by melWinter

Chapter 8

London, England

Oz studied the bars with a sigh, tapping one lightly with his finger. It had been about ten years since he’d last seen Rupert Giles and he supposed things had to change, but he would never believe how much they had. Kat was shaking her head and voice sing-songy, “He’s gonna kick your ass.”

They were both in cells across from one another, separated by twenty feet. Everything was stark and bright and so eerily familiar to the Initiative it only brought back bad memories to his torture at their hands. At least he’d been permitted to keeping his clothing this time. The corridor was long, apparently the Council’s intent on entertaining a lot of demon guests.

The young werewolf grumbled to himself but made no reply at first. He was a man of few words as a principle but right now the few words he would like to express would not be appropriate in front of the young child in the cell across from him. The small cub sharing her cell leaned back against her, closing his eyes as her strong arms wrapped around him. The musician blinked before looking up with a frown, “So what’s he going to do to you?”

Tyler looked up with a scared expression, “Daddy’s gonna kick my ass?” His dad was pretty scary in lecture mode, and that’s not even when he was mad. He could only remember his dad angry one time and then he was really, really scary. But his dad never, ever laid a finger on him. Could dad’s really do that?

Nudging his shoulder lightly in consternation, “Language.” Tyler looked up with a flinch and large eyes and Kat immediately felt her insides melt. She was such a soft touch, leaving the disciplinary acts to her mate. Those big blue eyes melted away her resistence every time, “And no. Your daddy will give you a sound lecture for leaving the den.”

Wincing, wondering how long a sound lecture was considering a normal lecture could last for what felt like hours, “Oh. Sorry.”

Kat rolled her eyes with an irritated sigh, focusing on her pack member instead of the wayward boy in her arms, “I’m...well you know better.” She took a look around, unsure if they were being watched or not. Oz’s thoughtful expression turned just as wary. She frowned suddenly, “I thought he would have told you to stay put.”

Oz looked down, “He did.” Her expression clearly gloated that his butt was definitely getting kicked and the young wolf sighed again. Alright, Spike had a temper, it was well established. The fact that he as Beta 3 would deliberately disobey was just going to make the vampire furious but this just didn’t sit well with him.

He still couldn’t believe Rupert Giles, a man he’d known throughout high school, had those slayers escort him down here to be caged like some demon. But he’d been warned this was the way the Watcher’s Council operated now and he hadn’t listened to his Alpha or the other leading ranks. He should have, though. All seven from Alpha to Delta, both male and female, had agreed approaching the Watcher’s Council without force was next to suicide.

Seven years ago, the clans had all gathered with the passing of the Alpha, for all the males to fight for position. Any who yielded without contest would be in the position of Omega, usually reserved for the sick and elderly. All the rest would fight for remaining positions in Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. From those fighting positions, would be determined the four leading ranks of the clan. Those ranks would in turn have sway over those within. It was a much more orderly affair than it sounded. The fights were organized over a span of two weeks, some fighting two or three a night until they were down to the last four. The position of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta would be fought by the last four. Similar happenings were taking place amongst the females. Mated couples would have their individual standings, since it wasn’t uncommon for a Beta female to have a Gamma male and such. Still, in the end the wolf pack had formed the groups of beta, gamma, and delta; with but one leader. The Alpha. He had proven a stronger warrior as well as a strong leader.

He organized the vampires, knowing which ones could be trusted and where to find new pack members. The pack had even tentatively opened the possibility of humans in their midst, three so far. The one condition the Alpha had stipulated was that there would be a complete abandon of communication to non pack members. Reluctantly the three had agreed and settled themselves quickly into the ranks.

“Oz, I’m surprised to see you here.” Oz drifted out of his thoughts, watching as Angel leaned back casually against the wall to the only exit and giving the werewolf a condescending shake of his head, “I’ve heard you joined a pack. Disappointing really.”

