Immortal Beloved XCIX

by regertz

A multipart IB too long to include in the series of bits...Call it a bit South by Infamous...

1. Chapter 1

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

.

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse

-scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Prologue...

Play theme

"Smile though your heart is aching... Smile even though it's breaking..."

LA...Night...Heavy wind and rain barely muffling the cries of the warriors and the screams of the badly wounded and dying...

A large, massive, thick-skulled gray demon is seeing flying through the air across the Wolfram-Hart Boulevard, leading to the famed, though now rather battered Wolfram-Hart Tower building...Flight not being his normal mode of transport, judging by his ineffective flailing of arms...

"When...There are clouds...In the sky, you'll get by..."

A horde of hulking, fur-covered demons gathers in a football huddle, then breaking up, all move to take up a line of assault as more huge creatures reel back towards them from the last failed charge...Many of them, in typical demon fashion, blindly following their orders to charge straight on, having missed the tiny party of the enemy entirely and ended by assaulting their own comrades...

"If you smile through your fear and sorrow... Smile and maybe tomorrow... You'll see the sun...Come shining through...For you..."

A chilling, vibrant war cry is heard...Issued by a rather lovely 'woman' all in blue, including rain-flattened hair, but for the heavy spattering of blood, demon entrails, and mud...As she raises a large piece of metal above her head in triumph over the killing of several large creatures at her feet...Instinctively moving to cover the groaning, badly injured, black man on the ground by her and whirling to skewer the two charging comrades of her last set of victims...

"Spike!..." A weary male voice calls... "What is it, now, Poof-boy?...Busy here!..." Sounds of agonized screaming immediately at hand are suddenly cut off...

"Just wanted to tell you to watch your..." Ooof...Angel is struck and lifted into the air by one of the more valiant survivors among those fleeing back...

"...back?..." Will eyes the Brooding One as he lances the demon from the side with a pole and it collapses as goo...Over the fallen Angel... "Thanks for the tip!..." Pulling the demon glop-covered CEO to his feet...

The massing demon line steadily gathers more strength in the driving rain, some of those fleeing said last failed assault rallying to their more stalwart mates, others coming up, rather startled, fresh from Hell, to find the battle still not over ...

Thought we outnumbered these guys 16,000 to 4?...

"They're starting to crack!..." Angel's voice trying to sound confident... "Just hang on a little longer, people...!"

"Before or after they throw in that next ten thousand?..." William calls back...Waving at the massive line facing them... "Don't suppose you could just threaten to demote or fire all of them?...You're still CEO here, right...?"

"I think the shareholders have decided they don't like my management style!...Go tell Illyria to get Charlie back while they're regrouping!...Spike?...Will ya stopping looking back there?...She hasn't come...Spike?..."

"Yeah, yeah...I'm going!..."

"No..." Angel paused, trying to keep his footing in the slippery mud, guts, and blood... "Well, yeah...But just wanted to say...If she does come..."

She could do worse...a wry grin...

"Light up your face with gladness... Hide every trace of sadness... Although a tear...May be ever so near..."

"Spike!...Oh..." Angel switched to somewhat lower tone, seeing William next to him...

"Right here, bloss-man..." William eyed Angel...Then the demon line...Still holding back deliberately at the urging of their few reasonably competent demonic commanders as all their available forces on the field moved to the massing point...For the final, winner-take-all charge, this time focusing on target...

"Illyria agreed to get the kid back!...She'll be back in a sec!..."

I told her...Will smiled at Angel's face...Huh?... "That ole Wes would be pleased...And Fred proud..."

"She must've liked that...Thanks..." Angel nodded...Say...

"You did see when I nailed that dragon?..." he beamed...Will glared at him a moment...Then, glancing again at the overwhelming odds...

"Yeah..." he smiled...Rather kindly... "You were poetry in motion, Poof...Ever consider trying out for the ballet?...Lots of nice, athletic young guys for you to date when doggie-girl is out howlin' at the moon..." Then another long look over his shoulder...

Buffy...Angel sighed, watching...Somehow I never thought I'd be wishing this...But I wish you'd do this for William...Hell, just as a friendly gesture towards the guy who did so much for you, no commitment necessary...

"That's the time you must keep on trying... Smile, what's the use of crying? You'll find that life is still...Worthwhile... If you just smile..."

"Bite me..." Angel turned to his junior...Aw, Hell...Well who else have I got? he looked around...Partner...

"Love to...Later..."

"Spike!...I've got blood from Marcus in me!...Wolfram-Hart blood...Supercharged..."

Ah...I thought he had a drug assist...He was ...Nearly...Matching my body count...

"Hurry, bite me before they finish massing..." he waved at the line forming...

"Never thought you'd ask, Angel...Shall we go somewhere quiet for this tender moment?..."

"That's the time you must keep on trying... Smile, what's the use of crying?..."

"Angel?..." Illyria called...

What the hell are they doing?...Her startled Fred side blinked at the boys, her Illyria taking things a bit more in stride...William in demon face, bent over a kneeling Angel...

After all, not uncommon among male demons in her day...Even a few of her mates, she frowned a bit at the thought...

"What's up Illyria?..." Angel staggered to his feet...

"We have some help..." she waved a hand...

"Harmony?..." the boys blinked at her companion...

"Human-souled Harmony..." Harm gave her best, beaming 'go, team' smile...

Courtesy that bastard Marcus...she frowned...His last little joke, via a slow-acting spell, though I think he thought he'd live to see me suffer...

"Thanks for killing him, boss...You are the best...The very best..." she beamed...Laying it on a tad thick...

Lovely...And I'll bet she's curse-free, too...Angel thought, frowning a bit...Is every vamp on Earth getting a free soul, no waiting, no strings attached this year?...

Worst of all, it still leaves Spike the One who did it voluntarily...And for Love, no less...He eyed a smiling Will who was quite obviously thinking the same thing...Damn...Why didn't I ever tell people the gypsy king had seen something worth reclaiming buried in me?...A little enhancement of the story, maybe, but...

"All right..." he sighed to Harm's anxious, still innocently beaming...The very, very best...Boss...look... "You're rehired...Pending confirmation of that soul..." a stern eyeing...

"Well, nice of you to die with us girl..." William offered a pat... "Like I had a choice, being trapped here in town, and having a conscience again...and the stupid agonizing remorse thing..." she frowned...Then grinned...As did Illyria...

"What?..." William frowned...

"What were you two doing just now as we came up...?"

"Exchangin' bodily fluids...Though I did it under protest, Angel being CEO of the firm...I'm filing a complaint come Monday...Such abuse of the workers must cease..."

"I'm supercharged with Marcus' blood..." Angel explained... "Figured I may as well stretch the odds in our favor..."

"Oh, can I have some?..." Harmony, eagerly...

"Don't think doggie-girl's gonna like that..." Will chuckled... "Though I really gotta say Angel...Your blood is just dreamy..."

"They're ready to charge!...Hold on, people!..." Angel pointed at the demon line, now thickened to many times it's original size...

"I want you all to know..." he began...

Poof...Will sighed... "You can forego the 'we happy few, we band of whatevers' speech, Angel...There's only the four of us..."

"We're gonna be ok..." Harmony smiled serenely...Illyria nodding...Angel and Will staring at them...

"Well, sometimes that new soul does manifest in insanity..." Will noted...

"No...We are...Look!..." Harmony twisted William around, Angel turning as well...To see a counter-horde bearing down on them...

An overwhelmingly female counter-horde...Most waving solid, well-sharpened, wooden sticks in the air...

"You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile..."

Part A...

Switzerland, not far from Geneva...Two weeks later...

The fabulous estate of the d'Vestigy family...Home of the famed last of the line, Count Henri Faucomb d'Vestigy...Better known to those in the know in the world at large as "the Immortal"...His mother, the equally immortal if, at least in the more obvious ways, less afflicted with egotism, Marie-Josephine d'Vestigy...

And the new Countess d'Vestigy, nee Buffy Summers, Greatest Slayer of all Time...And therefore, at least to the thinking of the Count, worthy of bearing his name...

Though perhaps not to the thinking of the older Countess...

The family car, a classic Stutz-Bearcat, beautifully maintained, emerges from the ancient gate onto the main road to Geneva...Bearing the young Countess, elegant in white casual dress, large white Audrey Hepburn hat with blue scarf, and dark sunglasses; the Count, as always superbly dressed, today in a dark and crisp Italian suit; and their driver, one Eric Matisse, a reasonably handsome, intelligent, and capable-looking man in his early forties who seemed somehow far too capable to be employed either as a driver or even an estate manager...Both of which positions he held...

Geneva...

The American embassy...

The tall, well-built man at his desk, just informed by his secretary on the arrival at the main gate of his two, rather anxiously awaited, guests, nodded to his secretary to bring them to his office...

By official title, a mere assistant to the ambassador...

In fact, chief of US Intelligence for this highly sensitive region...Made only more so by a recent resurgence of right-wing groups, including some with substantial footholds in legitimate political parties in several of the surrounding countries ...As well as ties to a number of the world's leading terrorist cells...

And tempting as it might be to contemplate the joys of having an excuse to nuke...Or stake, he grinned to himself...A bunch of smug neo-EuroNazis...In the cautious world of human politics, one had to proceed carefully and patiently to properly unmask said footholds and ties...

"I'm telling you, Spike..." Angel insisted as the two were led down a long hallway to offices that as William pointed out with a frown were increasingly less grand...Think two ultra-heroes and masters-of-the-universe corporate types like us would rate a meeting with the ambassador, not some flunky...

"It was a good sign...You can't deny it..."

"She didn't come..." William frowned... "The Slayers said she's gone and married the Immortal nancy-boy...How can it have been a 'good sign', you idiot?..."

"She approved their being sent...The ladies...And Giles later...Said so..."

"Great...She didn't want us to go complaining to future historians after she's long dust..."

She might have come...For ole times' sake...he mumbled...Angel eyeing him...

"I still say it's a good sign..." he insisted...Will rolling his eyes...

"We're here, gentlemen...One moment..." the secretary leading them disappeared into the office...Inside, her boss looking expectantly at her...

"Your eleven-fifteen, Mr. Finn..." she announced... "Gentlemen?..." she waved the two in...

"Thanks..." Will murmured quickly to his companion as they entered...

The man at his desk rose to greet the visitors, ushered in by the secretary...Who, after offers of tea or coffee were declined, politely bowed out and shut the door...

"Gentlemen, welcome...Spike...Long time no see...Which I hope will no longer be our preferred state of affairs, post-soul at least..." Riley smiled, offering a hand first to William, then Angel... "Mr. Angel?...I think I can honestly say I feel as if I know you...Well..."

Have a seat, fellas...

"Finn..." William nodded, taking a seat...Angel doing likewise...

"Thanks for coming...That's an official US thanks by the way..."

"Hardly a lot of choice in the matter..." Will noted dryly... "Seein' as we were politely threatened by your boys-in-black...Green eyeshade and calculator department..."

"Sorry about that...It wasn't my idea..." Riley shook his head... "I know those tax boys are killers...And I mean that..."

"It wasn't necessary...If the government needs our new firm's help, they've but to ask...We are 100% naturalized Americans you know...Even if our documentation is phony..." Angel frowned...

"I know..." Riley put up a hand... "But I felt the sit was urgent and I guess the boys back home chose not to mince words...I am sorry if they were abrupt...We honestly do appreciate any help you can give us here..."

"So...?" William eyed his old rival...And looked about the room a little...

"I am still married, Spike..." Riley grinned... "Don't worry..."

"If you mean my natural squeamishness at your gay vibes, Finn...I can deal..." Will glared... "As for anything...Or anyone...Else...I would say I have no reason or hope to worry..."

"You might be surprised on that score..." Finn grinned now... "And yes, this does concern Buffy...In part..."

"Oh...?" William frowned as Angel sighed...Not again...For God's sake, I've got a girlfriend, have moved on...

Though...I know some of us...he looked at the frowning William...Need a bit more time...

"And what could possibly be troubling the smooth and placid existence of our dear Countess d'Vestigy?...Sunnydale's own lil' Princess Grace?..." Will sneered...

"She and Giles did send those Slayers to help you..." Riley noted...

"Yes...Nice of her to give it that... 'hope you don't die boys but if you do, I've moved on'...impersonal touch...Though I tend to think it was all Giles' idea..."

"Nope..." Riley shook his head... "I was there in London at the Council that day to discuss their dope on 'His Benevolence'...His idea was to let the two of you twist in the wind and see if the Partners became a threat later..."

Charmin'...Will glared...Angel frowning darkly...

"Never thought I'd live to see Rupert Giles look...Well, not frightened..." Riley pondered... "But at least mildly disturbed...When Buffy grabbed him and threw him against the wall after Andrew burst out crying and told us you were alive in LA with Angel and that Giles had known for months..."

"She never did like to be kept out of the loop..." Will shook his head...Tossed ole Rup against the wall, eh?...he smiled at the thought.. Oops...Married... Right...Well, so much for that...

Spike...Riley sighed...

"Mr. Finn..." Angel cut in... "We're here...What help does the US government need from us...?"

"We've still got the Wolfram-Hart death-ray satellite and a slew of choppers on hand if you'd like us to destroy the d'Vestigy estate..." William suggested hopefully...

"While no one's home of course..." Unless we get really lucky...he thought...

Not yet...Riley shook his head...

"Guys...If I may presume on the fact of your human souls to call you guys..."

"Sure...But heroic, world-and-individual-saving guys ...Who run a legal/investigative firm at which even I make more now per year than you'll ever see..." Will noted...Bet he does at that...Riley frowned...

"All right...For years now, the United States embassy here has been keepin' tabs on our Count d'Vestigy...Naturally we left the occult stuff the Watchers' Council in London, but not only is he a special case...He's the type who likes to operate in this world on a grand scale...Fingers in many deep pies..."

Hmmn...So, something tells me Buffy's screwed it again in romance...And big time too...both thought...

Well, no big surprise there...

My poor Buffy...Will thought...The little blonde idiot...

"How's His Benevolence... 'a special case'...?" Angel asked... "He's undead, right?..."

"Yeah...But he's not only the oldest surviving vamp, excepting his mom, the old Countess...He...And she...Retained their souls and repressed or merged with their demons on transformation...They're voluntary vamps via magics, guys..."

Better and better...Will beamed...Any soul choosing on vampirism voluntarily has to be a Warren Mears/Mayor level morass of filth..Ummn...My poor Buffy...What an embarrassment to be swept off by yet another charming Prince of Darkness...And one who did not go and win back his soul for her, becoming a Champion of Good in the process...

"Is that possible?..." Angel eyed Riley... "Wouldn't the soul be overwhelmed and expelled during the initial transformation?...And what kind of soul would voluntarily accept vampirism...?"

I mean...he noted hastily... "If all the details on mass murder and the infliction of hideous suffering were spelled out to them...As they never were to us...Or Harm and Dru..."

"They're said to have found a way..." Riley shook his head... "As to the quality of their souls, I think we can safely say after what we've learned, that they're the sort who wouldn't be too bothered by the fine print you mentioned...Though they're no fools...They long ago made the wise decision that Evil- Supernatural, Inc just wasn't likely to pull off the Big One and to, at least publicly, come over to support the Human side...He has a record of cooperation with the Watchers and their Slayers, and with other groups...Never anything risking his precious self personally of course, but enough public gestures to win him his title, keep his and Mom's asses safe, and protect their investments in the human world...His people at least have performed a number of rescues...You may have heard of how he once intervened to save a few dozen nuns..."

"My nuns..." Angel fumed...

Hmmn?...Riley stared...

"Nothing...We're aware of his sterling record, etc...What's changed?..."

"He go openly evil and start using fiendish magics?..." Will asked eagerly...

"Like love spells and mind control?..." A hopeful tone...

"'Fraid not, Will..." Riley shook his head... "However...We do suspect him of having ties to some of the radical right-wing and neo-Nazi groups that have emerged strongly here in the last twenty-five years or so...Our psych boys believe they appeal to his and Mom's aristocratic sensibilities and the usual racial and elitist notions these types always seem to have..."

He may support the victory of Humanity over the Underworld...But he'd like to see that Humanity ruled as serfs with a iron hand...By his concept of the 'right people'...

"Frankly I think I'd prefer dealing with your demons, fellas...At least they just wanted to kill a lot of folks, not establish the Fourth Reich...No offense intended..."

Angel waved a hand...

"Great...Thank God und der Faderlund...Which I guess in this case would be eastern France..." Will beamed contentedly... Hmmn?...Riley eyed him... "I mean...Thank God you called on us to help end this hideous, if more everyday, evil...Angel, lets get moving and go bag Adolf Jr..."

"Guys...Wait..." Riley rose as Will did... "It's not that simple..."

"I knew it..." Will sighed, sitting back down... "Ever since I got the blasted soul nothing's been simple..."

"I coulda told you that..." Angel frowned at him...

"So...What is it?..." William leaned back in his chair with resignation...

"Buffy adores him and the air he pretends to breathe, so we gotta take him out with care?..."

"Not quite..." Buffy's voice behind him...

Part B...

The boys stared at her...Riley, with a rather puckish grin, watching...

"Nice to see you too, William..." she frowned at him... "Angel..." a rather cool nod...

"Yeah?...Well, Angel..." Will turned to his partner...Angel now a tad miffed...She still with the 'not trusting me' bit, even now?...

"You're the idiot who signs everything...Why don't I leave you to negotiate with Grace Kelly and The Quiet American here while I head over to our office and try to sort things out there...You can fill me in later..." he rose, turned, and started off...

A sudden look on Buffy's face that shocked Angel, though she wiped it in an instant...Not annoyance, anger...Utter devastation...Despair...And something of shame...She resumed a cool pose...Only her trembling hands suggesting anything else...

"Don't go Spike..." Riley called to him...Will...Angel went after him...William pausing with a frown...

C'mon, Will...Angel hissed...Give her a chance...Sighing, William reluctantly came back with him...

"William!..." Buffy eyed Riley sharply... "He's William...Spike's back in Hell...Lets get that straight, Riley..."

He stared at her and nodded... "Right, sorry...William..."

"Anyway, we need you most of all...Buffy has to have a contact who can meet with her without raising suspicion..."

"And who better than my ole lover..." she gave William a faintly coy smile...

Oh?...

"Will, our thinking is...If Angel were to transfer you to Europe for a while to reorganize your firm's operations here from the old Wolfram-Hart, Geneva office..." Riley noted... "It wouldn't be too far-fetched that you and Buffy might meet and..."

"Ah...I see.." a tight little smile... "So you do need me...Only this time 'stead of the ultimate sacrifice, we're cheating on your husband eh?..."

"Hey..." Buffy eyed him, shrugging... "You of all people should know what a cheap, selfish slut I am..."

"If you're expecting my effusive denial..." he shot back coldly...

"Guys..." Riley sighed..."If you two aren't up for this...Buffy you can pull out any time and just tell d'Vestigy things aren't working out..."

"Never seems to for me in romance..." she gave a wan smile...

That wasn't giving her a chance, Will...Angel eyed him...Leave this to me, pal...a hard return glance...

"Riley, can I have five alone with lover boy here...?" Buffy turned to him...

She mean Will or...? Angel thought...

A small office room where Riley'd led them after she'd requested a mo alone...

"With William, Angel..." an unmistakable glare to him as she pointed to the door...

"Sorry, thanks for coming now and to Rome before..." she eyed the somewhat miffed Brooding One... "But if I ever hear again that you had William's soul at your place and didn't call me...And nearly let him get pulled into Hell..." she frowned...Closing the door...

"That was for you, you know...You cowardly son of a Dru..." she eyed Will...

Riley eyed his companion in the hall... "It's that bad..." he nodded, sheepishly grinning..."Even worse back in the fall, according to Giles..."

How's 'bout him?...he eyed his former...Well, nah...It wasn't Angel he'd been worried about back then...

"The same..." Angel nodded...

"God, God...William..." she sobbed against his chest, crushing him against her..."If you'd just trusted me, come to me in Rome..." she shook her head...He pulled from her...

"Why?...So you could make me a noble speech about how you'd always care...But...?" he eyed her... "Or would I get a line about cookies and dough?...My somewhat literarily-challenged partner was impressed by that one..."

She slammed a hand to his chest which sent him flying across the room to the accompaniment of a loud crashing sound...

"Everything ok in there?..." Riley's worried voice...He being responsible for any damage to government property during the mission...

"Fine..." a duet through the door...

"What do you want from me, girl...?" Will hissed to her as she stood over him, breathing hard...

"Everything you gave me before...And more..." she told him, face dark... "You son of a bitch...You made me love you...You're not backing out of it now...Not now..." the rage fading..."William, if you knew what I went through after..." tears beginning to run again...

"I wasn't on Pluto or in the nether regions..." he began...

She waved impatiently..."Hell would've been easy, I was ready to chase after you there...Until Willow confirmed your soul hadn't left this plane of existence...Then Andy ups and tells us...The day I finally decided not to let Angel die at the Partners' hands for bringing us that damned amulet...That you've been in LA, at Wolfram-Hart, all this time...And corporeal..."

God, I hated you for doing that to me...she said quite calmly... "Though I'd already guessed you were deliberately not coming to me from wherever in this existence you were..." she glared... "Of course I nearly killed Giles when he suggested we wait and see if you'd reverted to evil or really were taking on the Partners with Angel..."

"So I heard..." he grinned for the first time...Rising... You ok?...she asked...

Yeah... "Too bad, I shoulda hit you harder..." she growled...

"How could you let me suffer like that?...How could you not come the first day you could?...God damn you..."

"You made out ok, Countess..." he eyed her...

"That's a job, you miserable...Didn't Riley tell you?..." she stared...

A what...?

"They needed someone in the house...I offered..."

"Now that's what I call true dedication to the mission..."

"Why not?...I betrayed and killed my lover for a mission, didn't I?...Told him the soul he'd won back for me didn't matter, I needed the maniacal killer demon...Left him to roast to death alone, believing I didn't love him...Why should I hold back on this one?..."

She startled him by bursting into full, heavy sobs...Pulling at him till he was tight against her...

"They wouldn't help me find you after the first tries I forced Willow to make to check if your soul was safe proved you were still around, somewhere...Giles, Willow, the new Council...They suspected the Partners might have you but wouldn't let me go to LA or contact Angel to confirm it...Thought he and they might be planning to use you and your damned soul as bait for me..."

Willow threatened to blank my memory of you on Giles' order if I tried to slip off and check...Even Dawn watched me for them...My family and friends...Bastards...

Well, ok...she grinned through tears... "I was a little crazy the first weeks...Nearly jumped off the Sunnydale crater that day...Then I threatened Willow when she refused to try and bargain with Osiris to get you back...Threatened him too when he tried to throw us out of his dimension..."

He's damned powerful, by the way, ever meet him?...No?...Well, Willow's no longer a 'goddess' after what it took to get us out of there safely...

"Giles then decided I was a danger to myself and convinced the others I required a little 'tough love'...That's when they all started watching me...I had to agree to wait and see or face a memory wipe...And that's how I first met Henri...I'd heard about him at the Council and heard he might have access to the kind of people I'd need...I was ready to do whatever it took to get out from under Willow's tender care and find you...Somehow...Whatever it took..." she frowned...

Some on the new Council had guessed his "Benevolence" act was so much PR hooey...And suspected that he had ties to the Partners...Which I soon found out he did...

"So I played up to him for weeks...He was smart enough to be cautious...For a while...But, before I could convince him I really was ready to do anything and make my offer...Giles called me to London to discuss Angel's sit and Andrew spilled the beans about you..."

"Offer?...Ah, to have and to hold..." he coldly smiled...

"To put myself on the Partners' side against the Council and the Slayer Corps..." Buffy eyed him coolly... "Not that I...Entirely...Meant it...I knew you weren't with them...But it woulda got me to you...He could've slipped me over..."

But if push had come to shove...she eyed him, shrugging... "Guess we'll never know...Though no need to mention that to Riley or Angel...They at least still have their noble illusions about their Slayer girl..."

But after that day in London I knew for sure that you'd never come to me, safe or no...You didn't believe me...

"So, when it turned out Henri had other things on his mind than a military alliance...And Riley called me in to explain the US concerns with him...I figured..."

"Why not?..." he shrugged...

"Why not..." she returned the shrug... "Since I hadn't had the chance to bring my initial plan up I was able to convince him I was interested...And glad to be rid of you...An annoying pest whom I'd felt sorry for but who was..."

"Beneath you...?" he eyed her...

"Yeah..." she nodded...Closing her eyes... "Why couldn't you have believed me, Will?...Trusted in me...?"

Shown a little Spike and come to Rome to try and turn the screws on me emotionally?...

"Guess I've grown..." he said coldly...

"You still don't want to believe me?..." she clasped her hands in an appeal...

"Tell me...What'll it take?...What do I have to do?..."

"You don't have to do anything, Slayer..." he replied quietly, an icy tone... "I've said I'll do my duty and cooperate...Alls fair in war, after all, right?...There's no need for all this overact..."

With a harsh cry, she slammed him back against the wall again...Rattling everything in the room...

Uh, guys?...Riley called...

"It's fine!..." another duet...

"You rotten coward!..." she hissed... "You bastard!..."

You ok?...she nervously eyed his bleeding lip...

"Sure..." he nodded, rising... "Don't worry 'bout it...As always, you hurt the one you..."

"I do...Please!..." she pleaded..."Please, why can't you believe me?..."

He looked away... "I can't be hurt like that again, Buffy...I can't...Soul or no, I'm not strong enough...I won't take the chance..."

"Is there someone else now?...Dru, maybe?"

"There might have been..." he eyed her... "There was one girl who did reach out to me after I came back...No demented sacrifice on my part required...But with my usual luck, she's dead...And was in love with someone else..."

I see...Buffy looked away...Silent a long time...Then she turned, speaking without looking at him..."Sorry to have dragged you over here...I'll tell Riley we'll need someone else, maybe Angel if he's willing...He'll find somebody to fit the bill..."

"I've said I'll go along...Ole times' sake and good citizenship and all that..."

"Lovely...You know I should take that charming offer and shove it down your throat...But I want this to come off..."

"Always that noble dedication..." "I don't mean the mission..." she frowned...

"I said I'd help, Slayer...I meant it...Forgive me if I was a little bitter, I guess that was unfair...It was my decision not to go pestering you...I knew what the score was and..."

He paused as she stared at him, red-eyed, gulping a bit...Her face reddening with rage even as a few tears began falling...

"You...Knew..." she repeated grimly... "What the hell did you...Know?..."

The rage fading quickly, she eyed him coolly now...

"I love you..." she said suddenly, still not looking at him..."If I could go back and change everything, I wouldn't have left you...Or I'd've dragged you out, whatever the consequences...But I can't... And whatever you think, I did try to find you..."

It's killing me, Will...Tell me you want me to give it up...she whispered...Tell Riley you won't do it, you won't let me do it, and lets go...Anywhere...

He stared at her face a long time... "And is that really an option here, Slayer?..."

Part C...

A well-furnished upper apartment in a fashionable quarter of Geneva...

Buffy snapped a light... "C'mon in ..." she called over her shoulder...William giving a slight whistle as he entered, looking round at the antique furniture and beautifully decorated walls, a light touch on the moldings to balance the furniture but clearly expensive...

"Very nice...Countess...I see the d'Vestigys have continued to do well..."

