Role Reversal: Chapter Eight

[jesterladyfic]

Chapter Eight: In Which Spike and I Argue. A Lot.

Giles and I were at the hospital witnessing the release of Wesley who looked absolutely pathetic in his wheelchair as we wheeled him out. I planned to bring that up on future occasions of course. He’d gotten a mild concussion and a cracked rib during a foray into the cemetery on a routine training patrol the previous night.

We took him to his apartment and then left with his assurances of being back up to training me in no time at all.
Giles drove me home. The silence was uncomfortable because Giles and I still weren’t really okay. Not that either of
us was saying anything. It still hurt what he had done to me. But I knew why he had done it and I also knew what
he’d done to repair the damage. I could forgive that.

But not yet. He wasn’t pressing me, Giles-like, and I wondered when I’d have the unction to finally tell him we were
okay. In the meantime, he would be training me now that Wesley was out for a few days and maybe the time
together would bring us together again, I hoped.

“Goodbye, Buffy,” Giles told me. “Rest well.”

“Research well,” I told him in return. I got a wry smile back. I shut the car door and walked into my house.
The time would be soon.


***

But not as of a couple of days later. I was in the library half heartedly studying in the stacks when I heard voices. I peeked around the shelves and spotted Xander and Cordelia. I would like to state for the record that I don’t normally eavesdrop, but they were talking about me.

“She’s not doing anything, Xander!” Cordelia told him. “She’s still being all broody and feeling guilty and
betrayed. Her honey’s gone and her fellow Slayer is evil, her Watcher drugged her and she’s so failing English. How
could she possibly beat the Mayor and keep whatever the heck an Ascension is from destroying my life and also my
shoes?”

“I can’t believe you’re that shallow,” Xander replied. “And I’ve even spent my whole life seeing it.”

“This isn’t about me,” Cordelia snapped. Her face widened as she realized what she’d said. I allowed myself a
moment of satisfaction.

“For once,” Xander said. “The world stands in awe.”

“My point is,” Cordelia reiterated, “that Buffy is not doing her job. There’s real evil going on and she’s not doing
anything to stop it! You’re all obsessed with the perfect-ness of Buffy and can’t even see it! She’s all you ever see.”

“That’s not true,” Xander told her. “I have been known to think about you occasionally. And even in the
non-projectile, vomiting type way.”

“Why do I put up with you?” she asked and turned away.

“Because I’m puppy like, charming and oh so funny?” Xander suggested weakly.

“Not even close,” she said, but smiled at him.

Apparently Cordelia’s ‘me-only limits’ had limits. Color me shocked.

Xander smiled and took her in his arms.

“I’m scared, Xander,” Cordelia said softly. “I’m just scared.”

“I know,” he said. “You always do this when you’re scared. I’m sorry I can’t help. But Buffy’s my friend and I
know she’ll be able to stop this. We’ve seen her beat more evil than I ever knew existed.”

“There you go with your Buffy obsession again,” Cordelia said and kissed him.

“Right now I’m thinking about you,” Xander said. “And still in the non vomit way.”

“Good, keep it that way,” Cordelia said firmly, pulling his head down.

I decided to intervene. I can only take so much before I'm thinking in the vomit way.

“Hey there,” I said, walking out from the stacks.

“Ah!” Xander jumped five feet off the floor. “Don’t use your Slayer stealth all stealthily like that!”

“How else would you suggest I use stealth?” I asked. “Besides, that was just normal Buffy walking.”

“Whatever,” Cordelia said. “I have to go to class.”

“I’d fix your lipstick beforehand,” I suggested.

Cordelia put her hands to her lips and rushed out the door. I snickered. I need more of the simple things in
life. But still, the tender little scene I’d just witnessed had turned the old Buffy brain on. I couldn’t blame Cordelia for
feeling that way. File that away under pigs flying. But even I wondered if I could destroy this new evil a’ brewing.


***

I gathered the Scoobies all together and made an announcement.

“I’m sick of waiting,” I told them. “We’ve been able to exploit some of the Mayor’s weaknesses and certainly
have gotten things out of Faith recently, but the Mayor has all the advantages. We don’t know anything about the
Ascension, what it is or what it will do. All we have is a date. I refuse to sit around and wait to be Ascended upon
and hope I can stop it. I want to know what the Mayor is up to and how I can make him hurt.”

