Hello all BLP here! Ok this is actually a story me and my friend JustJenLovingSpuffy are working on together. It's being posted on my account cause we are having issues on her account, however once that is fixed we will be posting on both! ^w^

Also this is our first story for the both of us so constructive criticism is very welcome! We hope you enjoy and please tell us how you think we are doing with the story!

Disclaimer: We don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, or any of the characters in either series, all of that was the brilliant Joss Whedon!

/~~~~~|180 AD, Italy.|~~~~~\

He ran for his life down the ancient cobble street of Vidibona. 'Why am I running?' He thought to himself. 'I've never ran from any fight' Marcus Aurelius was just about to stop and face his pursuer when he glanced back. He saw the monsters' face even more clearly, viscous, feral, and terrifying. It was gaining on him, and fear gripped him anew, driving him forward even faster, almost falling in his panicked haste. Yank! Marcus' ankle gave a powerful jerk powerful backwards as he hit the ground, face down. He turned and tugged uselessly at the rope around his leg that had tried him.

The monster slowed, approaching him with an amusement expression on his face, and a sinister chuckle coming from between his lips. "I must admit, I'm less than impressed." The Hunter snarled in a training voice. "I was expecting a bit more of a fight from the world renowned, fierce warrior."

Terror clenched at his heart, and before he knew what he was doing, Marcus threatened the monster. "Do you know who I am?!" He roared at the man. "I am Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus! You, sir, know not of whom you're dealing!"

Marcus' pursued cocked his heart to one side and replied "Of course, I do. Why do you think I've chosen you? I could use someone like you in my ranks." Marcus was further frightened by the fact that he had no idea what this man was talking about. The man continued with an introduction, much to Marcus' surprise. "My name is Lazarus, and you, my son, will help me change the face of this world." Marcus had only begun to wonder what he had meant by that when, faster than he would have imagined possible, Lazarus was face to face with Marcus on the ground, and in the briefest of moment he had sunken his abnormally sharp, elongated teeth into his neck and your at his flesh.

/~~~~~|LOS ANGELES; PRESENT DAY|~~~~~|

"Damn it, Spike, I had him!" Angel fumed, as the vampire they'd been after, Athanasios, mate of his own order, disappeared into the night.

"You had your arse kicked!" Spike retorted as he disentangled himself from his grandsire on the cemetery ground. Spike had jumped in to help Angel, who despite his big poofing ego, was losing. Athanasios who was ancient and stronger than either of them, has used them like a pair of cymbals before slipping into the darkness and leaving them in a clump of salty vampire goodness on the ground.

"I was handling it." Angel responded. "I was keeping him on the ropes." The older ensouled vampire shrugged.

"He had you by the stones, Mate." Spike shot back. "Way I figure it, he may have turned us into a pretzel, but thanks to me, you're not a pile of poncy Angel dust."

"And the way I figure it, is if I had never sired Dru, I wouldn't be putting up with your blinding bleached head right now!" Angel hurled back. They both furrowed their brows and looked at each other.

"Not your best debate, that." Spike said in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm a little of tonight." Angel responded.

"Must be why he had you lookin' like a Nancy boy." Spike was taking advantage of the situation and he knew it, but hey, he was opportunistic and he'd do just about anything to one up Angel.

"I!...Whatever." Angel sighed. "Let's just get back to the office and figure out what his next move will be. Where he'll run."

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "We've pretty much decimated his LA front in the last week. I'd wager my kittens he skips town in the next forty right hours."

/~~~~~|Agios Nikolaos, Creta, Greece; the days later|~~~~~\

It was a typical night in Agios Nikolaos. Well, a typical night for Buffy Summers, that is. She'd been hunting things that go bump in the night almost every night since she was fifteen. She ducked the sword that was singing towards her throat, throwing herself backwards in lightning speed. 'Matrix-y.' She thought as she straightened back up. She let her leg fly in a circular motion until it connected with the vampires' jaw with a resounding crack. The campus growled in response, forgetting the sword, he threw his left hand in a hook that caught the slayer on her nose. He had been willing his fist through her face, and when her head had only snapped to the side briefly, he grew agitated. He dropped the sword and threw a right jab at her perfect cheek, striking her hard.

The vampire was amazed that he'd gotten in a second shot and decided to take advantage of her disoriented moment. 'A roll like this and I could win!' He thought as he pivoted on his left leg, giving her a roundhouse to the gut.

