.." She gulps and says in a rush. "Thesexkindnotthetorturekind."

"What?" Buffy asks, confused.

Eyes narrowing further, Anya looks pointedly at Spike. "Tell me what I'm thinking isn't true." She says to him.

Spike stares at the floor and shifts uncomfortably, looking over at Joyce. Joyce looks from Anya to Spike and back again.

"He can't. Because you're right." Joyce answers for him. Quickly grasping what Anya and Joyce are saying, Tara gasps quietly, horrified, her eyes quickly filling with tears.

"What?" Buffy asks again, standing and putting her hands on her hips.

Xander stares at Anya in dawning realisation, "Oh no, no....you don't mean..."

"What!!" Buffy snaps. "What are you all on about?!"

Spike groans. "Giles used those things on me. Against my will."

Sickened, Xander closes his eyes. Tara covers her mouth and whimpers quietly. It's just too, too terrible.

"Bullshit!" Buffy hisses, taking a step towards the vampire. "You're lying."

"No, he's not." Joyce says quietly, grabbing Buffy's wrist. "Angel was able to tell, to, to," She grimaces. "Smell the truth. You believe *Angel* don't you?"

Dawn chimes in. "Yeah, call him, ask him!"

After a moment of looking confused, Buffy raises her chin defiantly. "Well, Spike must have deserved it."

Spike just drops his head again, while Dawn's eyes blaze. "You are such a bitch!"

Anya snorts loudly, "And you're surprised?" She asks Dawn.

The Slayer glares at first Dawn and then Anya, "Of course he must have deserved it. Xander?" The dark-haired boy looks away, refusing to answer Buffy. He may not like Spike, but there's no chance he'll agree that Giles was in the right.

Willow looks at Tara. She knows, and so does Tara, that Spike doesn't deserve it. "Xander?" Buffy repeats, frowning. "You agree don't you? I mean Spike's a just a filthy demon and you hate him."

"Leave Xander out of this." Anya says angrily, standing up and putting herself between Buffy and Xander. "And if Spike's a 'filthy demon' what does that mean about your precious watcher huh? That he's violating someone who can't fight back?"

"Yeah." Dawn nods vigorously. "Spike does nothing but help us and Giles *hurt* him."

Buffy's face twists with anger, "Spike's evil!" She insists.

Stepping closer to the fuming Buffy, Anya crosses her arms. She ignores Xander's quiet 'Ahn' and sneers at Buffy. "At least he's not a rapist like your darling boyfriend and precious watcher."

There's a collective gasp of horror at Anya's words, only she and Buffy don't look horrified, they're both too angry. Spike actually manages to turn colors, his knees giving out and him collapsing to his knees at Anya revealing about Riley. Even Joyce hadn't known that. And he *certainly* hadn't told Angel.

Eyes flashing dangerously, Buffy punches Anya hard, sending her flying back against the wall. Anya hits the wall with a bang, and falls to the floor. Her mouth begins to bleed from the hit, and there's a small smear of blood on the wall. Glaring poisonously at Buffy she spits out a mouthful of blood. "Bitch."

Dawn gasps. "Mom! Make her stop!" Spike looks up and comes dangerously close to moving to hit Buffy, but he doesn't. He has to stay helpless and neutered.

"Buffy don't!" Willow cries.

"Buffy!" Joyce looks at her daughter in mingled anger and distress. "What the hell do you think you're doing young lady?"

Raising her chin again, Buffy just glares mulishly at each of them in turn, until she comes to Xander. Her eyes widen and she takes an involuntary step back at the dark look in his eyes. Willow alone is not surprised at Xander. He's always been so fierce in guarding anything he loves.

Slowly pushing himself to his feet, Xander smiles humourlessly as the blonde takes another step back away from him. "You know, I never ever thought I'd see echoes of my dad in you like I did just then." Shaking his head in disgust he goes over to kneel beside Anya, checking the gash on the back of her head.

"X...xander?" Buffy asks in a small voice. He just glances at her, the same dark look in his eyes causing her to gulp.

There’s a long moment of silence until Dawn resolutely brings them back on topic, arms crossed. "So Riley did mean things to Spike too?" she asks.

"Of course he didn't." Buffy denies hotly, "Nothing that Spike didn't deserve." A small sound draws her attention to Tara who is staring at Buffy with her hand still over her mouth, a sick look on her face. Spike lets himself look as pathetic as possible. It's not hard to do, he's deeply shamed that Joyce and Dawn had to hear about Riley.