“Agreed,” Wesley said firmly. “As Slayer it is your duty to protect people and that can hardly be done by sitting
around a library eating jelly-filled donuts.”

“Oh, are there any jellies left?” Giles asked eagerly, reaching into the white box Xander had brought for the
meeting.

Willow started squirming uncomfortably and I sensed betrayal,

“Buffy ate three,” she said quickly.

Dang, but my Slayer senses are good!

“The point,” I intervened quickly, “is that I am going to find out what the Mayor is afraid of and dig in deep. My
link is Faith, I’ll be tailing her and whatever she’s up to it’ll probably be on the Mayor’s orders. Any questions?”

“What do we do,” Xander asked, “while you and your hunky vampire go off on tail-age? We haven’t been very
front line on the Slayer business much lately, Buff.”

Spike snorted, but luckily didn’t say anything though I’m sure a snarky comment about his being 'hunky' was
lurking just underneath the surface.

“I always need people to research,” I told Xander. He snorted this time. Men should all be shot. “Truth is,
Xan,” I said gently. “This is just reconnaissance until I know what Faith is doing; after, I’ll probably need everyone.”

“Just let us know,” he said softly and turned away.

I let out a sigh. When did life become so complicated? Oh yeah, when I became the Slayer. Funny little
coincidence that.

***

Faith walked into the Mayor’s office and plopped down into the chair in front of his desk. He winced as she landed heavily on the furniture.

“Faith, I’ve asked you quite a few times to be careful with the furniture. It’s quite old, you know and your
strength is definitely more than your estimated use of it.”

“Sorry, boss.” Faith shrugged. “I forget.”

“Well, I’m going to send you on an important assignment, see if you can remember that,” the Mayor
admonished.

Faith sat up straighter in her chair, a chance for a little action perking her interest.

“That’s better,” he encouraged. “My girl needs to show off her posture.”

“Sure,” Faith said, slouching again. “Now who am I killing?”

“This is a simple retrieval job, Faith.”

“Then why am I doing it? Get one of your lackeys,” Faith complained.

“I can’t trust a lackey, Faith,” he explained. “This is something very important and vital to my Ascension. I
must have it or other arrangements with our relationship will have to be made. Do you understand, young lady?”

Frightened by his tone, Faith sat up straight again.

“You got it, boss.”

He smiled brightly at her.

“Now don’t worry about it,” he reassured her. “A smart girl like you with your abilities will have no problem.”


***


Giles, Wesley, Xander, Willow, Spike and I watched Faith exit City Hall. Our Operation Cleavage Watch, as Xander coined it, had begun the day before and, so far, it had been completely boring. Oz and Cordelia had said they would stay at the library and hold the fort down and keep out watch for Giles’ supplies due to arrive and needed for Drusilla cure-age. I think Cordelia just wanted to get out of going and Oz was sweet enough to stay with her. I wondered how my two best friends ended up with such two very different people. Oh, how the thoughts wander.

We started following Faith as she got into a limo and drove in the direction of the airport. We followed in an old van
Xander had dug up from somewhere. Nobody liked to ask exactly where. But from the smell, I was beginning to
wish we’d asked Oz to drive.


***

Bright shadows danced madly all around her. She didn’t know where they’d come from. But they were pretty and beckoned sweetly to her. She advanced toward them and they laughed gaily and she laughed with them. She continued laughing, even as the shadows turned into something hard and sharp and bit down on her head. Harder and harder they clenched and harder she laughed until she fell to the floor and lay there giggling.

They had reflections on their surfaces, images that she couldn’t see clearly and didn’t know how to. A smile of
wholesome promise hiding black nothingness and cruel fate. A white building with cracks in the walls and blood on
its stones. Brown hair waving in the breeze as it plummeted downward. Flames reaching hungrily to the night sky
as screams rent the air. Reptilian eyes widened in surprise and fear. A shrunken head falling to the floor and liquid
splashing. A slender, silver stick with a black spire rising from the handle.

Every image brought a fresh wave of pain and a new burst of laughter. The cycle seemed to last forever.