Oz calmly looked over the vampire turned man and realized he didn’t look all that different to the hellish force that had been released with the loss of his soul. He got the feeling Angelus was a lot closer to his nature than brooding Angel. And with his newfound humanity, he now had the option of ignoring his conscience now that the gypsy curse was no longer a factor. It was all about choice, after all, “At least I didn’t betray everything I stood for.”

Snorting, “How can you say that? You fight and kill slayers, protecting a bunch of murdering animals.”

Kat frowned darkly, “I resemble that remark.”

Crossing his arms since by technicality he was such an animal as well, “Invade my home and what happens is what will be.”

Smiling evilly, “So you admit you’ve killed slayers.” Angel didn’t have direct evidence but he knew anyone who joined up in a pack would kill any and all who encroached on their territory. He’d seen more slayers torn to pieces by these animals than he cared to think about.

Still appearing cool, giving away nothing, “All I’m saying is you attack my family and I will defend it.”

Shrugging a little, feigning nonchalance when he was anything but. This was the one aspect of this new Council he could live without but Giles wasn’t about to alienate their largest donator. He could admit they were very good at gathering information so he mentally chalked them up to being a necessary evil, “It won’t matter one way or another. They’ll be collecting you three soon, then it’s only a matter of time before we find out where your den is and how many of you there are.” Tyler turned and buried his face in Kat’s side with a whimper, “I’m not sure what they’ll do with you after that.” His voice hinted otherwise.

“Angel.” The former vampire turned slightly to the new voice, a battle-aged slayer.

Kat balked in shock, “That’s Angel?”

The slayer ignored the werewolf, as did Angel, “Mr. Giles wanted to speak to you about the werewolves. I’ll stand watch, sir.”

His brow furrowed a bit, looking her over. He didn’t remember this one all that well. And she was a petite thing with a generous amount of long, flowing brown hair. Not gorgeous but definitely pretty, with a tight body that left him aching and suddenly he forgot all about the werewolves in the room, “Are you new here?”

She blinked once before shaking her head, “No, sir. I’ve been a slayer for seven years. I was trained here before being sent to Germany. I’ve recently been posted here.”

He nodded and murmured to himself, sending her a confident leer, “Perhaps after this we could go out for drinks and I could tell you all about my saving of Los Angeles.” It was a familiar line that left his lips, never failing to attract these slayers who had been brought up on his legendary saving of the city. With his humanity restored the Gypsy curse was no longer a factor and he’d been making up for a lot of missed time.

She gave him a sly smile, toying with a lock of her hair, “Drinks would be nice. So long as that’s not all we’re doing.” He smirked and caressed her chin with his thumb, nodding to himself before leaving the room. Thirty seconds later she shivered in disgust and hastily licked her hand before scrubbing her chin viciously with it, “The things I do for the Alpha.” Kat smirked and leaned against her prison, Linda proudly displaying a set of keys. She pinned Oz with a glare, “He’s pissed as hell.” Oz groaned softly.

“Very nicely done.” Linda curtseyed to Kat, slipping the key into place and hastily freeing the werewolves, “Which way do we go?”

Tyler jumped on his toes in excitement, “Hiya Linda!” Linda grinned and ruffled his curled locks.

“Back inside.” They all whipped around to see Giles and three slayers holding tranquilizer guns, Angel sneering silently behind them, “As a new slayer here I’m surprised you didn’t know about the cameras and monitoring spells in the containment areas. As soon as you said I wanted to speak with Angel I knew you couldn’t possibly be working for me.”

Linda’s eyes grew cold, pushing the young boy behind her, “You’re a fool if you think you can hold them.”

Shaking his head, the old watcher correcting the slayer before him. He remembered her vaguely but it had been years. Her watcher had been slaughtered in Budapest and her body never recovered, “I have no intention. They are here to bait the Alpha, nothing more. Once he is dead the rest of the werewolf clan will crumble.” Angel gave Giles a startled look.

Tyler peeked his head out, glaring, “My daddy’s gonna get you. He can’t die. He’ll turn you inside out.”

