"How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable. So condescending unnecessarily critical. I have the tendency of getting very physical. So watch your step cause if I do you'll need a miracle. Does it kill? Does it burn? Is it painful to learn That it's me that has all the control?" ~ Maroon 5

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is a part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us?

--Herman Hesse

Ugh. I hate screaming kids.

--Guy Ritchie

Forget Me Not Part 9- Harder to Breathe

Wesley walked down the hall of Wolfram and Heart with his cell phone. He nodded to one of his employees, Lutz. He was a good fellow. He had helped Wesley with tracking down all the surviving Watchers. It turned out there were quite a few of them. They had scattered about the world when the Watcher Headquarters was blown up. What was difficult was convincing them to not pick up where they left off but, Wesley would make sure that this Council would be different. They would not merely delegate responsibility to underlings. They would be agents as well as teachers and they would become something they couldn't even imagine being before -- respectful.

"I don't approve of this!" Mr. Wydam-Pryice said, "I don't approve of this at all, Wesley."

Wesley continued walking down the hall. He almost bumped into Angel's secretary. He would have if she didn't move out of the way. Why was he suddenly so clumsy?

"I've worked very hard to do this, Father. It's up to you as to whether you want be a part of it."

Wesley's clamped his mouth shut tightly. He really didn't want his father to be any part of it.

But of course, his father had gotten word that Wes was reforming the Council. He realized he was a fool to be surprised that his father still was in communication with the remains of the Council, it had been the old man's whole life. Wesley wondered what his father was doing with his days of retirement. He certainly wasn't talking to his mother. He found himself wondering if his parents had ever been in love.

Wesley smiled at Fred as she walked up the stairs. Wolfram and Heart had this staircase that a lot of men employees habitually stood under and loitered. Wesley realized that you could see up women's skirts if you stood there. Fred was wearing a dress today, a very tasteful professional garment. Wesley walked briskly to get under the stairs and shoo away some employee with an icy glare. His father was now giving him a lecture on why the making all the potentials Slayers had been an awful idea, as if Wesley had anything to do with it.

"...You are very fortunate there weren't more dire consequences then a few young girls losing their lives in battle with that dreadful spell," -Pryce was saying as Wesley tuned back in.

"That spell saved the world, Father," Wesley reminded him.

"Still, the Slayers were made to be young girls and be chosen one at a time for a reason. Girls are easier to control. They look to us -- The Watchers -- for guidance. They cannot be out there alone. It's amazing that each of them didn't take over every shopping mall in the world, or some such chaos," his father said.

"Dare I say, the world is a very different place from when you were a Watcher--"

"Yes, that's what you told me when you lost control of your Slayer. She was much more dangerous than a teenager with a desire for clothes. I believe she had a desire for blood. I hear she is the one Slayer now. One of the Council's greatest limitations is that we couldn't control who was chosen as the one Slayer."

"Indeed," Wesley said flatly, "things change, and this Council is going to be a different sort of Council. We aren't going to just move all the pieces we've been given into place and wait for evil to move."

"What on Earth are you talking about?" his father demanded.

It was amazing how well version wireless worked. It was really like his father was standing there. He could almost see that look of disgust. The one he got where Wesley had the nerve to think of his own theories.

"Well, I want this Council to be doing a sharing spell of its own of sorts. We should share the knowledge we have and not only work with Slayers, but with anyone who fights the mission," Wesley said.

"Yes, that's what you've been doing for the past few years, isn't it? Giving over all the secret knowledge it's that we have been protecting for eras and giving it over to the most awful vampire in history and a bunch of upstarts," his father grumbled.

"Yes, and now the vampire and the upstarts and I also share the knowledge in the multibillion dollar corporation that I am part owner of," Wesley smiled satisfactorily.

"Yes, did your murdering Slayer help you take over that corporation with your murdering vampire?"

"Well, in a way, yes," he continued to smile as he stood under the stairs with his back to them.

"I bet that rogue Slayer of yours had a hand in that God awful spell!"

"Indeed," Wesley had been smiling tightly for thirty whole seconds, "without her saving the world wouldn't have been possible."

"Well, I do hope that you've at least been keeping her under control. I suppose I would have heard about it if you hadn't been," his father snipped.

"The rogue Slayer, --- Faith, is no longer a problem at all."

Wesley smile was finally squashed. He walked into his office and looked out at the sprawling LA skyline.

