By Regina Halliwell

Story Summary: post Not Fade Away

Chapter Summary: Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Gunn are the only ones left. They fight an impossible battle. Just after the screen goes black, what happens...? Buffy.

Pairings: Buffy/Angel, Dawn/Connor, Willow/Oz, Giles/Olivia, Faith/Spike, Xander/Anya, Illyria/Gunn, Cordelia/Doyle

Chapter Rating: PG for scenes of violence and some brief profanity

Chapter 1:

Slayers to the Rescue

"Let's go to work."

The battle had begun, the first wave of demons attacking the four survivors with all they had. A grim faced Angel slashed his way through a hoard of demons until he came upon the dragon. It breathed fire as it soared over the alley. Angel jumped up fire escape, and as the great winged beast flew overhead, he sprang out and latched on to the mythical creature's back. It seized, and spun, desperately trying to fling Angel off. Unsuccessful, it threw its tail up like a gigantic whip as it attempted to strike Angel. Flames spewed angrily from the demon's mouth.

Angel held his broadsword in one hand, and the other grasped the beast's neck at a sensitive spot. Still hovering, the dragon went limp and obediently flew where Angel directed him. He led the dragon through the air, forcing it to breathe fire onto legions of demons below, killing hundreds. His strategy underway, Angel looked down to where his remaining three friends fought.

Spike, his smirk long gone now, was in a battle with ten at time. One demon, horns sticking out of its head in all directions, charged the blond vampire, but was knocked away. Just as soon as that one was taken care of, another three attacked at once. They came at Spike with swords and battle axes swinging. He defended the swordsmen, but a battle axe caught him in the shoulder.

"BLOODY HELL!" Spike shouted, almost audible over the war cries and sounds of the battle. He went down for but a moment then recovered and went on fighting as best he could. The wound was bleeding profusely, but he ignored it. Demons attacked, and he slashed at them with all his strength. It seemed that he was succeeding until enormous creatures, at least eight feet tall each, attacked at once. He was lost in the battle, and became part of the scene.

The battle had been raging for hours, and it was taking an effect on Gunn. Darkness had settled and the moon had risen into the sky. Gunn, injured as he was, stayed near the back of the alley; only a few enemies now came his way. One got the better of him and he went down, crying despite his nature.

Illyria was perhaps the most refreshed warrior there; her part in the attack on the senior partners had been simple, easy. The loss of Wesley only made her stronger, and she continued to fight in his honor. When Illyria heard Gunn's cries, she fought her way over to him. Seeing his state, she placed herself in front of him and defended him. When a break came in the unending attack, she slowed time. In her complete strength she might have stopped it long enough for them to get away, but after her powers had been depleted, all she could manage was to slow things down enough to carry Gunn quickly to the nearest doorway. Besides, now was not the time to run scared. She went inside and placed him on a blanket on the floor.

Gunn was still breathing, but his heart was slowing because of loss of blood. When he had gathered enough strength, he opened his eyes, barely conscious, and looked at his surroundings. Illyria's back was turned, and she was leaving him. She stopped to close the door and said, "I have already lost one today. This, I believe, is causing me... great pain. Do not add to that pain with your death. I will return when the battle is ended."

With that she left, closing the door behind her, and blocking it with some crates. When finished, she returned to the war, vengeful. It was time to finish the Senior Partners.

Most of the demons were dead, burnt alive by the dragon. Angel, still atop the great beast, saw what was happening to Gunn, and inadvertently loosened his grip on the dragon's neck. Seizing its opportunity, the dragon threw Angel off, tossing him right into the wall of a nearby building. There was a great crack, as some of Angel's ribs broke. He sunk to the ground.

The dragon gracefully swooped down into the alley. It landed with a soft thud, smoke curling out of its nostrils. It glared menacingly at Angel, and the dark vampire warily stood up, bracing himself along the alley wall for support. About to attack, Angel stepped forward, and then realized he had lost his sword in the fall. Looking around desperately, Angel searched the alley for any glint of silver, though none could be seen over the piles of decaying demon carcasses burnt by the dragon's flames.