Yeah...she tossed her large hat in a chair and pulled her scarf... "Have a seat...Care for a

drink ?..."

"Love one...Scotch if you've got it..."

"We've got everything..." she went into the large living room, a fully-equipped bar at the side...

"No servants about, eagerly snapping to her Benevolence's orders ?..."

"I prefer not to have 'em here and we're not in Geneva that often...The maid comes once a day, but we shouldn't have worries on that score..." she fussed about the bar quietly...

He looked round again, glancing at several points about the room...As she returned, shaking her head as she offered him his drink... "No bugs...I've had Riley's boys sweep for them..."

"Great..." he nodded a thanks, taking the drink and setting it on a small table by his elegant, yet comfortable-looking overstuffed chair ... "So it won't be necessary to..." She came to him...Looking down at him as he sat, trembling as she moved close...Finally embracing him, he responding slowly, gradually...

"William...William...Please...You can trust me...You can..."

"You mean the way your husband..."

She pulled back... "You were gone when this started...I needed some kind of work..."

"Slaying and training Slayers..."

"I can't kill vamps anymore...At least not on a hunt..." she cut him off... "As for the training, Giles is better at it, though I still help out on occasion..."

"You? Can't kill vamps?..."

"I look at them...and I see you now..."

"I want to trust you..." he whispered... "Buffy, I want to...But..."

"I've told why I couldn't get to you before...What else can I do...?" She pressed her head to him...Kissing his chest...Then pulled back... "Or do you think I'm lying ?..."

A sigh...

"Buffy, if I let go...If there was even the remotest chance that I'd have to go through what I've been though again at the end...Love, I can't bear another Cicely...It's not meant to hurt you..." he eyed her sad face..."It's a statement of fact...Regaining my soul's come at a cost...I know what it is to lose it now...I can't let it happen again..."

"I won't let it...I won't hurt you..." she pleaded, pulling him to her again... "Will...I meant what I said at the embassy...We don't have to go through with this...We can just go, tonight, now..."

"And you'd abandon the mission...Just like that...For me...?"

"For you, yes..." she looked up at his face... "I would...Ask me to...Now..."

The beautifully crafted antique phone on a table in a corner rang...She went to it...Watching him sit down again as she put the receiver to her ear...

Yes...she told the phone... "We're here, no problems...I don't know, nothing's decided yet...Ok, we'll try to drop by later..." she hung up...

Riley checking in... she noted...And sat...Looking at the wall across from her...

"Are there lives at stake ?...Hmmn, can't seem to avoid that word..." he smiled faintly at the end...

"I suppose..." she nodded... "There always seem to be...And he is fronting for a pretty unsavory crew, even if most are human..."

"Well then...As Bogie would say now 'The problems of two little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy, mixed-up...'..."

"Is that your answer ?..." she eyed him...

"It's your call, Slayer..." he replied... "Just want to make it a little easier for you to do the right thing..."

"Screw the right thing...Tell me to quit and say you'll go with me...Or take me with you to LA..."

"You know you'll do what needs to be done...You already have been doing it..." he said simply...Watching her a moment... She not looking at him...

"Great...Then we're settled, we'll tell Riley I'm out this evening...Lets get dinner started..." she got up hastily..."You may be amazed to find that I actually have learned to cook a full meal..."

He followed her into the small kitchenette... "Hope you like chicken..." she noted...

"Buffy..." he paused...

"Can you get that pan from the rack up there ?..." she pointed...Opening the refrigerator...

"You don't owe me anything..." he began...

"Pan?..." Here...he reached and handed it down to her...

"Damned right I don't..." she eyed him, setting the pan down and placing the small chicken she'd taken from the refrigerator in it...

"But I don't like eating alone, so you get a free meal..."

He grabbed at and caught her hand...Noting with a faint smile as he stared at her a long moment that he'd never have caught it if she didn't want him to...

"You know what I..."

"So it's a favor now..." she pulled her hand away... "Right, the Slayer feels an obligation and is ready to pay up...One 'I love you' being nice but hardly full recompense to the guy who...

Damn you!..." she shrieked... "You threw everything to the winds and chased me for two years and maybe, God knows, longer and the minute you got that soul!..." she burst into tears...

"You didn't exactly welcome me with outstretched arms, girl..." he noted quietly...

"They are now..." she stared at him... "They have been since that day...Waiting for you..."

"You mean...Just as soon as we finish the latest job?..." he eyed her... "Or will it be the next..."

"You son of a bitch!...You left me alone all this time!...Never gave me a chance..."

"There are no amends to be made, Buffy...You do not have to make me happy..."

"Happy?...I'd like to kill you, you stinking, selfish, cowardly..." she gasped a moment...

"You like a lot of herbs on your chicken?..."

Ummn...Sure...he nodded...She dusted the bird and placed the pan in the oven...He helping her by holding the oven door without a word...And as she rose, put his hand on hers...

"You really would say no...?"

"Ask me to..." she looked at him...Pulling his hand to her cheek...

Ask me, ask me...she embraced him...

The well-guarded, though by all accounts, utterly open to all inquiries and investigations, offices of the Immortal...In a large tower building in downtown Geneva...

A somewhat less open to the world conference room in the subbasement...Seven men round a table...All experienced-looking men of the world, three rather exceptional-looking either by outstanding handsomeness, in the Immortal's case, the wise, penetrating, and at times, kindly look of a profound intellect, in the case of the man to his right, a Dr. Bauman...And cold smoothness and a hauteur that did not match his status in the outer world, in the case of the third...Eric Matisse...

"Gentlemen...And my dear Henri..." Matisse smiled coldly at his 'employer' who eyed him coolly back... "Our monthly progress report..."

"Felix..." he turned to Bauman...Who rose...

"My friends...I believe our operations have reached a critical stage..." Bauman eyed the group...One, a portly, balding man, rather nervously blinking at him...

"Have you succeeded, Felix?..." the Immortal stared at him...

"The results to date are conclusive..." Bauman nodded... "I can obtain what we require..."

"Excellent..." Matisse beamed... "Our heartiest congratulations, my dear Felix..."

"Is it time, then...For us to move to the source?..." the nervous man hastily cut in... "If so, we must make arrangements before the Americans learn that we are operating in Russia..."

"All in good time, my dear Emil..." Matisse frowned... "To panic now and fold up our operations here suddenly would not be a good way to celebrate our Felix's success..."

"But if we have the access to weapons grade plutonium..." Emil pressed on... "We've no need to continue here, under the Americans' very noses...With some of us compromising security...Taking such risks..."

He tried not to look the Immortal...Who glared at him now...In the face...

"Emil..." Bauman sighed... "We must be very careful as to what we say...Even among friends..."

"Yes...Of course..." Emil nodded... Noting the slight frowns on the faces about the table... "I'm sorry, gentlemen...But the situation is very dangerous right now..."

"Indeed, Emil...All the more reason to restrain ourselves..." Matisse smiled at him..."Yes, of course..." Emil nodded again...Wiping his face with a handkerchief...

"Though you are quite right...It will soon be necessary to relocate...And a few of us have been, perhaps...Letting our hearts go to our heads..." Matisse smiling faintly at Henri...

"Our operations here are secure...All the more so for our establishing as normal lives as our status and the work allows..." the Immortal noted coldly...

"Perhaps so, my friend..." Matisse smiled again... "But Emil's point is well-taken...To take unnecessary risks now, could endanger this most precious of our operations..."

And put a number of our friends around the world in jeopardy...Not to mention our own lives...

"How much more time will you need, Bauman?..." he turned to their scientific expert...

"The transport route is established...I only need a few more days in Siberia to begin reprocessing on a large scale...I have left the new samples with Henri here..." he nodded to the Immortal... "They should serve to convince our allies of our success...And the quality of our material..."

"Excellent...But gentlemen..." Matisse sighed slightly... "As to other problems...I have heard a disturbing rumor that one or both of those creatures who defeated the demonic leaders, the Senior Partners is currently in Geneva..."

The world's other souled vampires...He smiled at Henri...Who gave a dark look...

"Perhaps 'creatures' was an unfortunate choice of word on my part...Forgive me, my friend..." he nodded to the furious Immortal... "But as to the reason they are in Geneva, just now...After winning such a victory..."

And both have been, I understand...Close...To your dear wife...Another cool smile to Henri...

"I am aware that William the Bloody in is Geneva, Matisse...My wife mentioned she'd heard he was coming a week ago...On the business of reorganizing his firm..."

He and his partner...Like my wife...Deal strictly with the occult...They'd have no interest in a human organization and would leave it to human agencies...

"Yet, my dear Henri...You...And dear madam, your mother, are, sadly, not quite human, despite your human souls...And now we see three of the world's greatest fighters against supernatural evil here in our fair city..."

What is one to assume from this?...

"My people will watch out, but gentlemen...Angel and William the Bloody have enough to do dealing with their own enemies...And though my wife's connections, we will be able to monitor their group's activities as we do the Slayers and their Council..."

The other six pondered...Matisse clearly enjoying the Immortal's slight squirm...

"Your wife is a charming creature..." Bauman sighed... "And yet, she and her Slayers could represent a threat once we seize power and surface in the world..."

"My wife concerns herself with the protection of Humanity...And feels as I do, that its protection depends on the government of an elite of the superior who can best guide it...The right people who will not hesitate at anything to defend Mankind against those who would destroy it..."

"I have heard her sentiments...Laudable...And perhaps believable, given her abilities and record..." Matisse nodded... "And she would, if one could trust in her words, be a fine addition to our governing council when we take power...However...She is an American...And they tend to have ridiculous notions about government..."

"If you're suspicious of her...All the better that I have her with me...Under surveillance...And the same for these other two..."

"Perhaps..." Matisse shrugged... "But I do fear, dear Henri...That your heart may lead you into folly..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

.A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once !...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse .com/zine2/buffyrebecca/ , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part D...

About forty minutes later the antique phone in the d'Vestigys' suite's living room rang...Repeatedly...

As did a similar phone in the magnificent bedroom...By the beautifully crafted bed...

"Damn...I shoulda cut it off..." Buffy groaned, as William rolled over...Phone on his side...He looked at her a moment...Should I?...

"Yeah..." she nodded her head on the pillow...Reaching over...Ummn...She stopped, turning to eye his face as he lifted the headset over the bed to her...

"You...You take it...Tell them..." she hissed...

He stared at her, hand covering the mouthpiece... "Tell them..." she repeated... "We can be outta here for good right after dinner..."

"It might be your husband..." he said, coolly...

She looked at him a long moment...And took the phone...

"Yes?...Oh, sorry...Henri...I was taking a nap...Yeah, I'm ok...How's your meetings going?..."

Spike would have shown me more mercy...And had more compassion...she hissed to Will beside her...Briefly recovering the speaker...

"Great..." she told the phone... "No, I'm not too bored...Did some of my shopping...Sorry your mother couldn't've come in and gone with me...No, I'll be fine...I may do a little Patrolling later tonight...Will you be here tomorrow?...Great..."

Would you like me to tell him I love you?...she whispered harshly...Again covering...

Sure, I'd like to see how you do it with other guys...he returned...

I said...You... she eyed him coldly... "Sorry, Henri...I had to turn off the stove...Had something boiling..."

"Say...Honey..." she told the phone... "That old fighter of mine...The vamp who got his soul back?...You know the one coming in on business...Yeah, that one, William..."

"He's been calling me all day...Got my number at the US embassy and wants to meet for a drink tonight..."

Would you mind?...Just to get him off my back and see if he's managing ok?...

"Well, he did die for me...Yeah, so would a lot of guys..." she chuckled to the phone...Will staring at her... "But if I let see him I'm doing fine and put a little closure on things...?"

Well...she smiled at the phone... "Yeah...He is kinda cute...You worried?..."

Good...she chuckled again... "Glad to know I can keep you on your toes...Yeah, he is a good fighter...Probably would be...Thanks, honey...See you tomorrow...Bye..." she passed the phone to William who put it back on hook...

"Good?..." she looked at him... "First rate...I'd sure be taken in...But hey, I'm desperate and not hard to fool..."

"I didn't do the 'I love you'...Sorry..."

"I'll catch it next mission...I 'probably would be' what?..."

"A helping hand on patrol tonight...He worries...You are a miserable bastard, soul-boy..." she told him coldly... "You know I had to do this...And that I thought there wasn't any hope...Sorry I didn't go ahead and kill myself that summer...But would even that have satisfied you?..."

I'd bet you'd just've said I wanted a vacation in Heaven, not you...

William,coolly..."What do you expect?...Am I supposed to applaud your courage in taking on this reprehensible task with such aplomb?..."

"Yeah, you're right...I lie to him...I probably lied, am lying to you...I do that with my guys...But since this was just a revenge fuck..." she eyed him bitterly... "You really should've taken the phone and said hi..."

He lay back a moment... "Not revenge...Never with you..."

"Then have a little compassion, Mr. Walthrop...Show the one who loves you a little mercy...Your demon always did, once his bloodlust got repressed...Please, William..."

"It will always be another mission...Angel didn't and I'll never matter to you enough..." he said quietly, lying flat on the bed...Nice ceiling portrait, he noted...

"I've...Told...You...' she spoke through grimly set teeth...

"The phone is right here, Slayer...Don't put it on me, so they can pressure me to let you go ahead and do your Duty...You say you were ready to die for me...I did, for you...So you call them and tell them yourself...Show me you're willing to tell Finn yourself you won't do it...I won't even make you face him..."

Well?...he eyed her...

She reached for the phone and it rang before she could take it...

"Hello?...Oh...Hello Maman...Are you all right?...What?...Oh..."

Maman?...Ah...William grinned...

Mum-in-law works fast...D'Vestigy couldn't have had five minutes to call her and beg for help...

"That's great...Maman...Glad you could come after all...Yes, I'll be here, though I was going out to pick up some cleaning...I should be back...Oh...Ok, great...We can pick it up on the way to dinner...Wonderful..."

Yes...I was planning to meet with an old friend for a drink...She eyed Will... "Oh...Fine, I'll see if he can make dinner...See you soon, Maman..."

She hung up...

"Mum-in-law trouble?..." he smiled at her...

"She's coming in...Wants to have dinner..."

"And to protect dear boy Henri from any possible hurts...By that fickle young American Slayer he had to go and marry..."

"Something like that, I suppose...She's been ok, nice enough...Though I know she did oppose the marriage and doesn't like my being a Slayer..."

"Or visiting with old 'friends'...Male ones, anyhow..." he grinned...

"She's close to her boy...Has been for a thousand years or more...Henri warned me she was a mite possessive..."

But then I kinda gravitate to mama's boys...she smiled at him...

"We appeal to your maternal instincts, no doubt..." he nodded... "I know I was screaming for a little maternal care..."

"Then...Let me..." she whispered... "Let me, Will...Look...I gotta get ready and we're gonna hafta have dinner with the Countess...You go over to Riley's, tell im they'll have to get someone else and that I want the quickest divorce the US government can pressure Switzerland to grant...We'll pick you up at your hotel, hve a nice dinner with my soon-to-be-former in-law...And then...We go the hell wherever we want..."

He looked at her anxious face...Then sighed...

"Sure, I'll go..."

He left quietly a few minutes later...She racing about the place, trying to get in proper form for dinner with the Countess...

It was only after he left, on pausing a moment, that she realized he hadn't kissed her or even said goodbye...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part E…

The US Embassy in Geneva…Riley Finn's office…

"Are you sure?..." Finn eyed his returned visitor…Who'd dropped in to report a somewhat startling sighting he'd just made while strolling the Geneva streets in the twilight…

"As sure as I'm sitting here…" Angel nodded… "It was Drusilla…She's here…As to why or how…?" he shrugged…

Riley frowned… "I'd say this may complicate things…If Will even agrees to go along…"

"He'll go along…If only to keep an eye on her…"

Finn swung his chair a bit as he considered this potential wrench in the works...But, possibly...An opportunity?...

"Thanks for coming in with this, by the way…But what would Dru be doing here?...Could she have come to see Will?...To try and take some kind of vengeance on him or Buffy?..."

"With Dru, it could be anything…Though to her credit, her demon's never been one for the bloody vengeance thing…Crazy as she is, her survival instinct is her dominate driving force…"

Hmmn…

"I suppose she may simply be anxious to see Europe again…It is home for her…" Angel noted, leaning back in his chair… "And Will told me she was always very fond of Italy after they visited in the 50s…She might just be passing through on her way there…"

"Maybe…But I don't like the coincidence…"

"I can't see Dru interested enough in politics to assist a bunch of neo-Nazi humans establish a Fourth Reich…"

Though on the other hand…he thought…She probably would go for that basic black look…

"She worked for Wolfram-Hart for a time, didn't she?..."

"I'd hardly call it holding a steady job…She and Darla massacred their employers…" With my help…Angel, sighing a bit, did not say…He stared at Finn…

"You really think she might be working for d'Vestigy's people?..."

"She'd be an asset…" Riley pointed out… "D'Vestigy, at least, wouldn't have to fear her…As much as his human pals, anyway…And I'd imagine he could pay whatever she'd want…"

"She'd want a lot…Nothing wrong with her sense of her own worth...And she want more than just cash..."

"Which he could provide...She didn't see or sense you?..."

"If she did, she wasn't curious enough to say hi…Though our last get together was not all that friendly for a 'father and daughter'…"

"If she is working for them…With her psychic power…She could blow Buffy's cover…" Riley folded hands tensely, rose and began pacing…

"Though…If she…Or at least d'Vestigy and his people…Thought someone else was the American agent…"

Well, it's tough being a hero, Angel thought...But, hey…

"If Spike…William…Would do it…" Riley paused…

Ummn…Though his role was to be the contact man…Now he gets the Bond assignment, too?...

"It would work…He's a member of your organization and a fighter against evil…They might believe he'd be trying to use his connection to Buffy to get the goods on her husband as well as see her…"

And if it were to get out that he'd been seen coming here, in contact with us…Riley continued…

Geesh I could do this…And I'm the head of that 'organization' as well as a fighter of evil…

"Riley, I could…"

"I'd ask him, you understand…" Riley was picking up a phone… "But if Dru is working for the Immortal's circle…Buffy's life may depend on throwing them off the trail immediately…"

And it doesn't mean he can't catch the first plane home if he wants…he noted… "No answer at the d'Vestigy place…" He dialed again… "Finn here…" he told the phone… "I want you to see that it 'slips' out to the right people in town asap that one William Soames Walthrop aka William the Bloody aka 'Spike' is working for us…"

Lovely…Uncle Sam's clay pigeon…Angel frowned…

"That's right…" Riley continued on the phone… "But not too many loose lips…We want our 'friends' to believe he's for real…Good…" he hung up…

"How to make a reputation in Geneva in one easy phone call…" Finn grinned to Angel… "But look, if you see them...Let Buffy know not to come here, unless it's a real emergency…And let him know, we only want to use his name…If the other part of the operation isn't for him, he can go back tonight if he wishes…It'll be enough that they think he's their man…"

"If he makes it to the plane undust…" Angel eyed him…

"You don't think he'd do it…For her?..."

"I know he would…But we're not chessmen on your little board, Finn…He'll go along with the whole thing for her sake, I know…But it's lousy to do it without even asking him…"

"It's what we have to do sometimes, Liam…" Riley eyed him back… "Which I think you're well aware of, as head of your outfit…"

"And you, Mr. Walthrop?..." the elegant if rather formidably beautiful, in appearance just under fifty, Countess d'Vestigy smiled at Will from her seat as the little party of three dined at one of Geneva's most famed, yet secluded restaurants… "I understand that you are now the head of Wolfram-Hart, Europe…"

As well as…she smiled gently…A touch of velvet over cold steel in her smooth voice… "Like my son and myself…One of the handful of the world's truly unique creatures…"

"We've renamed the firm, what's left of it… 'Angel, Burkle-Wyndham-Price, Gunn, and Walthrop'…Afraid I'm only the junior member of the quartet, ma'am…And hardly fit to be called 'head' of anything…More an overpaid errand boy, I'm afraid…"

As for unique…he returned the cool smile… "The world seems a mite crowded with human-souled Undead these days…"

"Indeed…" a gleaming smile… "But a fortunate assistance for our dear Buffy, here…And her new sisters…"

"One should hope so…" he nodded…

"But your story fascinates me, Mr. Walthrop…A vampire demon who gave up his hold for love…And a soul who chose not to press his suit…"

"I loved Buffy, Countess…If that's what you're asking…But I've learned the hard way that that is sometimes not enough…"

A hard stare from the younger Countess…Dazzling in her strapless evening gown and jewelry…

"In any case, what I care about is her happiness…If she's safe and happy, I'm satisfied…"

"A noble soul…But I expected no less from my dear daughter-in-law's description of you…Not to mention courageous...Taking on and defeating the infamous Partners…"

"William's a fine man…I always expected the best from him once he regained control…" Buffy quietly noted…

"Little doubt there, dear…" the old Countess nodded…

"I wasn't alone at LA…Nor was it my idea to fight the Partners head on …That was my partner Angel's show…"

"You are clearly too modest, young man…"

"Hardly…But, if I may say, Countess d'Vestigy…It's your and your boy's story that interests me…"

"Mon Dieu…" she waved a hand… "Nothing particular to interest you there…" But, smiling again… "It was plague time, people were dying all about us, we wanted to live…We had the good fortune and skill to have acquired enough understanding of the occult to retain our souls and yet enjoy the blessings of Immortality…"

"I've yet to encounter any, ma'am…"

"Mr. Walthrop…" the old Countess sighed… "You are sitting here in excellent health, barely in your mid twenties by appearance though blessed with the wisdom gained over a century…Having survived Death at least twice...Wth your dear soul restored, a hero's mantle…And in a rather prosperous condition…Are these not blessings?..."

"My victims would not share your feeling…"

"But they were your demon's victims…You yourself are as innocent of murder…As I, my boy, and our dear Buffy are…Eh, daughter?..." she turned to Buffy…

"William lets his guilt get to him at times, Maman…" Buffy replied… "It's part of regaining his link to Humanity I suppose…"

Something difficult for you to understand having never lost yours…she smiled briefly at the regal dowager…

"Of course I do understand, my dear…And your former lover's remorse does him credit…" she eyed Will briefly…A bright smile for her 'dear daughter'...

The subbasement conference room in the tower offices of the Immortal, downtown Geneva...

Where the Immortal, placed in a somewhat embarrassing position owing to Matisse's delicate barbs regards his new Countess, was attempting to retrieve his authority...

Hell, he was the Immortal here, after all...He looked round at the six others, mere humans all...

Yet men, even the nervous little Emil, not quite to be overawed by the mere fact of his supernatural nature...

"Gentlemen..." he gave a cool and flawless smile to the group, focusing on Matisse who causally returned the smile...

Can't wait till this thing is over and he's back to his role as an "employee" once more...I and more importantly, they, all knowing that he agreed to debase himself in the job largely to watch and wait for the moment when I'd slip...

"Our dear Eric's concerns are understandable...And especially at this critical juncture, valid...However...I have taken steps to see that any potential threat from William the Bloody or Angelus is neutralized...Though I must say my wife's position here is not to be questioned by any one...You must leave her to me...I assure you she has no concerns or interests about our activities and her contacts abroad can only be assets to us..."

In any case...She is to be left to me...he noted firmly...

"What...Steps, Henri...?" Matisse asked politely and patiently...Just the faintest note of velvet sarcasm...

"I have secured...A suitable agent to deal with Mr. Walthrop or his employer or both..." d'Vestigy smiled...

Gentlemen...If I may bring her in?...he beamed at the group collectively...

Her?...Bauman looked at Matisse...Emil looking more nervous than ever...

"You brought a new operative here without consulting us?..." an annoyed question from a new speaker, William Fichmer, handsome, distinguished, middle-aged...A prominent politician of the right-wing, though supposedly moderate, persuasion...A handful of votes, sure to be gained in the next Austrian election, away now from taking power...

Several others eyeing their host with coldly appraising eyes...A cardinal violation of their little club...It being an action with the potential to destroy their lives as well as careers should a spy slip in among them...

Matisse watching silently, awaiting his time to pounce...

"You can not do this, Henri!..." Emil rose from his seat... "You endanger us all...Our activities...We know nothing about this woman!..."

"My friends, calm yourselves..." Henri smiled...Rising and moving to the door to the room...

"I assure you, our new operative is not a spy...And will be of great benefit...And, in fact, those of you who worked with the defunct Wolfram-Hart Corporation in the past are probably quite familiar with her..."

The one person most suited to dealing with...And containing any problems we may have with William the Bloody...

He opened the door with a flourish...Hmmn...Looking out into the hall...No one...

Ummn...

"So this...Absent...'person' is she who will deal with your wife's former lover?..." Matisse smiled...Then blinked as Drusilla came rushing to the door...

"Very sorry...very sorry, Your Benevolence..." she hastily noted to the Immortal...She a picture of nervous embarrassment... "Miss Edith took it into her head to go off on a stroll while we were on the way here and I had so much trouble finding her...And then I had to discipline her, of course..." she raised Miss Edith to view, the doll's arms and legs tightly taped together..."

Oh...she looked round the room... "So many people...I do hope they're nice people..."

Are they here for dinner?...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

.A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once !...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse .com/zine2/buffyrebecca/ , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part F…

"So, my dear..." Henri eyed Drusilla...Who'd overcome her initial disappointment at being told no massacre of the human members of his little neo-Nazi club was on the evening's agenda...

"We...My friends here and I...Wish you to act for us in the matter of your vampiral offspring...Are you willing to help us?...For the price we offer?..."

"And a little more 'sunshine', Benevolence?..." she eyed him coyly...And hopefully...

Ummn...Henri looked a tad embarrassed as several of those round the table rolled eyes...

Lord, my little black rose, that was one night over a hundred years ago...Though it is only natural she would remember it forever...Ah, my rakish days of the past...

Matisse at the table frowning...What the hell has that pitiful French excuse for a human-souled vampire got, anyway?...Or does the insane lady have a taste for mothers' boys?...

Hmmn...Ah, yes...William the Bloody's mate for a century...

"Drusilla..." Henri sighed, a reproving look... "You know that I am married now, child...And whatever Evil I may sponsor in my business dealings...My home life is impeccable..."

"Married to that bad, bad Slayer..." Dru pouted... "Who took my Spikey boy away..."

"And you now can see him again..." Henri pointed out... "And if he tries to..."

The phone on the desk rang...He picked it up a second ahead of Matisse...

"Yes...?"

"You aren't afraid of me?...Strange little humans..." Dru looked round the conference table at the men who coolly stared back at her, with one nervous exception... "All so dark, so strong...Very strange little humans...Oh..." she smiled...

Very well protected little humans...she realized...Noting the red laser lights emanating from two of the walls coming to a carefully targeted point on the summery blouse of her surprisingly well chosen causal tourist's outfit...Just over her heart...Staying locked on target as she moved...Hmmn...

Matisse offering a friendly, cool smile...The morons of the Wolfram-Hart SPD we are not, lady...

"Such a nice river of fear from you, little man..." Dru smiled at Emil who blushed... "Don't be bashful, little one...I like you...Be more afraid..."

He blinked at her...Looking round at his colleagues...Dru giving an irritated look...

"More afraid of them than me?...You don't know me well, do you, little one?"

"Gentlemen...I don't think this...Woman...Is an acceptable agent for us..." Emil protested...

"Agent?...Like Mrs. Peel?..." she looked round the table...And beamed...