"Still, she should at least be in the Cleveland Hellmouth. What is she doing on that re-risen town on a closed Hellmouth?" his father asked. You had to hand it to the bastard, he still was up to date with all the latest.

"Well, at first she stayed because we were suspicious of the town resurrecting, and then it seemed that there was a high amount of demonic activity going on there even though the Hellmouth was still closed," Wesley explained.

"America," his father scoffed "even when their Hellmouths close they are still out of control. I heard a vampire rose from that Hellmouth too. The railroad spike one, Spike. Is he the cause of the demonic activity?"

"Well, yes and no. Do you remember anything about the Rhoshobi prophecy that was to come to pass in the first decade of the new millennium?"

Wesley's voice had lost his flatness. He would be the one to inform his father of the real story, and how he figured it all out and saved Faith.

"Something about a Slayer being burned and joined with a vampire, and this was to end all things as we knew them... Don't tell me this is your Slayer's fate with Mr. Railroad Spike? Send her back to prison, or have this newly formed Council of yours share it's knowledge to have a few roughnecks take care of her!"

"I found a better way to handle it, Father," Wesley cut him off quickly as he almost knocked some books off his shelf, "we are going to remove the Slayer demon from the girl -- from Faith. Then she'll be--"

"How on Earth are you going to do that? There are limits to what your science can do, boy!"

His father had always criticized him for not being practical enough, and he also criticized him for being too practical .

"There are ways. I have resources the Council wouldn't-- couldn't use," Wesley told him.

He wasn't about to tell his father that he was using the infamous Alistair Crowley to remove Faith's slayer demon, or that Faith had gone to the shadow dimension to take in more of the demon. Wesley was almost afraid that his father would somehow "take care" of Faith himself. The old Council didn't seem to believe in redemption. Not that Wesley believed for a second that Crowley had redeemed himself, but, evil people had to eat, too, and would do all sorts of things for obscene amounts of money. Crowley asked that his adopted Grandson, Robin Wood, not be told about the money. That was easily done. Wesley wasn't about to tell Faith about the money either. She was too proud and would refuse Wesley's money, even if it was to save her from a fate worse than death. It seemed that Crowley, evil as he was, cared about what his Grandson thought of him, so there was another reason to trust him. Robin Wood was Crowley's adopted Grandson and Faith's boyfriend. Wesley was Faith's Watcher, so it seemed natural that he would help. It was a family affair, and like any family affair there were a few little secrets and lies.

"My God, you're not going to do it with magic, are you? Even you have more sense than that. I think you should have the girl taken care of," his father insisted.

"She is taken care of, Father. The Slayer isn't going to be a threat to anyone ... or herself," Wesley sighed as he mindlessly copied the picture of the Shadow Demon he had seen in one of his books. He wasn't going to let his father throw him off. There were no loose ends.

"Well, then there is still the question of the vampire," his father said.

"What do you mean?" he tried to say in a relaxed manner. He would not be rattled. He was no longer a gangly boy, he was an executive, a rogue demon hunter, and an occult expert. There was nothing he didn't know.

"Oh, dear boy, don't you know about the railroad spike vampire, Spike, or William the Bloody. He killed two Slayers. Some say three--"

"Of course I know about Spi-- Really? Some say three?" Wesley gasped.

"Say by some miracle you remove the Slayer demon from the girl. There is still the matter of Spike. He is a maniac. Relentless. If he wants to burn Hell into that girl he'd stop at nothing to do it."

"I wish I could tell you he's changed," Wesley laughed now. He wished his father could have seen the vampire he was warning him about now. The last Wesley saw of him he seemed on the verge of tears like a brokenhearted school boy as Faith cast him out for his sins.

"Monsters like that don't change. He was the closest I've ever come to dying in the line of duty," his father sighed.

"I beg your pardon?"

When had his father fought any real battles? He hadn't known about it.

"He was with his paramour, Drusilla, and she had a desire for young blood. She was too mad to get it on her own, but with Spike behind her she always did. We knew about plans of theirs to slaughter an orphanage. We tried to stop them. He killed two of my men. One rather brutally because he attempted to kill Drusilla. I'll spare you the details, it's all quite unseemly. At least we managed to save some children. It seemed it was she who wanted the children, but it was he who was tenacious about getting them for her. I wish we could have killed them."