"Looking for this?"

Buffy stood there, sword in hand, and walked over the dead bodies to Angel, to whom she smugly handed the sword. "Now who's timely?" she asked, smiling.

Angel gawked, amazed. Not only was Buffy prepared for battle, but behind her stood Faith, Kennedy, Willow, and a dozen other slayers. "Definitely you," he stated. "And you brought some friends. Always welcome. But, why are you... I thought... Andrew said..."

Buffy shook her head, saying "I don't know what Andrew told you, but I'll be happy to explain everything after we slay the dragon." She handed Angel the sword and started towards the dragon. Angel gently clutched her shoulder and pulled her back. She grinned knowingly. "Oh, so this is one of those things you have to finish yourself."

Angel smiled warmly at her, winced and then rushed the dragon. Taking it by surprise, Angel managed to stab it in the collarbone. The beast shrieked and blew fire, which Angel barely dodged due to his ribs. While circling back around, Angel threw himself onto the ground, rolled, and pierced the dragon directly in its heart from underneath. The dragon let out a pitiful screech and then collapsed. Angel, wounded as he was, was unable to fully remove himself from beneath the dragon, and his left arm and leg were caught beneath the dead beast.

Angel glanced up to see where Buffy was. She was heading towards him, smiling. When Angel looked past her, he noticed that Faith was over by a body that looked remarkably like Spike.

Willow was sitting performing a ritual, which was lighting up the alley. Demon shaped shadows seemed to be inexplicably. Kennedy was looking on uneasily. The remaining slayers were killing the demons that had not already fled the alley.

"Hey stranger." Buffy had reached him. She knelt down, with one arm lifting the dragon up a few inches, and with the other pulling Angel from beneath the dragon. She helped him up and he leaned on her as they walked towards Faith and Spike.

The brunette slayer was also kneeling on the alley floor. She way examining Spike, and the vampire was very beat up. He had gashes covering his face and his right arm was broken. His leather duster was no where in sight, and the rest of his clothing was in shreds. Bruises and welts covered his remaining limbs.

"Faith, how is he?" Buffy asked as she Angel approached.

"He's alive, but barely." Faith replied, grimacing.

"Don't you mean 'undead'," Angel asked jokingly. Faith's only reply was a scowl in Angel's direction.

Buffy turned to Angel, and asked, "Where are the others?" Upon seeing his unsure expression, she added nervously, "There are others, right?"

Angel nodded. His voice was weak as he explained, "Gunn was badly wounded last time I saw him. I don't know where he is now. Illyria is probably off killing things. Wesley..." Angel's voice cracked as he spoke his friend's name. "Wesley's dead."

Buffy looked up at him, horrified. She thought to herself, My God, Buffy, Wesley. As in Mr. Wesley Wyndham Pryce, former Watcher. Dead. Buffy's eyes, now red, let tears escape. Angel and she walked slowly away from the other two. Faith had also begun to cry, and she was shaking slightly.

Angel and Buffy sat against an alley wall. As best he could, Angel comforted her, and she did the same for him. Buffy knew how close Angel and Wesley had gotten in the past 5 years. Together they mourned the loss of their friend. After about a half an hour, the crying ceased, and silence ensued. Angel brooded, thinking that he had caused Wesley's death. Buffy, suddenly breaking the silence, asked "Illyria?"

Illyria, cuts lining her face, limped over to the doorway that led to Gunn. She was wounded badly, but kept enough strength to reach the downed man. Once she had removed the crates, Illyria stepped inside. Gunn was gone. Puzzled, she called out his name, her voice cracking slightly.

"Charles," she shouted, "Where are you?"

