Buffy stood in the middle of a dark room. Her eyes were sharp and her mind was focused. "Hello honey, seen sense then have you? Don't worry, you'll be alive, metaphorically speaking of course, and kicking again tomorrow night." A cottony accent voiced as a blonde man walked out from the shadow.

"Spike, it ends here" Buffy replied, slightly out of breath

"You were the one who came to me. You seem to 'dig' vampires" Spike grinned

"No I don't. I like to 'stake' vampires" Buffy glared "I mean it, it ends right here.now!"

Buffy awoke in a cold sweat. She was sick of having dreams about Spike. She'd been trying to hunt him down for a long while but never succeeded. She took a minute to collect herself and realised why she'd woken up. The phone was ringing.

She ran to the noise and picked up the receiver.

"Hello, Buffy Summers, talk to me" She rushed down the phone.

"Buffy, it's me, we need you, here now!" A squeaky voice shouted down the phone

"Who is me?" Buffy asked scratching the back of her head.

"Cordelia! Who else?" The voice shouted back "Look, its Angel, it's happened again"

"What's wrong with him?" Buffy questioned her seriously. The phone was dead.

***

"Are you sure this is what she meant?" Willow asked concerned. "She could have meant he's been knocked out again"

"Not true." Buffy folded her new sweater and shoved it into her pack. "All I can guess is that he's turned evil again."

"But doesn't that mean he would have." Willow apprehensively began

"I don't think he would have. Not since me. But he must have. I wish you could come." Buffy finished packing her stuff and zipped up the bag. Willow nodded. "I'll see you later then"

"Bye" The hugged and Buffy jumped out of the window

"Look after Dawn will you?" She asked. Willow nodded again. Buffy smiled and disappeared.

***

It was a long bus ride to LA, but she made it eventually. She looked at her old hometown and headed off for the building she was in on her last visit. She found it, knocked on the door. A smiling shorthaired blonde opened the door.

"Buffy! You came! Thank the lord!" Cordy exclaimed. "We would've gotten Faith but she's banged up!"

"What?" Buffy asked, confused. "Cordelia? Oh, right, Cordelia, I like the look."

"I thought I needed a change. But you have to come in, now!" She dragged Buffy into the main room.

"Why would you have called Faith?" The slayer questioned her, dropping her bag onto the floor.

"We need the blood of a slayer" Cordelia rushed. Hurry, up the stairs.

"What are you going on about?" Buffy asked again as she was pushed into a room at the top of the stairs.

"No time." Cordelia closed the door. Buffy realised she was relatively on her own. Apart from one other personnel in the room - Angel.

"Angel" Buffy gasped seeing her former partner sweating and in a lot of pain. "What happened?"

"Buffy" Angel panted, "It's good to see you again. Good to hear you again"

"What's happened to you?" She repeated. "You're burning.poison"

"Son, poisoned." Angel began.

"Son? You have a son? Nice to tell me!" She irrationally shrieked. Angel winced. "Not the same poison again, surely you've dealt with this enough.who's the mother?"

"No time for explanation" Angel replied. "Yes, it is the same poison again.do you have Faith?"

"No, I don't have Faith. But I have the best thing.it's Drusilla isn't it" Buffy changed the subject again.

"I'm not drinking you again. I'm not taking that risk.it's Darla's" Angel tried to sit up, but couldn't.

"Darla? How come you're still soulful, she couldn't have been that good then?" Buffy sat down next to his bed

"I have a permanent soul." Angel informed her. "Please, get Faith."

"Angel.if I let you drink me." She began. Angel was about to protest but she put a finger on his mouth. "No! Listen. If I let you drink me.and you managed to get an ambulance here straight away.you'll be fine" "I don't want to risk it" He retorted. It wouldn't be right. He knew that. He'd take too much.

"Just don't take it all." Buffy warned him. She took one sleeve down off her pink vest top.

"The scars are still there off the last time, I'm not doing it!" He disagreed. She leaned closer to him and put her neck next to his mouth.

"Go on." She commanded. "Drink, now!"

"No" He shook his head. "I won't"

"Cordelia!" Buffy shouted.

"Yeah." A voice sounded through the door

"Get an ambulance here as quick as you can" she finished. She hit Angel. He wouldn't respond.

"Look, I'm a big girl now. Please, do this for me" She begged.

"No" He shook his head again and made a run for the door. Buffy pulled him off and stood in front of it.

"Come on!" She shouted at him. She locked the door and ripped the handle off. Letting it drop to the floor along with the key. "Don't be a sissy. Drink me. Just think of me as a bottle of wine."

"Yeah, well I don't drink wine" He now had his vampire features on. Buffy turned him so they were facing each other but her back was towards the bed.

"Yeah? Well you do now" She grabbed his head and shoved it into her neck. She felt his teeth penetrate her soft flesh exactly where they had that fatal night before the essention. He was taking every drop he needed. It was excruciating pain. She felt like screaming as she fell onto the bed. She ripped the material lining it and began punching Angel's back to get him off her. He'd taken plenty, she was unconscious.

***