Anya starts to laugh maliciously, blood dripping down her chin. "Bullshit. Riley's a filthy rapist just like your Watcher. Who knows how many each of them have violated? You just can't accept the truth." Dawn's eyes get huge at that. The word 'rapist' penetrates, and she looks at Spike on the ground, and it makes her sick inside.

Buffy snarls and makes a move towards Anya where she's still on the floor, only to be brought up short by Xander moving between them. "Don't even think about it." He hisses.

"Xander, why don't you take Anya home and let her get cleaned up?" Joyce suggests quietly, refusing to look at Buffy.

Willow moves over, gesturing to Tara with her head. "Yeah, Xander, we'll help you take her." Anya lets herself be helped to her feet, but takes everyone by surprise when she stops beside Buffy. Her eyes a glittering evilly as she smiles at the Slayer.

Lifting her hand she wipes at the blood on her chin. "Vid min blod förbannar jag dig." She begins, the sound of her native tongue sparking in the air between them. "Låt spökas dina drömmar av Spike's smärtar och att lida. Låt du för alltid att frukta another handlag. Låt sanningsmen dig alltid." Reaching out, she smears her blood across Buffy's forehead. "Vid min blod förbannar jag dig Elizabeth Anne Summers."

[translation: By my blood, I curse you. Let your dreams be haunted by Spike's pain and suffering. Let you forever fear another's touch. Let truth hurt you always. By my blood I curse you Elizabeth Anne Summers. ]

Buffy recoils, her face twisting in revulsion and confusion. "What?"

"Oh no." Tara whispers. She didn't understand them but she certainly registered the intent of Anya's words. Dawn blinks, but Spike, though he doesn't understand the words, also gets the intent of what Anya was doing. He has to fight not to smile.
Willow tugs on Xander’s arm, trying to get them all out the door and away from this confrontational scene.

Anya just grins mirthlessly and spits another mouthful of blood at Buffy's feet. "So mote it be." Buffy blinks, staring as Anya is led out of the room.

Finally it dawns on her that Anya must have cast a spell. "What the...?"

The four are gone, leaving just Joyce, Buffy, Dawn, and Spike in the room. Dawn sets her jaw again. "How can you say those awful things? Spike doesn't deserve to get *raped*."

"Of course he doesn't." Joyce says soothingly, hauling herself to her feet and walking over to put her arm around Dawn. "Buffy didn't mean to say that he did, she wasn't thinking." She gives Buffy a pointed look.

Buffy wraps her arms across her waist, shifting awkwardly. "Mom's right. I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how *did* you mean it?" Spike speaks up.

She glares at him. "I meant that it wasn't true."

"But it is. He and all his bloody Initiative buddies. Not just me, but others in the underground place."

Opening her mouth to defend Riley, to accuse Spike of lying again, Buffy suddenly finds that she can't speak, she closes her mouth with a snap.

Frowning she tries again and still can't get the words out. Spike fights to hide a grin as Buffy can't speak. Anya's curse, no doubt. D'Hoffryn should show up to see her any time now.

"Buffy? What's wrong?" Joyce asks in concern.

"I don't know." Buffy looks surprised about being able to reply. After a moment she tries again to deny the charges against Riley and Giles, but again, the words won't come.

Dawn giggles. "She can't lie now. I think Anya cursed her."

"What do you mean I can't lie now?" Buffy says, her expression thunderous. "I'm not lying." And of course, she's not. She really does believe in Giles and Riley's innocence. But the allegations are, of course, the truth.

Laughing a little cruelly, Dawn smirks at her sister. "I mean...you. can't. lie."

Sniffing derisively, Buffy glares at her sister. She decides to prove that she can, knowing that her mom will have expected her to eat everything in the fridge while she was gone and not to have filled it back up. "I swear that I went shopping this morning and bought a load of salad and stuff." She smirks triumphantly at Dawn.

Joyce rolls her eyes. "Okay dear, so you can tell a lie. It doesn't change that the fact that Anya's curse, if it was a curse, won't allow you to deny the truth about Riley and Mr. Giles." She gives Buffy a stern but not unsympathetic look.

"I should go," Spike tries to push back up. "I'm just causing problems here."