Drusilla woke up. Her body was wracked with pain and her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Come and play, come and pay,” she hissed through fangs. “I’m a little dolly, am I?” Rising, she threw a
scarlet jacket over her ivory shoulders and glided out of the door of her and Spike’s bedroom.


***

I decided to let Faith’s little operation, whatever it was, go through smoothly so that she’d be off her guard and the other party wouldn’t be able to interfere. Yeah, then Faith killed the other party, insuring that plan. She’s such a helpful little thing.

“Didn’t he fit the being evil job requirement?” I asked Faith idly, stepping out from behind some crates.

“Nah, he just messed with my style,” she said lightly, obviously assessing the situation.

“I’ll get Faith,” I warned Spike.

He laughed slightly and gestured with his hands.

“Slayer, you want her, go get her.”

“Yeah, Buffy,” Faith taunted, holding onto an ornately carved black box, “come get me.”

I ignored the couple of vamps Faith had with her for backup and did just so. Spike and Giles could take care of
them.

Faith faced me head on with a kick to my right shoulder. I ducked under her fist and swung mine at her cheek.
She turned with my punch and looped her right foot around mine knocking me to the ground. She turned to flee with
the box and I grasped at her ankle, pulling her to the ground. The box skittered out of her grasp and skated to the
feet of one Xander Harris who grabbed it and ran toward the van as fast as he could go. I concentrated on keeping
Faith as far away from him as possible. Spike had now come up by our scrabbling side and Faith rolled away from
me, facing a Slayer and a master vampire. I don’t think she liked her odds.

“This isn’t over, B,” she told me. “The Mayor is gonna kick your ass.”

“When he’s through with yours,” I answered promptly.

Faith disappeared into the night and Spike and I got everyone back to the van with the box and headed back to
the library. I felt kinda good inside. For once something had gone my way. Nothing was gonna change that.


***

The Mayor was going over some paperwork when Faith entered his office. She came in slowly not really wanting to face this scene and the ruin of all she’d been working for these past months.

His smile faded away as he saw the look on her face.

“Where’s my box, Faith?” he asked quietly.

“Buffy,” was her simple explanation.

“You let her take it?” he said, still quiet.

“Let is hardly the word I’d use,” Faith defended.

“I used it,” he answered and suddenly pounded his fist down on the table. “They’ve got my box!” he gritted
between his teeth before rising to his feet. “Well, I’m certainly disappointed in you, young lady. I thought you were
up to the task. But I can see when I’m wrong.” He turned away from her and Faith clenched her jaw, ready to fight or
run away and trying not to cry. He was the only one who cared about her and now she’d failed him and he’d do what
he promised. He’d kill her. “And I’m still not wrong,” the Mayor finally said. “I’m finding myself strangely adverse to
doing the smart thing, which is getting rid of incompetence.” Hope shot through Faith’s veins as he faced her. “You’ll
just have to do better next time, Faith, and get that box back or believe me, it will be worse than a grounding for you.”

“Of course. I’m sorry, sir.” Faith let out her breath.

“I’ve been spoiling you, I think,” the Mayor told her. “But that must be my lack of judgment coming into play.”

Just then the doors to his office burst open as one of the Mayor’s vamps flew through the doors and landed on
his back in the middle of the room. Drusilla strode through the doors dragging two more by the ears.

“Your toys aren’t very nice,” she informed the Mayor.

Faith immediately took a stake out of her jacket pocket and faced Drusilla. They circled each other for a few
minutes before Drusilla suddenly turned around, seemingly something catching attention in her wandering brain.
Faith seized her opportunity and poised the stake over Drusilla’s heart, holding her hands down with her other hand.
Drusilla hissed, but held still.

“What are you waiting for?” the Mayor asked. “Kill her.”

“She can help us get the box back,” Faith said.

“Nonsense. Buffy doesn’t care a whit about her, Faith.”

“But Spike does,” Faith said firmly. “There’s no way he’d let her die if he could help it. Even if he has to betray
Buffy.”

The Mayor’s face started a slow, evil smile that somehow still reminded one of a kindly uncle.

“There’s my girl,” he said proudly.


***

“Dru’s gone,” Spike said flatly.

I rolled my eyes.

“Where’d she wander off to this time?” I asked, not really caring.

“City Hall,” Spike answered shortly. I suddenly understood where this was going and there was no way I would
let it end up there.