Giles blinked at the small boy in surprise before shifting his gaze to Kat who looked a cross between amused and concerned. Absently she patted Tyler’s head, “Such an imagination.” Tyler frowned and Kat talked right over him, “I keep telling him not to say such stories...”

Eyes narrowing just a fraction behind polished glasses, “Then he is your son?”

Shrugging blandly, “Who is to say?”

Chuckling softly with a shake of his head, “I am well versed in your species. I’m even more well versed in your protection of your young. A mother would not send a werewolf of lesser status out to look for her cub...she’d go herself...” Giles suddenly realized how dangerous this werewolf could be. A protective mother werewolf could easily tear through his slayers to protect her young, in wolf form or not. He fired, the tranquilizer knocking Kat unconscious before she even hit the ground. Tyler screamed and ran to her, throwing his arms around her and sobbing.

The slayers started forward, forcing Oz and Linda back a step. Tyler was gruffly picked up, a firm hand holding his chin so he couldn’t bite. Not that he needed to. He used his innate strength to his advantage, knocking his capturer over with an angry growl/yip before scrambling back to his mother. Angel sat up with a surprised look and clutching his damaged ribs, “Shit...”

Oz and Linda pivoted in identical kicks, sending all three of the girls back with just that one move. Both moved to stand protectively over mother and child, the slayer narrowing her eyes. She fell back into a defensive stance that gave Angel pause. He knew that maneuver, “I won’t let you hurt them.”

Looking her over patiently, taking his glasses in hand to clean them while speaking almost casually, “By resisting you are hurting her. That tranquilizer dart produces continuous toxin into her system. The toxin will seep into her blood stream, disrupting the rhythm of her heart and damaging her internal organs. The longer you delay me, the closer to death she grows.” Oz spun around to pull out the dart, hissing and letting go as his hand came away burned, “Silver plated, of course.” The ground rumbled, shocking all of them and Kat jerked slightly. One of the slayers, a nervous blonde, jerked on the trigger when she saw the movement and a second dart embedded into the unconscious werewolf. Giles leapt forward, jerking her arm up, “No!”

But he knew it was already too late. That much neurotoxin would immediately stop her heart. Tyler started screeching and yanking on his mother’s clothes as she stopped breathing and turned startlingly pale. Linda dropped to the ground, pulling out both darts and slapping two fingers to Kat’s throat. Turning with bared human teeth, “Do something!”

Giles was already slowly shaking his head, “There is nothing that can be done. Her organs are already liquefying...”

Linda closed her eyes, realizing Kat was already gone. That much damage and the body, supernatural werewolf or not, wouldn’t be able to regenerate from. Unlike most demons, werewolves were based on a living existence which meant they required a living body to survive, “My god, Giles, what did you do?”

***

Buffy had felt the ground quaking but she was completely focused on her objective. Willow led the way, using what magic she could in such a tightly warded space to toss aside the obstacles in her way. She pushed open the door to the cells with force, sending the recovering slayers flying even as Buffy posed her horrified question to a man that had been a mentor and friend. Her hazel eyes moved over him with accusation and regret before looking around at the rag tag group. A dead werewolf lay still and almost peaceful looking, a young boy with a mop of blond curls tugging on her and crying.

Giles slowly raised his hand with the gun, intent on sedating Oz and the child with regret in his eyes and Buffy didn’t even hesitate, kicking out and sending the old watcher flying. She stomped over, lips compressed as she kicked the tranquilizer down the hallway and picked up the small boy protectively, her own children clustering around her. Tyler wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder, his tears dampening her coat, “Mommie...”

Billy frowned, reaching up to stroke the other boy’s arm. Something felt funny about this younger boy but he couldn’t quite figure it out. His sister had a similar expression, clutching her twin, “I can’t believe you...you really aren’t the man I used to know.”

