggie winced as he looked in the mirror. William’s bright blue eyes caught his in an intense stare. He must have gotten that color of eyes from his mom, Reggie thought.
Buffy and Dawn Summers,” Reggie repeated.
William’s brow furrowed in thought. He released Reggie’s shoulder. William growled under his breath before he turned to stare out the window.
“William?” Rupert asked.
William shook his head, but he didn’t turn from the window. “I knew a Buffy and Dawn Summers, back in the day.”
“Well, it can’t be these two young ladies,” Reggie said. “They’ve been prisoners of the Council since the 1880’s.”
William hummed a noncommittal sound.
“How hard will it be to rescue them?” Rupert asked.
Reggie glanced at Rupert. “Not hard. They’re drugged with the same substance that is used in the Cruciamentum and both ladies are not exactly … “
William snorted. “Go ahead and say it, mate. They’re both mad as hatters, ain’t they?”
“Yes, quite, thus security has grown quite lax in the past decade or so.”
Rupert gave a shark-like grin. “Perfect. Spike won’t have any problems then.”
Reggie’s control of the car slipped a bit. He jerked to look at Rupert before he turned his attention back to the road. Reggie knew that Faith’s magical friend had ensouled William the Bloody and Drusilla the Mad when she’d reensouled Angelus the Wicked.
Not that the Council knew that.
But why would an infamous vampire be the main focus of a rescue mission?
Reggie glanced into the mirror at William. The name was just a coincidence, wasn’t it?
‘S-Spike?” Reggie stammered. “What is he going to do?”
“You don’t really think Faith would allow the Council to continue to keep Slayers prisoners after she knew about them, do you?” Rupert asked.
“I f-figured she’d want to stage a rescue, not send in the Slayer of Slayers,” Reggie said in a soft voice.
“Who better to determine the state of the trapped Slayers?” Rupert asked. “Reggie, you knew this was an option from the start. We already know that it might be too late for them.”
Reggie sighed in defeat. “I know that. How will he be able to enter without anyone noticing him?”
“He’ll walk in just like us.”