"Oof!" The slayer exclaimed as she felt the air rising out of her lungs, his boot forcing its way into her ribcage. She lost her balance, landing on her back before the exclamation had fully made its way from her mouth. She put her hands on the ground behind her above her head, throwing her legs into the air as she pushed the ground away from her and launching herself up and flipping back onto her feet. He threw a right hook at her, straight into her waiting grasp. "My turn!" She announced excitedly, almost giddy.

Holding his arm in her left hand, she threw the direct jabs straight to his nose, with brutal force. He hit the mildewed grass just as he felt the blood slide from his nose, down the side of his face. He looked up at her in fear. 'How quickly the cruel tables of fate have turned on me,' He thought as she sauntered towards him with a menacing smirk playing at the corners of her peachy, coral lips.

/~~~~~|\/|~~~~~\

Across the graveyard, Spike kicked in the door to the fancy mausoleum, striking in with Angel, Wesley, and Gunn in tow. "Evening, Gentlemen," Angel greeted just as chaos broke out, all through the room. The six of seven vamps that had been inhabiting the old tomb, descended upon them. The seventh vampire being Athanasios himself, managed to slip around them and our the door as fists and weapons alike flew around him. Stakes and axes flew towards the remaining vamps, till only a couple were left.

"Not this time, you git." Spike muttered under his breath as he swooped out after Athanasios, without so much as a word to his companions. Leaving only the swift whoosh of air from his coat behind him.

"Damn it, Spike!" Angel yelled after him for the umpteenth time that week. "You can't take him alone. Wes, Gunn, you got this?" He asked his remaining backup.

"Got this?" Gunn asked, with amusement lighting up his face. "I'm having a blast!" He looked as though he were a child at Disneyland for the first time.

"Of course, help Spike," Wesley added. Angel quickly caught up with Spike, who had seemingly lost Athanasios. Again. He opened his mouth to chide the younger vamp, when Spike held up a hand, surveying the graveyard, silencing Angel before he could. Angel heard it, too, the faint sounds of a struggle carried on the wind, coming from the east.

"This way," Spike announced, taking the lead once again. He was following the imaginary scent of vanilla. He always smelled it when he missed her, but it was never her. Nonetheless, he always followed it, it'd never led him astray.

"I'm in charge, Spike," Angel answered like a disgruntled twelve year old.

"Says who, Mate?" Spike questioned, not really paying attention.

"I run Wolfram and Hart." Angel continued to boast. "I.."

"Sshhh!" Spike shushed him again, making the temptation to stake Spike almost unbearable.

"You brought backup, huh?" They heard the hooded figure ask to seemingly no-one. They weren't taking anyone by surprise. Spike approached first, grabbing the hooded figure by the arm, and spinning it roughly towards him. An unexpectedly tiny fist came flying at Spike, colliding with his rugged features. He blinked and swallowed his pain. Opening his eyes to one he thought he'd never see again.

/~~~~~|\/|~~~~~\

Buffy key her fist fly before bothering to check who it was first. The rest of the Scoobies were out of the country on business for two more days, so no worries there. She then stopped dead, her heart skipping a couple beats and continuing unsteadily. She was looking at the blue eyes as though she'd never seen them before, of course she had. She'd been lost in them time and time again, before they'd died and left her alone forever.

He was starting at her just as she was starting at him. Shock, confusion, and love, endless love played across his features. He blinked a couple more times to make sure that she were real, that she wouldn't disappear when he opened his eyes, as she did every time he woke up. He watched as her green eyes did something they never did in his dreams, they became misty, welling up and spilling over faster than he would've thought possible. He was lost in her for what seemed like forever, but was merely a moment, wanting nothing
more than to reach up and wipe the tears and any evidence of pain away from her beautiful face. Her tears always made him feel as though they came straight from his own breaking heart.

Angel broke the silence by calling out "Hey, Buffy! What are you doing here?" He'd asked out of true curiosity before he picked up on the gravity of the situation. The last time Buffy had seen Spike, he was doing, he'd died. And she's be hurt and pissed that nobody had told her he was back. Dangerously pissed, and Angel was one of those nobodies.

Spike watched as her expression changed from shock, confusion, love, to hurt, betrayed, and finally downright pissed. Spike barely resisted what was going on, still lost in her glorious beauty, when he heard Angels' half ass warning.

"Oh, Shit!" He called out, just as Spike saw Buffy's infamous right jab headed square for his nose.

To be Continued...