"Wants to be an agent, Dru does...Modesty Blaze, bang-bang..." she folded the fingers of her left hand into a pistol...

Hmmn...The others, while carefully taking mental note of the location of various supernatural and less so protections about their persons should the negotiations...And the laser-targeted arrows... fail, pondered the merits of Emil's point...Which seemed to be well taken...

"Ah, darling..." Henri cradled the phone...Turning his chair away from the table...One moment, gentlemen... "Yes, my dearest..."

Bet you ten-to-one it's his mother, not his wife, he's talking to...One of the group about the table hissed to his adjacent colleague...

"Ole Dru can be a fine spy...'Steed, you take the two on the left'..." Dru gave a arch look with a very good Diana Rigg vocal, pantomiming her Mrs. Peel entering the enemy's lair with wary looks...A swift mimed judo chop to a fantasy enemy...Brushing her hair back a'la Peel while pointing her finger gun at another foe...

"I can kill him..." she suddenly stared at the frowning Matisse in the eyes with a cool hunter's look... "And I do want to see her suffer...Don't underestimate me, gentlemen...I'm the one Angel and Ms. Summers have never been able to take down..." she looked round the table now...The men startled by her sudden change...

"Give me I want and I'll see to my silly boy and his Slayer..."

We're bad...she noted happily to Miss Edith...Scanning the impressed faces...

"Not Buffy, my dear..." Henri called from his spot by the phone... "She is to be left strictly alone and unharmed...As should her friends and family be...Unless and until I decree otherwise your concern is strictly with William ..."

Everyone lets the Slayer spoil poor Dru's fun times...she sulked...Well, Mrs. Peel would be a professional about this things...

"As you wish..." she nodded...

"No, dear..." Henri returned to his call... "Just the usual boring tediousness of business...How is your dinner guest?...Enjoying himself?...Ah...Not at all, not at all..."

Well...Perhaps just a bit...he told the phone... "But I trust Buffy completely, Maman...Would you put her on?..."

What did I tell you?...The one who placed a bet on the call sneered to his colleague...

"Darling?...Did you enjoy your dinner?...Mr. Walthrop not too troublesome?...Yes, it was very good of Maman to join you..."

"Just what are we offering you, Miss?..." Matisse eyed Drusilla...Courteously offering her a chair...Which she accepted with thanks...From Miss Edith as well...

"Ten million dollars a year plus expenses during the period of my employment...An estate in France...All the human blood I can drink...And an occasional playmate when I'm off duty whose disappearance will be engineered discreetly by your staff...Naturally, in the field I will expect your people's full support when I call on it..."

No slouch is ole Dru when it comes to business arrangements...she noted happily to Miss Edith...

Hmmn...Matisse and Bauman reflected, nodding...She does seem able to project a professional attitude when called for...

"We should be finished here shortly, my beloved...Shall I join you at the apartment or see you later at home?...Excellent...Have Rene carry Maman home and rid yourself of our friend, Mr. Walthrop and I shall see you in a few hours...Goodbye, my sweet cherie..."

Oooh...Pulling off a night away from Mummy...The bettor grinned...

"You do realize we may wish to refrain from taking any immediate action against William the Bloody...?" Matisse asked Dru carefully... "If he's not working for the Americans we've no wish to attract undue attention right now..."

"Surveillance..." she nodded shrewdly... "You'll find it's our forte...Voila..." slipping on dark sunglasses and pulling out a tourist's disposable camera... "Right, Miss Edith?..."

Speak Low...Kurt Weill...

"Speak low...When you speak love...

Our summer day...Withers away...Too soon, too soon...

Speak low...When you speak love...

Our moment is swift, like ships adrift...We're swept apart too soon..."

"Like the song?...I chose it..." Buffy asked as Will pulled her gently round the dance floor...The Countess watching from her chair with a serene, benevolent smile...

"Weill, eh?...Living with the Immortal has expanded your horizons..."

"Speak low, darling...Speak low...

Love is a spark...Lost in the dark...Too soon, too soon...

I feel...Wherever I go...That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here...And always too soon, too soon..."

"For your info, my mother liked it..." she frowned... "Will?...What did you tell Riley when you went back?..."

Well?...she hissed...Turning him to avoid the Countess' sharp stare...

"I should tell you..." he paused, swinging her gently round... "Dru seems to have made an appearance in town...Angel spotted her..."

"Dru?..." Buffy eyed him... "Is she here looking for you?..." a definite hard edge in her voice...

"Time is so old...And love so brief...

Love is pure gold...And diamonds..."

"Could be...But she knows your husband..." he smiled pleasantly over at the Countess who nodded benignly back... "Intimately..."

"We're late...Darling, we're late...

The curtain descends...Everything ends...Too soon, too soon..."

"Oh?..." "Long time ago, though..."

"The time he had you two held at that farm outside Rome?...He told me about that...Though he never mentioned knowing Drusilla..."

"And Darla...A twofer..." Will grinned slightly... "I must say, as one myself, he's an inspiration to mama's boys everywhere..."

"Well, you guys tend to know women fairly well..." Buffy gave him a direct look... "And show a little consideration..."

"Does he?..."

"I asked you a question...What's the answer?..."

"If Dru's involved...This thing could get out of control quick...But Riley thinks he can throw me in the works to deflect her a little from you...If they believe I'm here for more than just my lovelorn heart... "

"Not if we leave flat...Tonight..." she pulled back... "You bastard..." she whispered...But flashed a brittle smile back to the Countess... "You said you'd do it...You told them..."

"I wait...Darling, I wait..."

"The mission, Slayer..." he looked at her coolly... "Don't we always put the mission first...?"

"Oh, you bastard..." she hissed at him fiercely... "You rotten bastard...You didn't believe me for a second...You stinking coward..." her shaking, tear-filled voice audible to the couples about them now...

The Countess this time catching a glimpse...

"No need to carry on like that, Slayer...Especially with Maman-in-law watchin'..." William coldly replied... "We're gettin' the job done, right?...What else matters, eh?..."

"Will you speak low to me?...Speak love to me?...And soon..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part G...

From her seat the old Countess observed Buffy and Will as they stood on the dance floor, no longer moving to the music coming to a close, a rather grim look on the young Countess d'Vestigy's face...

Which changed to a brittle smile as they turned back towards their table and began making their way over...

"Thanks for the dance..." Buffy said coolly, William nodding as she resumed her seat...He remaining standing...

"Well, Summers...Pardon, Countess d'Vestigy...And you, Countess..." he turned to the dowager Countess... "Thanks for a lovely evening and a fine dinner...I must be getting off..."

"So soon, Mr. Walthrop?...I wish you could stay...Henri would very much like to meet you, should he be able to join us...And I, myself must shortly return home...Poor Buffy here will be quite alone..."

"Have to earn my keep, Countess...Some things to look over back at our place before I turn in..."

"William's a man of dutiful soul, Maman..." Buffy smiled at him...Ice in her eyes... "It's no good trying to swerve him from the path he chooses..."

"Only trying to live up to my Slayer mentor's example..." he smiled back... "Please give my apologies to your son and husband...Good night, ladies..."

"I hope to see you at the house some evening, Mr. Walthrop...I do wish to hear more of your fascinating story...As I'm sure my son would..." the elder Countess extended a hand...

"I'd enjoy that...Buffy, good night..." he nodded to her and left...Buffy staring after him a long moment...Then turning back to her companion with a smile...

"Hope that wasn't too much of an imposition on you, Maman...I'm glad he behaved himself..."

"Not at all...A most charming young man..." a smilingly silky tone... "Well, I should be off...I hope you'll keep after Henri and see that he leaves off work as soon as possible...Good night, my dear..." she offered a cheek which Buffy kissed... "Hopefully I'll see you and Henri at home tomorrow night..."

"Hopefully..." Buffy nodded...Repressing only the slightest of chills at her mother-in-law's rather sudden display of affection...Till now she'd been politely, even friendly at times, but stuck rigidly to the minimum required by her duty as mother and head of the family...

Either she'd been very pleased by what she'd seen tonight...Satisfied that William was no threat...

Or...

Pleased perhaps in another way...

And though she didn't give a damn for her own safety if her cover was slipping or no...William had been right, damn him...The mission mattered...

Just as defeating the First had been the priority...She struggled another moment to repress the wild urge to run out after him...

He was right...He didn't believe me then or now because he knew me better than I do myself...Knew in the end I'd put the mission...

Is that the real reason I let Giles persuade me about not trusting Angel?...Because Angel gave up waiting on me and let himself have a life?...

I could still...I could...I can...She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and began dialing...

"Riley?...We need to talk...Yes, Will just left...I don't care if it's dangerous for us to communicate now...Yes, he told me about Drusilla...Riley...It's over...I'm through...I want out..."

About one hour before dawn...

"Mr. Walthrop, I presume..." a woman's voice came to Will from a car just parked alongside him as he strolled down the last side street toward his hotel, having wandered the Geneva streets for hours...Hmmn...Same car he'd seen a few blocks back...Three men...No, one man, two Unmen...Emerging from the car...

"Dru?..." he looked as she came out and stood, leaning her head on the car roof to eye him with a careful air... "I see you've made some new friends...Or are these yours?..." he nodded at the two vamps now blocking his way...The human having moved to his rear with a small crossbow now pulled up... "If they are, tell them to step aside, girl...Or I will have to hurt them..."

"William...You've been a naughty boy..." Dru frowned..."And someone besides me does not appreciate your attempts to make trouble..."

Four more males...Two human, two vamp...Emerged from the shadows of the street before him...One of the new vamps moving round to his rear with the first human...All the new group well armed with crossbows...Unsportin' mates...Will frowned at the leering vamps...

"So the Immortal's showin' his teeth, eh?...Tell him sorry if I trod his benevolent toes but the girl in question was an ex of mine...And nothing on her part here but a kind thought..."

"No..." she frowned... "This isn't about the little Slayer and her Immortal and you know that, silly little soul William...You've been going where you don't belong, playing secret agent for the Americans...And my employers are not happy..."

"And they would be...?"

"Shhhh..." a finger to her lips, then to Miss Edith's... Say hello, Miss Edith... "That would be telling..."

"Hello, Miss Edith...I can guess anyway...The Immortal for one...And his merry band of neo-Nazis?..."

"Ole Dru is not that stupid, William..." she glared... "Our Spike would never play such a bad game with her...You are a Bad One, little soul..."

"But not an American agent, Dru...I'm here to work for Angel and with luck, make a little domestic disturbance in His Buffoonishness' happy home...You know I've no interest in politics...'Sides if I played for anyone it would be Mother England, you know that..."

"You really do take me for a fool, Walthrop..." she eyed him coolly...

Dru?...he blinked...

"The souled Champion who saved the world from the First and helped to defeat the Partners shows up in Geneva just when our organization is about to make its bid for world conquest...?...You expect us to believe you're here merely to nurse your pitiful, little souled heart?" a shrewd, appraising glance...Was it not Mrs. Peelish, Miss Edith?...turning to the doll with a content beam...

Very nice, Dru...Will smiled...

A spy extraordinare is our Dru, she happily noted, nodding...Then returning to business, frowned at William...Waving to her...Well, mix of Unmen and men, Will noted... The first human behind him fired his crossbow and he dodged, the arrow striking his arm...

"Not yet, silly boy...We don't want it too obvious..." Dru smiled...He staggered suddenly...Drugged, he realized...

The goons dragged him toward the nearest car door...She entered by her rear side door...

"I think it's time we showed you the sights of Geneva, William...The city at dawn is said to be spectacular..." she eyed him as several of her 'helpers' pushed him into the front passenger seat...One securing him with handcuffs to the passenger door handle and to the steering column...One taking the driver's seat, three squeezing into the rear with Dru...

He turned to look blearily behind at Dru smiling at him from her seat...

"Yes..She will cry for you when you're gone..." she nodded at him as he passed out...

Which is very bad of Mrs. Immortal...she noted to Miss Edith...But then suicide for unrequited love is so tragic...

If appropriate for a romantic poet, even a bloody awful one...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part H...

Just before dawn...Downtown Geneva...

A pounding on his door brought Angel out of a rather pleasant dream as he dozed in an armchair by his hotel room fireplace...Simple, really...Nina darning his socks in a chair across from him, a newly-caught stag's leg turning on the fireplace spit...Connor and his own father swapping stories by the fire as he watching them, half-dozing...His mother glancing over at him from her seat near the fireplace, a quietly content beam in her eyes...The smells of old Ireland in the air...The smells and shadows of the old family estate...

Home...Heaven...

"Angel!..." the pounding escalated...

Buffy?...he looked up as the door slammed open against the wall...

She, still in evening dress, glaring at him...Looking round as she marched in...

"Where is he!..."

"Buffy?..." "William!...Get out here!..." she called into what she took for a bedroom... "William!..."

"Buffy..." Angel sighed, straightening in his chair...Eyeing her in her formalwear... "He's not here...His room's down the hall..."

"I've been there...And to your office...He's not at either...Where is he!..."

"Isn't it dangerous for you to be coming over here?...If your husband..." a killer glare cut him off...

"I told Riley...I'm telling you...I'm done...It's over..." she waved a hand... "Where's William?..."

"If he's not in his room, I don't know...I tried reaching him myself until about midnight...I thought he might still be with you..."

"He left us hours ago...Said he was heading for the office..."

"I can try calling him if you like..." he turned to find his cell...Ah, bedroom... "Let me get my phone from the bedroom..."

"Gimme the number!..." she went to the hotel phone at his desk...

He told her and she dialed, punching the keys hard...He could see tear streaks on her face now, her hair rather bedraggled...

"William?...It's me...Call me...Now!..." she put the headset down on its cradle with a slam...

Antique classic phone $2000...Seeing Buffy going out of her skull over my partner...Priceless...He looked at her, she was trembling a bit now...

"Where is he?..." she repeated...Murmuring now...

"Buffy, whether or not you're continuing the mission, it's crazy for you to take this chance coming here..." he told her gently...

"I'll tell Henri I've decided to leave with Will...It'll be nothing more than the standard breakup..."

"And he'll take that, regardless of whether he learns about your role in this little operation, lying down?..."

"Lying or hurled down and if necessary a pile of ashes..."

"And you'll let his little circle of Nazis get their hands on enough nukes to start the Third World War?..."

"I'll leave it for Riley and his people to handle...I'm the Slayer, it's a mistake for me to get mixed up in politics anyway..."

"This isn't what William..."

"The hell it's not!...He's sitting around here, somewhere, waiting...Putting it all on me...And I..." she stopped a moment...

"I give..." she said, staring at Angel in his chair... "Tell him I give, Angel...Please tell me where he is..."

"I don't know, Buffy...What time is it?..."

"Nearly daylight..."

"Well, he's got to be heading back...Or have found a place to hole up..."

"He didn't...He's not on his way back to LA?..."

"Not that I know of...And he'd've better damned well not have headed off without alerting me..."

"Dru's in town..." she eyed Angel... "Could he have gone to her place?...Whatever sewer or old mausoleum that is..."

"Actually Riley's told me his people confirmed she's booked at the Beau Rivage...Room 221...Using the name Waverly...Not sure, but I think that actually was her..."

"She's booked at a hotel and you didn't go after her?..."

"Buffy...I can't just smash my way into a five-star hotel and kill what appears to be a young and innocent woman in front of hundreds of guests..." Or try to, anyway...he did not say...

Geesh...We are the cautious CEO these days, aren't we...she frowned at him...

"So call her out and kill her outside the damned hotel!...Crap, I'll do it!...Which way's the hotel?..." she moved to his desk, searching for a guide to hotels...Ah...Crap, in Italian...She grabbed at the smashed phone...Damn... "Gimme your cell, if you've got one!..."

"The Beau Rivage's on Quai du Mont-Blanc near the lake...What about your husband?..."

"He's still at his business conference, it's fine...Do you have another phone or no?...C'mon, it's nearly dawn..."

"The Immortal...Or at least his other pals could have you under surveillance...This was crazy, Buffy..."

"They have no need...I'm not doing a thing except leaving him now..." she took the phone he held out to her...Looking him in the face a moment...

Sorry...she suddenly whispered, seeing something in that stare...

"William?...Wakee, wakee..."

He felt a hand slap his cheek several times...Gently at first, then a solid smash...

"Wake up and see the light of day...For the first and last time, silly boy..." Dru grinned at him, standing just outside the car by the passenger door, an attentive human aide standing by with umbrella just in case though the sky was only just beginning to lighten now... Ah, hello...

"Sorry...I thought you might oversleep and miss everything...Can't have that..."

"Thanks..." he mumbled...Trying to look round...Still too heavily sedated to struggle out...

Just the first faint streaks of dawn in the eastern sky...He felt the handcuffs still round his wrists...

"Ready..." one of the human goons came out from under the car, making an "ok" sign with left thumb and forefinger...Ah...

"You did take care of the brakes and steering?..." she eyed the human minion who'd been under the car... "Yes, ma'am...It's an older model Mercedes, though a classic..." he patted the engine hood... "With all lines cut and the rest, she should lose everything within the first minute..."

"Good, good...Spike always loved old cars...He'd appreciate the gesture...Unlock him and pull him over to the wheel...Hurry, we haven't much time..."

"Dru..."

"You'll love this, Mr. Walthrop...Or my Spikey would've..." she frowned a bit then brightened again... "Miss Edith suggested it...Take a bow, Miss Edith..." she bent the doll to imitate a bow...

Clap for Miss Edith...she eyed her minions still working or standing about the car...Several of whom had rolled eyes on her last statement...

"I said...Clap...For...Miss...Edith...Or you can go along for the ride..." she eyed one vamp coldly who proceeded to hurriedly begin clapping rather feverishly...

Better...

"Now, William..." she returned to her subject...

"Here's the deal as your little Slayer would say...Herman...The whiskey..."

Your favorite brand, I remembered...she noted to Will as Herman, a tall, hulking vamp poured...Somewhat regretfully...A bottle of whiskey over William and the seat where he was now sitting...

"William the love-besotted, soul-encumbered poet-vampire, wandering round after learning his beloved Slayer is lost to him forever, belts down a couple of bottles of premium whiskey..." she eyed Herman who sadly opened another bottle...Several of the others, humans and vamps alike, likewise sighing...

"...And goes for a last drive to view the fatal dawn...Ending in flaming torment and down, down, down the cliffs in flames...Bang, boom, bang, bang...BOOM!..." she rolled her hands to simulate a tumbling car... "Wheeee!..."

Neat, huh?...she beamed... "And our drug...Theodore?...Not too much, just top him off a little..." Ted, a human came over with a syringe in hand, plunging the needle of it into Will's arm...He groaning...

"...Breaks down into the basic components of alcohol...Should by chance anyone care to examine your ashes later..."

Of course...she noted... "Your superiors will know the truth but they'll need a few days to find out what's happened with you and get Angel or someone else on the trail...By then, we'll have things as we want them..."

He groaned, trying to force eyes open...Two of Dru's minions now clearing the car of any traces of their presence, one working to secure Will's foot to the gas pedal...

"And, someone...Perhaps she...May buy the idea that you couldn't exist here without her anymore...Any last messages for Buffy?...I assure you I'm under orders not to meddle with her...Yet...So I would deliver them faithfully?...No?..."

"Dru?..."

"I'm doing you a favor, William...Little foolish soul, you never meant and will never mean anything to her, you know that..." she pulled out a tape and handed it to the minion now jamming a crowbar over his foot to hold the pedal down... "We must have appropriate music..." The minion shoved it into the car's cassette player...A high-pitched, sweet and wistful voice sang softly in French...

Play

"Josephine Baker, 'Nuits de Miami'...Remember we saw her in Paris once, and you loved her singing...But called her, 'poor thing' when you heard the crowd cheer her, but dismissing her as an exotic curiosity as they left...A nigress ... I remember...Even you...Spike...Felt for her, said she'd run from her world to another but would never find peace in either..."

Like you...Dru eyed him..."So you see I do love you, Spike..." He trying to stare back as Ms. Baker's voice sang gently on...

"Don't disappoint me, William..." she frowned, wagging a finger... "No silly appeals to old times' sake or my better nature..."

"Certainly...Not..." he tried to keep his head up...The drug moving swiftly...

"Just...Get bent, girl...And, sorry I didn't...Stake you...Last year, love..."

She grinned..."That's the nicest thing you ever said to me, William...The staking thing was meant to be nice...?" she eyed him...He nodded vaguely... "Thanks...For the song, girl..."

"You always were a kind gentleman, Mr. Walthrop...Goodbye..." she slammed the door...Nodding to her minion by the driver's door who reached in, turned the keys and slammed his door...The car sped off along a road which ran straight about a quarter mile, then twisted as it headed up the cliffs overlooking Lake Geneva...

Hmmn...She eyed the car make a slight veer, just avoiding the road edge...Pity we can't stay and watch the nice flames rise up to Heaven...

"Make sure you take a complete video..." she eyed two of the humans who nodded and headed for their own car...

That for the Boss?...The first of the two humans to reach the car hissed to his short and pudgy partner readying his camera... "I think psycho vamp likes to watch..." the other shrugged... "Well I meant the Countess..." the first insisted as they started out...

"Sometimes a mother's love must express itself in unusual ways..." Dru sighed to Miss Edith as she entered her own car, still looking after William's careening car..."But he'll be happier in Heaven...Less confusion..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part I...

A cliff road overlooking Lake Geneva...Dawn just beginning to break...

An early morning stroller in search of an open coffee shop made a wild run for the other side of the road, then watched the racing car that had just missed him veering and wobbing near the edge of the road...

Thought Atlantan drivers were bad...he sighed to his wife waiting for him in her wheelchair on the sidewalk...

The car, its driver apparently a bit disoriented, to put it mildly, and struggling to keep it on the road, disappeared behind a curve...Another car following behind at a rather fast clip as well, though maintaining a sensible distance...

"Was that guy shooting a video of the other car?..." the man looked at his wife... "Maybe it's a movie or something?..."

"They're all weird in Europe...You should call somebody..." she insisted...

"Honey, it's 5:45 am...Whom am I gonna call?..."

"Call 911..." "I don't have my cell...Is it even 911 in Switzerland?..." he began pushing her along...

"You never wanna call..." "If we find a place, I'll call..."

(Hey, Hitchcock does it...)

The winsome voice of Josephine Baker continued to float from the cassette player as Will tried to keep himself awake and the car away from the road's cliff edge...The power steering rapidly becoming less so...His eyes closing...Hmmn...He jerked his head up...

He tried pulling his foot from the gas pedal...Too tightly wedged...His fingers and arms too numb to grip and pry away the crowbar holding his foot down...He just barely caught at the wheel as the car raced for the rock face of the cliff on the opposite side of the road, now beginning to curve sharply...He managed to lift his other foot and placed it on the brake pedal, forcing it down...

Nothing...Not even slowing the car slightly...He managed to swerve the wheel to pull the car back from the sheer drop of the cliff facing Lake Geneva...A passing car on the opposite blaring horn as it just dodged him...

And remind me to thank you for smashing the headlights as well, Dru...he sighed...

Well, not enough light to see the road by is hardly my worst problem, he noted the sunlight now beginning to peep through the dawn clouds...Wrenching the wheel as hard as he could to avoid the drop again...

Hmmn, crash into the rock face?...Would stop the car and if I didn't make it I'd certainly never feel a thing with what she's had pumped into me...However...Gasoline or sun...Burning to death is burning to death...And contrary to my dear Dru's belief, though somewhat to my own surprise...I'm not quite ready to go the toast route again yet...

Even if I can't say why and can't see the slightest thing holding me here...Whoops!...He forced his closing eyes open again and jerked at the wheel, forcing it to move, just missing a lumbering bus that nearly clipped his side...

Think the two of us have had a little too much, mate...he frowned at his rear view mirror where the bus was doing a little veering of its own...

I'm being a tad hard on her...he thought...Buffy's earnest face in the D'Vestigy apartment bedroom...Heck, staring at him from the opposite pillow of the weekend and city spree marital bed...Appearing before him...

Could she really have meant it?...That she would give it up?...For me?...A happy vision of them running from the d'Vestigy estate, covered in the Immortal's reeking gore came to him as his eyes closed again...

Whoa...The car's scraping against the opposite roadside's cliff face woke him suddenly from the sleep he'd begun falling into...He barely managed to veer off, tugging as hard as he could at the wheel, arms through the openings, hands clinging as best he could make them to the thicker midsection of the wheel...

Right...After a year with no word from her...Knowing that I was back...

Hmmn...Try an abrupt end?...He eyed the starter, blinking...No key, hot-wired, apparently...

Geesh, Dru...Adding car theft to drunk driving and suicide?...And here I had a clean record for the past twenty...Not counting that time they picked me up in Sunnydale for speeding and DUI after the chip...Which never did get recorded as I had no id and slipped out on them...

Emergency brake?...He managed to find the lever and pulling one arm out, pulled it back, trying to brace...At least they buckled me in...Nothing...Her lads didn't slip up on that one...

He could see that the road, straight for a short distance, twisted wildly just beyond...The light of dawn growing fast now...

Time to do or once again...

True, I could have tried to call her...But she put it on me to call Riley, knowing I'd cave for Duty's sake like the Humanity-saving Champion I am...

Well, he seized the automatic gearshift lever with his free hand...Couldn't grip it...He tried again and managed to get fingers around it, though not feeling it...Hmmn...Always wondered what would happen if one shifted into park at high speed on a cliffside road with no brakes...

Not even Spike willing to try...For sake of the car any way...His foot pushed again at the useless brake pedal and forced his arm and hand back and up, pulling the lever to Park...

The car gave a sudden grinding lurch...Ah, one thing they'd not...But kept moving...Hmmn...Thugs with considerable mechanical expertise...

Ahead of him, on the opposite side, just completing the twisted section and entering the flat stretch of road...A very large truck...

Hmmn...

Well, either over the cliff, into the rock face, or...He forced the wheel round, the car spinning left to take the truck on perpendicularly, on the passenger side...

Hate to admit it but sure wish Dru could have chosen a Volvo, he thought as the truck driver made a desperate attempt to jam his brakes, honking...Impact occurring on the passenger side just before the car would have struck the rock face side of the road...

A Volvo...Christ...He shook his head as the car was smashed along in front of the truck and he lost consciousness...

So I do still love her...A last smile breaking...

"Ummn...Dru?..." Angel spoke hesitantly into his room phone... "This is Angel..."

"Where's Will?...Tell her to tell you or we'll kill her!..." Buffy hissed...He waved a hand...You said you'd let me handle this...his look said...

She pulled back...Sorry, sorry...

"I'm looking for William...Is he with you or have you heard from him?...I can make it worth your while to tell me, Dru...Here's my number, call me..." he gave the room phone number and hung up...

"You shoulda threatened her..."

"A threat would just get her excited...And really get her after him if she wasn't before..."

"I'll go over..." Buffy rose... "I'll make that waif maniac talk..."

"Buffy..." Angel sighed... "If you go, your cover is blown...Assuming...Hoping...She didn't hear you just now...Or at the very least, your husband will know there's something between you and William on your part..."

"I've told you, the charade is over...I'm gonna tell him regardless as soon as I go back...If I go back..."

You think maybe a message on his answer machine...? she eyed him...Then the phone...

"Buffy...Millions of lives may hinge on this one..."

And the answering machine idea is a little cold...he did not say...