"I'm sorry, Father," Wesley heard himself say. Had his father just admitted to a failure? Wesley had seen many slaughtered, but there really was nothing more disturbing than a slaughtered child. Could he and his father actually exchange battle stories? Regrets?

"Ah, it was a long time ago. 1963. You were only two."

"No, I was five years shy of being born Father. You're thinking of Aurther."

"No, no you where two. I remember because your mother didn't want me to go. She didn't want to be a widow with a young baby."

"Well, that sounds senisible, but that was Aurther. He was the one who was two in 1963."

Wesley never realized his mother had to think of such things. Had she thought of it every time his father went away? When had she just stopped caring? Was it why she seemed to stop caring about his father? Wesley could understand the need of shutting out someone who seemed out to destroy himself, but that wasn't what his father had been doing.

"Ah, yes. Well, remove the threat of the girl, because as long as she is alive Spike is a threat to you."

"I have the problem with the Slayer resolved. She won't be a threat to anyone. I have more influence over her now than I did in the past, and she has no desire to be anywhere near the vampire," Wesley assured.

He heard someone rummaging through his closet. Fred, she needed something again.

"Wesley, I'm sure you know that a woman's desire's are very fickle and fleeting," his father warned.

It was almost a kind warning. His father should only know Fred when she desired an answer to something, it was neither fickle nor fleeting. She would go as far as to rummage through his closet without asking.

"And if you know Spike, you know he is very cunning," his father said.

"Perhaps, but when you have no one on your side cunning may not be ... enough."

Wesley's voice fell on the "enough." He was shocked his father would give him credit about knowing anything, but. But, that wasn't why his voice hit the bottom of his throat. The closet door had sprung open. The knob had hit the wall without abandon.

Wesley forced himself to stop conveying his shock. He locked eyes with the icy blue ones before him. He had to figure out just how this happened.

"Excuse me, Father, but, I'll have to call you back," he said coolly and tucked away his phone.

"What do you think your doing? Who let you in here? Who do you think you are?" he demanded in a low, but fierce voice.

The vampire opened his mouth and then pulled it back into a smug satisfied smile. He had only encountered him a few times, but Wesley was already familiar with that look.

"In order, Percy: I'm looking through all your personal papers. A good bloke doesn't rat out his connection. I'm the man who’s going to save the Slayer from her bitter poncey watcher, and I think I'm going to have fun while I do it," Spike said.

Wesley quickly drew up his arm and pushed the bottom on his holster so a stake would fly out of his sleeve.

"My, my. You're full of surprises," Spike chuckled as he caught the stake between his hands.

It was pointing right at his heart.

"You're not. I should have known you'd lash out at me for taking your toy away," Wesley said as he advanced towards the vampire.

"She's not a bloody toy! She's not a pawn you can use in your game of risk and she is not a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter you caused!"

Now the vampire had him by the throat against the wall. His eyes no longer blue, but yellow. He had stopped looked like an overpaid rock star, but a demon. Wesley had to remember that Spike wasn't an ordinary vampire.

"I think you're getting us confused I never caused a slaughter in my life. I've only stopped them, and I didn't use Slayers as an excuse to do so."

Like Angelus he was easily distracted from killing by a battle of wits. So, Wesley would have to keep his wits about him. He hoped he could do so as it was getting harder to breath. Why would he kill him here? Just to show he could? Surely he would be caught and Faith would know. Is that what he wanted? It was extremely probable that Spike had lost all reason, and wanted to go out in some wicked blaze, like Faith had herself years ago.

"Yes, you did and you bloody know it!...And the first reason you're alive right now is that I want to hear you admit it...and the second reason is I want you to make amends."

The vampire's voice sounded like it was racked with misery, about what Wesley didn't know. Wesley had nothing to make amends for, if Spike wanted him to apologize for telling Faith that he had killed Nikki Wood, he was insane.

"Why are we keeping him alive after that again?" a young voice said as it entered the room and shut the door.

Of course! Connor would be Spike's ally. Wesley should have known that, but why did this alliance go as far as to kill Wesley for telling Faith that Spike had killed Nikki Wood?

"Boy, what are you doing?" Spike asked Connor.

It was odd. He had completely let go of Wesley and turned back into his human face "You're supposed to disable security and keep watch."

Wesley took this opportunity to run. Unfortunately, he ran into Spike's fist. Indeed, not an ordinary vampire. Wesley's unfortunate ordinary nose felt broken.