Knowing he couldn't have left by himself, Illyria stumbled out of the room, into the alley again. He was nowhere in sight, and there were absolutely no people around. Turning the corner, he saw Angel seated against the wall, grasping a blonde woman in his arms.

Hesitantly, Illyria approached them. "Angel," she called, "I am unable to find Charles."

Angel turned towards her, as did the woman. Clearing his throat, Angel told the blonde, "That's Illyria. I'll explain later." Then, turning to the Old One, Angel asked, "What do you mean you can't find Gunn? Even if he's... there should be a body."

"I saw him earlier," Illyria said. "Alive. I transported him to a safe place because of his injuries, and now I can't find him."

"We'll find him, Illyria, but not in this condition. We need to regroup." Glancing at Buffy, he said, "All of us."

After introducing the Slayer to Illyria, they wearily moved to the rest of the group, finding Faith carting Spike off to a gray bus parked down the street. Faith seemed rather standoffish, even walking away from them. Angel turned to Buffy, and asked, "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh, well, see Faith was dating the principal of Sunnydale High. They got really close and he proposed to her. The week before they got married she found him in bed with this very nice, very normal Italian lady. She had a fit, and hasn't really gotten over it, even though that was two and a half months ago. She did sleep with every other guy in Italy for the first month after it, though. We went to Italy to get our lives back on track after last year, you know, and it wasn't the best thing to do, I guess. She's taking the breakup really hard. I think she really loved him. But, apparently the feeling wasn't mutual," Buffy explained.

Angel nodded, understanding. "I went to see you a few weeks ago in Italy. Spike came with me. We saw you with the Immortal."

Buffy looked down, ashamed. "Yeah, um, I'm sorry you had to see that. I was just going through a phase, or something, and I needed something to release all this tension I had. It was hard work, rounding up all those new slayers, training them, you know. I just... I didn't love him, you know that right?"

He nodded. "I know. It's just, he's done some... personal things to me and Spike in the past, and when we saw you two together, we—I thought that was what was happening again. I thought he was with you to get back at me. I completely understand that you needed someone to be there, not to love, just to have something else to think about."

Buffy smiled, relieved. She then gestured to Faith, who was approaching them. "What's up with this chick, B?"

The two slayers shared a weary grin, and Buffy answered "This is Illyria. That's about all I know, though."

Faith, addressing Illyria, observed, "Ya know, you look a lot like that girl I met last year...damn, what was her name? Thin, brunette, kind of bookish like Willow or Wes–" Faith broke off, looking down, her eyes again tearing up. When her face turned upward again, it was resolved and stoic. "Fred, was it? Something boyish sounding like that?"

Angel stated to speak, but Illyria broke in, "The shell's former inhabitant is gone. I am not the Fred you speak of. She perished when I took this form."

Faith and Buffy immediately sobered, closing their eyes momentarily.

Angel winced, explaining, "Illyria has not quite learned tact yet. She and Wesley were working on it, but now..."

"I am sorry that you miss the shell. I did not choose to take her form. I was sleeping for thousands of years until I awakened in this body, grounded to Earth as a mere human. Recently I have begun to experience human emotion, mostly because of Wesley. He was my link to this world. Now I am alone." Illyria went on, "Charles, who also loved the shell, is missing, and without him I have no reason to exist. My powers are tempered and even were they to return to their former magnitude, it is likely that I have been influenced too much to attempt to rule as I once did."

Buffy, still not completely understanding, suggested softly, "Why don't we get everyone together and head out. It's a bit depressing, and still dangerous to hang out here. All other explanations can wait, I think."

Angel nodded, agreeing. Faith did as well, and Illyria just started walking. They headed towards the street, finding a school bus full of young girls. Willow poked her head out the door and said to the four, "Hey guys, we all ready to go?"

Buffy nodded her consent and they boarded the charter bus one by one. Angel struggled, but adamantly pulled himself up the 3 steps only to fall into the 1st seat on the left side on the bus. Fortunately, no one occupied that seat, and Buffy immediately drooped into the seat to hold Angel up in a comfortable position.