"Millions of lives always hinge on the next one...William was right, there's always a new one to pull me away...But wrong about one thing...I am through with this one...I was a bad choice for the job from the start..."

"You were the perfect choice and you know it..."

She bridled a bit..."Meaning?...Nobody does vamps like Buf?..."

"Meaning no man could resist loving you...And no Unman if he has even the slightest spark of Humanity..."

"So, I'm a lying, heartless bitch as well as a killing machine capable of throwing her lover to the four winds to win one for the home team..."

"If the Immortal is up to what you and Riley believe he is, he doesn't deserve any pity, Buffy..."

She stared at him a moment...Then suddenly sat in the chair by the door...A forlorn, even desperate look...

"He doesn't believe me, Angel..."

"He's afraid of being hurt again..."

She twisted in the chair...

Please not another ruined antique, Buf...Angel sighed to himself...

"Was...Was it very bad?...When I didn't..."

"I think he expected it...And didn't want you to know about him...But, when he heard you'd gotten involved with the Immortal..."

"If I had known...The first day...I swear..." a pleading look...

"Why didn't you try to contact us?...Whatever Giles said..."

"I told him..." she looked at him carefully... "He didn't tell you?..."

"Only that Giles assumed we'd both sold our souls to the Partners...I'd hoped for more trust than that from you, Buffy..."

"After you brought that damned amulet to us?..." she rose, fists tightened...

"I offered to use it myself..."

She relaxed a little... "Sorry..." She sat down...

"I tried everything to reach him, bring him back, at first...I even learned a little magics...They tolerated it for a week, then when I tried to push Willow, they threatened me...Willow and Giles...For my own good, of course...If I kept on with this crazy obsession to try and reach William in the beyond...They'd take measures...Magics measures, including if necessary a memory wipe...That's how I took up with the Immortal..."

I knew what he was...But I didn't care...If he could put me in touch with Will somehow...

"I would've let him and his friends take the world...Though luckily for my Slayer honor all he wanted was me..." she stared at Angel... "Joke on me, William being at your place all the time I was working to convince Henri he could trust me...If I'd not been so eager to have you to blame and accepted Giles' pronouncement of your being beyond the pale..."

"But after we came to Rome?..." Angel looked at her...

"I didn't know until Andrew told me in London...The day Giles decided you might possibly be a tad worthier than pond scum if the stories of the Black Thorns' destruction were true...The day I finally learned Will'd been a few thousand miles away with you all the time I'd been preparing to offer to betray everything I'd ever fought for and join the other side to get him back..."

He stared at her... "Again, lucky me...All I had to do in the end was screw another human-souled if despicable vamp...And marry him..."

"If you were really willing to do all that...?"

"He didn't want me...All this time and he'd never tried to reach me...Had no intention of coming to me, never believed what I'd told him that day...That's all I knew..."

Does he hate me?...she asked him quietly...

"He loves you...Everything he's done...And he's done good work...And everything he's endured...And he has endured a lot this year...Has been for you...Watching him try to live up to what he figured you'd expect from him..." Angel paused...

"I can guess now what he went through to get that soul back...And amazing as it may seem...I'm proud that we're friends, of a sort...Again..."

"But he doesn't trust me..."

"I think he wants to...More than anything in the world..."

"If I give this up...Will he believe me?..."

"You and he can't run from what you are Buffy...You're heroes...And heroes have duties to perform..."

It's in the fine print of the job description...he grinned wryly...

"You can say that...You have a life now...One you found quick enough after me...A son...A wife..."

"A son and a wife...Who both know...And accept...That they could lose me anytime...Just as I accept that someday I may lose them...In the most horrible way one can imagine..."

After a moment, she nodded slowly...

"Funny that we couldn't manage that...You and I...We could have bit the bullet and said to hell with it, curse or no...I could've tried to have Willow remove the curse when she started getting powerful..."

"We had the chance once...I suppose I shouldn't tell you but...When we went through the W-H archives, we snapped all spell strings detected on us as a precaution...One was..."

"You mean when you became human and we agreed not to follow through...And did the time reversal...?"

Giles had every member of the Council and Slayer Corps go through our own spell clearance...she explained...

"Then you know...We chose not to take our chance with each other...And yet, though the same arguments apply, I took the chance with Nina...And you with William..."

"And I lost..." she sighed...

"It's not over till it's over, Slayer...You of all people know that...And whatever hell he's putting you and himself through...His one dream, his whole focus is you..."

"I know..." she looked at her hands... "I know and it terrifies me...It did from the day I realized Spike had meant every word of love he'd ever said...That the soul had fought its way back for love of me... Had died for me..."

What can I ever give him that can compare to that?...Me, the Slayer?...I couldn't even try to help him, give him peace...She covered her face with her hands, Angel moving to her...

"Buffy..." he lifted the hands away gently and raised her chin to face him... "You didn't kill Spike because you knew it wasn't 'peace' he wanted..."

"Angel...What can I do?..."

"Well..." he smiled... "Walthrop's a Brit...They appreciate endurance, staying the course...You oughta know that after Giles..."

She grinned slightly back... "I dunno...I'm Californian...Instant gratification's our motto...But I can give it my best shot...If you think..."

"I do..." he paused... "But, Buffy...You can't do it by running away from your lives...Even if you got him to go with you...Your destiny will catch up with you..."

"I won't let it come between us...I've done my duty and then some...So has he..."

"Then don't let it come between you...Just don't run away from it...If you try to run, it will come between you and haunt you forever...Buf, William's not looking for you to give it all up for him...He's looking for you to take him along...This whole year has been about him trying to prove he's ready to stand with you, Slayer...And to accept whatever comes for whatever joy you can share..."

She gave him a sidelong look and wry smile... "Uh-huh...He sure seemed more like he didn't think there was a real chance in Hell..."

"But he hopes there is..." Angel grinned... "And your task, Countess Slayer...Is to make him a believer...If you're up to it..."

"Riley should have them hire you for Voice of America broadcasts..." she frowned at him... "So in short, I should do the damned job and convince him while doing it..."

Literally...she carefully eyed Angel... "Henri being of a romantic nature..."

"It's your call, Buffy...But I honestly believe the way isn't running...I've tried that, believe me..."

"Would Nina let you screw around...Again, literally...With Dru?..."

"Not to save the world..." he grinned... "But that's since we were married...And she let me go and try it with the Partners and would now, if it had to be..."

Though she might spit in my funeral urn if things went South...In time she'd accept it and after a period of prolonged separation punishment, agree to a reconciliation in Heaven...So long as I let her do her own thing in the heroine department...

"I still kinda prefer the romantic sacrifice bit myself..." Buffy noted...

"The sacrifice...Romantic enough...Is making the commitment...If you can do that, whether you keep your job or no, you'll find him content, I think..."

"I am committed...I made the commitment...Whether he thought it was the feeblest 'I love you' ever or no...It was for real..."

"Then, Slayer...Tell him what the deal is...And make him buy..."

She nodded a little...Then looked at the clock...Just before 6 am...

"Gotta find him first..." she rose...

Angel's phone rang...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part J...

The cliff road above Lake Geneva...

A scene of pandemonium...Wailing sirens, a steadily swelling crowd , many in rather casual dress including robes and slippers for those living nearest the scene on this early Sunday morn...Police trying with slow success to restore order and drive the curious back from the area of the burning wreck...Rescue workers, either intensely busy at the center of the site or milling about like the rest of the crowd, waiting to be summoned to assist...Fire trucks at two sides of the ruined vehicles, with firemen busy trying to spray down the wreckage, preparatory to seeking remains and anything useful as evidence for the police...

All too busy to note the two cars, halted just a short distance back up the road, one having waited for some little time, the occupants presumably enthralled by the human tragedy...The other newly come up...Pulling away...

Inside the car...A barely conscious William wryly, if blearily noting the humor of the situation...Rescue teams of humans trying to reach him...And pull him to the safety of the morning sun...

Mercifully, he passed out as the flames reached him...And the crews of workers and firemen raced back from the car, an explosion imminent...

Deja-vu all over again...His next-to-last thought as the flames began licking his body...

A sad-eyed, desperate Buffy in bed next to him, imploring him to believe in her, the last image in his mind...

His hand involuntarily reaching to take hers...

In the early morning, at the Immortal's palatial office, the rest of their secret inner circle having retired several hours before, Henri and Matisse awaited word of the success of their new agent's activities of the night before...Henri rather impatiently, anxious as any good husband to rejoin his waiting wife...

Matisse, to the Immortal's irritation...Does that human never tire?...Still fresh and alert after a night without sleep, watching his...Current...Superior with a fair degree of concealed amusement...With an eye on the television monitor in the room, tuned to the local news...

Sadly, no reports as yet of a tragic accident on the cliff road...But they'd need a little time for word to come in, Henri noted...

Perhaps...Matisse thought...But I would lay heavy odds that his major concern is whether Drusilla found his wife with our dear Mr. Walthrop...And that tonight's operation was suspended because she did...

The phone rang...Henri just beating Matisse to it...Matisse politely deferring just at the last second... As always giving the very clear impression that he'd've had no problem taking it first...

"Yes?...Ah, Drusilla...Well, and how did things go with your meeting with your old...Colleague?..."

Ah...A broad smile...

Hmmn...I lose one bet...Matisse frowned inwardly...

"And you are quite sure he was destroyed?...In a manner that could bear investigation?..."

Hmmn...A frown...

Ah...So your hand-picked operative has failed?...Matisse thought contentedly...Pasting a noncommitally alert look...

"That is unfortunate..." Henri sighed... "However you were pressed for time with the dawn, I quite understand, dear...Have your assistants learn what they can from the police and report to me as quickly as possible at my apartment here in the city...And...Thank you, my dear girl...I'm very hopeful...What?...I see...Well, he was bound to suspect...Again, thanks...We'll be in touch..."

He put down the phone...Still frowning...

"Well...?" Matisse eyed him...

"The car was almost completely destroyed on impact with a large truck...It burst into flame a few minutes after...He is very likely no longer a concern...However..."

"She cannot confirm his death?...Destruction?..."

"The police arrived too quickly for the humans in her group to check...She had to remain under protection owing to the dawn..."

"Most unfortunate..."

"Yes...And given his reputation...Still, a good effort...Her heart is definitely in her work...Hardly her fault she was left with so little time to act...And she was careful to leave no link to us...Though he indicated before she sent him off that he was inclined to believe I was behind it..."

"Natural...Though if he survived..." Matisse was thoughtful...

Hopeful might be the better word...

"He'll do nothing so long as I am Buffy's husband...And he and his people can prove nothing...Drusilla hardly needs a motivation behind her actions..."

"Yes, but if he suspects you...And his presence in Geneva as a likely American agent already suggests that you are compromised...Sir..."

"If he's survived, what can he do?...Call me out?...Nonsense..." Henri waved a hand, shrugging... "As for his suspicions, jealous husbands are not an unusual commodity..."

The American embassy...Two hours later...

"Well, Pumpkin, to bring you up to speed..." Riley Finn, ambassadorial aide/clandestine spymaster, spoke into his room phone...A teasing tone as he lay in bed, in pyjamas, sitting with head and back propped up on several pillows, a breakfast tray and a stack of half-read reports divided by his side on the mattress...Nothing like the quiet of an early Sunday morning for getting caught up on things... "First, you know who has come into town...Yep, with him...Yep, they seem to be getting along...Yeah, well, guess they have something...A coupla things...In common now..."

"Yeah, you know who else was floored to see him...Yeah, looks like things are still pretty sparky between them from what I could see...But they're professionals...All-in-all, I'd say things were going pretty smoothly so far with you know what..."

A sudden smash at his door belying that last remark... "Honey, someone's just come by, lemme put you on hold a min..." he reached for the gun under his pillow and taking aim at the door, pressed the hold button on the phone... The voice of his worried wife Sam cut off... "Ril...?" as the door was smashed open...

To the accompaniment of loud calls and shouts further down the hall...

"Hold it!..."

"Riley! You son of a bitch!..." Buffy cried as she entered...

"Buffy?..." he looked at her fuming face...So angry as to make him forego the "have you lost your mind?" that had sprung to his lips...

"Drusilla tried to kill him tonight!..." Buffy came to his bedside...Tossing papers to the side...

"Dru?...Who?..."

"William, Goddamn it!...And you know why, you bastard!..." she stood at his bedside, fists clenched...

"Angel told me!...You set him up!...You put it out all over town that he was working for you clowns!"

"Buffy..." Riley sighed...Eyeing his scattered reports as he swung his legs out over the edge of the bed...She backing off a bit...

"First...Is he ok?...You did say 'Tried'..."

Yeah...She grimly nodded... "No goddamn thanks to you..."

"He agreed to let us slip the word on him...Mainly to protect you, I think..."

Oh?...she brightened momentarily...Then returned to full glare... "You set him up you..."

"Look..." he waved a hand...And rose from the bed as she pulled back a bit further... "If we 'set him up' as you say...We did it with his permission...And I can help him...And you...A whole lot better if you tell me exactly what happened and where he is..." He went to a chair and pulled the robe which had been thrown on it up, putting it on...Have a seat, he offered...Turning back to his phone on the bedside table...

"Gotta let my Sam know I'm not under assault before she calls in the Marines...Hey, honey...Nothin's happened, sweetheart, I'm fine..." he spoke into the phone...Buffy frowned and remained standing...He moving to drag another chair over and taking a seat, while holding the phone...

"Yeah, it's you know who else...Yep, a little trouble..."

"One min, Pumpkin..." he turned back to Buffy...Who was staring...She knew it was me?...

Well?...Riley eyed her...

"He's at Angel's...Burned and banged up pretty badly, lucky to be Undead...Dru tried to drug him and send him off just before dawn in a car set to fail...On the road over by Lake Geneva...You bastard, why weren't your people watching out for him?..."

"They were as much as we could risk it...Buffy, William made this choice for the sake of the mission and you..."

"Screw the mission...It's over..." she blinked a second...Then smiled, surprising him...

God it wasn't that hard at all...

"Yeah..." she nodded... "We're through, I'm going to LA with him today...Or as soon as he can go...Get someone else..."

"Is that what he's saying?..."

"He's only the fall guy...Your fall guy...I'm the lead operative and I say, it's over..."

"Wish your husband and his buddies felt that way..." Riley eyed her...

"Except for Henri and his mom...They're all just human..."

And now Dru...Riley noted...

"I got faith in you and your guys, Riley...Besides what do I pay taxes for if you and your folks can't deal with a few neo-Nazis with vamp connections?"...

Noises in the hall...Riley looked over...

Took 'em long enough...I'd be dead by now...he frowned as three burly men in black suits wearing dark sunglasses entered...Guns at the ready for two, the third at least prepared with crossbow...

"Mr. Finn!..." the first called to him...

"It's fine, Termin...Countess d'Vestigy...My old friend..." he eyed the agent carefully... "Just came by with some serious news about a mutual friend of ours who was injured last night..."

She thought, him being an American...Of sorts...The embassy might be able to help arrange any medical care he might need...That's all...A hard look...

"And gentlemen...A little more haste next time...I might really have needed you..."

"Yes, sir..." Termin nodded...The others nodded to Riley as well, scanned the room carefully, and backing out slowly, turned and headed off down the hall...

"Aren't those your own guys?..." Buffy looked after them...

"Best to keep a story going, especially with Drusilla on the other side...If one's ever taken for interrogation by the enemy, all he can tell them or her is what I've told him..."

"She'd cut to the chase..." Buffy shook her head... "And did..." she glared again...

"But he's ok?..."

"Undead, thank..." she paused at the somewhat ludicrous addition of "god"... "He's in one piece, barely..."

Barely...she repeated... "God, what do you people want from us?...Why can't you, all of you..." she shook her head... "Haven't we performed enough for you?...What does it take to satisfy you?...Why can't you leave us alone?..." she burst into tears...

"Buffy...I'm sorry..." Riley rose and moved to her chair...

"We got the call...They called Angel cause he's Will's boss...His number was in his jacket...And the moment the phone rang..." she closed her eyes... "I was sure they'd taken him away from me again...Like they always do...Like you always do, you people..."

"But the worst of it was..." she sighed... "I've seen him hurt worse..."

I've hurt him worse...

"Damn you people...What are we, your guardians?...Your parents?...Leave us alone..." she was sobbing now... "Leave us alone, leave us..."

"Buffy, I want to help..."

"Sure you do..." she lifted her head... "You wanna keep the troops in there, keep us idiots happy and committed...Ready to charge like half-assedly dimwitted members of the Light Brigade

..I know the routine..."

I've used it...I've used it...she shook her head...

"Listen...Did anyone see you at Angel's hotel?...Buffy, it was crazy for you to go there..."

"I went to see two old friends, one who'd been hurt..." she eyed him...

Fair enough...he nodded...Suppressing a smile...Damn, I knew she was cut out for this line of work...

"I'll get him into a hospital we use...I'm sure he'll be back to normal in a day or two, given his physiology..."

"Right...Vamps being worthless whether souled or no, lets throw him right back in..." she said coldly...

"He's doing this for good reasons...Besides you..." Riley pulled the phone over... "Pumpkin, it's ok...You know who got hurt but he'll be ok...Yeah, Geneva can be a rough place...I am always watching out for any 'accidents', sweetie...I just have to finish here, hon and I'll call you back...Love, ya..."

He pressed another line... "This is Riley Finn at the American embassy...A US citizen, Mr. William Soames Walthrop, is coming in for treatment... Please see his case expedited...And he is a special case, please pull his file beforehand and have the right people assigned to him...Call me when he's brought in..."

Thanks...she nodded as he hung up and turned to her... "I'll get back to Angel's and bring him over..."

I'm sorry, Riley...she stared at him... "I hope you won't have too much trouble replacing me..."

"It'll be impossible..." he said flatly... "The mission will fail and thousands, maybe millions, will die..."

She turned beet red..."Goddamit...! Who the hell are you to lecture me?...I've saved the world...A lot..."

And so has William...With little enough thanks...

"Which is why it would be a shame to let it all go to waste..."

"I'm going to William...I'm taking him to your hospital and the moment he can leave, we're gonna do just that...Get Giles to send you a thousand Slayers and hit their HQ while Henri is still reading my goodbye note..."

"They're not the prize here...You know that...We have to know where they're planning to obtain the weapons and who is helping them...We hit them like that now and we lose everything...The survivors'll go underworld and take the stuff with them..."

"You expect me to go back to Henri, that bastard...After he tried to sic Dru on William?...And go on playing Buffy the loving newlywed?..."

He's probably guessed about me and Will in any case...Knows I've been yankin' his chain...

"It may not have been his order...In any case, I doubt he suspects you...I rather get the impression he'd prefer..." he hesitated...

"Yeah..." she nodded... "So did Will...And he's ashamed for me, rightly...After all, in the old days all I did was kill 'em...Now...I pretend I give a damn about 'em..."

But then I had a whole year's practice with William before I started on Henri...No wonder I've done so well...

"I don't believe Will is ashamed of you, Buf..."

"He should be..." she whispered... "Look at what I've become...Worst of it is, I can't even blame you, you son of a bitch..."

"Thanks..." Riley eyed her coolly...She stared back a moment...

"I have to get out of this, Riley..." she said quietly... "Please let me get out of this...Before I lose him again...Before it destroys me..."

He sighed and nodded, smiling now... "All right...It's up to you, Buf...And I guess, in the end, we will find a way if we're meant to...With or without you..."

"Gee...Thanks for trying to ease things..." she frowned..."As for Henri's poor lil' heart...That's too bad for him but at least he gets off unstaked...By me, anyway..." she rose... "I'll see you around LA sometime...Bring Sam, we'll all do the town..."

"It's always been your call, Summers...But what if he chooses to finish the job?...With or without you?..."

"Eh...I'm very experienced at knocking him out, no problem..." a faint grin...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part K...

"I cannot tell you, Mr. Walthrop..." Henri's aristocratic voice sighed... "How distressed I am to hear of this horrible attempt on your person by that tormented fiend..."

A terrible thing to have such a monster loose here...Tragically pathetic as her case may be...he shook his head... "Naturally I must be cautious in contacting our local law-enforcement authorities on a matter like this but I assure you I'll see that every effort is made to find and destroy this creature..."

"I'll find her..." Buffy noted grimly...Standing at D'Vestigy's side in a quite stylish casual suit and unbuttoned overcoat...Her rather jaunty hat and scarf at odds with her manner...

Hard to believe she'd spent most of the last few hours helping Angel find, then tend to me after the cops called him, before racing off to the embassy and then home to change and prepare to meet the hubs...William thought as he stared up at his two visitors...Aside from her anger, she looked fresh as a daisy...Though perhaps just a tad pale...

"Angel shoulda taken her out years ago...But I'll settle her hash once and for all..."

"Darling..." Henri looked at her set face... "Little as I doubt you could 'handle' Drusilla, I want you to leave this to my staff...I'm sure Mr. Walthrop would agree..."

"Yes..." Will nodded, wincing slightly as several badly burned, newly bandaged areas on face and neck moved... "But I'd rather you'd not kill her if it's possible...Poor lamb can't help what she is...Angel and I may still be able to help her..."

"I'll help her...To eternal bliss in the next world..." Buffy replied...Then shook her head... "Maybe you're right Henri...I'll try and leave it to your people...If they can handle it..."

Guess I'm itching for a little Slayer work these days...she noted to William...Patting his hand a bit absently a moment...

"I can have my people try to take her Undead...If that's what you wish, my friend..." Henri smiled faintly at Will... "But have you any idea why she chose to assault you here...?"

"Not a clue unless she's come up with some anniversary or something important about the place to her that I've long forgotten...Perhaps she simply came to town by chance and couldn't pass up the opportunity of expressing her feelings towards me...In any case, don't have your people take any risks...Just if they can dart or stun her, you can call our people in...We have Angel's curse and could try that if we can get to her...At least to see what her soul wants..."

"Yes...Angelus' curse..." D'Vestigy nodded... "Excellent...I'll give the orders and we shall hope for the best...If she's still in Geneva, Switzerland, or Europe my people will find her eventually..."

"Angel's got our guys and gals on the hunt as well...I'm sure between us we'll take her..."

Indeed...A benevolent beam...

"Are you feeling any better, Will?..." Buffy asked...

"A bit...Nothing like that ole vamp physiology to pull one to a quick recovery...And Angel's had some 'special' medical care in...I expect I'll be fine a few days..."

"That's very good to hear..." Henri smiled warmly...

"Yeah..." Buffy was a bit preoccupied...

"As soon as you're better, you must come out to our place in the country...The views are quite spectacular...My mother tells me she's already invited you, so I hope you won't stand on ceremony but come at your leisure..."

"Thanks...Love to..." Will nodded... "Maybe in a few days..."

"We'll arrange a party...Perhaps your Mr. Angel can attend as well...What do you think, dearest?...About time we brought the old place to life again..." Henri turned to Buffy...

"Why not...?" she waved a hand...Staring at William a moment... "No shortage of room...You should see the place, Will..."

"Soon as they'll let me out of here..." he agreed...

"Well...Henri?...I think we'd better let Will get his rest..." Buffy turned to the door...Avoiding eye contact with her husband who was still regarding William...And maintaining his trademark warm and benevolently welcoming air...

Impressive acting ability, William thought...But I'd say my Buffy wins out, hands down...Considering she was bent on killing him when she left me at Angel's...

Interesting she wound up instead threatening poor ole Finn at his digs...Or so Angel said when he brought me over here...And we found things remarkably well set up to deal with the relatively unusual case of William Soames Walthrop...

Workin' for Uncle Sam...Even if only by rumor...Has its advantages, obviously...

"Yes, I suppose we should...I will be in contact with your office and Mr. Angel regarding our lady friend..." Henri nodded decisively to Will...

'Lady friend' indeed, if my memories of our little encounter with your minions in 1894 are correct...Will thought...

"It was very good to meet you at last, William...Even if the immediate circumstances were unfortunate..." the Immortal offered a firm handshake...And departed the room, his devoted wife on his arm...Will looking after them...

Should I clap for both of them or what?...he wondered...

Buffy came running back, a sheepish expression... "God, left my purse..." she smiled at him, picking the purse up from the chair she'd set it down on ten minutes before... "Need anything before I go?...How about some water?..." she pulled a half-filled glass over from the bedside table...

"Take some...I've told Riley we're through..." she whispered harshly, holding the glass by his head ... "Tell me you think Henri was behind this and I'll kill him right now in the stairwell before I tell his ashes it's over..."

A unique way to correct a marital mistake...Will thought, lifting head with some effort to reach the glass' straw and dropping back on the pillow after a short sip...

"I don't know Buf...But I don't think Dru was acting on her own..."

Fine...she nodded, setting the glass down and looking through the open door, down the hall... "Got it, honey...Be right there!..." she held the purse up to where D'Vestigy, now stopped partway down the hall could see and shook it...

"I'll just tell his Undead walking corpse it's over and after I find Dru, I'll rent a room as close to here as I can..."

"Buffy..."

"Don't...Don't you dare...We're done, it's over...You want me to shout it down the hall?..." she turned... "Henri!..."

"Then I'll do the job without you...You know I'm rather fancying this James Bond stuff...Maybe Riley or our people can fix me up with some gadgets as along as everyone thinks I'm their man in Geneva..."

She stared at him...Face reddening..."You...You'll never believe in me?...Fine...Henri!..." she called, turning...

After slamming something, a small, thin book down on Will's bedside table...A rather old volume he casually noted...

"Dearest?..." the Immortal returned, rather quickly... Looking a bit puzzled...And concerned...

"Sorry...William's being noble and wanted to tell you..." she glared at Will in his bed... "Again, to go easy on Drusilla..."

"Certainly, if that's your wish, Mr. Walthrop...I assure you, we will proceed as carefully as possible..." he nodded...

"Thanks..."

"Some guys are just morons for love when it comes to old girlfriends..." Buffy said coolly... "Well, lets hope she doesn't get another crack at you...I'll call you in a day or so and see how you're doing..." Turning away and hurriedly moving down the hall before a somewhat startled Immortal followed after her...

William turned to the table, taking up the old, thin book...On the cover... "The Collected Poems of William Soames Walthrop..." He stared a moment, then opened...To see on the inside cover...

"For my beloved William...Always in my heart...

Cicely..."

Underneath, in fresh ink...A hasty scrawl...

"Love is not a word I use lightly...Love, Buffy...

And, yeah...It did cost a fortune...

PS. Who is she?..."

"You think I'm being too hard on her?…"

"Yep…"

"You think I should believe she'd quit, for me?…"

"I would…"

"You believe she'd give up the mission?...For my sake?..."

"Not really…" Angel sighed… "But she wants to believe that…And she wants you to believe it…And damn it Will, since you know she can't…For damned good reasons…Why can't you cut her a break and try to believe she would if she could?…"

"You wouldn't give up a mission?…For Nina?..."

A sigh… "I sure as hell wouldn't tell you…If I would throw one, it would be for her alone and something I would not share with anyone else…If I wouldn't, it would only be because I'd honestly believe it was worth it, for her sake as well as the world's…"

"So I'm asking too much?..."