"Yeah, I'm done," Connor sighed lazily. He was wearing a blazer that for some reason had a Ramones T-shirt under it. Was that what passed for business casual these days?

"You couldn't have disabled security here. It's impossible," Wesley sneered at the boy from the floor as he whipped blood off his lip. He angrily tasted the familiar saltiness of it in his mouth.

"Not when it comes to just doing it for you're office. You see once we got Spike past the mystical vamp boundaries it was easy. See, you're office is really only secured with cameras and well, it's really easy to rig a camera."

The boy was spinning in Wesley's desk chair in a light obnoxious voice that Wesley would love to smack out of him. Then he stopped spinning and kept the voice, but the look in his eyes was deadly.

"All you need is basic knowledge of how a digital cable network in an independent system works, which you can get in any advanced mechanics class. I can tell you what I did, but you might think it’s kind of boring compared to the other stuff we want to discuss."

"Don't ya just love 'em?" Spike asked with a laugh. "The boy's not only bloody McGuyver, but he's quite obnoxious as well, and he appreciates the classics."

"Yeah, I'm up on the Classics....like burning and cutting and breaking bones," Connor walked over the Wesley who had now gotten up and stuck his face into his.

The boy seemed to be daring Wesley to hit him.

"See, funny as hell...He knew I meant that he liked The Clash and the Pistols... Distortion, but do they really make it to the classics?" Spike asked as he gently took the boy by the shoulders and made him back away from Wesley a bit.

"Sure they do. They're old and good."

Wesley just waited. What were they trying to tell him other than they were friends and they wanted to beat him silly over Faith? With these two that could be all they wanted, but Wesley realized they had gone to too much trouble for just that.

"Social Distortion-Old. Can you believe him?" Spike shook his head with that smug smile, as he grabbed Wesley's arm in a way where if he tried to fight back it would break.

"Well, maybe they are old. I bet you were a randy college boy busy not getting a shag when they came out. And now look at you, a Week-end Warrior still hard up, but it doesn't matter as much because while your still hard up your entering the age where you have a problem getting hard. It's good to be young? Right, Blade?" Spike asked Angel's son who laughed.

"The only thing that's going to be hard up is the stake I drive up through your heart and I'm a warrior seven days a week," Wesley said hitting Spike as hard as he could with his free arm.

It did set him off balance a bit. He let go of Wesley's arm, and Wesley enjoyed no longer feeling the pain. It felt like a blood-pressure machine had released its grip on him.

"That's it. Is that how hard you're own Dad used to give it to you? Not very fair to a little boy, but, you'll have your own to take it out on. There'll be hell for your bits to pay, huh?" Spike smiled.

Wesley was happy his nose was bleeding, but he realized it was clearly not broken. He'd hit the Slayer-Killing vampire enough to get temporary relief. What ever this was going to be Wesley would survive it, and Spike would be caught and made to pay.

"Or, he'll just take someone else's and send them there!" Connor said and kicked Wesley, who fell on the floor.

Wesley had never been clearer as to why Angel made him forget this boy. His kicks felt like internal stabs.

"Blade, I need you to stop playing angry young man and start playing young corporate climber. I know which one you really are, and I like him, but we don't want to look suspicious," Spike said to Connor.

"Why are you afraid of Dad busting in?"

"Bugger, that smart-mouth can turn on you, right ol' boy? So defiant.. you know about that. How should I handle the boy? You seem to have such lovely ideas...Maybe if you can help me out with the Slayer, I can overlook them," Spike was looking down at Wesley, smiling.

Wesley now understood now. Spike turned the boy against him by bringing out that Wesley was the one to give Connor to Holtz. Now if Wesley didn't agree to let Spike have Faith he would have the boy kill him. As far as cunning plans went it didn't suck, except for the doing it at Wolfram and Heart part. Why did they decide to do it here?

"Look, if this is about my taking Connor away from Angel and Holtz taking him to that Hell dimension I don't see--"

"You shut you're fucking mouth!" the boy roared and ran furiously at Wesley.

"Connor! Blade, easy we don't want to be getting dead ex-watcher out of the carpet."

Spike grabbed the boy. He apparently didn't want Wesley killed. He really thought there was a chance that Wesley would convince Faith that it was a good idea to have an impure vampire soul burned into her. This vampire was different. He was an idiot.

"I hate to tell you, vampire, but I'm no longer going to be an Ex-Watcher. The Council is being reformed," Wesley smiled through blood.

