If your wondering about the title of this and last chapter "Into the Fire" it's because I like this song by thirteen senses with the same name. Also there is two types of literal fire the gang experiences in these two chapters.

...that, and I couldn't think of anything else.

Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I went on holiday for a week and I didn't have internet. But to be honest I probably wouldn't have got around to it even if I did have a connection, ya know, what with fun and all.

and remember: put your hands into the fire.

=]

The Hotel, Night.
It would be dark but the whole place is lined with candles. There is a trail of rose petals on the floor leading upstairs. Romantic music is playing but other then that the room is silent until voices can be heard from outside.

ANGEL (voice): Why would she lie about staying at her parents house, it doesn't make sense.

CORDELIA (voice): Yeah I thought we were past the run away stage. Her parents sounded freaked.

WESLEY (voice): So we check her room for clues while Gunn checks the train station, again, okay. No need to panic.

The door opens. The three stand still, silently comprehending their surroundings for a moment. Angel enters and then leans against the wall and slowly collapses onto the floor, face in hands.

ANGEL (faintly): This is isn't happening.

Cordelia stands weakly in the door while Wesley slowly tiptoes along the delicately laid out trail.

CORDELIA: Wesley, wait.

Wesley breaks into a run down the the rose path and up the stairs in the direction of Fred's room.

WESLEY: FRED!!!

CORDELIA: WESLEY!!

Cut to
Fred's room.
It's dimly lit, decorated like the lobby. Fred, dressed in uncharacteristically revealing launjuray, is lying on her bed. She's not moving, her eyes are closed and there are two small red holes in her neck a couple of inches apart. All is still until the door comes crashing open and a distraught Wesley rushes over and hugs her body. He buries his face in her hair and slowly rocks her back and forward while she remains limp.

Cut to
Hotel lobby.
Angel and Cordelia are making their way up to Fred's room.

ANGEL: Five years, she was running for five years and this is how she goes.

CORDELIA: We don't know that. We don't know anything. Oh God Wesley.

They arrive at the door to see Wesley clutching Fred and laughing somewhat hysterically.

CORDELIA: She's... she.

WESLEY: She's not dead.

ANGEL: She's not. Freds alive, she's breathing, she's alive!

WESLEY: Well she's not exactly breathing but she'll be fine. She's going to be okay. I can smell it.

CORDELIA: Look Wesley, I get that your hurting right now, we all are, but your making no sense.

WESLEY: It's just a drug, I think I can smell it. It slows the heart, stops people breathing. They end up okay, she'll end up fine. She'll be fine. It's just a drug. Just seems dead, it's just a drug. Fred is okay she's fine. She's okay. She's okay.

CORDELIA: Wesley. Maybe...

WESLEY: She's okay.

Cut to
Wolfram and Hart, surveillance room.
Buffy and Gavin are sitting, watching the show. Gavin hands a wad of cash to Buffy.

GAVIN: That guy's nose is unnatural. How could you have possibly known he'd figure that out.

BUFFY: Well to be honest I was counting on the one that actually has an unnatural nose, but what ever.

GAVIN: Bets a bet. I still don't see why you didn't just kill her.

BUFFY: I meant to. Her stupid southern stutter really got to me.

GAVIN: So why not smash that belle?

BUFFY: She wouldn't let me.

GAVIN: She can do that?

BUFFY: She can now. Anyway I've got to go gloat.

Buffy leaves

GAVIN: This is so much better then television.

Cut to
Wolfram and Hart, Lobby.
Buffy is walking out of the elevator. A large demon is leaning against one of the front desks. He suddenly tenses, sniffs the air and turns to Buffy who stops.

HAIRY DEMON (grunting): Slayer!

BUFFY: Have we met?

He swings at her. Buffy ducks and flicks a dagger from his own belt up into the air. In one swift movement she catches it with the other hand and plunges it up into his chest. The demon collapses at her feet.

BUFFY: It was nice meeting you to.

Buffy proceeds threw a, now silent, lobby to the door. An approaching man stops her from exiting immediately.