"You are…And you could get her and a lot of people killed if you go on pushing her…She will end up doing something to blow the mission, her cover or both…Unfortunately, though, if you pull out now, she'll feel obligated to do that…"

"Fine kettle of fish…"

"You wanted the job…Slayer's mate I mean…" Angel smiled as Will stared at him…"I couldn't handle it myself…But if you can get over the bug stuck up your ass, you might just do…"

"Sorry, I'm not the noble self-sacrificing type… 'Darling the problems of three little people doesn't amount to a hill of beans…' line doesn't work for me…"

"God knows I know that…And maybe it's why she loves you…You appeal to that side of her that hates everything about the Slayer and Duty…"

"Jury's still…"

"Don't be a fool, Will…She will die for you, don't make her prove it…"

"Where is she now?…Home?...With her hubby?"

Angel sighed again… "Will, I've told you…When we got that call, when we weren't sure about you…She was ready to follow you…Utterly calm, totally ready to go with you wherever you'd gone…I knew it without her saying a word all during the trip over and back with you…"

"It's killing her what you're doing to her…I'm beggin' you to stop…"

"And do what…?"

"Tell her you believe her then go on and get the job done…"

"Then what?..." William eyed his employer, pulling back a badly burned hand on the sheet… "Go back to LA like a dutiful, noble ex and never trouble her again?...I've already tried to…"

"Then it will be you and her…And up to the two of you…"

Silence…Then a smile…

"So you couldn't hack it?... 'Mr. Buffy Summers' not quite your cup, eh?…"

"That and knowin' she'd never put me before the mission…Much as she'd've loved me…" Angel looked at Will directly…

"And I'm supposed to…?"

"I think you know you have to…If you want the job as much as I think you do, you will…But if you don't, if you can't hack it…Tell her now and let her move on…"

She's only human, if super…Don't make her die for you, Will…You might not get her back this time…

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part L...

Sounds of sobbing...

"Now, there there..."

"Oooohhh!..."

"It's really quite..."

"Ahhhhh..."

"Drusilla...Please..." Henri tried a gentle pat...

"I'm soooo...Sor...Sorry..." she sobbed...

"Now, now...We all know it wasn't your fault...All of us...Gentlemen..." he eyed the video monitors where the members of his inner circle could be seen...This time dear Maman included as the sole female member...

"Really?..." Dru looked at the faces...

"Of course, my poor child..." Bauman spoke kindly from his screen... "The Immortal has explained the incident to our satisfaction...We understand you did everything you could..."

"Certainly..." Matisse echoed from his screen... "And we do value your services highly..."

"Emil?..." she looked at the somewhat less nervous, thanks to being a reasonable distance away, portly man... "Yes, indeed...I myself have known such disappointments at times..." he nodded with rather charming smile...She smiling back vaguely...

On her own screen the Countess rolling eyes...Merde...

"Mademoiselle...Drusilla?...Since your failure what have you done to rectify the situation?...Are you keeping track of Mr. Walthrop?..."

Maman...A bit harsh...Henri eyed the Countess' screen as Dru blinked at the rather comfortless voice...

"I've told the Immortal's people to watch Angel's hotel and their office building...And the hospital he was taken to..." she replied in somewhat nervous voice...

The job...All the little people following Dru's behests without even a stare...And especially the pay...Having become somewhat attractive to her...

"And have they learned...Anything?..." the exasperated lady frowned at her...If only Henri would have taken my advice and our dear Buffy, then we might have had trustworthy competent help for this one...

Sadly now, even if she were to go and risk upsetting poor Henri...With his ridiculous notions of being loved without compulsion...Walthrop would detect her transformation...

Though still if this bizarre fool failed again...An option...

"No one from the embassy appears to have tried to contact him there..." Dru offered... "So he may be communicating through Angel..."

"Excellent...Very well done..." Bauman noted, encouragingly...The other gentlemen all nodding...

"We need a little more than that, dear..." the Countess glared at the smiling faces on her screens back at the D'Vestigy estate...What a load of moronic dolts...

Excepting of course my poor boy...She glanced to the main screen on which Henri remained at Dru's side...Who is merely exquisitely sensitive to feeling...Perhaps to his detriment at times...

Though it is so like him and his gallant soul to defend the miserable wretch...

"We need Mr. Walthrop disposed of, before he can interfere with our plans..."

And wreck my poor boy's happiness...she grimly thought...

Enough that I've accepted a Slayer into my home...Now that's she a member of the family and as long as my boy wants her...Whether I trust her or no...

She stays a d'Vestigy...

Though it would be so much easier to insure her absolute fidelity with a bite and perhaps a few drugs...she sighed...Well, too late for that now...

"Yes, ma'am..." Dru had grasped the nature of power in this little circle...

"I think I should have a chance...He'll be searching for me, if what he told Henri..."

A very hard glare registering on the Countess' monitor...

Uh... "The Immortal...About wanting to take me Undead is true..."

"Oh, but you must be careful, Drusilla..." Emil cut in...Anxious... "He plans to use the Angelus curse on you..."

"Which would hardly be of help to us..." the Countess glared... "Under such circumstances I prefer to terminate your service with us..."

Maman...Henri reproved...Dru looking extremely anxious herself now...

"We cannot risk exposure, my son...If the young...Lady...Here were ensouled and revealed what she knows of us..."

"I'd be quite insane, you know...Angel...Angelus did a very through job on me..." Dru noted eagerly...

"Besides the curse requires a little time and focus...I would detect its employment and could escape..." she tried... "In any case William's kind interest in sparing me does offer us another opportunity..."

As does...This...she pulled out a magazine...Turned to a page where an ad was prominently displayed...

"Drusilla?...Is that..." Matisse stared at her face smiling warmly from the page, Dru? decked out in elegant gown, an attentive man at her side...

"No..." Dru beamed... "She's an actress...And the reason I initially came to Geneva, before..." she stopped as the Countess frowned slightly... "the Immortal contacted me...This is Ms. Juliet Landau...And she is here in Geneva, filming a commercial...At night..." she smiled...

"I was hoping to finally meet her...I've followed her career for years...But was never able to catch up with her at night..."

Not meaning her any harm...she hastily noted... "I just thought it would be fun to meet her and get her autograph...She's worked with Johnny Depp you know...I'm also a big fan of his..." she went on...

"And how, may I ask..." the Countess cut in, annoyed at the indulgence of as well as the silly chatter of her son's rather less than brilliant choice of new chief lieutenant in the field...

"If William learned a young woman identical to me was here, working at night..." Drusilla smiled... "At the very least he'd check her out..."

Spike was never caught up much by individual actors, he preferred following the film's story...

"I don't think he's ever heard of her...She's quite underrated...He'll want to know if it's me, disguising myself...Or if he does know of her, at least make sure the young lady is all right...Too much coincidence my being here at the same time...He knows me very well, you see..."

"When...?" Matisse asked...

"A few evenings from now...Just in time for William to have recovered...And for me to see that he learns of her presence in Geneva..."

Hmmn...A collective ponder on screen...

"I can employ my staff until the right moment in case he tries the curse first...Then one of several options will be available..." she beamed... "None of which will leave a track back to us..."

"It will be after our party on Thursday?..." Henri cut in...

Buffy is so looking forward to it now...I would hate to mar it...

William's hospital room...The next afternoon...

"So, how's the patient...?" Buffy strolled in, a warm smile to the seated Angel, not a care in the world...

"I'll be out tomorrow..." William told her from his seated position in bed...Where he'd been watching TV fitfully, Angel likewise...

"What's on...Oh, 'Gilmore Girls' rerun..."

"Rory's having trouble fitting in again at school..." Angel noted...

Sounds like Dawn..." Buffy eyed the screen briefly... "But what's Mom wearin'?..."

"Rory and Grandma'll straighten her out..." Will shook his head...

"I suppose...So, you're just about ready to leave?..."

"And resume my critical duties as junior paper-signer at our firm, yes..." he nodded... "Angel's tried to sign as fast as his wrist would allow but it's a desperate sit...A Champion, junior level, is required..."

"I'm sure you'll make out well..." she said, noncommitally... "You got our formal invite today?...The party's set for Thursday if you're up to it..."

"Right here, delivered by messenger...Tres elegant..." Will held up the monogrammed envelope and card...

"Great... 'Fraid it's formalwear, boys...Hope you can bear up..."

"We'll be the belles of the ball..." Will nodded...Eyeing her bland and untroubled face a moment...Hesitating...

Either she doesn't want to or is afraid to...But as Angel noted, by note, to me...We probably are being watched by now...

"I'm sorry Nina can't come...No chance she could fly out by Thursday, I'm dying to meet the one you finally went into a noose and chain for?..." she grinned at Angel...

"Her sis is sick...She hates to leave her...But she'll try to come if things improve...She definitely will come out within the next week if I stay that long..."

"Great...We'll do something whenever she comes...Well, so long as you got him in hand and he's not climbin' the walls...I'd best be going..." she came to the bed...

"Thanks for the book, Buffy..." Will told her, staring into her eyes...

"Just a token of my affection for the guy who helped me out a few times..." she stared back...

"I believe you..." he whispered as she bent to kiss his cheek... "And she was the girl I tole you about...From that night Dru found me..."

"Careful, I saw at least one guy keeping a watch outside...They may have people in here..." she whispered back..."No, you don't...Ironic, huh?..." pressing something, a square of paper he realized, into his hand...

"And no girl rejects you like that and then goes and does a thing like that book unless she loved you or is crazier than Dru...Or both..."

She got up with a smile, and with a quick kiss to Angel, headed out, waving... "Thursday at seven-thirty!..."

Angel looking at Will as William felt and carefully unfolded the paper square under the sheet...Something hard inside...

Three keys...

."Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part M...

The American embassy, Geneva...

"Sure there was no surveillance on them?..." a firm look...

No, sir...All clear...The two men-in-black who'd picked up and brought the three visitors in nodded...

"All right, but keep a look out...We have to assume they're being watched constantly..." Riley dismissed the two who gave renewed nods and headed out...

"At least we hope so..." he smiled to his three guests, fixing on the last... "So, things went ok?...No problems?..." he eyed the two male members of the group...

"And I trust you boys do appreciate that I assigned my most valuable operative to assist you?..."

"Thank God we had her..." Angel noted... "We'd never have made it..."

"I expected no less..." Finn nodded, winking at his most valuable operative...Busily fussing at Angel's cufflinks...

"The mall was a little busy...But we found the tux shop no problem...There, you're all set..." she smiled...

"Well...?" Riley grinned at his newly arrived Samantha, she eyeing the two formerly foul creatures of the night in front of them...

Both now twisting in exquisite discomfort in formal tuxes...Angel trying to twist his collar a bit wider with inserted finger...

Maybe Nina's right about my weight...he thought, a bit embarrassed...A few too many two-hour corporate lunches...

William trying to pull his sleeves down...Tole' 'em it was too short in the arms...

"They look great...You look great, boys..." Sam kindly lied... "But then being from your eras, you'd know how to wear a suit..."

Really?...Both beamed...

"Here's your stuff..." she handed them what looked like two sets of earplugs... "The 'plugs' are micro earphone receivers, your shirt sticking..." she offered Angel one, then William...Each with a large black top... "Are the transmitters, micro video recorders, and radiation detectors...You'll hear the Geiger clicks through the earphones..." She assisted the fumbling Angel in securing the pin...Will, a bit more experienced with that sort of thing..."Like this, poof...", grinning as he adjusted his...

"Ok, now as to the point of this thing..." Riley cut in... "Have you two got a plan?..."

"I've got the keys Buffy slipped me...Angel will keep a lookout and while showing the monkey suit round, will try to keep His Worthlessness busy...I'll try to get off and meet her alone...Or at least slip off and have a look round..."

"Is it wise for you and Buffy to meet alone there?..." Sam asked...

Will shrugged... "I'll have to get some directions from her as well as get the keys back to her...If we get caught together, she can just say I'm pestering her with my undying Undead devotion again..."

Or maybe I'll just tell ole Henri she couldn't keep her hands off me...a grin...

"I still can't quite believe he buys her act..." Sam shook her head... "Is she that...?"

She broke off at Will's hard stare...

"I mean, I know she does her best...What I mean is..."

"He seems to..." William replied curtly... "And our Buffy is quite good at getting men to believe in her..."

Sam looked at Riley who sighed...

"Will..."

"She givin' her all for the mission, I know the song...I've heard it many times...Don't worry about it..."

Well, he'll certainly be convincing as the unable-to-let-go-exlover...Sam thought...

"What about Drusilla?..." she tried a deflection...

"I doubt she'd try anything at her boss' party...No, I think we'll have a break from her attentions tonight..." Angel noted...

"Poor thing, hope he'd had the courtesy to explain the sit to her, she'll be sad not being invited...Dru always loved parties..." Will sighed... "So, Finn...What exactly am I looking for tonight?...I don't imagine dear Henri keeps a bunch of nuclear warheads in his basement..."

"With Buffy's help we've traced and identified every shipment his companies have made from the Middle East, Central Asia, Siberia...All have been clean...But we know his group is acquiring weapons-grade material from corrupt or renegade Russian groups...The only possible storage point is the D'Vestigy estate itself, probably brought in by his own private vehicles..."

"He wouldn't need a fleet of trucks...?"

"Not for this stuff, but it's got to be very well shielded in some way...He'd have to bring it in small amounts, store it there, and ship it out to wherever, again in small amounts...It's the shielding that's puzzling us, but he has some of the best scientific minds on the planet, including this fellow..." Riley put a image of Dr. Bauman on a projection screen across from them...

"Dr. Felix Bauman...Top nuclear physicist...An expert on plutonium production for weapons...And in methods for storage and transport...Many ties in the former Soviet Union...And we believe, the key man in the Immortal's nuclear effort...You can expect to see him tonight...Old friend of the family..."

"Convenient..." Will nodded...

"And this fellow, you may have seen him with Buffy or the Countess, Will?..." William eyed the image on screen, shaking his head...

"Eric Matisse...Supposedly the Immortal's estate manager and driver, in fact the Circle's number two man...Who from all accounts believes he's the better choice for number one...Human, but don't underestimate him, fellas...A top agent who's worked for both sides during the Cold War and is quite up on all things occult as well..."

More important, maybe...Riley paused... "He's the best man in place to eliminate Buffy if her cover gets blown, assuming ole Henri would prefer not to do it himself...He's around her most of the time and I'm sure is pretty well briefed on her abilities..."

"So kill him first if things go south..." Will gave the image a careful stare...

So Pumpkin's right...He does still love her...God, don't let him screw things up...Sam thought...

"And this is Emil Krupka...Top metallurgist..." Emil's round face appeared on screen... "A long-time employee of the Immortal's various companies, heavily involved in this project with Bauman, though Buffy hasn't been able to get much specific on what they're up to...He'd probably be the one doing the technical work on shielding the material Bauman obtains..."

"Nice that the Immortal and his Maman let the staff into their parties..."

"And the Circle's political front man...William Fichmer, a supposed moderate conservative, very capable, says all the right things, very likely the next Chancellor of Austria...Their ticket to a national base if he wins..."

"Nothing so nice as having the people vote them into power..." Will frowned...

"They don't know him like we do...But exposing his hand here could torpedo his chances..." Riley stared at the image...

"Not even the Germans ever voted Hitler into power..." Sam noted... "It was a backroom deal after the 1932 elections...If you guys could get the stuff to prove where this one really stands..."

"Don't suppose Osama will be at the party?..." Angel tugged at his collar again... "Getting him on camera shaking hands with this one or the Immortal in some back room over their nukes deal would probably clinch things..."

"Fraid not...Though he's probably got a representative here, ready to deal..."

"Not at Buf's party...Henri's far too good a hubs to spoil things bringing his sordid business dealings home..." William said coldly...

"Will...You've got to be cool-headed on this...It's not a simple kill-or-be-killed operation this time..." Riley turned off his laptop projector and Fichmer's image faded out...

"I'm quite cool all over, Finn...Goes with the vamp bod...Take your wifey out for a nice dinner on Angel's expense account and don't worry your all-American head about me..."

Really?...Sam beamed...

Play

"Moon over Miami

Shine on my love and me

So we can stroll beside the roll

Of the rolling sea

Moon over Miami

Shine on as we begin

A dream or two that may come true

When the tide comes in

Hark to the song of the smiling troubadours

Hark to the throbbing guitars

Hear how the waves offer thunderous applause

After each song to the stars

Moon over Miami

You know we're waiting for

A little love, a little kiss

On Miami shore..."

"Someone's got a finely weird sense of humor..." William noted to Angel as they stood just within the vast front hall of the D'Vestigy estate north of Geneva...An orchestra playing from the far back wall, a vast crowd of the elite of Europe and several other continents milling about before them...

"It's the song Dru played for me on my little would-be ride to Eternity..." he explained...

"Gentlemen, the Countess is waiting for you...This way, please..." the distinguished butler who'd gone to announce them had returned...

"Ah, poof...If only Grandma Darla could see us now..." Will hissed, a grin as they strode through the magnificent hall...

"She'd tell me...Before trying to kill us both...I still hadn't learned how to wear a suit..." Angel replied... "Though she'd rip you apart, even her soul in Heaven, for that 'grandma' bit..."

"Fellas..." the waiting Buffy, decked out in simple, yet elegantly stunning white gown with hair bunned and crowned by a shimmeringly beautiful tiara, extended white-gloved hands to them...

"You look like idiot waiters..." she grinned...

"Henri will be with us sooner or later...He's making the rounds..." Buffy noted in answer to Angel's polite question as to their host...

William looking about the hall... "You like my new digs...?" she grinned to him

"Bitch to heat in the winter..." he noted...

"Eh, we go to the Rivera or Rio then..." she waved a hand...

"So, Angel...We've had no time to catch up...How's things?..." she turned to him... "Had to kill much of the remaining W-H staff or they been accepting the new sit with survivor aplomb?..."

"Mr. Walthrop..." the elder Countess came to Will from a knot of guests as he moved a bit off from Buffy and Angel... "I am so glad you felt well enough to come...It was so distressing to hear of your accident..." she pulled him off to one side, away from other guests...Throwing a quick smile at Buffy and Angel as Buffy nodded and waved slightly to her...

"Thanks, I'm quite recovered...More of an incident though, I'd say..."

"Yes, that horrible creature...Have you and Henri had any fortune in tracing her?..."

"Not as yet...Angel's had our people out but Dru is a survivor and quite clever for all her mental problems...Haven't caught up with your son yet so I don't know what his folks have come up with..."

"Well, I feel sure you will locate her and give the poor thing the peace she deserves..." the Countess nodded... "Have you seen much of the house and grounds yet?..."

"We've just arrived..."

"Well, then..." the Countess offered an arm... "As our Buffy has things well in hand with our other guests, allow me the pleasure...I rarely tour the whole place myself these days..."

"By all means, Countess..." Will bowed slightly...

Odd the way the old manners come right back to one, he thought...Almost like being back in London in the old human days...He let the Countess lead him through the hall...

"Countess..." Bauman nodded to her, with several others in his knot of guests, as she halted by him, Will in tow...

"Mr. William Walthrop, this is Dr. Felix Bauman, a dear friend...And Emil Krupka..." she smiled at the now-somewhat-less-relaxed Emil...Who eyed Walthrop with a certain nervous suspicion...

"Mr. Walthrop...The Countess has told us a great deal about you..." Bauman smiled pleasantly, extending a hand...

"Indeed...I wouldn't think there was that much to say about me...Are you a medical doctor, Dr. Bauman?..."

"No, no...My interest is not professional, my boy...No, I'm a physicist...On the Immortal's scientific team...Though I must confess I do have a great interest in metaphysics and the occult..."

"Occult?..." a lovely, well-dressed young woman in the group asked...

"Mr. Walthrop is quite an expert on the occult, my dear..." Bauman smiled... "Personal experience, one might say..."

"Only within a very narrow range, doctor..."

"And have you other interests, Mr. Walthrop?..." Emil asked, a bit tense...Blushing slightly as both Bauman and the Countess eyed him...

"One has to, Mr. Krupka...How's about you?..."

"Ah, our Emil has only one passion..." Bauman cut in... "Metallurgy...He is one of Europe's greatest..."

"But you work with the former Wolfram-Hart firm, don't you, Mr. Walthrop?..." Emil pressed, hoping to recover a bit of ground with his perturbed superiors by a clever query or two...

"It's a totally new organization now, sir...But yes, for some bizarre reason, I've been appointed head of the European branch...Are you that familiar with us?..."

"The world knew Wolfram-Hart..." Emil replied... "It was quite an amazing change, your and Mr. Angel's take-over..."

"Distinctly hostile, I'm afraid...But it seems you too have an interest in the occult, sir?..."

Ummn...Emil blinked, blushing more deeply... "No, not at all...Just that your story, from the Countess..."

"What's the Wolfram-Hart company got to do with the occult?..." the young lady asked...

"Well, you see..." Will grinned, winking at the Countess... "It was an evil firm, run from Hell...I'm a vampire who regained his human soul, as did my partner over there...And together, with some help from our hostess over there's organization of vampire slayers, we overthrew the demons running the old place, drove them from Earth, and ..."

"Very funny..." the lady frowned...Emil now sweating profusely, Bauman and the Countess smiling indulgently...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part N...

"So..." Angel took two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter...Thanks...Passing one to Buffy beside him...

"Not exactly the way we once thought we might end up..." he noted...A hair ruefully...

"No..." Buffy shook her head... "But we'll always have Sunnydale..." she grinned, patting him... "And I won't forget...Ever..."

"Me neither..." he smiled...

"Nina ok with that?..." she asked, a sly grin...

"You and me, no problem, thanks to Angelus I have an out...It's a few other ladies in LA I have trouble explaining..." he eyed her...

"Yeah...I know...And tell her I didn't buy the 'I was never truly happy with any of them' excuse either..." she returned the stare... "But at least happiness can be yours now...Or so I understand...?"

"The modification to the curse has taken the whammy off..." he nodded...

"One of the benefits of learning the corporate player game, I guess...In the good cause...Still can't see you behind a desk in a suit every day, though..." she noted, smiling...

"I try to duck it whenever possible...Fortunately I have Charlie Gunn with me still and can dump it off on him... "

"And you have...(my) William..." she eyed him...Dropping the my to almost inaudible level...

"For want of a...Please, better word...Yeah, I 'have' him...But he's even less willing to accept the chair and desk..."

'Though as I told you, he has come through for us, many times..." he looked at her...She smiling rather warmly at the last...

Was it simply because he was there that year when she came back?... And I let her down?...he wondered, staring at her pleased face...

Or was it always there, from the moment they met?...Finn told me it was never me he was afraid of with her...And that it wasn't my name she woke up screaming...Crying out for in her dreams...

They paused to greet several guests, including a former President of the United States and his Secret Service entourage...

"Glad to know we have potential back-up tonight..." Angel whispered as they moved to a more secluded spot near the vast porch windows...

"God, lets hope not...This is supposed to be intelligence-gathering, not a slugfest..." Buffy replied...Looking round... "Where is Will anyway...?..."

"With your mother-in-law, last I saw him...I think she's taken a fancy to him..."

Her return stare caught him by surprise...Slayer locked on target...

"No offense..."

"None taken..." she replied quickly... "Maman's just worried about him and me, under the genteel exterior she's rather possessive of ole Henri...I kinda would rather Will didn't hang too close to her tonight..."

"Should I go and try a retrieval?..." he suggested...

"Nah, he'll get free of her...Just we don't have lots of time to do this...I've got get him to the cellar before things get too busy for me to duck out..." she patted the rear of her hair bun...

"Maybe I...?"

"He's got the keys...Lets leave Henri with one ex-lover to get steamed about..." she noted... "And it might make Nina a lil' nervous to hear we went off alone...Even for a mission..."

Perhaps not a bad idea, he thought...Saying nothing...

"You think the stuff is down there...?"

"There or in the stables or the garage or God knows...But it's a place to start...There he is..." she beamed...

"Hey, Will!..." she waved at him as he walked with the Countess and Dr. Baumann...Emil nervously watched from another group of guests he'd joined... "Having a good time?..." she called...Will waving back, a nod...

"Lets head his way...We can break off in a bit..."

"Sounds good..." Angel nodded...She gave him a quick glance as several guests approached...

"Say, Angel..." she turned to one, a tall, commanding figure, dark-haired...

"This is Hans Vanderhoos...Hans, Liam Angel...You two have something in common..." she grinned...Angel shaking the offered hand as Vanderhoos eyed him carefully... "Hans is the head of Interpol...I understand his people are investigating the new organization that took over Wolfram-Hart and their organization in Europe..."

"Really?..." Angel replied... "So those were your boys pokin' round our place the other day?...Sorry..."

The Countess had pulled William away from the other guests as they moved round the vast hall...They now had reached the same area Buffy and Angel had stood at a few moments ago...

Buffy glancing over to them as she and Angel continued their conversation with the head of Interpol...Angel politely noting his new firm was pleased to cooperate with the ongoing investigation, so long as the investigators displayed proper credentials and warrants on being found in the office at 4 am...Buffy turning back to them, clearly amused to see Angel in defensive CEO mode...Though giving Will another sidelong glance...

Lets get a move on...

"William..." the Countess hesitated... "If I may use..." Certainly, he smiled... "Perhaps you might care to see the view from the lawn?...Just out here...I can have the staff turn down the exterior lights..."

"If you'd like...But there's no need..."

"Please...I can assure you it's one of the best views in Europe...And I have something to discuss...A request to make, actually..." she eyed him...

By all means...he spread his hands and followed her to a side door by the windows...Angel glancing over to him now as well...A slightly clouded look over Buffy's features for just a moment as she watched...

Angel's attention being suddenly diverted by the entrance of Drusilla into the hall, on the arm of a young, good-looking man...She in quite elegant dress, hair carefully done...Looking round with considerable attention, her eye catching on several famed and not so famed guests...

Dru...He gasped...Stepping towards her...Tensing for a possible quick change to fighting mode...

"Angel?..." Buffy suddenly sensed his shift and turned from Vanderhoos...Spotting Dru herself...

"Let me, Buffy..." Angel called back, moving along, now hurrying as best he could...

"No, Angel!...Wait!..." she broke off from her guest to follow...Vanderhoos staring...

Angel trying to move as quickly as possible through the crowd without attracting Dru's attention...Buffy following now, likewise carefully...

"Angel...!" she called...

"A beautiful view..." Will nodded toward the estate's main house from the spot on the lawn the Countess had led him to...

"Yes, it is one of the finest homes we've ever owned...And that is saying something..." she smiled faintly...Waiting...

"Countess?..." he eyed her... "I'm here...What was your request?..."

A deal in the makin'?...Maman hoping to save sonny boy from Uncle Sam's wrath, perhaps? he thought...

She gave him a hard stare...All nervous manner dropped...

"My request, William...Is that you leave…Geneva, certainly…Europe if your business will allow you…Or if you would consider an offer of employment in one of our American offices should Mr. Angel have no need of you in Los Angeles?...I'm asking you as a mother…" the Countess looked at him carefully… "I know you were close to yours…"

"That, I really have to warn you, Countess…Is hitting well below the belt as the Yanks say…"

"I only want to see my child happy and nothing that I can do to prevent that happiness from being marred will I overlook, sir…" a pleading look now...

"Including, perhaps, removing me from the scene permanently?..."

"I did not send Drusilla after you, William…" a hard stare… "But I might be capable of it, under the right necessity…" Again the pleading look…

"And your dear son?..."

She drew herself up proudly…"His reputation as the Immortal and acts of service to Humanity speak for themselves…"

"You didn't answer my question, Madame…"

An exchange of thin smiles...