Dawn looks over at Spike, them at Buffy. "So you deny that you've been beating Spike up at his crypt." Buffy doesn't hear either of them. Her mind is swirling at the implications of what her mother just said. Could it be true? Could Riley have really done that? Could Giles?

Spike looks over at Joyce. "I'm sorry, luv. Didn't mean to drag trouble into your house. You should get her to call Angel, maybe he can help find Giles and Riley."

"It's not your fault Spike." Joyce smiles kindly at him, before sighing. "I suppose it all had to come out sometime."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

Looking back over at Buffy, Joyce sighs again as she watches her thinking for a few moments. "I have a feeling there's going to be more tears in a little while. Maybe you should get going before it all sinks in for her."

Spike nods. "Yeah. I'll be at the crypt if you need me." He heads out the door.

"Good night Spike."

"Goodnight Joyce, goodnight Little Bit."

"Bye Spike!" Dawn says, and runs over to hug him before he leaves.

Joyce waits until Dawn comes back inside before giving the vampire a last smile as she closes the front door. She and Dawn exchange a sad look before slowly going to the kitchen, leaving Buffy to her disquieting thoughts.

****

Buffy is up in her room, alone. Everyone has abandoned her, taken Spike's side. She needs an ally. After staring at the phone for what seems like hours, she picks it up and dials Angel's number.

Angel is still in his room, curled around Drusilla. He strokes his fingers lightly over the skin of her stomach, smiling as her muscles twitch beneath his hand. He feels sleepy and calm, able to push his upset about Spike's situation aside for now in favor of his Princess' delightful body. The sex had been spectacular, and his soul was still firmly in place and in charge.

He listens to her purring quietly as she drowses. He can't believe how content he feels right now, it's like he's in some quiet place separate from the rest of the world and his problems. He smiles and presses a kiss into her hair, trying to decide whether to rouse her for another round when the phone rings.

Frowning, he turns over and reaches for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Angel," Buffy says, heart pounding. "How are you?"

"Buffy?" Angel asks in surprise. "I'm fine. You?"

"Not so good. Ummm...Giles and Riley have both disappeared."

"Oh?" Angel has to school his voice to not sound pleased at that. "Since when?"

"Riley a couple of days ago, Giles last night before Mom got home."

"Any leads?"

"Not really. And everyone seems mad at me, and I really need your help."

Smiling bitterly at the fact that she's only calling because there's no one else, Angel looks up at the ceiling. He's not sure how he's supposed to be any help when he's mad at her too. "My help?"

"Yeah. I don't think they'll really help much in trying to find them because they all think that Giles and Riley both raped Spike."

Closing his eyes, Angel shudders before taking a deep breath. "Why do they think that?" He asks, his voice sounding slightly strained.

"Because Anya said it and Mom confirmed about Giles and said you smell something and Spike said it was all true."

"It is." Angel says quietly. "I could smell Giles on Spike as well as Spike's blood from his injuries."

By now, Dru has roused from her doze and has turned over to curl against Angel's chest. She's frowning a little as she strokes his chest soothingly, picking up on his returning distress.

"Oh. But it can't be true about Riley it just can't! Will you come help me?"

"Come to Sunnydale?" Angel asks. He's aware that Buffy is wrong, that Riley is most likely guilty, but at least if he comes to Sunnydale he'll be close to Spike again.

"Yes. I need your help."

"Should I bring the others?"

"That's up to you. But I need you."

Dru listens quietly, the pixies giggling in her mind. Grandmummy will be so pleased that Drusilla can tell her what's going on.

"Err. Ok, then. I'll start out as soon as I can after dark. If you're sure?"

"I'm sure. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Angel replies, hoping his voice doesn't sound too insincere.

"See you soon!" Buffy chirps as she hangs up the phone. Angel sighs and returns his phone to its cradle.

"Nasty Slayer has got my Daddy all upset again," Drusilla says, walking her fingers up his chest. Smiling sweetly she slides downwards and over to lie between his legs. "Shall Princess kiss it better?"

****

Spike could barely contain himself as he pulled out his cell phone to call Darla. She'd certainly played her little surprise perfectly. He dials her number.

"Hello!" Darla sounds bright and happy as she answers.

"Hello luv. Have you been a naughty little girl lately and taken some toys away from the Slayer?" His tone is teasing.