AARON: Wait. You work here?

He peers over Buffy's head and sees a large hairy demon body being dragged away.

BUFFY: Sort of.

AARON: What are you doing later tonight.

BUFFY: I've got to make a delivery (she holds up a DVD) then I'll probaly catch a show.

AARON: What's on it?

BUFFY: Robot vampire porn.

AARON: Is that even a real thing?

BUFFY(smiles): I'm sort of in a hurry, maybe you could picture me naked some other time.

AARON: Oh, I wasn't...

BUFFY: Yeah you were.

Buffy walks off.

AARON (as he watches her walk away): It wasn't that obvious.

Cut to
The Hotel, night.
The music has been stopped, the majority of the petals and candles are gone and Gunn has joined the gang.

CORDELIA (to Fred): I still can't beleive your alright. I was so scared.

ANGEL: We all were.

FRED: Thank you. I don't know who you talked to but it wasn't me. I mean I didn't call, I never called.

ANGEL: I know. You were in there all this time. I should have known. I mean she wanted us distracted, I didn't think what for. The reason.

GUNN: Yeah, so she could redecorate.

WESLEY: So she could prove she can. If shes copying what Angelus did then we've got the upper hand. It's like we know the script, we just have to figure out who the cast is.

CORDELIA: Well if Fred was Jenny and Wesley's Giles and Angel's Buffy, who does that make me? Am I me?

GUNN: Who cares. What did Angelus do next.

ANGEL: Well I joined up with Spike and Drusilla.

WESLEY: So Wolfram and Hart.

ANGEL: and then I, shit.

GUNN: What'd you do.

ANGEL: Tryed to destroy all humanity

GUNN: Shit.

CORDELIA: We had to steal a rocket launcher from the military and everything. It was intense.

WESLEY: So Buffy's going to kill everyone? Of course she is.

CORDELIA: I don't get it, if shes a vampire then why didn't she burn in the sun.

GUNN: Yeah, and I'm pretty sure vampires can't control things with there minds, just a thought.

ANGEL: It has something to do with that guy. It seemed like they traded places. They probably swapped bodies... and memories. He did something.

GUNN: He was here for like a second, what did he do.

FRED: Uh, I couldn't exactly hear what was going on but he was here longer then that. I mean it seemed longer.

Angel looks down at his watch. 7:48

ANGEL: Wesley what time does your watch say.

WESLEY: 7:52

GUNN: Mine says 7:48. So Wesley has a crap watch, so what?

ANGEL: What if, when he saw Buffy, he froze us. Then he unfroze us when he left so we couldn't stop him doing what ever he did.

GUNN: But if Buffy made that phone call, she did it before he got here.

FRED: What if he made the call, can demons change voices like that? Like terminator? He is the one that tied me up. It could have been him.

CORDELIA: Then what, he cast a spell. He put Buffy under a spell as well. He seems very talented.

WESLEY: She might just be possessed.

BUFFY: Or Buffy really is dead and this is her evil twin she kept locked in the basement, telepathically collecting powers over the years, and she finally escaped and is seeking revenge on Angel, because he alone knew the truth and did nothing to save her. Oh darn, that can't be it, I've got that scar.

WESLEY: What are you in doing here?

BUFFY: The door was open. You know in L.A thats not safe. Any psycho could just waltz right in. You should be more careful, people can do some really sick things.

Buffy eats a cherry from an ornamant crystal dish she is holding.

BUFFY: Mmm. Cherry anyone? Fred?

Wesley stands up between Buffy and Fred. Meanwhile Gunn sneaks behind Buffy with his sharpend baseball bat.

WESLEY: How dare you.

BUFFY: Touchy much. (Gunn raises the bat, Buffy rolls her eyes) Arrow didn't do it, but this'll work for sure (eats cherry).

GUNN: Couldn't hurt.

Gunn swings the bad hard. Buffy doesn't move a muscle. He hits her on the side of the head. Buffy doesn't seem effected at all, she just sits there. Everyone looks at Buffy stunned. Gunn walks back infront of Buffy.