Faith plopped herself down in the seat across from Angel and Buffy, then sat facing the window, obviously not wanting any company. Spike lay unconscious in the seat behind Faith.

When Illyria limped onto the bus, she paused at Angel's seat and asked, "What about Charles?"

Angel answered, "Don't worry, Illyria, we'll find him. We just need to get to a safe place first."

Illyria nodded, and then proceeded towards the back of the bus, seeing the odd stares of the slayers and sitting in a remote seat. Kennedy, puzzled but accepting, smiled at her and the walked to the front of the bus where Willow sat in the driver's seat.

Kennedy smiled at Willow and said, "Everyone's here. We can go." Willow nodded and kissed Kennedy softly. Kennedy grinned and then returned to the back to sit near Illyria, though she didn't speak to her.

Angel, seeing Kennedy and Willow share a kiss, looked questioningly at Buffy. She replied to with a look that said, "I'll tell you later."

Angel nodded, and then asked Willow, "Where exactly are we going?"

The redheaded witch turned around, about to answer, then turned red. "Um, Buffy, where are we going? I mean, we didn't exactly get to this part in the planning."

Buffy bit her lower lip, thinking, and then answered, "How about my dad's place?" It's not far, and he's on business in Austria."

Willow nodded, as did Angel, and then the redhead started the bus and they drove off.

"So," Buffy commented quietly, "You survived the final battle. You killed the Senior Partners."

Angel sighed and shook his head. "That wasn't the final battle. We didn't kill the Senior Partners. Those were minions compared to the Senior Partners. Truthfully, I don't know if they can be killed."

"Anything that can take form can be killed. I killed the First last year, and they were the root of all evil. If they can be killed, then these Senior Partners of yours can be killed too." Buffy told him.

"Hey, how'd you know about this anyway? And how did you get here?"

"Willow to the 1st question, and Willow to the 2nd, too." Buffy explained.

Angel looked more confused, so Buffy elaborated, "See, last year when Willow used the scythe to make all the Potentials into Slayers, something happened. She became some sort of... goddess, I guess. Her powers grew exponentially, and she started having these dreams, sort of like visions."

"Anyway," Buffy continued, "Last night Willow apparently had this dream where this guy dressed like a Greek god came to her and told her that you were in trouble and needed our help. It scared the wits out of Kennedy. I don't know what, but something's been going on with her lately. But Willow calmed her down and came and told us all to pack some necessities... and weapons, and then she conjured up the bus and transported us to L.A. We got here about an hour before we found you."

"That's an amazing amount of power, transporting 14 odd people and a bus across the world." Angel commented, though he was thinking about what Buffy had said... a guy dressed like a greek god..that sounds familiar...

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "It was pretty neat."

That ended the conversation, and they then sat together in silence, except for the occasional wince from Angel as the bus bumped around, knocking his ribs, but then Angel asked, "Where's Giles? And Dawn? And Xander?"

Buffy answered easily, "Giles is in England visiting Olivia, and Dawn went with him. I didn't want her here. They left a few days ago. I plan on calling them as soon as we get to Dad's. Giles said he'd bring Dawn when I called him. I don't think he was planning on a long visit anyway. And Xander's in Italy. He is still pretty broken up about Anya. She died to save Andrew, you know. I just don't think Xander was quite ready to come back to California."

This seemed to satisfy Angel, and so they continued the ride in silence, on their way through L.A.'s dark streets until they got to Hank Summers' home.

Okay, so what do you think? 8 PAGES! I know it's a lot longer than all my other chapters in my other stories. I think I like writing longer chapters, and I'm going to keep them that way. I hope that you are all enjoying my story, and I won't know if you are unless you review, so please R and R people!

P.S. I hope this shows up right, I've had to repost this a few times to get all the line breaks in.