“Buffy?” The slayer he’d trained and practically raised into adulthood. The stunning young woman he’d compared to being a hero and the best slayer he’d ever taught. He hadn’t seen or heard from her in years and what guilt he might have felt at having earned her distrust had slowly changed into bitterness in her ability to just abandon everything that she’d stood for. Cradling his hand, realizing after a moment it was broken. Grimacing in pain and unable to believe she’d just attacked him, “And you are certainly not the slayer I trained.” He didn’t even notice the three slayers behind him slide to the ground in a magically induced sleep, Willow gesturing to them quietly as her eyes flashed bright silver.

The redhead glared over at Angel who had worked himself into a half sit against the wall, his ribs having snapped from the force of the boy’s kick. Threatening quietly, “Stay put, Angel, or it’ll be three days before you wake up.” He blinked up at her in surprise but was wise enough to just quietly nod and watch. He was well aware of what the small redhead was capable of and unable to believe he’d underestimated her.

Blinking once, “Oh, you’re fired.”

She smirked, “Sorry. I quit yesterday. My resignation’s on your desk.” He sulked silently.

Buffy snorted to herself, focused on her former mentor. She hated to think what would have happened to her had she allowed herself to become the perfect little Slayer he and the Council had wanted, “Thank god for that. I would have been dead a long time ago if I’d allowed you to mold me into the slayer you wanted me to be. Hunt and Slay. Just the kill. God, Giles, you didn’t learn anything from Sunnydale did you?”

Stiffening, old wounds patched over but not healed tore as bitterness and resentment took hold, “I learned you cared more for a bloody vampire than us.”

God, was he still riding that pity train? Eyes narrowing, “That bloody vampire deserved more from you...from all of us. He protected all of you after I died. If it wasn’t for that bloody vampire I never would have come back to fight the First and you’d all be dead. He saved the world, Giles, four times now.” Giles looked clearly confused so Buffy elaborated, “He helped me stop Angelus from sending us all to hell.” Nodding at his shocked look, “Yea, bad guy soulless Spike saved the world, didn’t even like me but he did it anyway. Made a truce with me and made sure Angel didn’t tear you apart until I got there. Second, he totally helped with Glory, again with no soul. Duh. He saved our collective asses in Sunnydale-...” She choked on the memory, pain flashing across her face as she remembered him burning before her eyes.

Looking smug since it was that final action that had led to Spike’s destruction, “I do believe you said four.”

Nodding grimly, pushing the memory away, “And the fourth time he saved Los Angeles.” And she caught it. The slight flinch of acknowledgment that made it impossible for her to ever forgive him. He’d known Spike was alive. For how long she didn’t know but he’d just silently confirmed the truth.

Angel wheezed, clutching at his ribs and trying to stand but not able to, fumbling in his jacket pocket, “I saved-...”

Glaring at her former lover, “Blow it out your ass, Angel, you totally died.” Billy and Joyce’s eyes bugged out a bit, never hearing their mom swear, “He got pulled back, magicked into a new body and saved LA.” She’d loved Angel for what seemed like forever but it had slowly changed from an undying love of a young girl to a loving respect of a young woman. Now she felt none of it, knowing if he was capable of convincing Giles to use magic to make her love him then he’d never really loved her. Love was earned, not forced, “Oh yeah, if the kid here hadn’t kicked your ass, I woulda totally done it.”

Angel sent her a hurt look, “Buffy?”

She sent the brunette another evil glare, “Let’s see, who was it that was plotting with a certain watcher about my memories? Hmm...I wonder.” She watched him wilt into an unmanly puddle on the floor. She looked about to say more, her eyes widening as she took in a wolf walking through the doorway on silent but deadly feet. He was quite large for a wolf, even larger than a werewolf, and she was struck with a striking familiarity to him. His muzzle was covered in specs of blood, his grey fur ruffling as he snarled softly in warning. Giles backed away from Buffy, all the way to the bars of a cage as his quick mind worked to figure out what this creature was. Buffy sucked in a gasp, backing away as she realized his intent and pulling her children and sister with her. Willow and Oz backed away, as did Linda, the former looking wary while the other two stared at the ground in shame.