"Nor have you answered mine, sir…But let me say one thing…I firmly believe you want Buffy's happiness…And yet you know, have known, instinctively, that you are not the man to bring it to her…She can be kept safe, loved, and well-cared for by my son…Can you say the same?...And if you cannot, do you have the right to take all that from her?..."

"I didn't come to Geneva to take Buffy from your son, Madame..."

"But if she were willing to be taken...If only out of gratitude and guilt for your sufferings on her behalf...?"

"I'd have to experience the context of that situation, Countess...Can't say as to what I would do in such a case until it happens..."

"I'd hoped your human soul would be more willing to see her happiness settled..." she eyed him coolly...

"I won't deny I'm glad to see her again but I'm here for my work, Madame ...And if I thought my presence was hurting Buffy, I would consider leaving..."

"In time it will...I assure you...She will be torn between her love and duty as a wife and her guilt over your fate..."

"And if she loves me...?" he frowned at her...

"She's had many opportunities to come to you...I understand from what I know of your relationship...And yes, I have checked into your past together...She never made any effort to help you with your unjust curse...Hardly signs of a devoted woman in..."

"You don't know..." he began...She watching him carefully...

Slip-up there, you idiot...he berated himself...She's feeling you...And Buffy...out...

"It's up to Buffy...If my presence bothers her and she wants me to leave, I'll go...End of story, Madame...Till then, I can promise you I would do nothing to mar her happiness...Assuming that she is as happy as you claim, there should be no problem..."

A cool smile... "Well, I shall have to trust to your discretion and honor, Mr. Walthrop...Thank you for hearing me out..." she offered an arm and they proceeded back, she speaking only to point out an interesting feature or two of the house and grounds...

Offhand, I'd say I'd just been given the kiss of death, Vestigy-style...Will noted to himself as they re-entered the house, the Countess thanking him as he helped her over a step hard to make out in the dark...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part O...

A rather warmly beaming Dru in elegant ball dress had now caught sight of the tall, dark, and somewhat pointy-haired fellow in tux moving toward her through the crowd...Behind him, the young and lovely Countess d'Vestigy, nee Buffy Summers, in as hot pursuit as the need not to trample and panic guests would allow...

She showed her male companion, both looking curiously at the fast-approaching man...Who seeing no immediate menace on Dru's part, had slowed a bit as he neared them...And with considerably more interest at their hostess, likewise closing...

"Dru!..." Angel called...She blinking at him...

"Excuse me?..." she stared at him as he grabbed at her arm... "Dru, be quiet and come with...I won't hurt you..."

"Hey!" the young man moved to face him... "Who is this guy?..." he addressed Dru who shrugged nervously, annoyed, perhaps a tad frightened... "Who do you think you are?..." he began...

"Angel!..." Buffy came up...Pulling hastily at him..."This isn't who you think..." she tried to smile at the couple...Other guests staring now...

Huh?...

"This is Ms. Landau, the actress...Daughter of the famous actor..." Buffy explained, a smile to the lady in question... "And this is Liam Angel, my old friend from LA...Who's very mortified to have mistaken you for another acquaintance of ours..."

Everyone always gets Dad in in introducing me...Juliet sighed...Like I have no career of my own?...Geesh...

Cute, if a bit odd in that tux...she eyed Angel...Wait...

"Liam Angel?...The head of Wolfram-Hart?..." she looked at him more carefully...

Corporate owner of some of the world's major studios...

"The firm's under reorganization..." he noted...Moping a brow sweating more from embarrassment... "Sorry, the Countess is right...I mistook you for an old friend of mine..."

The young man at the actress' side glaring now...More from his companion's lack of annoyance at the unwanted intrusion...

"Whom you weren't gonna hurt if she came quietly?..."

"Just a little personal joke..." Angel tried...Looking to a rather amused Buffy...

"And she looks that much like me?...Wow..."

"An identical twin, I'd say..." Buffy smiled...

"Is she here yet?...I'd love to meet her..."

Buffy and Angel exchanged glances... "I'm afraid not...Dru had sent her regrets just this evening...I hadn't had a chance to tell her...Foster dad here..." she smiled at Angel...

"Well, they were close as daughter and dad for a while...And I know our Dru would have loved to be here tonight to see him..."

She really does hate me for not telling her about him, doesn't she?... Angel thought, eyeing Buffy...

He doesn't seem that old...But a major corporate player can probably keep himself pretty youthful-looking...

"Excuse me, I've got to tend to a few other guests and family...Angel, why don't you show Ms. Landau round?...You can tell her all about you and Drusilla..."

"Lovely name..." the actress beamed...Her companion giving Angel a narrow look...As Buffy headed off...Distinctly giggling, Angel realized...

"Hey..."

"Hey..."

"Having a good time?..." Over here, keep it low...Buffy hissed, pulling Will back a bit toward some doors at the right upper side of the great hall...

"Delightful...Your mother-in-law was showing me the grounds..." That's not Dru with Angel over there?...He inclined his head that way...

"No...A guest who looks like her...Some actress...You oughta see the rest of the place...I have a minute, lets start with the library here..." she opened the doors...Pulling him along...

"Nice..."

"Yeah..." she gave a cautious look... "We've got quite a collection, under surveillance of course..."

"Naturally..."

"Come on over here...I'll show you the rest of the lower floor and we can go upstairs to the main collection later..." she held open an ornately carved door at the rear...

Ok...The hallway's not so carefully monitored...she hissed...

"And here's the way to the main kitchen..."

"Is that a Monet?..." he eyed the painting hanging in its own nook under glass...

"Oh, yeah...Henri was a personal friend..."

"Just through here..." she pulled him through a door...

"Great pl..." he began as she whirled him into a closet, shutting the door...

Wait...she hissed, covering his lips first with a finger, then kissing him...

Then flipping a light...

"Will, William..." she kissed him again...

Ummn...He felt her arm firmly round him...

Abandon, yes...But somehow not quite total...

Wait, let me check...she looked round...Carefully moving items on a couple of shelves...

"Ok...We're clear..." she'd resumed normal voice...A bit low perhaps...

"He even has the closets monitored?..."

"I doubt it but we can't take chances...I'd swept this one with some of Riley's stuff before, but I wanted to be sure..."

Wait a min...

"So that little scene a sec ago...?"

"If they did catch something, just a little illicit rendezvous...Damning to my rep but nothing worse..." Buffy smiled...Then kissed him again, passionately...

"That one was absolutely uncalled for..." she grinned, releasing him...

"So what now?..." he asked, a bit coldly...She looked him in the eye, then sighed...

"Buffy the lying, unfaithful slut of a lover and wife returns to her party and you get on with the mission, starting with the cellar...Hoping I won't abandon you again...Though given my record, I'd cut out and run if I were you..." she replied, equally coldly...

"Your mother-in-law thinks I'm up to no good, maritally...Asked me to get myself gone from these parts..."

"Did she send Dru after you?..." Buffy's voice was icy...

"She said no, sincerely enough, but she was a tad cagey..."

"Then I'll wait...Too bad she doesn't know how little a menace to Henri's happiness you've tried to be..." she noted... "The cellar entrance is over to the right in the kitchen hallway here...It's locked and I'd better cover you as I'm not supposed to have that key..."

Swiped it while he was dressing...she gave a faint smile... "But that's why I haven't been able to get a look down there...He's walked me down but just to see the wine cellar...The key wasn't included among the set he gave me when I moved in...I've thought it best, and Riley's agreed, not to press..."

"Is it monitored...?"

"Can't say for sure, but if the stuff is down there I'd bet he wouldn't want every new security guard watchin' him playing with it...If it is and they come, I told you to go down and wait there so we could talk...I will be down asap after I check in with Maman and maybe him..."

"Another illicit meeting?...Slayer, you're doing wonders for my rep at least..."

"Just get this one right and we're out of here...Whether you believe me or not..." she eyed him...

"And on to the next one...Will there be a part for me in that?..."

She stared at him... "That was low, William...You know, maybe I ought to just show you what I'm capable of and betray you to Henri...He loves me, after all, whatever else he is..."

Would that convince you I'm capable of loving someone enough?...

"It'd be impressive..." he nodded...

"You better go...Try not to get radioactive...I couldn't make use of you on the next one..." she pushed at him...

"Look..." he paused... "Buffy...I'm sorry..."

"Sure..." she nodded... "But hey, we're here, job to do...And you were right, I didn't give it up for you...I probably couldn't...Get moving, I'll see you down there later..."

"Buffy...?" he stared at her...Her look inscrutable..

"Go on, save the world...We'll be practically even after this one..."

"What are you going to do, Buffy?..."

"My duty, what else?..." she waved at him... "Hurry..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part P...

(La Vie en Rose-English)

Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs And though I close my eyes I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart I'm in a world apart A world where roses bloom

And when you speak Angels sing from above

Every day words Seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be La vie en rose

I thought that love was just a word They sang about in songs I heard

It took your kisses to reveal That I was wrong, and love is real

Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is la vie en rose

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs And though I close my eyes I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart I'm in a world apart A world where roses bloom

And when you speak Angels sing from above

Every day words Seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be La vie en rose..."

"Beautiful couple they make..." Ms. Landau noted to a slightly perturbed Angel as Buffy and Henri glided past, opening the dancing phase of their ball...

A rather unnerving evening for Angel all around as he awaited word from Will over his earplug receivers...Almost surreal with Ms. Landau clearly quite taken with him, hanging on his arm, almost as sweet as the human Dru he was currently experiencing some very uncomfortable memories of...

And now Buffy waltzing along in the arms of the Immortal, looking every inch a content and happy bride...A little too good a performance...

Time to get off somewhere and contact William via his shirt stickpin transmitter...And perhaps get in a call to Nina...

"Would you excuse me a moment, Ms..."

"Juliet..." she beamed...Her long-departed escort fuming at them from the well-laden bar at the far end...

"I've got to place a call in to my company...Back in a few..."

"Oh, please..." she beamed more brightly... "I'd love to hear about your plans for Wolfram-Hart's reorganization...Business fascinates me nearly as much as acting..."

Not all airhead, this girl..she grinned...

Hmm-hmmn...he nodded, a vague smile as he headed off...Dru's kind face before him as she offered to summon a priest to help pray to free Angelus' tormented soul...Looking down at him from her window in the convent as he pleaded from the yard adjacent... "Only your innocent prayers can help me, miss...Let me pray with you and the father in the chapel...I managed the strength to spare your mother, take pity..."

Buffy and Henri, whirling along still to "La Vie En Rose", passed him...Buffy waving slightly...Henri with standard benevolent smile...They turned back to each other...

Kinda glad Will isn't here...

He reached the grand entrance, and explaining to the butler and a politely smiling fellow who introduced himself with studied courtesy as Eric Matisse, estate administrator and security chief, that he was getting a breath and making a quick call home, stepped out...

Hmmn...He recognized that guy from Riley's rogue's gallery...Eric Matisse, right...

Matisse eyeing him as he walked off...Breath, eh?...

Angel reached a dark corner of the grounds, not too far from a few couples and individuals strolling about, and pulled a high tech satellite phone, pretending to dial as he carefully activated his stickpin transmitter...

"It's me...How's it going?..."

"Swimmingly..." the reply came back via the plugs... "I'm in the wine cellar...So far nothing..."

"No radiation at all?..."

"Just the random click...Finn did say it was very well shielded though...How's Buffy makin' out?...Is she coming down?..." just the slightest trace of anxiety on the "Buffy"...

"Uh...Fine...I think she'll need a little time..."

A faint chuckle... "So how's Dru's twin and you getting on...?"

"A little too well..." he admitted... "She likes me...I'm finding it a little hard to take..."

"Well, we'll help our old girl out when this is done, Dad...Remember it wasn't you who tormented her...Just your worst side..."

"Thanks loads..."

"Hmmn..." A sudden tensing, Angel sensed...

"Will...?"

"Hold a mo, poof...And I hope you're where no one heard you call me by name?..."

"Uh...Yeah, Connor how are you and your friend Will doing?..." he tried...

"Brilliant...I see why Wolfram-Hart recruited you..."

"Hey, you're the one who's been talking about Buffy and Dru and Wolfram..." he paused as a couple moved closer...

"I checked to make sure the place where I'm standing wasn't bugged...Did you, bloss-man?..."

"I'm outside the house, it's fine...Hey, I know what I'm doin'..."

"That's a world of relief to me, poof...Anyway, hang on...I may have found something...Wait...There's someone..." Faint sound of rattling, key in a door...Footstep...

"It's Buffy...Just a sec..."

More footsteps...Faint sounds of...

Hey, did he just turn the mike off?...

"Hey..." Angel hissed... "Is everything ok?..."

Nothing...

Hmmn...Maybe they wanted a little privacy...Or...

Well, ten minute call to Nina and if no word by then, head back in...

She sure did look...Back there with Henri...

Ah, c'mon...After all he'd seen of her agony over Will?...

God, she's gotta take up acting...I should offer to get her a screen test...

Buffy stringing them along?...On the Evil team?...Ridiculous...'Sides she woulda had us both grabbed or killed by now...He looked back toward the entrance...

It's that Ms. Landau...She's got me all unnerved...

I really shoulda hunted Dru down the first night we heard she was here like Buffy wanted to...

"Angel's been in touch..." Will softly told the newly-arrived Buffy, bearing flashlight...

"Yeah?...I figured he was going to try and reach you, I saw him leave...Hey, Angel..." she whispered to the air...

"I turned the transmitter...And Captain Riley's secret video recorder stickpin...off..." he eyed her...

Though we could use a moment alone...

"Oh?...And here I was thinkin' we had work to do..."

"I think I've gotten somewhere with that..." he noted dryly... "Tell me, does your husband bottle his own stuff?...Give it out as presents?..."

"You found it?..." she looked at him...

"First, the important thing...Let the world's safety hang a minute..." She was quiet, staring... "I've been acting like a jealous, bitter moron...Which I am..."

"I won't argue...So?..."

"I understand you can't help putting the world before me...Or anyone you care about...It's the way..."

"...Things are?...That's so big of you, Mr. Walthrop...Thanks..." she nodded coldly... "I'll treasure the fact that you don't mind my not giving a damn about you..."

Please feel free to sacrifice me anytime as well...No hard feelings...

"I know you love me, Buffy..."

"Hey, I am good...Henri believes me too..." she eyed him..."Any of you love me?..."

"I'd say we both do..."

"Then you're both idiots...You said you found something...?" a hard look...

"I think so..." he sighed... "The bottles over here..." he led her over to a large rack of bottles and pulled one champagne bottle back...

"1974?...Was it a good year?...Henri's just started to teach me a little about wine...He does make his own actually..."

"There's a very slight increase in clicks..." he eyed her...She took the bottle...Tipping it to see the fluid within move...

"Looks like wine or whatever...Maybe one further back..." she started to hand the bottle back...

"You say you're running short..." Angel's sudden loud voice over the earplug system startling William...He pulled away as Buffy passed the bottle to him and it dropped...

Hearing the counter go wild, he shoved her back...

"...On champagne?..." Angel continued...

"Get back, Buffy...This stuff is too hot even for you to handle long..." William studied the tiny grains in the pool of what smelled like wine, now covered again by the broken glass or whatever material it was carefully...His counter now considerably less active...

"You think it's the...?" she looked at the puddle...

"Yeah..." he nodded slowly... "This is how they're getting it past the borders...And US surveillance..." he lifted a piece of broken bottle, studying it... "The bottles are in two sections, top is probably good old vintage champagne, lower section, grains in wine or some liquid..."

"I think we may be, sir..." the butler who'd greeted them on entry's voice now over the earphones... "I'll ask His Benevolence if he wishes to bring more from the cellars..."

"Will?..." Buffy hissed as he paused...Turning off the receivers...

"Sorry, Angel's trying to tip me off...Seems you folks didn't bring out enough champagne...They may be coming..."

"What about..." she nodded at the broken bottle...

"It's some form of leaded glass, I think...Maybe some new formulation...Used as a containment vessel...Maybe the liquid as well...They're shipping the plutonium packed in some of these grains out in the wine bottles...Don't come over..." he waved her back... "Even with the glass there's still a lot of radioactivity...In fact you'd better get out of here altogether...And there may be safety monitors...Henri and the boys could be here any minute..."

"What about you, Will?..." she anxiously hissed...

"It can't likely hurt a dead man...Just a little burning...Though the glass is protecting me, don't worry...There's not much, I'll try to clean things up...Just wait in the outer cellar and let me know if anyone's coming..."

"All right, but be careful..."

"I will...Go on out now, you're not going to be able to explain radiation poisoning..."

She went out the door...He began carefully collecting the few grains he could sense energy emanating from...

The convenience of being Undead sometimes, he smiled at the thought...

I ought to recommend nuclear engineering as a career option to all vamps our organization soul restores...

Back above, waiting near the bar, a nervous Angel...His mood not much helped by the return of Ms. Landau to his side...Was watching the stock of vintage champagne steadily diminish...

Would've thought they'd've planned it better...

"Did your call go well?..."

Hmmn?...He looked at the young lady...Dru smiling back at him...

"Uh...Fine...We're trying to get the European office back in order following the reorganization..."

"Should I be investing in your stock?..." she grinned... "A working girl like me needs all the help she can get, you know..."

"I think we'll make out..." he caught sight of Buffy emerging from a room...Phew...Just as the butler left to summon Henri, off with his mother and several guests at the far end of the room...

A corporate giant's brusque way of invitation or...? Juliet wondered, staring at Angel...

"Excuse me..." he gave a quick smile and headed off...

Guess not...

Henri however had beaten him to Buffy...And walked her away...He paused, uncertain if to pursue them was a good idea...

"Mr. Angel..." the Countess beamed at him, coming over... "I've not had much chance to speak with you..."

"Wonderful party, Countess..." he smiled back...A quick look to Buffy who was talking to Henri alone...Nodding and beaming at several guests passing...

"My dear...I see Mr. Walthrop has deserted you..." Henri smiled at Buffy...Who shrugged, looking over at Angel and the Countess...Now being greeted by a number of other guests, including the ever-eager Ms. Landau...

"He's off drowning his sorrows..." she gave a thin smile as Henri eyed her... "Angel seems quite popular and busy...How are things going otherwise?..."

"Wonderfully...I think we can rate this quite a success...I'm very proud of you, my dearest..."

And I thank you...My darling...he whispered...Kissing her forehead...

"Sir...Madam..." the butler had reached them... "A word?..."

Angel caught of Matisse, moving toward Henri, a slight frown on his face...

Hmmn...

"Low on champagne?..." Henri now caught sight of Matisse as well...Eyeing him carefully...

"Eric's got something..." Buffy noted, inclining her head Matisse's way... "Why don't you give me the wine cellar keys and I'll take Joseph down...He knows what's wanted, right Joseph?..." The butler nodding...

"Well..." Henri paused... Buffy staring at him a moment...Angel catching the look from where he stood...

One of her...I need to do this, ask no questions looks...For sure...

But is she maneuvering him...Or?...

Nah...C'mon...Why am I getting so...This is Buffy...

"Count...Pardon me, Countess..." Matisse had reached them, smiling at Buffy... "May I speak with you a moment?..."

"Very well, dear..." Henri pulled out a large set of keys..."Finally allowed access to the sanctum sanctorum alone..." she grinned, taking them before the Immortal could look at the ring...

Come on, Joseph...Lets get some bubbly...Angel!..." she called... "Wanna see Henri's wine collection?..." she pulled the butler off...

"Indeed, Mr. Angel...You mustn't miss a chance to see the collection...Some of the wines are quite ancient and rarely viewed..." the elder Countess noted...

Like I thought...Nothing to worry about...Angel sighed...Smiling and nodding to the waiting Buffy as he made his excuse to the group about him...The elder Countess offering a hand...

But there is definitely something else afoot with her...And I will be a lot happier when we've got the hell outta here...

Matisse maintained a polite smile to Buffy and in general until he and Henri had entered the same library Buffy had brought William...Then suggested curtly they retire to the Immortal's private...And unmonitored...study off to the side...

"Why did you give her the keys?..." he frowned at his nominal superior as soon as the door closed...

"They're just getting more champagne...It would be more suspicious to..."

"The radiation sensor in the cellar was activated..."

"Really..." Henri paused and rose... "Then we must..."

"It returned to normal almost immediately...There's no danger, at least for the moment...But something activated it..."

"Mr. Walthrop..."

"Or a malfunction...We must find out immediately...And how he got in, if he is there..."

"Eric..." Henri beamed... "I was not asking a question...I know Mr. Walthrop has been there and I know how...Though I did not know he'd actually opened a container..."

Matisse stared at him...

"If you'll excuse me, Eric...I have a little playlet to perform in..." he rose...

"What...Playlet?...If he's learned how we're transporting..."

"He'll pass that knowledge on to no one...Leave him to me, my friend and keep a watch on Mr. Angel when he returns...I've all the help I need for dealing with our poet-spy..." the Immortal beamed...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part Q...

The entrance to the D'Vestigy wine cellar...Buffy pausing at the door, Angel and butler Joseph following closely...

"Wait a second here boys while I get the lights on and see where we're headed..." she moved to the door, surreptiously slipping the key Will had returned to her onto the key ring in the folds of her dress...She inserted the key and opened...

"Back in a mo, guys..."

"Right, we'll be here...So...Joseph..." Angel turned to the butler, clearly a trifle puzzled...

There's a light switch right inside the door...

But none of his business if their young Countess wished to go her exploring of the Count's cellar initially alone...She being rumored to be of an inquisitive nature...Perhaps she's a tad nervous of what His Benevolence might have locked down in there...

"Must be quite a job taking care of a place like this..." Angel continued...

Hmmn...The butler eyed the new head of the former Wolfram-Hart corporation...

God, my chance to escape this servant shlock...And some of the other guys were looking to catch his eye...

"Indeed, sir...Quite a responsible position...Though perhaps not completely fulfilling to a man like me, sir..."

"Will?..." Buffy hissed as she entered the inner cellar... "All clear?..."

"It's fine, I think...Sorry..." She jumped a bit as he popped into view from the side of a large cask...

"I seem to have got everything cleared away...Any trouble with His B and co?..."

"Nothing so far...Are you ok?..."

"Even radiation can't kill a dead man, girl..." he smiled... "But I don't think I'll be glowing in the dark just yet..."

"I'm down for more champagne...Angel and Joseph are upstairs waiting for me...You'd best hide somewhere till we're finished...I'll leave the upper door unlocked and you can slip out in a bit..."

"Right...Buffy..." he paused...Taking her hand as she looked at him... "I meant what I said...I am sorry..."

"You were only speaking truth to me...Like you always have, even as Spike..." she looked him coolly in the face... "I've done nothing to make you think otherwise...Hell, look at us...I've got you right back on my team like the old days...My fall guy, right?...Though maybe sacrificial lamb's a better term..."

I'd best go and bring the fellas down...she turned away...He reluctantly starting to slip back...

"And well done...In case I get you killed again before I can say it later..." she moved to the stairs...

"Damnit, girl..." he stepped out and jerked her back to him...She whirling on him, fiercely glaring, then grabbing him close...

"William..."

"This way, gentlemen..." Henri's pleasant voice on the stairs... "I thought the Countess might have forgotten the way..."

Christ...Both Buffy and Will looking up the stairs...She starting to pull back...

"No, there's no time...Kiss me..." he whispered...

The Immortal, with Joseph and a rather anxious Angel in tow, stopped midway on the stairs, staring...His Benevolence's face suddenly rather marble-like as he eyed Buffy and William locked in tight embrace...

Uh-boy...Angel sighed...I shoulda tried that idea of claiming that Landau girl was Dru and we had to hunt her down immediately when D'Vestigy showed...

"Joseph...Mr. Angel...Would you wait upstairs a moment longer?...I'll bring the champagne...With Mr. Walthrop and my wife...Up in a moment..." Henri spoke in cool tones...

The man and Unman eyeing each other a second, headed up...Angel looking back briefly at the top of the stairs...

"Fine party..." he noted to Joseph as they stepped outside the entrance...

"Indeed, sir..." the butler nodded...

"Henri..." Buffy looked up to the impassive-looking Immortal still on the stairs... "He insisted on meeting me, said he'd make a scene..."

"Please, my dear...We have guests to entertain...If you would both assist me...We can get back to them as soon as possible..."

"D'Vestigy..." William eyed him... "It wasn't her fault...I did as she said...She only let me wait here to keep me quiet...I loved her first and I can't help it if I still do...I'm sorry, Buffy..." he turned to her... "I'll be going..."

"Please, Mr. Walthrop...Stay...I think we must talk later and it may lead to unfortunate gossip if you go hurrying off now...Besides, I do need help here..." a cool smile...

"As you wish...But again, understand that Buffy..." Henri put up a hand...

"I accept your explanation...Lets discuss our situation later...If you would lend me a hand?...Darling, would you take two bottles from the rack over there...?" he pointed to a rack across the room...

"This way, Mr. Walthrop..."

Buffy giving Will a cautious look...

"Fine..." he nodded, following after the Immortal...Who led him toward the area where the plutonium granules were stored...

"Ah..." Henri pulled out a bottle... "A little too fine a vintage for this crowd...We must share it some time ourselves...I think these over here..." he counted down a series of bottles in rack...

"Here..." he pulled two and offered them to Will...

"I want any data you've collected, Walthrop..." he whispered quietly, bending quickly as William stepped forward... "For Buffy's sake, don't deny me...You know what I'm talking about...My associates will dispose of her...And believe me, they can...If they should have the slightest suspicion of her...If you truly love her, give me whatever you have..."

"Got it...Are you all set?..." Buffy came in view, bearing two bottles, an anxious look...

"Yes, we're fine...Shall we go, Walthrop?..." Henri stood up, bearing two bottles... "I think I can send Joseph for more if it's required..." he waved her ahead of them to the stairs...

They headed up, Will looking for a chance to catch her eye should she look back...

Above, by the entrance Angel waited with Joseph, somewhat impatiently...

Well, we half-expected this...And our cover story for William the aching ex-lover was certainly put into effect...

"Here we are...Joseph, if you would?..." Henri emerging from the door, offered his bottles which the butler took with a slight bow...Angel looking from a slightly pale but bland-faced Buffy to a quiet-looking Will...

No hints offered...

"Mr. Angel, would you be so kind as to escort my wife back to the party?...Mr. Walthrop and I are going to tour the library collection for a few minutes...We'll both rejoin you shortly..."

"I'll come along, Henri..." Buffy said quietly...

"As you wish, dearest..." a bland tone... "We shall join you later, Mr. Angel..." The three heading off as Angel watched...

"I apologize again...And I think it's best Angel and I leave at once..." William told the two D'Vestigys...Buffy standing by Henri as all three stood in the library...

"I want you to leave Geneva, Will..." Buffy, a cold tone... "I've tried to be nice about it, but I won't let you muck up my marriage 'cause things didn't go your way with us...Henri, I'm sorry if you think I..."

"I have no doubts about you, dearest..." Henri looked at her a moment... "But I do require of you a moment alone with Mr. Walthrop..."

"This concerns me too..."

"So it does...But I will tell you all that transpires...Please, darling...This will only take a moment..."

Will watching carefully...

If she gives the slightest sign...A happy end to an iffy day in His B's reeking gore...

"All right...But listen, both of you...I'm not something to be bartered and negotiated over by you two...Just send him on his way and that's that...Will, I'm sorry it has to end this way, I wish we could've stayed friends..." she stared at him, a hard look on her face...

