Buffy, Dawn and Faith had gone to LA after the battle Angel had fought with Wolfram and Heart to go and see if he was still alive and what was left of Spike. So far there had been no sign of either of them and Buffy got the feeling that she would end up having to protect LA just like Sunnydale. Faith and Dawn had decided to go with Buffy to LA based on the fact that two of Buffy's ex's being vampires with dark pasts if they had lost their souls there would be no way as good as Buffy was that she could fight them on her own.

"This place is destroyed" Buffy said walking around LA

"Well it was the big bad fight for domination" Dawn said softly

"Yeah B what did you expect?" Faith said

"Not this" Buffy said truthfully "Angel to be left standing and Spike"

"Obviously" Dawn said "they are the champions"

"He is cute" Faith said seeing a young man who looked at the most 18 staggering around blood covered and barely able to stand

"We have to help him" Dawn said and went to help him but Buffy held on to her sister

"He is practically dead Dawn" Buffy said

"Practically" Dawn said "that means there is someone for us to help so why can't we help him?"

"She has a point B" Faith said and rushed to the young man at a speed that got her to him quickly but not at a speed that could cause him to feel intimidated and try to fight her "are you ok?"

"What do you think?" he said he had tried to say it venomously Faith could see that but it was more he was stating the obvious

"That you are hot" Faith said and he smirked "but you look like you have had the shit kicked out of you so I want to help you"

"Help me?" he said "I have a vampire on my ass you think you can help with that?"

"I can" Faith said "I am a slayer"

"Me two" Buffy said walking over to them

"They are training me to fight" Dawn said weakly and the guy smiled again

"COME OUT TO PLAY" a familiar voice said

"It's not possible" Buffy said

Then Druscilla and Spike walked around the corner both looking set to kill

"Aw look pet" Spike said "he has friends to die with now"

"Where's Angel?" Buffy said

"He's weak" Spike spat at her "we wanted to kill that one and he wouldn't let me so I threw him through a window"

"Why do you want to kill him?" Faith said looking at the younger man

"Because he is a damn half demon" Spike said "he saved Illyria from some demon"

"She is on our side" the young man said

"No!" Spike said "she is on your side mate, not mine"

"What about Fred" the man said and he knew it would push a nerve with Spike

"You little shit" he roared and flung himself at the younger man but before he could touch him white light surrounded them all. When the light died down there was three new comers, Angel, Cordelia and thirdly

Fred.

"Freddykins" Spike said smiling "how have you been love"

"Spike" Angel growled "Go now"

"Or what Angel?" Spike said "you won't kill me not with that soul in your head"

"I wouldn't have guilt for killing you William" Angel said

"Me neither" the young man said barely able to stand and to everyone's surprise Fred rushed over and took him from Faith's arms with that Spike and Druscilla decided to leave with Angel and two slayers ready to fight them they did not like the odds that they had and they decided to come and attack when Angel and his friends were not expecting it.

"AJ for once be quiet" Fred said

"Yes ma'am" he said, he had met Fred at Wolfram and heart before she had died and become Illyria and he had stayed close to her after she had changed knowing that if she died as Illyria she would become Fred again but she would have to die in this battle and not in normal circumstances. It had been Druscilla that had killed Illyria AJ didn't even see where she had came from but she had snapped Illyria's neck and had tried to kill AJ before he had used his demon strength to throw her through the floor and into the floor of Wolfram and Heart below where they had been fighting.

"Ya can't die" Fred said "ya hear me?"

"Fred" Cordelia said

"No you are not going to die on me" Fred said "I know I was with Wesley but we are best friends and I am not having you die on me AJ"

"FRED!" Angel said "what Cordy was trying to say was move I know a way I can help him"

"What?" Fred said

"I am going to sire him" Angel said

"Are you sure?" Fred said "I mean he won't have a soul and that could make him evil and we would have to kill him"

"Thanks for that" AJ said

"No his other demon half will keep his soul" Angel said "I checked a while ago Fred I knew we would have to fight them at some point and I wanted to keep AJ around for it"

"Do it then" Fred said "if he stays the same do it"

"We will need blood that is the only thing" Angel said and Fred and AJ both nodded so Angel sank his vampire teeth into AJ's neck and AJ's eyes became white and for the first time they were able to see his demonness as it rose out of him like black smoke but then it returned to his body as he began to be able to move again (A/N I couldn't say breathe could I?)

"Damn" AJ said sitting up "that was weird remind me not to do that again" with that Fred flung herself at him and he span her round as fast as his body would physically allow him to.

"Don't look now" Cordelia muttered to Angel "but I guarantee that will be the next couple"

"I have one thing and may disagree with that" Angel said and leant in and kissed Cordelia.

When AJ let go of Fred she could not help but grin it appeared he felt the same way about her as she did about him or he did about Illyria and he was using Fred to fill the void it had left in him.

"AJ" Angel said "we have to go if you let go of Fred she won't disappear"

"Last time I let her out of my sight she died" AJ said "I am not making that mistake twice"

It was at that point Fred realised that he cared for her as he had been fighting side by side with Illyria yet he had not been there when Fred had died and she guessed that he regretted that she knew for damn sure she regretted it as she let herself be drawn in by Nocks even though AJ warned her off of him she refused to listen and it resulted in her death and Nocks' in relation.

"Me two" Fred said and grinned and if possible AJ held onto her even tighter and lifted her off of the ground

"OI" Cordelia said "we have to go and find Connor you guys coming?"

"Sure" AJ said

"Me two" Fred said and slipped out of AJ's arms and took his hand in hers.

When they arrived at Connor's parents home he was fighting vampires alone and AJ, Angel and the slayers quickly went to help. Angel threw one of the vampires off of his son and over his shoulder where AJ caught him by his throat and ripped his head off of his shoulders.

"Wow" Angel said smiling "that's new" and AJ let his demon/vampire face descend yet it did not look much different to his normal face just when he opened his mouth his fangs where visible. AJ then launched himself at the vampire who had been going for Connor's adoptive parents and grabbed his legs and threw him away and flipped backwards and landed feet first on the vampires head crushing his skull and then stomped through his heart with his mix of demon and vampire strength nothing could over power him. Then Angel saw Spike walking towards Fred and moved to help her yet her hair turned blue and she was Illyria again and she punched him in the face and knocked him down.

"Fred?" AJ said

"Yeah?" Fred said "I am still in control ya know? The powers gave me a little power upgrade though"

"You bitch" Spike said standing up "you broke my bloody nose" and then AJ smirked and walked over and lifted Spike off of his feet with one hand.

"What's going on here Spike?" AJ asked

"You are holding me by the throat mate" Spike said

"Who took your soul back?" AJ asked

"Darla" Spike said and Angel flinched at the name

"Darla?" Cordelia said "need an explanation here tall and brooding"

"When we have one you will know" AJ said "fine" and then snapped Spike's neck but didn't kill him and Spike ran away with a wobbly head.