Oz whimpered softly, “Alpha...” The great wolf whined softly, muzzle gently nudging Kat’s temple while her body remained slack and unresponsive. He tilted his head back to howl a mournful cry, his voice echoed by Tyler who lifted his own face to howl though he did not change form. Oz chorused the other two while Linda just tilted her head back, silent tears running down her cheeks.

Giles looked between amazed and horrified. This was no mere werewolf, “Good lord...that’s the Alpha?” He wasn’t sure what creature it was and he would have to research extensively before tangling with it.

Willow looked around nervously, ready should someone try to take advantage of everyone’s distraction. It came in the form of Angel brandishing a gun, firing silver bullets at the lupin form. She raised her hands to stop it, incantation on the tip of her tongue. Her eyes widened instead as it was reflected away by a sweeping gesture from Tyler to embed harmlessly in the wall. Scowling with a snarl, “Bad Pouf!”

Buffy and Angel both sent Tyler a stunned look, realizing at the same time that there was only one vamipre they both knew who used that nickname. Willow gestured, the gun melting and Angel dropped it from his burnt hand with a yelp. He stared at his hand for a second before focusing back on a scowling redhead, “I warned you. Sleep.”

A chorus of howls broke everyone of their thoughts, coming from somewhere outside the building. Oz was silently looking at the Alpha before turning to face Giles, “I don’t think you want anyone else to die tonight. If they come in here, your slayers will be torn apart.”

“I think you underestimate them.”

“I think you underestimate us.”

Joyce was scowling at Giles, deciding immediately she didn’t like him. Buffy sighed, taking in the three unconscious slayers and her injured former mentor. She was sick of this, always with the talk, talk, talk when she was more of an action kind of girl. But with three kids clinging to her that was so not going to happen, “They can’t interfere, let’s just go.”

Dawn moved for the door, looking down the hallway in either direction before nodding, her side arm now how easily in her grip. Her police training was deeply ingrained even if she wasn’t on duty right now, “It’s clear.”

Willow silently sorted out Angel, knocking him unconscious and incinerating the other weapons. Well, most of them. In a fit of anger Joyce had already deciding to break one closest to her in half. Linda raised an eyebrow, impressed. Willow pulled in a calming breath, “Let’s go then.”

Oz frowned, focused on the wolf who had laid down on the ground next to Kat, “He won’t leave without her.”

Buffy rolled her eyes as if it were obvious, “So pick her up.”

Oz was already shaking his head before she even finished, “He won’t let me. I’m both male and I don’t have that kind of rank.”

Buffy felt her expression harden before she rubbed the small back of the boy in her arms, “What’s your name, sweety?”

With a wet sniffle against her shirt, “Tyler. Wha’s yours?”

Grinning slightly, “I’m Buffy.” He jerked back a little, looking at her with surprised, searching eyes. She nodded and absently kissed his forehead, “Tyler. Can you listen to me, sweety?” He slowly nodded, “You know Oz, don’t you?”

Oz looked surprised while Tyler nodded a little more, “That’s good. I’m gonna hand you to him, okay?” He shook his head and clung to her tightly. She smelled like a mom and if his mom and dad couldn’t hold him then he wanted her to, “Tyler, look at me, luv.” It was that ‘luv’ that did it. He looked up at Buffy with wide eyes, “I need to carry your mom and I can’t carry both of you.”

He sniffled, tears still running down his cheeks as he slowly nodded. She calmly handed Tyler over to Oz, giving each of her children a reassuring hug, “It’s okay...we’re leaving...” She moved silently around the werewolf and calmly approaching the mourning figure. She knelt down a few feet away, carefully pushing herself forward on her knees when his feral gaze pinned her to the spot. She gasped softly, his eyes twin globes of burning gold fire, staring at her with such pain and anger it nearly took her breath away. But that’s not what made her gasp. It was something in those golden eyes that was so familiar it filled her with a deep sadness that she couldn’t possibly ignore. Murmuring softly, hoping he understood her and wouldn’t perceive her as a threat, “We have to leave, Alpha.” His head tilted a little, as if assessing her and she was suddenly hit with such a strong sense of deja vu she almost collapsed. She knew that searching, penetrating look from somewhere but something was throwing her, keeping her from figuring it out.