"We could never be...Friends, girl..." he returned the stare...She nodded slightly and headed out the door, closing it tightly...

"Well...?" Henri took a chair, waiting...

Will paused...

"She's not involved..."

"I believe you...For the moment...But my associates won't...Your little escapade below set off our radiation monitors, but I can cover for that if you give nothing to the Americans...Will you give me what you have?..."

"And that will be that?...I find it hard to believe you'd just let me leave..."

"Just that...And you will tell your people you found nothing...For Buffy's sake..."

"Buffy and I have..."

"...Dealt with bigger than me and my friends...Perhaps...But if she's not working with you, then she's unprepared...And whether she is or not, my friends are... Do you want to take the chance, Walthrop?... I'm willing to risk my existence to save her here...Do you love her so little?..." a faint smile...

"Here..." Will handed him the stickpin... "It's a data and video recorder...But I'll need it back if you don't want my people to suspect anything..."

"Yes, certainly...Give me a moment...One of my technicians...My own man and loyal solely to me...Should be able to clear this without raising any suspicions..." he rose... "Thank you..."

"Doesn't mean I won't still come after your group, D'Vestigy..."

"If you must...But surely you can see the danger for Buffy if you do...Take her advice, my friend...Leave Geneva before you compromise her...Innocent or guilty..."

"And leave her to you?...And whatever you may be planning for her?..."

"You know I love her...And if she is working with you, I don't care, personally...Any more than your demon cared about her being the Slayer when you both fell in love with her...It's merely what she does..."

"She's not involved...As I've said..."

"Then see that there's nothing to suggest she is and leave Geneva...A moment, please..." Henri went to a small rear door and left...

William looking across the library to where portraits of the Immortal and Buffy, radiant in formal dress hung...

Not exactly the place to try making contact, Angel reflected, fingering his stickpin transmitter as he stood in the great hall, guests swirling round...An eager Ms. Landau again at his side...

Buffy having quickly excused herself...A quick smile...Party to run...And a brief, hard stare...

Hopefully she'd manage to rescue him soon...After William...He thought, smiling at Ms. Landau..

But somehow...An odd nervousness coming over him...

Not the Buffy I knew...The girl I knew would've killed Henri and dragged William off by now...Bad call or no...Rather than chance leaving him in danger...

This one, somehow...Her own agenda...

A small room just off the library where William awaited the Immortal's return...

"Well?..." Buffy stared at the Immortal who nodded...

"He gave it to me, thank you dearest..." he held up the stickpin...

"I thought he would..." she nodded... "Well, that should leave Riley Finn with egg on his face..."

"Yes...And now I'm afraid I must ask one last favor of you, my darling..." he eyed her carefully...Even as she tensed, sensing some...Thing...Else in the room...

"There's someone..."

A chair turned away from them, swung round to reveal a beaming Drusilla...Rather matching Ms. Landau's current expression, in a somewhat chilling way...Though in her case she'd opted for basic black...

"Slayer...Very nice to see you again, miss...Er, Countess..." Dru smiled...Though clearly a hair nervous herself, despite Henri's attempts to steady her beforehand...

"It's quite all right, Drusilla..." Henri stepped between them...

"My wife is well aware of your position with us..."

"Yeah..." Buffy nodded quietly... A steady, hard stare...

Dru regarded her carefully for a long moment...Then sighed...

"Poor William...You are cruel, Slayer..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...) Here Dru gets her well-deserved crack at the crop-dusting scene...

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part R...

A swirling mass of long, dark hair and vibrant red dress...

"Yat...Da...Dat...Dah...Dat Da...Da...Da...Dah-da...Da-dah..."Samantha Finn clapped her hands as she spun round in time to the gypsy music now clipping along at near-Slayer pace...The musicians happily urging her on...

Riley watching from their table several feet away...Not especially astounded, after nearly five years of marriage...

Trust Sam to find the best gypsy restaurant in Geneva...

"Whew!..." she staggered over, glass of ouzo in hand...Which she downed in one gulp...The jubilant musicians cheering...

"Ya know..." she took her seat...Waving a waiter over... "Lettle bit more ouzi, bitte..."

"We oughta go over and see how theys doin, Pumpkin..." she suggested...

"I think we'd best leave it to them, honey..."

"I dunno...I think we ought go ova...You know that Buffy...She's a leeettle too fulla herself, ya know?...Doncha think?..."

"I mean...Don' get me wrong, baby..." she beamed at him...He smiling back...

"Brave as dey come...Thanks..." she nodded to the waiter who'd brought another glass of the 40% alcohol ouzo...

"And not lik' dat Willow...Geesh, wha' a hypoderm...Ummn..."

Hypocrite?...Riley suggested... "Thanks, Pumpkin...From dat day we came to Sunnydale...Always giving me that fake smile...I wuz never surprised that she'd turned evil..."

"Only for a bit, Sam..."

"Ri', ri'...But ya could see it coming...Million miles away..."

"Well, it all ended well that time...The others'll be fine this time...And you know we and Giles' Watchers have Ms. Rosenberg under constant surveillance by a special team with magics protection and orders to shoot to kill if she ever threatens Humanity again..."

"I dunno..." Sam shook her head... "And Angel...He was so nice to let us use his exhence account when William asked him..."

Well...Lets assume Spike asked him...Riley thought... "-He's got a kid and that nice little wife...Nina's such a nice name...Nina Loam...Dat's so nice...Isn't it?..."

"It is...But Samantha..." Riley put his hand over her head...Imitating pulling a lamp chain... "Tonight we agreed to put out the worry light for one night...This is our time tonight...And Buffy, Will, and Angel can handle just about anything Evil can still manage to throw..."

"She can't handle...Him..." Sam eyed her husband worriedly... "Pump...hic...kin...Somethin's wrong...I feel it...She's not frocusing..."

"She loves him...I know...But I'm not asking her to sacrifice him for this one...It's just intelligence -gathering..."

"She wants ta be the sacrifice, Riley..." Sam shook her head... "She'll do anything to convince him...If she hasta kill herself and poor Angel to do it...Not ta mention us and all Huanity..."

She's trying to take it back...she eyed Riley sternly... "That day at Sunnydale when she had to leave him...Hic...She's taking it back and letting da wurld go to Hell, if it has to be..."

Riley sighed... "I know she's on edge...But I don't believe she'd do that...And Will won't let her do that..."

Oh...Sam grinned at him... "You leetle...Pumpkin...That's really why you got him in this, isn't it?...He won't let her screw it up...Even for him..."

"And cause you said they made a nice couple..." he grinned back...Sipping at his own glass... "Which they do...And someone had to try and get them back together before they hurt themselves..."

"Ri'..." she nodded... "I guess you're ri'...'Course mebbe I'm just a leetle drunk, Pumpkin..." she noted...

The small room near the D'Vestigy estate library where the Immortal's new chief field agent had made her presence known...

"This should do it...I'll give it to him when we go back..." Buffy folded a sheet of paper on which she'd written a brief note...

"It won't..." she handed the note to the Immortal who shook his head as he opened it and read...

"He won't feel a thing..." Dru eagerly cut in...

"Except a little disgust for me...When he reaches Heaven..." Buffy noted quietly...

"Are you sure he'll believe you're in danger from our people?..." Henri asked...

"It's not likely Will is gonna believe that..." Buffy noted "But he'll come out if I ask him to meet me..."

"Then..." Dru looked at her... "You agree...?"

"Sure..." she nodded "But let me give him the note...He won't buy it otherwise..."

Dru stared at her a moment

"Surprised?..."

"Yes, very...You do know...?" Dru paused...

"He doesn't want to live without me...It's a mercy killing...Just be quick and a little less clumsy this time, Dru..."

"Certainly...Count?..." she nodded to D'Vestigy, taking her leave...He nodding graciously back...She pausing as she reached the door...

"Countess..." she eyed Buffy again...And went out...

"Henri?..."

Hmmn... ?

"Did you have Dru?..."

Ummn...I...Well, darling I...

"No..." she frowned... "I know about that, that's before us...I mean, did you give Dru that order about William...The car..."

"The Circle felt, dearest...I mean..."

"It was stupid, Henri...Angel and he suspected you right away...But it's ok...Just keep me informed..." she eyed him...

"I mean, if I'm really your partner in all things..."

"You know I trust you implicitly, dear..." Henri nodded...

"I know..." she smiled...

"After all, the whole scheme to have you involved with the Americans' effort and a source on their moves for us was your idea...And getting Walthrop involved to upset the situation and keep Mr. Finn from becoming suspicious..."

"I knew Will'd never give the idea of me up...But never believe I'd give it all up for him or anyone..."

"Guess he really didn't know me so well..." she embraced Henri...Staring past him toward the door...

A look on her face that perhaps would better have suited the First...

"So that's it?..." Angel stared at William... "He just asked you to leave Geneva as quickly as possible?..."

"That's it..." Will nodded...Keeping a friendly smile pasted as several guests passed close...Ms. Landau reluctantly waving a good-bye from near the grand entranceway door as her now rather coldly furious escort led her out...

"Well...You've got the recordings...Do we go now or...?"

"Buffy..." Will inclined his head to where Buffy was coming toward them from the far end of the great hall...

"Guys...Angel, can I speak to Will a mo?..." Buffy led Will off before Angel could answer...

"Is everything?..." he paused as they stopped near the patio doors...Buffy nodding pleasantly to a few guests...

"He's suspicious but he loves me...What did he want?...Will?..."

"He wanted the recordings, I gave him my stickpin..."

"What?..."

"Blew the mission for love, Slayer...What can I say?..."

"He threatened...?"

"Said he wanted to protect you...From his mates..."

"Great...Well, Plan B...Lets call Riley and go tear the cellar apart..." she turned...

"He was lying...I gave him my original stickpin...I've still got the recordings..."

She stared at him...

"Guess you're not the only one willing to sacrifice your lover for the mission, Slayer..." he smiled faintly... "But he shoulda come chargin' back demanding the real thing...He was lying about having them erased by his man...They would've checked..." he looked at her...

"Then..."

"Then either he couldn't care less so long as he thinks I won't talk for your sake...Or he's planning to see I never get a chance to pass anything on...Including what's in my head...I thought he was being a bit too noble for a pseudo-Nazi..."

In any case...He pressed the pin into her hand... "This is safer with you..."

She kept her hand closed... "You would've taken this to Riley?..."

"You've wanted me to...Regardless..."

"Always so sure of me...One day, William Walthrop...I may surprise you..."

"I look forward to it, dear..."

"You can't stay..."

"And can't leave with Angel...Nina's wrath in the afterlife if I get him killed is not something I wanna face...But I'll be ok..."

"He wouldn't let you just walk out unless he was sure..."

"Maybe he is...Of my undying love for you..."

She stared at him...

"You'd better go alone...But here..." she pressed the note from her other hand into his...

"There's a car with keys just by the outer gate...Take it and follow the directions...They'll get you out by a back way and to a place where we can meet later which should be safe and far enough away to dodge his guys...I'll stick to him like glue till you're away, then slip out when I can with your thing here..." she shook her closed hand with the stickpin recorder slightly..."Hey, Mr. President..." she smiled at the ex-President and his bodyguard as he paused by them...

"See you around, Will..." she waved him off, turning back to speak to the ex-President...

"So I just leave...?" Angel eyed William...

"In fifteen or so...I'll have slipped outside...Just tell them I had...God, help us...Business to tend to in town...Then leave in the car...Buffy's got a car for me...She'll meet up with me later with the recorder..."

Hmmn...

"Seems a little complicated for Buffy...Why don't we three just fight our way out?..."

"I assume so that His Benevolence, Maman, Dru, and the boys won't grab their plutonium and duck out the back way while we clobber the minions...What's the matter?..."

"I don't like it...It's not Buffy..." Angel shook his head...

"This is a little different from the sort of thing we're used to, Angel...She's learned a little finesse...What, you suddenly don't trust her?..."

"I haven't trusted her since the first day at Riley's office...This isn't Buffy's way, William...She's up to something..."

Will gave him a narrow, rather tight look...

"If you're asking me if I believe Buffy Summers would betray us and all Humanity for love of the Immortal..."

William's look tightened...

"No..." Angel shook his head and sighed

"But I do think she might betray the mission and endanger herself and the rest of us for love of you..."

Utter darkness but for stars and a very faint glow from a few scattered homes in the still distance...A quiet, deserted field in the remoter regions of Switzerland...Two intersecting roads at right angles stretching off toward an infinite distance ending in Alpine peaks...

A short, rather slight blonde man in dark leather jacket, lighting cigarette as he waits, somewhat impatiently...Scanning again the note handed to him just a short time ago in Geneva...

Thank God she thought of a change of clothes...Another minute in that tux and...Though why here?...And now?...

Is an unlikely spot...He glanced round...

A car pulled up...And a rather rotund, shorter, white-haired fellow in lederhosen emerged...The car speeding off a moment later...

Hmmn...The slight man looked at the note in his hand again...Does say she might be sending someone for her if she can't get away...Though this fellow...He eyed his new companion who smiled from across the way...

"' Cuse me, mate..." Will called...The other giving an attentive look...Ja?...

"You wouldn't have a message for me?...From Miss...er Countess d'Vestigy...?"

"Englander?...Ah...Gott save der Queen..." the man happily saluted...

"Right..." Will sighed, smiling back, then looking round...Insects chirping in the background...He pulled out a cell phone...

"Riley Finn, please...Not in?...Well, yes this might be considered a bit urgent, love..." he told the phone...

His companion now happily humming the royal anthem...Occasionally demonstrating his command of English with a phrase or two... "Gott save..." Hmmn...He broke off as a rapidly moving light suddenly appeared in the sky...Moving their way...The sound of a buzzing motor coming to them...

"I'm sorry..." the female embassy operator came back on the phone... "Mr. Finn has left the building, not to be disturbed till tomorrow...I can get you the night desk?..."

"Plane..." the man pointed...Uh, huh...Danke... Will nodded...Finn, a well-deserved night out with the Missus is all very well, I'm sure but what the hell kind of spy organization shuts down for the night?...he frowned at the phone... "No, love...I'll try another number, thanks..."

"Hello..." he spoke into the phone...

"Buzz, buzz..." his companion chuckled, pointing again at the light coming nearer... "Isst antiquer, ja?...No vroom, vroom..." he made a swooshing motion...

"Right..." Will sighed...No vroom...

If I could just be Spike again for two minutes...

"Hello, d'Vestigy residence?...May I help you?.."

"Uh, yes...Is the Countess...The Count's wife, not his mum...Home?..."

"I'm afraid the Countess is not available, sir...May I take a message?..."

"Would you happen to know where she might be?...A number...?"

Hmmn...The older man was eyeing the approaching plane, definitely an antique, a biplane, now dropping low over the large meadow to their side and beginning to emit a white trail, barely visible in the dark...

"Isst der crop-duster?..." he gave a puzzled look at William...

"Idiot...Isst nich..."

"I am afraid not, sir...But if you would care to leave a message...?"

"No, thanks..." he hung up...Tapping the phone...Well, may as well try the Boss, he ought to have made it home by now...He dialed for Angel's room at the hotel...

"Mein Gott..." the man in leather shorts gave William a quizzical look, utterly baffled now, pointing... "Das plane isst dusting at nich?...Ver der ain't no crops?"

Hmmn?...William looked up as a machine gun started blazing...His companion diving to the dirt...

Whee!...Dru in googles waved at Will and his flattened companion as she flew by at eye level...Machine gun blazing...

The plane rose...

"Hello?..." Angel's voice faint on the air from the phone Will'd dropped as he instinctively ducked to avoid the plane's diving wheels...

The plane dived...This time, having stirred her prey, Dru choosing a more appropriate weapon...

A trail of flame streaking the ground...Leaving a swatch of burned grass as the biplane soared up again...Dru's gleeful cry echoing across the empty meadow to the mountains beyond as she headed up again...

The portly Swiss or German hopping up and wildly running across the meadow...Will rising saw there was some method in the panicky scramble...Something vague in the distance...A forest, trees...He raced after the man...

"Down!..." he called as Dru descended down on them from the rear...Another squirt of flame-thrower setting another patch of meadow ablaze...

"Danke..." his companion called, dazedly from where he hugged the dirt...

"Make for those trees, mate!...Hurry!..." Will cried...Dru's plane having risen yet again, this time quite high...Clearly trying to get a good view of her prey on the field...A cone of bright light racing along the ground now...Searchlight...

The two raced along the flat field, the older man making admirable time...The plane's buzzing growing louder again...No flame this time, though...

A blast just ahead of them rocked the field, throwing both to the ground...The plane's buzzing faded...

The old man was down now...Will reaching him...Still about a dozen yards to the now visible forest...

"C'mon, mate!..." he gave the man a pull, the old fellow surprising him by rising with some agility...

"Luftwaffe..." the man grinned to him, winking..."But only der fighters over Deutshland..No bombers over England..Down!..." he pulled at Will as Dru came up on them again...Another blast just behind them...

"Frau...?" the former Luftwaffe pilot smiled at him from his position on the ground... "Nein, just an old girlfriend..." Will sighed from his...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (112+!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part S...

The searchlight from Dru's biplane swept across the field up to the edge of the forest where William and his companion, the former Luftwaffe night fighter ace, lay plastered against the ground...The loud, insistent buzz of her plane filling the air...Though the smell and smoke from the fires her flame thrower and rockets had set were starting to compete for attention...

Gaining altitude for a moment to get a better look at her prey, Dru had chosen an appropriate song to sing for such a delightful, intimate rendezvous...Despite the uninvited extra guest...

"I get no kick from champagne...

Mere alcohol...Doesn't thrill me at all...

So tell me...Why it should be true..."

She broke off, noting the two figures starting to rise for a rush toward the trees and began a slow dive...Firing rockets which struck one tree just ahead the other falling too short...

"That I...Get a kick out of you..."

More flame thrower?...Just the thing...

"Some get a kick from cocaine...

I'm sure that if...I took even one sniff...

It would bore me terrific..ly too...

But I get a kick out of you..."

The choking smoke of the flames at least providing one benefit, a bit harder to spot us, Will thought as Dru, apparently agreeing, fired off another rocket, which crashed with a shattering roar just a few feet beyond them...

Though perhaps not that hard...Her plane soared up, just missing the trees at the forest's edge...

"The trees, mate!...We're almost there!...Come on!..." he pulled at the other man who rose quickly...

"Nein..." the man eyed him, pulling up short... "That way..." he pointed to the right...

That way?...One tree's the same as the other and the closest ones are the...

"Come..." the man grabbed his arm...

"Finn..." he hissed...Pulling again...

Finn?...

"So you were here to meet..." Both men dropped as Dru bore down on them...Another burst of flame thrower searing the ground just to their side and front, forcing them to move...And precluding Will's natural option for the closer cover...She rose again...

"Riley Finn sent you?..." Will called, racing with the former air ace who'd let go but was sticking with him, urging hurry... "Or did that idiot Buffy...?"

"Come...!" The sound of Dru's plane dropping down again...

Right...I can find out if love is beautiful and true later...

Hmmn...Dru frowned as her rocket launcher jammed on the pass...Having to pull up hurriedly as she again came upon the line of trees...

Training the searchlight carefully...Ah...Blocked them off to the side...

"I get a kick every time...I see you standing there before me..."

A careful turn, a good, steady descent...

Wonder if William's noticing how well I've learned to fly...He never did like to...

"Here..." the ex-Luftwaffe ace pulled Will back...Still about ten feet from the trees...He reaching for a small suitcase...

"Not the best time to stop to pick up the luggage, mate..."

He turned to see Dru and plane coming in a steady dive toward them...Searchlight fixing on them this time...

And turned back to see his partner had had more reason than dirty clothes to stop for his bag...

"I get a kick...Though its clear to me...

You obviously don't adore me..."

A leetle closer and...Oh, my...Her eyes bulged slightly...

"Miss Edith...Is that fair for them to have...That?..." she called to the doll strapped in as well as possible beside her as she stared at the portable bazooka the older man had just snapped into firing mode and pointed her way...

"I get no kick in a plane...

Flying too high with some guy in the sky is my idea of nothing to do..." She desperately pulled her stick back, the plane starting to rise...

The missile hit her left wing...The plane lurched to one side and down and zooming past the two men...Dru with a rather trouble look William's way as she passed...Really not fair, Will...Slammed into the line of trees...

The blast throwing both men off their feet...

A bazooka...Will smiled as he lay on the ground...

Oh Christ...Buffy?...What were you thinking?...If they find out...

He rose hurriedly, dazed...The ex-pilot already on his feet, looking at the burning woods...

"Pity...Der trees were so beautiful...Ah...Well, sir..." he turned to William...

"I think we best go now...See if car's still dere...Else ve hoof it..." he grinned...Then sighed again at the flames...

"Poor lady...She vampyr?..."

"Aye...And a survivor...But seein' as I don't think even I'd last too long in those flames, we'd best go...I think my car's still back there..."

"Poor child...Not bad pilot..." the old man paused... "May Gott haf mercy on her soul..."

"Aye..." Will nodded... "But it's not her soul we need to worry about...If she's got out and gets back and tells them someone was here to help me...With most appropriate help..."

His companion nodded...

"You took a chance hiding that thing so far off..." Will noted as they walked back toward his car...

"Herr Finn ordered discretion, sir..." his companion smiled...

"Oh, Miss Edith!..." Dru grabbed at the burning doll where they'd landed a few feet from the wreckage after she'd managed a jump...Banging to put out the flames...

Hmmn...She looked down where her own clothes were starting to burn...Then to where the plane likewise was aflame...

Best to get rolling along...She dropped to the ground and rolled away from the plane, rising and heading into the woods as quickly as she could manage...Ducking for the cover of some boulders as shrapnel from the exploding plane flew by...

Hmmn...She frowned, pick a burning piece from Miss Edith's arm...That older gentleman was a bit too well prepared for me...

"Someone on our team has been behaving badly, Miss Edith...And I think I know who..." dark look...

"A very bad young lady..." she shook her head...

I mean...It's one thing to be a maniacal killer vampiress spreading dread, suffering, and death...Quite another to string a nice fellow like the Immortal along...

Oooh...There, there...she patted the doll's burned arm...

"Was Mummy not a good fly girl?...Yes, she was..." she beamed...

"Here..." the former Luftwaffe ace had halted his car on a side street just within the Geneva city limits...Nodding over at a non-descript little sedan parked just across from them...Within which Will could just make out the all-American profile of Riley Finn in driver's seat...

"Many thanks, Conrad..." Will put out a hand... "Just see to it ve have no more Hitlers, mein comrade..." the old man shook his hand... "But above all, keep that fine soul of yours from all things evil...Ve know how strong und tempting der darkness can be, eh?..." he smiled...

"Right..." Will nodded and got out, heading over carefully to Riley's car and climbing into the back seat as the old man drove off...

Noting a sleeping Sam, snoring heavily in the front passenger seat...

"Had a good time tonight?..." he asked...

"Wonderful, thanks...Bit too much of one for Sam..." Finn nodded... "I guess you've had a little excitement yourself...Was it a good party?..."

"Smashing...And Dru was in rare form...I haven't given her enough credit all these years...Never thought she'd pick up flying so quickly...Dammnit, Finn, how could you let Buffy give herself away like that?...If Dru's made it or not the Immortal and his crew will find out I was ready for her..."

"I didn't like it either, Will...But Buffy said she could convince His Benevolence my boys had constant surveillance on you...She threatened to blow the whole thing by grabbing him and going for you if I didn't do it her way...It seemed the lesser of the two evils..."

Loud snore from Sam as she rolled on her side...

"Lets get moving...We need to give the Immortal's boys a chance to see you with me...And I should get my girl here to bed..." Riley started the car and pulled out of the side street onto a main road...

"We're done, Finn..." Will frowned... "You know now how Henri and co are getting the plutonium in and out..."

"But we don't yet know where from and to whom..." Riley replied...

"And if Dru or his other people persuade Henri that Buffy hasn't gone so ga-ga for him she's betrayed me?..."

"It's a risk she's still willing to take...So long as you're ok...Her words, by the way..."

Besides...Finn eyed the somewhat surprising image of his passenger in the rear view mirror... "We've cooked up a little scheme that should help ease any doubts our happy husband should have over his bride's slide to the Dark Side for love..."

Really...William replied drily...

"I'm afraid you'll have to do a little melodrama, but that always was Spike's forte..."

"Hilarious..."

"It's what your girl said..." he grinned, noting William unable to repress a smile at the 'your girl'...

Pumpkin's gonna hate having missed this...

Say?...Riley eyed Will's reflection again... "Explain to me how you're pulling this off..." he tapped the mirror...

"The mirror thing's for morons...Like crosses and sanctified grounds, if your soul believes, the demon's susceptible..."

"But...Angel..."

"Like I said..."

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part T...

A hastily summoned meeting of the Circle to discuss the latest disaster in l'affair Walthrop...Personally...

A rather put out, but relatively undamaged, Dru in angry attendance...The former ball guests, host, and hostess now out of their finery...

"This is most distressing...But you are quite all right?..." a worried Emil eyes Dru...Who beams at him...

Little fellow's sweet... And rather charming in his way...Such nice eyes...

"Very well, thank you Emil..." she nods...

"What distresses me..." Matisse cuts in...Eyeing His Benevolence in his center chair at the table... "Is how Walthrop's 'helper' knew what was up...An anti-aircraft rocket launcher handy?...Hardly likely without advance information..."

"Yes..." Dru nods eagerly... "And Buffy..."

"Finn's men undoubtedly have surveillance on our people at all times..." Henri cuts her off... "It's easily explained..."

"I don't know, Henri..." Dr. Bauman sighs from his chair... "Reluctant as I am to consider the possibility..."

"Gentlemen...And Maman..." nod to the frowning Countess in her chair..."I can assure you that my wife's participation in this latest operation was whole-hearted...She was as distressed as the rest of us to learn..."

"I can speak for myself, darling..." Buffy turns in her chair to better face the group now eyeing her...

Angel staring over from his chair in his hotel room at his nervously pacing partner...

"Will?...You know you're doing her no good pacing up and down all night...Why don't you try and get some sleep?..."

"Angel, if Dru gets back Undead to them...And she will, you know she will...And tells them how I got away..."

"Worst case scenario...Buffy'll have to kill them all...And the plutonium slips off in the hands of the junior boys..." Angel eyed him...

"Screw the plutonium...The Immortal's a lying bastard...He might tell her nothing, get the drop on her..."

"God help him if he does...She already hates his guts but she feels a little guilty towards him...This would tip things toward extreme prejudice..."

"Angel...I'm going over..." Will headed for the door...Angel, sighing a bit...Been a long night of this...Hurried over... "Will..."

"You're ready to sit back and give 'em a crack at her...?"

"Will, we go over there and the jig's up...Their people'll spot us before we can even leave the hotel and they'll be long gone, along with Buffy and any info on their smuggling operation...We stay out of it now and she may be able to talk her way out...In any case, she's safer here in Switzerland than on a plane at 30,000 feet with her fleeing 'friends' and 'family'... Our best bet is to follow Riley's plan..."

"You've been saying you thought she'd throw the mission for me?...Now you think she'll go off with them just to get the job done?..."

"You go charging over there putting your ass in jeopardy and you'll see how fast she throws the whole thing over...But if she did go with them, it wouldn't be for the mission's sake but to protect her blonde dunderhead...If she'd cared about the mission, she'd've let Dru kill you, or at least have a fair shot, not threaten Riley if he didn't have help at hand..."