"Me?" Darla replies sounding innocent.

"Yes, you."

"I might have done." She giggles. "Are you going to punish me for being naughty?"

"Mmm. Only if you beg me to. So how are your new guests?"

"Oh I'm sure they're settling in quiet well."

"I'm sure. It went perfectly, Anya stood up for me and Buffy hit her, Anya cursed her before she left."

"Cursed her?" Darla asks gleefully. "What kind of curse?"

"Couldn't understand the words, but she used her own blood, and my name was mentioned."

"Her blood? Really?" Darla is nearly bouncing at her end. "She cut herself to do it?"

"No, she had blood from her mouth from being punched. And Xander looked ready to kill. I imagine D'Hoffryn will visit them soon."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah. So you should have your immortality back pretty soon. We need to push things. I think I know how to make Angel lose the bloody soul."

"You do? How?"

"Push him towards the vampire side. The spell is meant to make him more human. We push him to pure vampiric imperatives, the soul loses its hold."

"That could work." Darla says thoughtfully.

"I think our little Slayer will call Angel here, and that will push him hard. He din't know Riley had raped me too." Closing her eyes at the reminder, Darla shudders.

A deep breath from her is followed by the sound of her heels clacking a couple of times and then a strangled sounding howl of pain. Spike chuckles. "Who was that?"

"The little toy soldier."

"Ahhhh." Spike's tone is gratified. "Good. Hope he hurts. A lot."

"You don't mind that I've started without you then?"

"Not at all. Be a little while before I could come there anyway."

"I wish you were here now." She says in a disappointed tone.

"You'll probably have to come here soon enough. Once D'Hoffryn has his Anyanka..."

"That's true. He certainly implied that he would bring us the information we need as soon as she was his again."

"So you should probably be ready for that. At any rate because of Gunn, I've 'discovered' you're still alive and made Angel admit it, so we can see each other."

"Oh yes." Darla giggles. "I saw you 'comforting' him on the video feed."

"Yeah, wasn't that sweet?"

"Oh very." She snickers. "So how do you think he seemed after a few days of our gifts?"

"Ready to pop. And Dru was a stroke of genius. By the time I left...he din't want to let me go. He was almost like Angelus again."

"Really? That is gratifying news, that we're able to affect him so much still."

"How did things go at the hotel room?"

Darla sighs, "He came *so* close to giving in."

"See what I mean? Was he all fangy and grr?"

"No. Rather he was clingy at first before becoming passionate, quickly heading towards ripping my nightdress off."

Spike chuckles. "Sounds promising."

"It was. Didn't stop him hanging onto his control and running like a little girl."

"He's getting close though. Very, very close."

"He is. I'll wait on your word to send him the audiotape we made, so it'll have the best impact in light of him being in Sunnydale. If you're right and he does go that is."

"I'm sure he will. If Buffy doesn't call him in, I will."

"Good."

The line goes quiet again before Spike hears another muffled sound of pain. "Which one was that?"

"The watcher." Darla chuckles. "He's a stubborn one. He'll be much harder to break than our toy soldier."

"Oh I'm sure. He's had pain before. Toy soldier has only dished it."

"Mhmm. Well, either way I'm sure we’ll have fun."

"Oh yeah. I better go. I'm sure someone will show up here soon, wanting to talk or something." He chuckles. "See you soon."

"Yes." Darla sighs. "Soon. Maybe you can call me later? We can have another kind of 'chat'?" She suggests flirtatiously.

"Ohh yeah. God I miss you Darla."

"I miss you too darling."

"Goodbye love."

"Bye." Darla says reluctantly. Spike clicks the phone off and lays back on the bed.

Laying her phone aside, Darla turns back to her 'guests', an evil smirk on her face.

Well, if she can't work through her frustrations with sex with Spike, she'll just have to use them to blow off steam instead. Brandishing a long riding crop she heads back towards the watcher.

****

Anya lays back on the couch, holding the ice pack to the back of her head, listening as Xander sees Willow and Tara out. She's still utterly furious, unable to believe Buffy's attitude towards Spike in light of what happened earlier, never mind the fact that Buffy had actually struck her. Insufferable bitch!

There is a lovely little column of smoke as the door closes, and the familiar face and form of D’Hoffryn is there. "My little Anyanka, how you are suffering."

Lifting her head, Anya blinks at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments. "My Lord?"