“She got herself captured? Well, isn’t that just like Crazy Lady?”

“Don’t mock this,” Spike warned me and his words were deathly quiet. “The Mayor contacted me. He’s got
Dru and he wants the box.”

“Impossible,” Wesley put in. “This box is the key to the Mayor’s Ascension. Countless lives count upon it
being destroyed. The research I’ve done since we acquired it clearly points to that.”

“Bollocks your research, Watcher,” Spike said dangerously. “We have to get Dru back. I’m nothing without
her,” he added quietly to himself.

“You got that right,” Xander muttered.

I shot him a look.

“Xander, let me handle this. Look, Spike, I know you’re upset but we’ll get her another way.”

“There is no other way! Her life is in danger and you won’t lift a finger simply because she’s a bloody vampire.”

“It’s not like I don’t want to see them dead for a living, Spike,” I reminded him.

“Oh yeah, your word’s so valuable, ain’t it, Slayer?” he asked contemptuously. “You made a truce to help her
and at the first sign that you could get out of it, you run like hell. You haven’t even been trying to help her and here
I’ve been working my knickers off to help you!”

“Spike, we’ve been trying. It’s not our fault that gypsies like to curse your family.”

“No, but it’s your fault that you don’t honor your word. And you call yourself good! My demon’s got a hell of a
lot more honor than your sorry ass does.”

“Spike,” Giles intervened, “please do not overreact-“

“Stay out of it,” Spike said coldly. “This is between the Slayer and me.”

“And I say,” I said firmly, “that we destroy the box and then retrieve Drusilla through some other method that
doesn’t involve the possible destruction of everyone we know.”

“What method? Huh? Regale me with your mapped out plan on how to get her back without using the hunk of
junk sitting on that table. You don’t have one,” Spike said bitterly. “You just figure that means the Ascension will be
downsized permanently and you get out of our deal. Low, Slayer.”

I admit that had been in the back of my mind, but I would have tried to get Drusilla back. Honestly, I would
have. It would’ve been only fair. But Spike’s lack of faith in me irked me beyond reason.

“Spike, I don’t think you get our little arrangement. It was that you do what I say and I figure out how to cure
that insane lunatic you call- what do you call her, Spike? Is she your girlfriend? Or maybe the correct term is
Undead Concubine.”

Spike punched me. I really should've been expecting that. I punched him back. He punched me again and I was
about to return the favor when he shoved past me, grabbed the box and ran out of the library. I ran after him, but he
banged the door in my face and I blacked out and by the time I got to the door he was gone. Looks like I was wrong
when I said that nothing could change things going right.

Walking back into the library I went into Giles’ office and slammed the door. It cracked and several pictures fell off
the wall but I didn’t even look at them.

I sat down slowly against the wall. I hurt all over. And not from Spike’s punches though I could feel some
swelling. His words wounded me and his accusations stung. I hurt from fighting, from making hard decisions, from
being the Only One. I couldn’t even stop one vamp from making away with a lousy, vitally important box of Gavrok
that could stop the Mayor from doing something so big and evil that I didn’t even know what it was.

I rested my head against my knees and allowed myself exactly three tears before I prepared to get up and try
and stop Spike.

The door opened and Giles walked in. I wiped my face and he came and sat down beside me. It was rather
unusual for Giles to sit on the floor so I didn’t say anything.

“Let him go, Buffy,” he said finally. “Spike may be evil and not to be trusted, but he does keep his word. We
can find another way to bring down the Mayor.”

“At what cost?” I finally asked.

“Great sacrifice perhaps,” he offered. “I don’t know what to tell you, Buffy. There is so much evil in this world
and you’ve given all you have to fight it. But it is not Spike’s duty to fight evil, it is his nature to create it, and he does
not understand such a concept as sacrifice for good.”

“Screw what he understands,” I said vehemently. “I messed up, Giles. So bad. I let him into this.”

“Spike has been a very valuable asset up to this point,” Giles reminded me.

“What good will that do if the world goes up in smoke?” I asked.

“You can only make decisions based on what you know, Buffy,” Giles told me softly. “And you knew nothing of
what would occur. You are wise beyond your years but you are still young and being the Slayer does not intone
perfection, you know.”

“Was that a nice way of saying I’ll always mess up?” I asked wryly.