BUFFY: Ouch?

Everyones faces turn from stunned to really concerned.

BUFFY (to Gunn): Do you know what you remind me of?

GUNN: No, and I don't care.

BUFFY (smiles): You remind me of the bottom of a baby's foot. I mean you were born just like everyone else. Just like the rest of the baby; loved, cared for, helpless, clean. Only to be trodden on for the rest of your life. Don't get me wrong, I mean, you've got it pretty sweat right now. But you and I both know it's only a matter of time before your forced back into the (picks up cherry and plays with it) sweaty, stinky, shoe, where you belong(eats cherry).

Gunn stares hard at Buffy but remains silent.

CORDELIA: Your wrong.

BUFFY: Maybe (eats cherry). Hey, I forgot to tell you guys about the wedding.

CORDELIA: Let me guess. I'm marrying me because I'm so obsessed with myself.

BUFFY: No narcissist. A real wedding. Our little Xander is getting hitched. Everyones really busy; getting caterers, organizing flowers, making lists. Lots of lists. My favorite? "Women attracted to Alexander Harris".

Cordelia groans but this only encourages Buffy.

BUFFY: Lets see, there was that Inca Mummy girl. She was a corpse that sucked the life out of people. Our bio teacher, you know the giant praying mantis. Of course you remember Willow, the book smart lesbian. Then there was that one night stand with Faith; brunette, slutty, evil, liked to steal peoples bodies. I think shes in gaol now. Anya, thousand year old demon of the vengeance variety. (pretends to think) annnnnd you Cordy.

CORDELIA: Yeah, so what. So every one else was evil or gay or a demon. I don't care. I went out with Xander. So what.

BUFFY: Good for you Cordelia. At least one of you should admit it.

Cordelia falls silent, clearly infuriated.

ANGEL: You came all the way over here to do what exactly? Try and hurt our feelings? You run out of ideas already?

BUFFY: I thought you said I could stay here. (smiles) No, I realize that, threw no fault of my own, you'll all disregard most of the things I say. You know, the whole evil thing. So I bought you a present (holds up blank DVD case), this was shot over half a year ago.

Buffy hands the DVD to Angel and starts to leave.

ANGEL: What's this suppose to be?

BUFFY: Watch it and find out, and if you do, maybe you wont be so eager to turn me back. As if you could anyway.

ANGEL: You think I'm going to watch this? I'm not playing your sick little game (chucks the DVD down on the table next to Buffy's cherries).

BUFFY(now at the door): Okay. It's up to you. Keep it though. I've got copies.

Buffy exits.

Beat

CORDELIA: Am I the only one that feels strangely compelled to get a pedicure?

WESLEY: No

GUNN: Nope.

ANGEL: Not the only one.

FRED: Feet do have it rough don't they.

Cut to
Wolfram and Hart, night.
Video surveillance room. Lilah and Gavin are present. Buffy enters.

LILAH: Buffy Summers (holds out hand). Call me Lilah (Buffy shakes her hand). I have to admit I didn't know where you were going with that baby foot thing and then, ouch.

BUFFY: I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

Buffy raises her hand to her head as if in pain. She then sits Indian style on the floor, eyes closed. A faint blue glow surrounds her. Buffy suddenly opens her eyes and the glow vanishes. Lilah and Gavin look at each other uncertain.

BUFFY: Finally some peace and quiet. People think some pretty messed up stuff, especially around here.

LILAH: Your a mind reader?

BUFFY: Not at the moment, no. Every ability I've ever known, I can now control, turn on and off. I got that little skill from a demon with no mouth, it was gross.

LILAH: So you've collected a few powers over the years? If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

BUFFY: Twenty.

LILAH: Oh, of course. I meant how long have you been around for?

BUFFY: I understood your question.

GAVIN: So anyway, what now?

BUFFY: Now. We wait.

LILAH: Wait for what?

BUFFY: What else, the powers that be.

Fade to black
To be continued.