Chapter 34: Trust
Manon had expected a few chosen words from Andrea after the way she had openly supported Buffy in front of the Council. But the revelation that it was her father, if Manon had gotten that right, who was responsible for this mess, seemed to have shaken the Watcher. All the Watchers, actually, except maybe for Giles who didn’t look that much surprised.
As soon as the Mage had left, Buffy had requested that the Council fulfill its part of the bargain and find Spike instead of worrying so much about her soul. As everyone else seemed too tongue-tied to reply to her demand, Giles had taken charge and directed the three Watchers who were here to do magic to join Willow in the store and see what they could do about finding Spike. He then suggested, in more subdued words but a tone just as determined, that the High Council return to its hotel and decide on a course of action regarding the recovery of Buffy’s soul. As he herded the Watchers, including Andrea, out of the training room, he had a few words with Chloe and Manon, and instructed both to resume their training and try to get along. Finally, before walking out himself, he approached Buffy. Instead of talking to her about her soul or the agreement she had with the Council, Manon was surprised to hear him comfort her and promise that they would find Spike as quickly as they possibly could.
After hosting so many people, the room felt very empty suddenly as only four remained. Chloe was talking in quiet tones to her Watcher, and from what Manon could understand she wasn’t really inclined to train with her. It didn’t matter, however, because Buffy got to her feet, and, stretching a little on the way, came to Manon.
“Spar with me,” she said, and it sounded more like an order than a request.
Manon observed her, a little hesitant. They hadn’t fought since Buffy lost her soul, and she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to do so now. The vampire seemed really irritated, and she might push Manon too far and hurt her without even meaning to.
“I’m not sure…” she started.
“Do you trust me?” Buffy interrupted her, her expression unreadable.
It just took a second for Manon to admit that, yes, she did. And so they started trading blows, under the cold stare of Chloe, and the attentive observation of her Watcher. Or rather, Buffy started throwing punches and kicks, and Manon started evading. Just protecting herself took all of her energy, and she had no clue how she was supposed to fight back in these conditions. Buffy was fighting harder than ever before against her, but at the same time Manon was pretty confident that she wasn’t doing so at her maximum capabilities. She had seen her train with Spike, and there was no way she would have been able to last a minute if Buffy had been fighting like that now. The question was, was she holding back on purpose, or was she so upset and distracted that she wasn’t fighting her best?
For long minutes, Buffy’s attacks were unrelenting. Gradually, Manon could feel her own moves becoming sloppier and slower as fatigue crept through her. Earlier, the vamp had claimed she would kill any Slayer sent after her by the Council. There wasn’t a doubt in Manon’s mind that she would have no trouble doing exactly that, and judging by Chloe’s frown, she wasn’t the only one who had come to that conclusion.
The sparring match stopped abruptly when Manon found herself lying flat on her back, with no clue whatsoever about how she had ended on the floor. Panting, she remained there, her eyes on the ceiling, trying to slow her heartbeat. Buffy’s face appeared above her, and if Manon hadn’t known any better she could have thought there was a little concern hiding in her gauging eyes.
“You never… never worked me that hard… even when we were getting ready… for the apocalypse”, she managed to say, a slight questioning in her voice.
Buffy shrugged. “They didn’t want to discourage you.”
As she scrambled to her feet, Manon let out a small, dry chuckle. Discouraged, indeed.
“I need some water,” she announced to the vampire. “You want something to drink?”
Just as Buffy gave her the faintest smirk and shook her head, she noticed the scowl Chloe was giving them from afar.
“I think our new friend thinks I’m a traitor to the cause,” she said, loud enough for Chloe to hear.
“Not that long ago you would have thought the same way”, Buffy replied coolly. “You would have believed anything your Watcher or the Council said.”
Manon nodded. “But I learned better. And she will too.”
Stretching her muscles carefully, Manon walked out the room, hearing the beginning of a tense discussion between the vampire and the new Slayer and Watcher. As she went through the Magic Box, she saw the research table covered with maps and books, and Willow shaking her head at what one of the Watchers was saying. It didn’t look like the hunt for Spike was getting any more successful than before, and Manon felt a tightening in her chest. What were they going to do if even with the Watchers’ help they couldn’t find Spike?
While she was in the office pulling water from the fridge, she saw Chloe and her Watcher walk by and leave the store. Not really unexpected, but faster than what she had anticipated. Her thirst satisfied, she was about to return to the backroom when Anya stopped her, asking her how things had gone between Buffy and the Council. It hadn’t seemed like it was a secret, so she told the woman what had happened. It didn’t appear to soothe her worries, but then Anya had been rather on edge ever since Buffy returned from Los Angeles.