Swallowing, she carefully reached forward, keeping her movements slow and unthreatening. He growled in warning, his fur ruffling even as he moved back a single pace. Joyce and Billy clutched one another, Dawn taking a step forward while wrapping both children in her arms. The pair of them glanced at one another before Billy asked with a worried tone, “Mom?”

Keeping her voice quiet and light, “It’s okay, baby. He’s not going to hurt me.” She took his actions as grudging consent and gently lifted the dead girl into her arms before just as slowly rising to her feet. The Alpha came right up to her side, golden eyes fixed firmly on Kat. Meeting Willow’s searching gaze, “Get us the hell out of here, Wills.”

Linda nodded firmly to herself, taking charge, “Red, out in front. You two have super strength, let’s have you behind Nibblet. Buffy, you and the Alpha in the middle. Oz and I will take the rear. Let’s go.” The group quickly took up position, no one questioning the slayer as the orders were carried out and followed. As a tight unit they slunk their way down the corridor and right out of the bowels of slayer central. Once outside, they encountered a large group of slayers fighting an even larger group of werewolves.

A tall blond slayer was on the opposite side, nearest to them and training a crossbow but she wasn’t firing. If anything it seemed her purpose was to keep everyone out. She turned slightly to give Linda a grin and a wink. Buffy jerked around in confusion at the fully transformed beasts working in tandem instead of destroying everything in sight. It just wasn’t what she was expecting to see. Oz had never been like this during his werewolf nights. He was a vicious animal. Plus it was a cloudy day, like most in England, but it was no where near a full moon, “What the hell? It’s daytime!” She glanced at Oz just to be sure and he was still in human form.

Linda prodded the older slayer impatiently, “Explain later. Lilly, are we out of the wards?” The blond nodded once, “Okay, stick close cause we are outta here. Red, we’re outside of the wards, a bit of magic would be appreciative.”

The redhead smirked over her shoulder, eyes turning white, “My pleasure.”

Rupert Giles stumbled outside the doors, broken hand carefully wrapped and frantically searching the grounds. He sucked in a breath of shock at the number of dead slayers, those surviving clustered against the far wall, trying to evade the claws and fangs. It wasn’t entirely surprising since this was used as an initial training facility before these girls would be assigned a watcher and a city but even still...it was horrible to see.

Buffy was looking left and right, her two children stuck to her side even as she still held the dead werewolf. The wolves weren’t coming near them, and Willow was easily keeping the slayers away but it was still a little nuts, “Do something, Wills. They’re totally out of control!”

The redhead grimaced in frustration, “Of course they are...without an alpha they’re all pretty mindless in this form.”

The large wolf moved, golden eyes sweeping over the area before growling softly. The pack as a unit moved back, eyes turning to track the movements of their leader. With a precise series of growls and whines the message, whatever it was, was conveyed and the pack converged as one around their fallen pack member. The great wolf moved to stare at Oz, the younger werewolf blinking slowly, watching the golden eyes intently before bowing.

Oz turned to face Rupert Giles, expression grim, “You have killed a member of our family. The Alpha demands justice for such a crime. You and your precious slayers have turned your backs on the code...as we turn our back on you. For nine hundred years you were protected from slaughter by a demon truce that we do not kill you on your grounds. It is at an end.” Snarling, “Beware, watcher. As the leader of this group their actions are your responsibility...and your life is now forfeit.” Giles paled considerably, realizing exactly what Oz was saying. Not only would there be demons that would come knocking on their door at any time, but the Alpha would be back for his life. Oz nodded to himself, “The Alpha wants to return.”

Willow nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate on the magicks of mother and earth. Her hair flowed white as the group started to glow, the slayers not daring to move forward and interfere. Buffy locked eyes sadly with Giles, shaking her head at him slowly in regret. Not at her own actions, but at his. One and all had to look away as the light grew too intense and by the time the captive audience could see again, they were gone.