"I know, I heard you on the phone with Daddy. I would think you were too busy playing double O seven to take on rebuilding a place that fired you. What's the matter? You want a second chance? A high school reunion to show them the big man you've become?" Spike asked.

Wesley did feel like he was in secondary school again as the boy laughed for Spike. All bullies need an audience, and the beatings had felt this painful, but Wesley knew that this beating now was far worse than any he recieved back then. If only he could go back and tell his young self what he had learned to withstand, all his high school assaults would feel like cake.

"No," Wesley said dully "I'm suddenly realizing the importance of certain vampires being put in their place."

"Well, I'm flattered, all for little ol' me and I'm not even the big bad anymore," Spike mused.

Did he really think that? Did he still really believe that he was going to save Faith by burning an impure soul into her with all the evidence pointing to it being her end?

"No Spike. You're worse. You're an evil being that thinks he's good. You think you're different because of you're soul, but you're not you're exactly the same. Look at you. You love this."

"Oh, no. Oh God you're right! I DO love beating on pompous asses who endanger girls, so I can't get to them first. Good lord, I really must take a good look at myself after this is all over."

Spike's sarcasm was so deadpan it almost sounded serious. "You stupid, git! If anyone doesn't realize which side he's fighting for it's you. Wolfram & bloody Heart....Handing the boy over to the enemy...Bringing out the worst vampire of all time. Working with his weaker half who doesn't seem to be able to keep hold of that slippery little soul. At least I'm better than you're boss."

"You're right. You're no Angel; just like you were no Angelus.,"

Now Wesley had his attention. He rose painfully from the floor and sank into his leather chair opposite his desk. "You're more dangerous now than when you were soulless; you killed the weak before, but now you really prey on them."

"Well, this is actually a bit out of my routine. But, if beating on a weak Watcher who drains strength from everyone else will make him put things right, I step up."

"I am not talking about me! I am talking about Faith and Connor. I'm sure you brought out Faith's sadistic nature when she fought by your side and now you've lost her, so you're enthralling Angel's son. Preying on their instability, their recklessness. Angel saved both Faith and Connor by removing that from them, and you brought it back to them. You'll destroy them for your own enjoyment!"

"My father saved no one! He threw me away, just like you tried to do to Faith. Just like you tried to do to both of us!" Connor spat at Wesley.

Wesley felt himself get punched. It was better than running into a fist yourself. He had to stay focused. What tripe had Spike been feeding this boy, and how dangerous was he?

"Boy, you aren't listening to me. I said go and keep watch. Not go and beat on Watcher!... Please, I know how to get what we want," the vampire said.

His snide tone was completely gone, but there was the same firmness behind it. The boy's eyes narrowed at Wesley, but then he turned and left.

"Kids." Spike snorted and pointed with his thumb to the door the boy had exited.

"You're disgusting," Wesley spat.

"You don't like the way I'm handling the boy. Well, like I said, you having such lovely ideas. What should I do with him?" Spiked asked putting his hands behind his back and circling the chair.

"I thought you would like the fact that I took Connor away from Angel. I did it because I didn't trust Angel. I made the mistake of not remembering that Angel and Angelus have a clear separation. Just like I made the mistake of not realizing there is no such separation in you, Spike. You're using my mistakes to manipulate the boy is actually very clever," Wesley told him expecting obnoxious but sincere gloating, which would lead into Spike telling Wesley the full details of his plan.

"I'm not interested in how you failed your boyfriend, or why the boy has more than one reason to hate his Dad's man right now... But you seem to be. You want to punish the boy. He made you look quite the fool, being beaten by such a tiny little thing, and he out smarted you....Maybe, maybe you can inject him full of mystical smack and make him fight the meanest vampire on Earth as punishment for wising off to you? That would really show him who's boss, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Wesley's eyed widened as the vampire grabbed the back of his head. He often killed by breaking necks. He only seemed to feed when there was some kind of attraction.

"If you ask me that again I WILL kill you. If there's one thing I can't stand it's evasiveness. Maybe that's why Peach and I never got along. I've always owned up to all my deeds."

"Just like you owned up to killing Nikki Wood," Wesley grinned, even though he was sure his back was about to betray him.

Perhaps, this would prolong whatever torture was in store, but it would save his life. The vampire tied him to his chair. He had brought rope.

"Now, who has used whose mistakes to manipulate who?" Spike asked more calmly than Wesley expected.