He smiled.

“It was an effort to let you know that you cannot blame yourself for what you did not know would happen.”

“But you blame yourself,” I said, meaning something other than today’s events.

“I did know, in some measure, what the future held,” he said bitterly.

“But you did right in the end,” I said and it was hard for me to say but I meant it.

“Buffy?” he questioned.

I looked him in the eyes.

“I forgive you, Giles,” I told him. He had such an expression of open emotion like I’d never seen on him before.
It felt good.

“Thank you,” he said simply.

“Don’t mention it,” I said and got up. “I’ve got to try and stop him. No matter what any of this right or wrong
stuff means.”


***

Spike strolled into the Mayor’s office holding the box of Gavrok in his hands. Drusilla clapped her hands as best she could though they were tied up.

“How good of you to come and see us, Spike,” she laughed.

“I’m about ready to shut her up permanently, Spike,” Faith told him. “Hand over the box or your girlfriend
belongs on an ash tray.”

“Hand over my girlfriend or the box goes back to the Scoobies,” Spike rejoined.

“Faith, play nice,” the Mayor said. He walked over to Spike and looked him up and down. “Well, Spike, you
certainly are an enterprising young man and so devoted. You’ve got quite a future ahead of you, that is until I kill
you. But my point is you’ve got the qualities I like to see in the young.”

“I’m older than you,” Spike pointed out.

The Mayor grinned.

“But not by much. You’ve got maybe five years on me? Doesn’t matter. Make the trade.”

Faith rose with Drusilla and tugged her over toward Spike and released her so she could grab the box.

“Now, pet,” Spike said and kicked Faith in the stomach. Drusilla broke her bonds with a quick snap of the
wrists and shoved the Mayor across the room. The two vampires exited the room quickly, still holding the box and
ran down the hallway.

“Einee meenie,” Drusilla chanted as they ran and then she stopped and went into an open doorway as they
went past.

“Dru, we gotta move!” Spike shouted. She nodded and reappeared in the doorway clutching several items to
her chest. They ran down the hall once more but their delay allowed Faith to catch up with them. Spike stopped
and faced her but he couldn’t fight very well with the box in his arms.

“You’re double crossing scum,” Faith told him, fighting with the strength of desperation, knowing she had to get
that box to win back her favor with the Mayor.

Spike fought back.

“I never agreed to a trade, luv,” Spike said. “Never talked to you at all actually. Just sorta showed up with a box
and you came to your own conclusions. Not really my fault, you know.”

“You’re not flying out of this one,” Faith said and snap kicked the box out of Spike’s hands. He obviously knew
when he needed to cut his losses and grabbing Drusilla, ran down the hallway and out the front door. Faith picked up
the box and delivered it to the Mayor.

“I did pick me a winner all right,” he told her admiringly. “Now you go get some rest. I have a dinner
engagement with some critters from South America.”

“Hey, bon appetite,” Faith said, not really understanding him.

“You did me proud, Faith,” he told her as she moved to leave.

“Thanks, boss,” Faith said and started to walk out of the room.

“It’s hard to believe she’s not a little girl anymore,” the Mayor said fondly as he prepared to open the box of
Gavrok and consume its contents of fifty billion insects.


***

I couldn’t believe my eyes when Spike and Drusilla walked into the library. I had looked for them, but when I got to City Hall they’d already made the trade and left.

“You’ve got some nerve, Spike,” Xander said, “walking in here all macho and thief-like when Buffy’s looking to
kill you.”

“I was looking to stop you!” I said sharply. “How could you do that, Spike? Get out of here before I do kill you.”

“She’s why I could.” He gestured to Drusilla. “And I’m not here for my seat back. I want a copy of the ritual for
Dru and then I’ll be on my merry way.”

“You think for one second we’re going to give that to you when you just destroyed our hopes of bringing down
the Mayor?” I asked incredulously.

“For your information, Slayer, my plan was to get Dru and keep the box as well. It just didn’t work out is all.”

“Big comfort to me, Spike,” I said as sarcastically as I could manage.

“Not my fault you couldn’t see through your blinders enough to help me. If you’d have come it would’ve worked.”

“So now it’s my fault?” I asked, outraged.