As she was going back to training room, she was surprised to hear Buffy talking to someone. Curious as to who was in there with her, she peeked through the almost closed door, and her eyes widened as she recognized the face. She had seen the tall, broad shouldered man before. In her dreams. And in her dreams, he stood guard over Spike.
*****
“I told you to get out of my town, Riley.”
OK. So this wasn’t the welcome he had been expecting. He had gone to Revello Drive earlier, and, as no one answered when he knocked, had decided to try his luck at the Magic Box. There was a ‘closed’ sign on the door, but when he had walked around he had found that the back door wasn’t locked. He had entered, happy to immediately find Buffy in her training room. She was abusing the punching bag, and by the way it was jerking around, it was a wonder that the thing was still whole. But when he announced his presence, she turned cold eyes to him that almost made him regret he had come.
“It’s not that easy, Buffy. I don’t decide where my unit is sent, my boss does. And after the high school incident, it was judged necessary for the Hellmouth to be studied.”
Buffy snorted, a very unladylike sound coming from such a pretty woman, but didn’t comment any further.
“So… I was wondering if you’d like to have a coffee with me, talk a little. When you have some free…”
She rolled her eyes at him, then turned around and started pummeling the bag again, ignoring him.
“I have nothing to talk about with you,” she said coldly. “You should leave now before something happens that one of us will be sorry for.”
Frowning, he shook his head at her back. What did she mean by that? And why was she in such a bad mood? Was she upset because she had finally realized what had happened while she was under Spike’s thrall? Or maybe she was ashamed from having told him about her supposed wedding to the vampire and didn’t know how to tell him it had been a mistake.
“Listen,” he said as gently as he could, “it’s been a long time, but we could still be friends. If there’s anything you need…”
His voice trailed off as Buffy’s fist suddenly pierced the heavy leather of the bag. Baffled, he watched the sand pour down as she pulled out her hand, and was almost surprised to realize she had turned around again and was standing in front of him.
“All I need,” she hissed, “is Spike. You’re not him. Now leave before I make you leave.”
Shocked, he raised his hands in an appeasing gesture and took a few steps back. The thrall was still in full effect, obviously. How long until it faded? Another question for Hostile 17, it seemed. Unless… Unless there was no thrall and she had genuine feelings for… No. Impossible. Sleeping with vampires was one thing, falling in love with a souled one a more difficult to understand one, but falling for Spike… No. He would never believe that. He couldn’t believe that. There had to be a thrall.
*****
It wasn’t torture enough that her Sire had been taken from her, that she had to refrain from following her instincts, that she had to cooperate with the damn Council and even agree to get her soul back. On top of it all, the very last person she wanted to see was now here and hitting on her in that oh so subtle way of his. The temptation to simply snap his neck and be done with him for good was great, but she ignored it and simply sent him away. He seemed to understand at the end that he would be much better off not showing up any more.
Just as the annoying moron disappeared, Buffy heard Manon finally come in, abandoning her hiding spot from behind the door.
“Who was that?” the kid asked with a shaky voice.
“The most irritating and stubborn man on the face of the planet,” Buffy replied dryly. “My ex, but I couldn’t tell you what I ever saw in him.”
Manon’s hand took hold of her arm and Buffy tensed at the sudden contact. Shaking her arm free, she turned to the kid, and noticed how pale she was.
“I dreamed of him,” she said hesitantly. “I dreamed of him having Spike as his prisoner.”
“Was it a Slayer dream?” Buffy growled, fighting the demon that was trying to come forward. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner, girl?”
Unconsciously, she had taken hold of the Slayer and was shaking her as she spoke. Manon managed to pull away as she replied, now angry.
“I didn’t know it was a Slayer dream! And what did you want me to say? That I dreamed of someone I never saw before today? That every time I get some sleep I see the man you love in pain? That would have been helpful, I’m sure!”
Pain. The word echoed in Buffy’s mind, blocking everything else. Her Mate was in pain, and now she knew who to blame. Leaving the kid in the middle of the room, she ran to the back door. She probably could catch up with Riley, follow him to wherever he was hiding or even better torture him to get the information. She flung the door open and ran into the shady alley… and managed to stop just in time to avoid stepping into the sunlight. She could see him, almost out of sight now, walking down the street, head low and hands thrust in his pockets. Out of her reach. She was so frustrated she could have screamed in rage, so frustrated she almost didn’t notice the redhead who came out of the training room and started to stride after Riley. She watched the kid go until she had disappeared down the street, wishing for the first time ever that she wasn’t a vamp and could also go in the sun to find her Mate.