"I only told Faith the truth," Wesley grunted as Spike pulled his head back farther than Wesley thought it would go.

"Yes, and you're timing was so bloody perfect wasn't it? Should she go with me and become rightfully bound with the shadow demon, or should she go with you and have her essence ripped out of her by an evil warlock?"

"Rightfully bound? To you? To that demon? That demon has killed Slayers and the people around them long before you started doing it. Faith has worked hard to be redeemed. She doesn't deserve something that draws out her darkness." Wesley refused to grunt as the vampire tighly tied him up.

"Her darkness has bite, doesn't it? Sounds like she was a real terror. You know, I really thought Buffy suffered from her little tantrum the most, but it seems like you did. I mean who was responsible? Who not only had to take the torture from her, but the torture of looking like a failure? Wouldn't it be bloody brilliant if the man who was responsible for her failing as a Slayer could somehow find a way to strip away her Slayer powers?"

Spike now had a knife to Wesley's face. There was something familiar about the way in which he was cutting Wesley.

"You came in here to read records. Records about how Faith tortured me, so you could reenact it," Wesley said.

"Yes," Spike answered, "and I'm slacking off. I didn't hit you enough and you were bound and gagged and it was more of a kitchen chair. I knew we'd have to improvise. It's amazing how bloody accurate files and records are. They get all the little nasties down."

He punched Wesley again.

"How would you know?" Wesley laughed.

"I knew that you would be enough of an ego maniac to have all the files and records that were about you transferred into your office... I know that she wanted you to beg and you never did," Spike said casually as continued to cut Wesley.

"That's right," Wesley said firmly. Faith had been better at it all. She had jumped in his lap and squashed his testicles flat. Wesley didn't think the vampire would be doing that. He wished he was sure. At least Spike wouldn't humilate him about having an unmet sexual desire for him.

"There's that anger I was looking for. Did you want her to beg? Oh, no, she couldn't could she? She was too busy dying--- in Hell, with the most sadistic vampire in history, that you brought out!" Spike roared.

"But, she didn't die, and I won't let her go to Hell again-- not with you!" Wesley said as he grunted in pain. Spike was cutting deeper than Faith now. If Faith had never done this to Wesley Spike wouldn't have her example to improve upon. Wesley would be damned if he was going to allow Faith to fall back into being a monster with a soul like Spike.

"I know. If it were all up to you only Angelus would be able to have her, after all Angel had to be the one to save her. There's your clear sodding separation! Pretty sly having the boss do your old job. You only save the best for your man. Anyway, You're lasting longer than I thought. When are you gonna call me a piece of shit?"

"Is that all you want? Why didn't you say so? Spike, you're a piece of shit," Wesley laughed.

"Is that how you said it to her? Laughing, finally letting some emotion through. That's why she did it, you know? She just wanted your attention. No, you don't know. You don't know her. You never gave a toss about her. Never did you're bloody job!"

"I did my bloody job! " Wesley yelled, "I taught her how to fight, and what you had to sacrifice to fight. If Faith had died saving Angel she would have died a hero. That's what a Slayer is. A hero, before she is anything else, no matter how much you want her to be something else. Faith understood that. She understands it now. So, I've done my job. Now let's get this over with. What do you want?"

"How do you know this isn't just what I want? A little bleed and burn for the girl - the hero- you're putting in harm's way?" Spike smirked as he chucked.

"I know what you want. You'd have tortured me much more if this was only for your own pleasure. It's always about the girl with you, William. You want Faith. What I don't understand is how you think you can get her like this."

Wesley could feel his blood mix with his sweat. It stung like cheap after-shave. He could almost smell cheap aftershave with the blood and sweat. He knew it was a hallucination. So, he was getting to the hallucination part? It was a shame, since this was a reenactment of his torture session with Faith that he couldn't use the same coping mechanisms with Spike. Picturing Spike naked would only make all of this more disturbing.

"Ah, pulling out my files from Watcher 101... It's true. I do want Faith, like you, and like you I know I'll never have her. But, unlike you, Percy, I don't want to hurt her. I want to save her."

"You really believe that don't you? I can hear it in your voice. I thought Drusilla was the mad one. I'm the one saving her you fool- from the shadow demon consuming her- from you consuming her. You're no good Spike. You didn't resurrect correctly. Your resurrection is so wrong that an entire normally peaceful demon race wants you and Faith dead rather than seeing her be touched by you and God help me I'm also helping to save you from their assassination attempts."