Point there...Will conceded...A smile coming to his face...

"Would you leave her alone there if she were still your girl?..." he eyed Angel...

"I left her in Sunnydale, still believing someday, maybe..." Angel answered coolly... "And I did it 'cause I knew she could handle it and I was in the way..."

"Right..." Will got up... "Now I'm definitely going...After the way you two ended up..."

"Will, for God's sake..."

"Besides, I'm her husband, remember?...Stupid as it might be to butt in, would you leave Nina alone?... "

Angel sighed...

"Lets go..." he shrugged, rising... "I see there's no point...And no, I wouldn't be able to..."

Which I guess means I knew, somehow, even back then in Sunnydale...he looked at William a moment...

"We can still do it Riley's way, more or less..." Will noted as they moved to the door... "It might even set things up better for his little playlet..."

"She gonna have our heads for this, Will...But..." Angel grinned wanly as they entered the hotel corridor, Will peering up and down for any of the Immortal's ..Or Riley's...People...No one...

"I know in her heart she'll appreciate it...Even if we all get killed..."

"Mmmphf..." Samantha Finn noted as Riley gently deposited her into their bed and covered her with a blanket...

Quite a night...Though about time they'd had a good chance to let their hair...His cell phone buzzed...

"I knew he'd never stay put..." he sighed, moving off from the bed, turning, and putting phone to ear... "Finn here...Uh-huh...Both of them?...Great...Well, follow at a distance, keep 'em under surveillance...I'll be up in a bit...Let me know immediately if Countess d'Vestigy calls or anything is seen going on by our people watching the estate..."

He hung the phone on a belt clip, checked a pistol in a chest holster, and started to move for the door...

"We goin' out again?..." Sam was up and beside him, a tad bleary and swaying...

"Go back to bed, pumpkin..."

"I'm fine...I took a pill...Head'll be clear in a mo..." she blinked... Whoa... "That was some stuf' that ozone..." she swayed again...

"Ouzo...Sam..."

She waged a finger, steadier now... "We gotta a deal, Mr. Finn...If we're around and able to get on my feet or your feet,, we go when you go...Or me go...Well, whatever...Les' go..." she reached for the knob...

Clumsily yet swiftly dodging his effort to try a nerve pinch...He couldn't help smiling at those Samian reflexes... "Pumpkin, you try that again and you'll be the one sleepin' this one off...But I don' know where we're goin'..."

He gave up, shrugging...Besides, she did have him on the deal... "The D'Vestigy estate..."

"Oh..." she grinned, opening the door... "William's made it and's headin' to get his lady love...?"

"He survived Dru's second assassination attempt, thanks to good ole Conrad...But he and Angel must be afraid Buffy may be in danger now if Dru's accused her..." they were moving down the corridor...She moving smoothly now as the anti-alcohol drug kicked in...He briefly calling by cell phone for a car to meet them...

"And he went ri' off to get her...What a sweet guy...She'll be pissed of course..." she noted, just a bit wobbily now... "Though she'll love it..." she beamed...

"Lets move it!..." Riley called to the agents by the embassy exit, waving his just arrived car over...

"Just like when I screwed up your mission in that little village...Comin' after you like a big lug of a pumpkin..." she grinned at him..."Though I did save your life..."

"In more ways than one..." he nodded, pulling her into the car...

"Pumpkin..." she beamed...

"We've been over this ground before but I think my record with William the Bloody speaks for itself..." Buffy noted to the Circle, the group's members' eyes on her...Henri's somewhat nervous...Bauman and Emil fairly sympathetic...A few clearly suspicious...Matisse and The old Countess cool and inscrutable... "When he was useful to the fight, I kept him on board anyway I could...When he was no longer of use, I discarded him...I'm sorry for him but he's a vampire and expendable...Though it's a shame he had to come and get in our way...Just as it's a pity he and Angel and Finn could never see past their limitations to what we're trying to do..."

"Someone did inform Finn's man that Drusilla was coming after Walthrop..." Matisse noted, a quiet and polite stare...

"Yes...Someone told the old man to bring a rocket launcher to kill poor ole Dru...And poor Miss Edith...Look..." Drusilla sighed, holding up the slightly singed doll...But tried not to slip off into a maudlin state...

Professional, Drusilla, professional...she told herself...Mrs. Peel all the way...But indignation spilled over...

"He was warned I was coming...Miss Edith agrees..." Ummn...

"I could hardly have warned him you were coming by plane, Dru..." Buffy said quietly..."Since I didn't know..."

"You wouldn't kill Spike, Slayer..." Dru shook her head...Buffy staring back... "You love my silly one..."

"I did kill him...I left him in the cavern when the First was through...I did nothing to help him while we were together...But if the rest of you still don't trust me..." she shrugged... "I might point out that if I was a traitor, I could very easily kill all of you present and turn your project as it stands over to Finn and his people..."

"You very likely could...Turning what you can find to your own fellow Americans..." Matisse noted... "But I would guess...Hope..." he smiled coolly at her, then Henri... "That you know relatively little even now...And we have never trusted you blindly, Slayer..."

"I'm not asking for more than what you're willing to give, Eric..." she frowned... "But anything I can do for Henri and his work, I do...And will do...I've never demanded more..."

"Well, this leaves us in a quandary..." Matisse sighed... "You may be speaking the truth...You may be lying...As we told you when you offered your assistance with Mr. Finn and your former lovers..." Henri wincing slightly... "It would be unreasonable to expect us to place complete faith in you...And now this botched operation..."

Botched?...Dru frowned...

"And as when I offered to help..." Buffy noted... "So long as I know nothing and can divulge and provide some source of information on what Finn and co are up to, I'm useful and worth keeping at hand, under your surveillance...Until I earn the Circle's full trust..."

"Even the most trusted are watched, Countess..." Matisse smiled... "I should hope even your husband, the Countess, and I are properly observed at all times..."

"The issue here is the failure with Walthrop..." Feucher, the politician...Looking rather anxious from his monitor...Though in no immediate physical danger, much to lose should the Circle be exposed... "And if we are betrayed, you, D'Vestigy and the rest of you have compromised me by bringing me into this..."

"This matter concerns us all, Feucher..." Matisse shrugged...

"We'll bear the loss of Austria if we must, Feucher...Your role is one of many..." Henri frowned, cutting in...Feucher reddening... "I've risked much for the Circle and our plans..." he began...

"Henri is right..." Matisse put up a hand...The elder Countess and the younger both eyeing him...

Even if he can't lead an investigation into a matter involving his own wife, Henri should really not let the fellow walk all over him like this...He's the Immortal one, after all...

"We all share the risks, Feucher...And, you being out of the Countess' reach, assuming she finds it necessary to deal with us, are by far the least at risk right now..."

"Getting back to the matter at hand...Finn keeps constant watch on the vampires and this place...It's not unreasonable that his men learned of Ms. Waverly's plan and got help to Walthrop..." Henri insisted... "And since my wife has voluntarily kept herself from detailed knowledge of our affairs..."

"And since eliminating her would admittedly be difficult..." Matisse smiled at Buffy who returned the smile..."I would recommend we await developments but that the Countess agrees to the strictest surveillance..."

"Fine..." Buffy shrugged... "But don't break off my contacts with Finn...For your own sakes...He and William will suspect I'm in danger or worse and do something foolish that'll disrupt your schedule..."

Dru frowning, looking for support among the faces...Emil nodding to her...Good ole Emil...she beamed...

Henri turned at the touch of the discreet butler, Joseph, who'd just entered the room after a cautious knock...Whispers...

"I think it's quite clear our Ms. Waverly did her best and that her effort would have succeeded but for some sort of leak..." Emil spoke up...

"No one doubts our Drusilla did her best..." Henri shook his head, smiling at Dru... "But we mustn't rush to blaming our own without facts..."

"There is one proof..." Emil, buoyed by Dru's fond stare, persisted...Though nervously perspiring as he did so... "If Walthrop knows Drusilla survived, he will want to make sure his beloved is all right...He'll try to make contact..."

"Yes...Good, Emil!..." Dru nodded vigorously, beaming at the little man... "My silly boy will come to rescue his Slayer love..."

"He may come in any case...Whether he thinks I'm in danger or betrayed him...Then we'll have another opportunity..." Buffy noted quietly...

"And we may have that opportunity soon, ladies and gentlemen..." Henri cut in... "Our surveillance tells me both Angel and Walthrop have left their hotel and seem to be heading this way..."

"Emil tole you..." Dru eyed the group firmly...Smile for the now beaming Emil...

"Let me meet him...Under surveillance..." Buffy suggested... "I'll settle this once and for all..." she patted the pocket of her blouse under a bulky sweater...

Matisse eyeing her narrowly...As did the Countess...Henri beaming at her...

"Unless you prefer to do it yourselves..." she returned the stares, smile to Henri... "But I have to point out you haven't done all that well so far..."

"She'll deal with him, my friends...Let her have her chance..." Henri glanced about the room at the faces both seated and on monitor screens...

"Certainly..." Matisse nodded coolly... "And should he escape again, the matter will be settled...In the meantime, I would recommend we prepare to leave quickly...Dr. Bauman, Emil, Countess..." he nodded to each in turn... "I think you should each make your way to a secure exit with any specific material you have with you...I will see that any other materials which can be moved, are...Just in case..."

"Eric..." Henri frowned... "I approve your suggestion..." he said coolly... "And we can see to the removals together..."

"Of course..." Matisse made a depreciating gesture... "Forgive my impatience..."

"I'll give Emil a hand..." Dru suggested...

"Drusilla perhaps would be the best choice to monitor the Countess' rendezvous..." Henri noted... "Indeed..." Matisse agreed...

She frowned a little...Was hopin' to get to know Emil a little better...Still...Duty calls...

Though she was pleased to see the disappointed look Emil in turn bore...

"I'd be glad to, Your Benevolence..." Dru nodded, a tad wistfully...

"First time I've ever had Drusilla watching my back..." Buffy grinned... "Well, let me go and set my poor ex-lover's fears...And his soul...At rest..." she rose...Henri and the others quickly following...

Henri catching her just outside the door where she had paused for him...

"Dear...I am sorry...You know I did not want to see you forced to..."

"It's fine..." she patted him, kissing him on the cheek... "I should have done it myself right at the start...It's the best thing for him as well as us..."

She eyed him as she pulled back... "You trust me?..."

"I always have..." he nodded...And hurried off...Matisse already rushing ahead...

She caught the elder Countess staring at her a moment in the hallway...

Appraising but also...Pleading...

She gave a brief nod and turned to follow the hall back toward to the stairs for the ground level and the estate's main entrance...Nothing but determination in her step...

"Take care Emil..." Dru hastily patted the chubby little man at the door and hurriedly after the Slayer... Emil looking forlornly after her...

"You, too..." he called...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers?

Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you

no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events

following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through

to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by

southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca

verse at . ,

scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part U...

The D'Vestigy estate grounds...Just past the gate which the two figures in matching black... "Cute...We look like a David Lynch version of the Hardy Boys, Angel..." Will'd noted as they set out...Had vaulted moments ago...

"So do we wait and try to call her in a bit...Wait for her call...Or do we break in...?" Angel hissed...

"Or we could go up to the front door, politely ask if Dru made it back ok, and if the younger Countess might be available...'Course we break in, you moron...They're surely monitoring all phones, including cell, now and I didn't come here to wait and see if Buffy gets killed..."

"Now why would anyone wanna kill me?..." Buffy asked...The two Unmen in black jumping at her voice...She regarding them in her plain white, if hand-knit, sweater and jeans with a cool smile...

"You all right?..." William asked...

"I mean, besides my two ex-s..." she ignored his question...Hand over what was clearly a stake in her right pocket...

"They've started to pull out?...Very well..." Riley spoke into his microphone...An encrypted transmitter, hopefully beyond even the Immortal's vaunted staff's abilities to monitor... "On my way...All units on site will hold and observe till further orders..."

Sam, head out the window to catch a bit of night breeze...That Ouzo leaving quite a kick...Pulled in to regard him...

"Yeah?..." he acknowledging the look, but not returning it...

"The Immortal and his people are leaving?...With the plutonium?..."

"Possibly...At least with some of it..." he nodded...

She eyed him a moment..."Are you sure Buffy and the guys are ok?..."

"So far..Our people have them in sight..."

"But...We're just letting the Immortal and co, go?...And won't he kill or whatever them?...Try at least?..."

"That's what we have to know..." he smiled at her a moment... "Don't worry about them, Sam...It's our human agents who are really the ones who might get hurt...I don't want them tryin' to run in and become posthumous medal of honor winners..."

"They're not invulnerable, you know...Whatever their records are..."

"I'm aware of that...And I'm not fond of putting my friends at risk..." he said quietly... "But they all volunteered for this..."

"Sorry..." she sighed...

"Anyway, it's now time to see if a lot of self-sacrifice has borne fruit..." he smiled...

"So...You guys leave something behind at the party?..." Buffy eyed Angel, not looking at William...

"Possibly..." William nodded, a hard stare at where she kept her hand on the stake in her pocket...

"You lost that long ago, Will...And I'm sorry..." she said quietly... "Why couldn't you have stayed out of this?...Both of you..."

"Buffy?...You let Drusilla...?" Angel stopped as she moved her hand slightly to indicate the stake waiting...

"I let Drusilla know..." she nodded... "In fact, I sent her...Sorry to knock myself off your pedestal, Angel...Will, stay where you are...Lets keep this friendly, guys..."

"You let us find the plutonium...Why?..." Will asked...

"Riley and his people knew it was there somewhere and would have eventually gotten official Swiss permission to tear the place apart if we hadn't...Which would've been a desecration of my husband's birthplace, not to mention my new family's history...Besides..." she smiled... "What makes you think we wanted our stockpile's existence kept a secret?..."

"We?..." Angel asked...Giving a gasp which caught William by surprise...Buffy watching without expression as he crumpled, William running to him and kneeling by him...Staring up at Buffy...

"We, Mr. Angel..." Henri, smoothly...As he stepped from the blackness of a small grove of massy trees, a small dart gun in hand...One of our tunnels, he explained...

"Is he all right, Will?..." Buffy asked coolly... "The drug shouldn't do more than put him out a couple of hours..." She quickly interposing herself between Angel on the ground, Will beside him and Henri

"A little difficult to tell with a living dead man..." Will shook his head... "But as he's not dust...Yet..."

"That which doesn't dust us makes us stronger...He'll be a little more wary of me in the future..." she nodded...

"And you are...?" Will asked coldly, rising to his feet in defensive crouch, watching her carefully...

"A woman in love..." she replied...Grinning slightly as he regarded her... "What?...You thought I was the First corporealized or in possession or something?..."

"I'd hoped..." he said...Faintest trace of bitterness, he looking from Buffy to Henri... "So...It's love?...Moving...I'm touched...So, since you were ready to have Dru vaporize me, why not the Brooding One?..."

"I owed him...He doesn't know as much as you do...And he isn't the one who'll never stop coming for me..." she shrugged...

"Maybe...Maybe not, now...His wife for sure won't rest now till you're back rotting in your coffin..." Will noted calmly to Buffy...

"I'd understand her feelings..." she nodded...

"So, I take it, it's to be a little more final for me?..." he spoke to both, eyes on her...

"It doesn't have to be, Mr. Walthrop..." Henri said quietly...

"You mean you'll share?...How aristocratically French of you, D'Vestigy...Rules of the game and all that, thanks...But no thanks..."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite that broadminded, sir..." Henri smiled... "But for Buffy's sake, while we have a little time, I will appeal to you to consider another option..."

"Join your little neo-Nazi party?...Please...Not even Spike liked them, despite our fondness for black and red...You enjoy being a card-carrying member of a club more evil than anything the Master ever dreamed of, Buffy?..."

"We're not Nazis, Will..." she frowned... "Whatever Riley may be telling you..."

"Really?...Well, that is good news...So you're just a bunch of lovable folks selling weapons-grade plutonium to any bidder?..."

"We're trying to save Humanity from itself, Mr. Walthrop...The rest is just guise to deceive those fool tools we need to accomplish that goal..." D'Vestigy sighed...

"Ah, then my apologies for thinking you scum fit for Hell..." Will waved a hand... "I think you should speak to Dru, though...She seems a bit off the program.. Unless killing me is just part of your deception..."

"In fact, it is..." Henri smiled... "And we are quite prepared to do just that if we must for the good of Humanity...But Buffy and I still harbor a hope even now that you'll hear us out..."

"That's big of my ex-lover...But, no, thanks...By the way, Dru seems less hopeful..." Will nodded to where Dru was now moving swiftly their way, in the open...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers?

Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you

no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (99!) versions of events

following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through

to "Not Fade Away" and beyond, this one's sorta notoriously south by

southeast...(C'mon, you're a Hitchcock fan, you get it...)

Credit for this one goes to Ms. Angela Dawson's suggestion...Thanks...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca

verse at . ,

scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Part V...

"This is unacceptable..." Matisse growled from his monitor screen...Glaring at a seated Buffy and Henri...And the William they'd led back through the tunnel Henri had taken to the grounds...Angel left on the grounds, still unconscious...

Along with a fuming Dru, halted by her new employer's direct order in mid-charge, and now seated in the same conference room with a suspiciously cold eye on the Slayer...

Though an occasional rather warm one to the image of Emil on his monitor...

"We'd agreed..." Matisse began...

"I still make the decisions here, Eric..." Henri cut him off... "And if I wish to try and preserve a Champion of Light for future service, you will abide by my wishes...My friends..." he waved at the various monitors on which, with frowns, skepticism, or in the case of the Countess, deep concern, Bauman, Emil, the Countess, and others could be seen... "I am not offering Mr. Walthrop his existence gratis...I'm offering him a chance to join us and serve Humanity..."

"Henri..." Bauman sighed from his monitor... "While I too regret the loss of Mr. Walthrop...I fear for your wife's sake you have made a grave error in judgement..."

"William's going nowhere, Doctor, if he refuses us..." Buffy replied... "Henri merely wants him to know enough of us and our purpose to make an informed decision..."

"And being such a noble soul...We can place full trust in any promise of devotion he makes to us?..." Matisse, cynically...

"You can..." she eyed him... "I'm afraid he'll refuse us, but if he agrees...You can trust him..."

"...as we trust you..." Matisse finished...

"The Slayer's betrayed us...I knew she wouldn't kill him..." Dru spoke up from her chair across from where Will sat...

"I've already told you I'd deal with him..." Buffy said quietly... "And if you all want me to when we've had it out with him, I will...But this was Henri's decision and unless you want trouble with me, Dru...You'll leave it to him..."

Dru, leaning forward in her chair, approached a normal flesh tone, but eyeing Buffy's hand on the stake in her pocket, relented and sat back...A sullen look...

"We gave you your chance, Countess...And clearly you've chosen him over us..." Emil cut in from his screen, a quick glance to the suddenly beaming Dru...Oh, Emil...

"Not at all, Emil...She was quite willing to dispose of him..." Henri frowned... "Listen, friends...All I ask is ten minutes for the man who saved us all...Surely, he deserves that much..."

"After compromising our work and threatening our continued existence?...Surely..." Matisse, suavely... "Why then did we even bother to try and dispose of him before?..."

"It's very simple..." Buffy said, a faint smile to Henri... "Before I wasn't involved...Henri wanted to spare me...If possible...Which was a mistake, sorry, darling...And why my vote is and will be to let me give him peace... Though I'll abide by the majority's wish..."

"Foolish, foolish..." Feucher glared from his screen...

"None of you are in immediate danger..." Henri pointed out... "The plutonium we needed for our operations is already secure, the rest was meant to be left behind in any case..."

William avoided a glance at Buffy who gave him a brief cool look...

So...

"If it's any help to your busy schedules I'll not be buying..." Will smiled cheerily at the screens, then over to Buffy... "So feel free to move along..."

"Enough..." the elder Countess sighed from her screen... "Henri, you have been a fool but so long as we have Mr. Walthrop and the rest of us are safe...Let him have ten minutes, gentlemen..."

"I call for a vote of no confidence in the Count D'Vestigy..." Matisse suddenly announced... "Who seconds me?"

"I..." Dru happily called...

"Ummn...My dear..." Emil hesitantly called to her... "I'm afraid you're not a full Circle member...Yet..."

Oh...

"I second Matisse's motion..." Feucher said coldly... "Let us vote and be done with this..."

"No..." Buffy said firmly...Eyeing each screen... "I said to give Henri his chance...There'll be no vote until then...If there is, you can consider your lives at risk..."

"It's little enough to ask for such a man..." Bauman, nodding... "I support Henri and the Countesses D'Vestigy...Mr. Walthrop, I sincerely pray you will listen to us..."

Several other reluctant voices gave assent...

"Very well..." a glowering, defeated Matisse... "But as a practical man, I warn you...Idealism and this sort of sentimentality will be the death of our cause..."

"Thank you, my friends..." Henri, rising, bowed slightly, then turned to William...

"Mr. Walthrop...You believe us evil...Plotting conquest...Even...Nazis...Which admittedly some of us have been involved with...Either through relatives or even, as in my own case, having briefly been members...Again, in my case for tactical political reasons, not devotion to an insane ideology..."

"And it is true we have allowed our organization, the Circle, to be perceived as having a neo-Nazi foundation...If only in order to make possible the contacts we would need for our plans to succeed...A plan which we only embark on with great reluctance and great fear...Darling?..." he turned to Buffy who rose...

"We..." Buffy waved a hand to encompass the bank of monitors on the wall from which various Circle members stared... "Are the Architects of Fear..."

"That's from..." she began...

"I've seen it...I've watched every episode of classic "Outer Limits" a thousand times...All day, every day in a crypt, remember?..." William eyed her..."So that's your game then...The plutonium's to be used to create panic...?"

"Not exactly..." Henri cut in... "We're not the monsters your American friends would portray us as, Walthrop...But the world has fallen into grave danger and needs to be rescued...Now that my wife has saved us from Demonity, Humanity must be saved from itself..."

"You see I'm still in the saving business, Will..." Buffy looked at him, a non-committal expression...

"By threatening to unleash nuclear terrorism?...Or will you give the stuff to someone else and just sit back and wait?...Ah..."

He nodded... "That's it, isn't it?...You'll give the material to some maniac...Let him threaten the world...And then, what?...Our fair lady and her hubby materialize to trounce the fiend?..."

"Nothing so melodramatic, my friend..." Henri shook his head... "We have offered material to a small group of fanatics but only enough for them to make a single, minor weapon...Though we intend to make it clear they could have had access to much more..."

"No doubt the world will accept the losses as necessary sacrifices to have you as their leaders..." Will stared... "So Buffy and you do your thing after New York...Or London?...Is leveled?..."

"The weapon this group will have access to is limited...And their delivery system will be crude, Mr. Walthrop..." Bauman chimed in now... "No great loss of life will occur even if they should succeed in detonating it..."

"Unless of course bad timing should get the nuclear powers jittery and firing off their stuff..."

"That won't happen, Spike..." Buffy shook her head... "Henri and the rest of us have planned this out carefully...It's the illusion we're after..."

"Yes..." Henri agreed... "Walthrop, imagine the effect on world opinion even a minor explosion in a relatively unpopulated area by such a group would have...Despite minimal loss of life, 9/11 a thousand times over...And when the world learns that their governments have not only failed to prevent the nightmare from taking form but have allowed far more material to slip into the hands of such men..."

"Like you..." Will said...

"The world will clamor for security..." Feucher the politician noted from his cautiously darkened screen, ignoring him... "And we will be there to offer it...With both the Immortal and the Slayer as proof that we can provide it..."

"So..." Will turned to Buffy...A cold grin... "I was wrong back in Sunnydale and the little friends were right...The megalomania has finally reached the cerebral cortex, eh, Buffy the Law?..."

"It will happen one day, Spike..." she said quietly... "This way, we can control when and where and use it to prevent the chaos and suffering that must come to the whole world if the rot goes unchecked..."

"By inflicting chaos and suffering...Very Angelus, Slayer...My congrats..."

"There'll be no more loss of life than would have occurred in any conventional attack...With luck, far less..." Bauman insisted... "And the group we have selected can attack in its own country, nowhere else...It's the fact that a nuclear device was used that will provide what we need..."

"I'm sure your spiritual leader Mr. Hitler is touched by your concern for human life..." Will smiled...

"Hitler is not our leader, sir...In spirit or otherwise..." Henri frowned... "The Circle makes use of such fanatics to create an image but they are mere cover to attract those we need for a time, to be discarded later..."

"So you're just lovable Mussolini-level fascists, eh?..."

"At this stage in its development, Humanity needs order...Our existence is in peril from ourselves..." Matisse said quietly... "Whatever you may have been told or believe about us, our cause is the highest..."

"Which is why, apart from loving my husband, I support them..." Buffy said firmly... "I only wish we could persuade you to see...You oughta know, Spike, that Henri wanted to offer you a place with us right from the start...But I knew you would never agree, that soul of yours..."

"I'm an independently ornery cuss..." he nodded... "Even as Spike I couldn't wear an armband and march in the parade..."

"And a romantic...Who never accepts defeat..." she said...

"Not till I am...Like you, girl...Till you decided to betray..."

"The Slayer stands for the protection of Humanity...That's what I'm doing here...I've betrayed nothing..."

"...everything an American and free citizen should stand for...I was going to say...Your job doesn't confer the power to decide or rule arbitrarily, girl...And I think you and your new friends will find it uphill work to seize power, however much people may panic for a while...But I appreciate that you don't think it's any use to make me an offer...Buffy..." his look saddened...

"You were a heroine, once...Can't you see where this is leading...Or was I wrong that year to oppose your friends for you?...Have you really convinced yourself you're God's infallible anointed?...

"I'm the Slayer...And the responsibility for protecting Humanity is mine..."

"Mother Slayer knows best for the world, eh?...Considering you've never been elected to or governed anything...Or even taken a college course in political science... Rather a bold claim...Tell me how you plan to solve the world's great conflicts, oh Queen?...By sleeping with the interested parties?..."

She stood up and slapped him, hard...

"Countess...Mr. Walthrop..." Bauman tried... Dearest...Henri urged her... "Fine..." she stepped back but remained standing...

"Or of course, kill them...You're good at that, too...Or were..." Will said...

"Am still..." she replied, pulling stake...

"I see..." he smiled coolly... "Well, this is a sad parting of the ways, Ms. Braun...I should warn you and your dear 'Dolf Jr, that I have learned a few things since last we fought..."

"I told you to go home and not get involved here...I didn't want it to come to this, but I'm protecting my family as well as Humanity here, William..."

"Please...Stick to Spike, Slayer..." a grin... "You might feel bad about murdering a human soul later, otherwise...Tell me is Angel next on the list, nazi hit-lady?..."

"Sir..." Henri began...

"If I have to, yes...And I'll have a few bad nights...They'll pass..."

"Good to hear...As 'Dolf, Jr's Queen you'll have to have a strong stomach...Shall we dance, Countess?..." he suddenly charged her, swerving to the side to miss her swipe...

"No, Henri!..." Buffy, pushing him back, as Will sprang at her again... "Guards!..." Henri called...Echoed from her screen by the elder Countess...

"Oh, my..." Dru started, looking up to the image of a worried Emil on his screen even as she jerked her chair back to avoid Buffy's passing as she counter-charged...