“You know as well as I do that if it had been one of your sodding little Scoobies you would’ve been at that office
long before I was, giving up the box and to hell with the world.”

I flinched, wishing he didn’t know me so well. I would have and that was the only thing that was keeping me
from staking him right then and there.

“You know it’s true, Slayer, so why don’t you go ahead and bare your hypocrisy to the world. Truth hurts, don’t
it, luv?”

“Maybe I would’ve done it for a human,” I admitted. “But you know I couldn’t give up the world for a vampire.
Not even when it was Angel. It wouldn’t be right, Spike, and you of all people need to stop lecturing me on morality.”

“Don’t call me a mosquito when I’ve been all eaten up,” Drusilla suddenly spoke up and reprimanded me.

“Shut up,” I spoke directly to her for one of the first times in ever.

“Don’t talk like that to her,” Spike warned me.

“Don’t forget, Spike,” I said, “I still have your cure. And as far as I’m concerned the truce is off so you better get
ready for some big hurting.”

“Hmm, with all the innocents around too,” Spike savored the word as he spoke it.

I glanced around at my friends. There were a lot of them, and there were two very strong vampires in the room
even if one of them couldn’t bite anyone at the moment.

“White light bites, but it must be strengthened in order for dark to triumph,” Drusilla said.

She moved forward sinuously and pulled out some items from her pockets.

One was a shrunken head filled with some liquid smelling strongly of alcohol. The next a silver stick with a
black spire sticking out of it. The third item was several ripped out pages from a book.

I moved over to the table and picked them up cautiously keeping an eye on the vampires.

“The books of Ascension?” I questioned Drusilla after reading the titles on the pages.

“Pretty little secrets all locked away,” she answered grinning.

“You had a vision, luv?” Spike asked her, coming up close and holding her.

“Mmm, swirling memories make a playground and I needed to teach it a lesson.”

“So that’s it, you had a vision and so you went to the bloke to get it all sussed out,” Spike reasoned.

Though how there could be any reason in that I don’t know. I guess you need over a hundred years experience
in crazy talk deciphering or something.

Giles and Wesley moved over eagerly to the table practically drooling over the pages. Remind me never to
become a Watcher. Or a British guy.

“Wait a moment,” Giles said, picking up the head and the stick. “This is the Spire of Romany, and the head of
an extinct Altoguese pygmy. Why these are the exact items needed to perform the ritual to cure her! Where did you
get them?”

“Mayor’s office,” Spike supplied. “We do what we can to uphold our end,” he added with a touch of bitter irony.

“Spike,” I said, not really wanting to, but feeling the need to anyway, “we’ll uphold the truce. Will you?”

“One last time,” he said. “And then it’s curtains, Slayer.”

“Big talk,” I muttered and turned away. “Giles, Wesley, can you make anything of those papers?”

“We shall certainly try,” Giles answered while Wesley grabbed hold of them and took a magnifying glass out of
his pocket to decipher more clearly. Who else but my Watcher would keep a magnifying glass in his pocket? I so
have to get him a life.

“Did your vision tell you anything else, Dru?” Spike asked her.

“There will be flames and cold eyes that move with scales,” she said cryptically and then started waltzing by herself.

I rolled my eyes.

“That was a big help there,” I said.

“Just get that ritual going,” Spike demanded.

“It takes a few days to prepare fully,” Giles said. “And we do have Graduation Day coming up in a week or so.
We shall need to concentrate on these pages Drusilla managed to procure if we are to be ready.”

“Concentrate all you like,” Spike growled. “Just make sure that by Graduation Day she’s ready to be cured or
I’ll tear this place apart, truce or no bloody truce!” Taking Drusilla’s arms, he pulled her away from us and walked out
the door.

***

“Are you all right, love?” Spike asked as they left. “You feeling okay? You’ve been acting way off your rocker lately, more than usual. Is it the curse doing it?”

“What do I mean?” she asked in answer.

“You mean everything,” he replied. “You’re the evening star with a spike through its heart. You’re my ripe,
wicked plum. You’re the black goddess of my being. You rise up and cover the day with your beauty till it flies away
shrieking.”

“The past haunts us all, Spike.” Drusilla tapped her finger on his nose and kissed him lightly. “Yours could eat
you, my pretty poet. But don’t worry, I have all the olives on my fingers.”