And, Wesley would save Faith from this pathetic adolescent monster, and the one inside her that he wanted to bring out. It would be metaphoric, if it wasn't quite literal. Spike personified some of the worst qualities in Faith. For the first time Wesley realized that while Faith was smiling when she cut into him her face was grey and drawn. Spike didn't have any of that besides the natural paleness he carried, that had nothing to do with physically manifested guilt. Thank God the Rhoshobi Clan had a prophecy warning the world about what would happen if Spike got inside Faith.

"So, the bloody Rhoshobi's say Spike's come back wrong. Almost forgot about those buggers. Just because something is 'normally peaceful' doesn't mean it's good. Look at you. You're just asking her to surrender herself to their wishes. To not even question them. I bet you wish that she did that with you. Good Slayers don't lie down. They fight, and they keep fighting. Isn't that how Faith has lasted? Isn't that how she out-lasted you? You say you want to save her, Watcher. Then do it. Tell her not to do this black bloody magic that you know will rip her apart. Get Crowley back to the rock you found him under."

"You're delusional! My understanding with Crowley is Faith's only chance for survival."

Wesley grimaced and it hurt his cuts.

"What was you're understanding with the Orpheus dealer? What was Faith's chance for survival there? You're so full of shit it's seeped into your brain. You can live in denial all you want after you call off Faith's appointment with that Slayer killer!" Spike roared as he broke Wesley's finger.

"What are you talking about?" Wesley demanded with a painful grunt. "The only Slayer killer I stopped from killing her is you."

"Oh c'mon, Percy. You're a smart boy. You must know a thing or two about Alistair. Now, call her. Tell her you've realized removing the Slayer demon with him would have been a one way ticket to her death. We can all hold hands and pretend you didn't know before. I'll bet you don't know her number, so I'll dial it for you," Spike said as he held a piece of glass to Wesley's face one hand and now the phone in the other.

"No," Wesley breathed out through his nose and his nostrils flared. "Crowley isn't my favorite person, but I know he's a wise business man. He can't afford to make an enemy of Wolfram and Hart. He can't afford to make an enemy of me, and neither can you. Now, get out of here before Angel discovers your here."

"You bloody admit you're giving her over to that man knowing what he is! You're the bloody devil. You sit here and bleed, but you've got it all. Magic and minions to carry out your punishments for you. And, the whole bloody time the people you have in your pocket think they are the big bads, while you can pretend to sit here with good intentions. You want Alistair Crowley to finish the job you started with the Orpheus," Spike growled after he socked Wesley in the face.

"No. I needed a power warlock that was willing to remove a shadow demon, a demon that is the origin of the Slayer. It's very powerful and very dark. Sometimes you have to work with the darkness to save someone. Look at all the times that Buffy worked with you. You can cut me all you want, I'll never advise Faith to go off with you. At least Alistair Crowley knows what kind of man he is."

"Need you to help me out here a bit. How is it coming off that this is a request? Because we really need to fix that. You think because I have a soul I won't kill you? Call it off," Spike said as he began dialing.

"The girl deserves some peace and I intend to see that she has it. It's too late, Spike. Everything is in place. You and everything else that could destroy her will be gone. No matter what you do to me," Wesley said through gritted teeth.

"Bloody Hell! You've really deluded yourself into thinking that you want to do right by her."

The vampire actually seemed surprised.

Then, the boy entered the room. He didn't look as cocky.

"So, is it over? Has he called her? You need to get out of here. Angel's looking for him now. I don't like this, Spike. If you already made him call Faith to stop the magic we should take him somewhere, or else he'll just talk. He'll say we made him call it off and he'll convince Faith that using black magic is the right thing all over again," he sighed.

"'Fraid we have to rework this a bit, Blade. Head-boy here isn't going to budge. The git really thinks he's doing the right thing," the vampire sighed.

"What?" the boy roared, "You mean Faith is still going to go to that black magic guy because of him! W-what are we gonna do now?"

"Well, we still have to stop Faith from ripping out her very essence, don't we? Or else she'll most likely die. I suppose we could--"

"You fucking asshole!" the boy roared, and charged Wesley. In seconds, he broke the chair and was pummeling him.

"Well, I don't think that'll work, but don't stop on my account," The vampire sighed carelessly before Wesley lost consciousness.

End of part 9! OH what Happens now?? Go to 10 ---