"The Slayer. I loved your curse on her, it was masterful."

Grinning smugly, Anya drops her eyes. "Thank you my lord."

"I want you back, Anyanka. Name your field. Bring your man with you. He could avenge abused children, I felt his anger as well."

Her mouth drops as she stares at him. "Really?"

"Yes, my dear girl. I want you back in the family."

Standing in the doorway, Xander stares, open-mouthed as well. "Avenge abused children?" He's very tempted.

Quickly turning on the couch to face Xander, Anya winces as the room sways a little. "Ow." She raises her free hand to her temple. D'Hoffryn lowers his hand and it glows. Her hurt fades and is taken away.

"Oh that's better." Anya sighs, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, my dear, do you want to come back?"

She nods eagerly at the old demon. "Oh yes sir." She turns back to Xander and gives him a pleading look. "Please Xander?"

Xander sighs. "What would Anya do? I mean, I'm cool with avenging abused children, but the whole punishing guys thing is kinda hard on relationships." Anya blinks, extremely surprised at Xander giving in so easily. And a little put out, she was looking forward to 'persuading' him.

D'Hoffryn turns to Anya. "Perhaps punishing rapists?"

"Oh!" Anya takes in the suggestion with more surprise. She'd expected that she would go back to her old role. But in light of recent events..."Yes, I think I could definitely go with that field."

"Good. I shall get talismans for you both. Is tomorrow agreeable, give you time to get mortal affairs in order?"

"That sounds ok." Anya looks at Xander for his approval, after all he's the one with the normal job.

Xander nods. "Hey, immortality, helping out kids...I'm good. I've always been a demon magnet, now I'll be a demon."

Giggling, Anya nods. Turning back to D'Hoffryn she curtsies gracefully. "We accept your generous offer my Lord."

"Excellent. I shall see you both tomorrow night." He disappears in a puff of oily smoke.

Bouncing happily, Anya grins at Xander before throwing herself at him. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you."

Xander hugs her back. "That's my girl. This'll be good, you'll see."

"Oh yes it will. Wait till you see what a difference being a demon makes to sex." Anya grins, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her words make him laugh as he lifts her into his arms.

“Really?”

“Really.” Anya confirms with a saucy smile.

****

Watching Cordelia wave before she steps through the door of her apartment, Gunn flashes the lights once and waits for her door to close. Once he’s sure she’s in safely he pushes his truck into gear and heads towards his own place.

Humming along to the radio he soon makes his way across town and pulls into his usual parking space. It’s as he’s turning away from locking his door that he comes face to face with a shock.

Stumbling back against the door, Gunn presses a hand to his pounding heart and curses to himself about having left his axe at the hotel.

“Hello!” From five feet away, Drusilla blinks at him innocently.

“Er… hello.” Gunn answers awkwardly, inching towards his left and the bed of his truck.

“You’re one of my Daddy’s friends aren’t you? Do you have one of those sillyphones too?” Holding her hand against the side of her face in the universal sign for a telephone, Drusilla smiles sweetly, as if he isn’t trying sneak his way to a weapon.

“Um yeah, yeah I do. Why?” He asks confused.

“You have to call Daddy and tell him Princess has found something nasty for him to chop into little itty bits.”

Shaking his head, Gunn swings his arm behind him and over the side of the truck. “He’s not here. He’s gone over to Sunnydale.”

“Oh.” Drusilla pouts and wrings her hands together. “Oh dear.”

“Why don’t you tell me where it is and I’ll go and look into it?” The words are barely out of Gunn’s mouth before Drusilla is pressed against him, looking up into his eyes.

“Really?”

“Um… yeah.” Gunn coughs uncomfortably, supremely aware of the fact that there’s an insane vampiress pushing her breasts against his chest, and that anything remotely weapon like in his truck is useless until she moves away. “So…er…why don’t you tell me where it is?”

“Tell you where what is?” Drusilla asks vacantly.

“The demon that I was supposed to call Angel about.” Gunn says slowly, fighting not to take his eyes off of her, not even to roll them.

“Oh there isn’t one.” She replies blithely.

Before Gunn can react, he finds himself sinking into her gaze, thoughts slowing. Lifting her hand she strokes one pale finger down his cheek. Raising onto tiptoes, she Drusilla brings the faces closer together, whispering, “Be in me… be in my eyes…”