The past two weeks I've had the intention of posting twice a week. Instead of extra posts, my intention has been resulting in longer posts. My inner editor just doesn't like to stop tweaking things until it absolutely has to.

This note is just to let ya'll know, your reviews have been influencing posts. Thanks to your reviews, readers are getting extra scenes and longer chapters, so sending feedback does have an impact.

Chapter 10: Unghph

Buffy answered the phone, "Sanctuary."

"We need your help."

"Cordelia?"

Another voice came on the line. "It's a matter of urgency."

"Sorry, I already have an urgent matter scheduled for tonight."

"Ms. Chase called me with troubling information about her luncheon with Ms. Lowell."

Cordy rushed, "She wants Angel to turn her!"

Full of certainty, Buffy replied firmly, "He wouldn't."

"But Angelus might." Wesley took the silence as encouragement to continue. "She is familiar with the curse on his soul as well as the necessary rituals."

Why couldn't those who 'helped the helpless' help themselves? This was exactly the kind of thing she didn't want to deal with.

"Angel knows his limits. Chances are if I bust in there, all I'm going to be interrupting is harmless flirt time."

"All we care about is staying alive and non-tortured."

"Ms. Lowell has great incentive to manipulate circumstances to get what she wants."

"After this, you guys are going to talk with Angel about your doubts because this is ridiculous: asking me to break up a date."

"Does that mean you'll come?"

She sighed, "I'm leaving now."

"Thank you."

Wesley added, "We're sorry."

"Just drive the woman back to her home. I'll get there as fast as I can."

Unfortunately, as fast she could was almost too late.

Slipping in back office window, Buffy could hear voices in the main room.

"Angel, I want you to listen to me. What you're experiencing is not genuine. You've been fed a drug. It's simulating bliss. All that you're feeling is just chemical suggestion. . . . . . Angel?"

The voice she heard next halted her movements. "Name's Angelus."

"I don't wish to resort to drastic measures, but unless you listen, I warn you." Even from this distance, she could hear the tremor in his voice.

"You warning me? What happened, Wes? - Did you suddenly grow a pair? Well, that's it, isn't it? I mean, that's the whole root of your inferiority complex. Well, good news, Wes, old boy! You don't really have an inferiority complex. You're just simply – inferior."

She could hear some shuffling and a forceful impact which she guessed was someone being slammed into something solid.

"Wesley, no! Well, oh, why don't you juss-ss."

He mocked, "Juss-s?"

"Just leave her alone."

Stilling, he didn't face her immediately. For that she was glad. She would take every second she could to compose herself.

"Hello lover." He turned and smiled. "It's been too long. My, how you've grown."

"Cordelia, get Wesley and Rebecca and get out."

Looking at the unconscious Wes, Cordy argued, "Bu-but."

"Bu-but," Angelus chuckled, "Line?"

Buffy did not share his amusement. "Drag him if you have to." She heard Cordelia slink against the wall towards Wesley.

"I agree it's been long since we've had some alone time." She heard the labored dragging sounds and guessed Rebecca slipped out already. "By the way, cute stunt - the whole sending me to hell thing."

"Too bad it didn't stick."

"Awe, no need for harsh words. We both know you missed me."

Buffy moved to the others covering them as they escaped out the front door. Her effort was unnecessary since he didn't spare them a glance. "So much so that I left town, made a new life, and completely forgot about my old one and everything having to do with you."

"Is that why you've been fetching my coffee and cleaning my weapons - to forget about me?"

His lack of interest in the fleeing query troubled her. Circling each other, they sized up the other's vulnerabilities.

"Me being here is proof of just how much I've moved on." She pulled out a stake from her back pocket and gestured casually. "Funny how a husband and son make the big teenage romances not so big." She heard the beginning rumblings of a growl. "Face it lover, you lost your power over me years ago."

When he kicked a chair out of his way, she tried with both mind and body to keep from flinching at the crash. "Yet here you've been hiding from me - skirting round this office - keeping quiet. I didn't think anyone had that power, but behold even the soul can make the slayer meek."

Gathering her courage, she took a firm stride forward. "I'll show you meek."

He smiled and for a reason unknown that smile gave her enough confidence to take the first swing.

He countered effectively, but she didn't mind at all. She hadn't lied when she said the pregnancy increased her powers. What she lost in speed, she made up for in instinct and brute strength.

The casual observer would have smiled at the site of a petite pregnant woman beating back a six feet and plus monster, but there were no observers to their skirmish.

Alone, the two of them hit and kicked each other around the room. Fortunately, Buffy saw what he didn't.

Having gotten her in a temporary hold, Angelus bent down for bite of her neck. Looking up at him, she grinned. Her sly expression of victory and the incoming elbow were one of the last things he saw before his vision went black.

Looking down the open elevator shaft, she observed the fall knocked him unconscious. If any other foe lay before her, she'd be punning, but in this circumstance, relief wasn't possible. Comedic lines and emotional catharsis were noticeably absent.

This was just another chapter in a tale that may never end. Gazing at her fallen foe, she knew the battle wasn't over

One day, they'd meet again.

"Unghph."

"That about sums it up."

Angel opened his eyes to find Buffy sitting on the floor across from his bed. He tried to take stock of his situation. "I can't move."

"Probably cuz of the chains." Looking down, he saw the pounds of chains of which she spoke.

"I had somewhere to be last night, so on the off chance you woke up, I rummaged through your stuff and found some chains. Didn't think you'd mind."

He groaned. "Last night-"

"Yeah."

"I was-"

"Yup."

"Unghph."

"And that's when you came in." After a moment of silence, she looked at the floor. "So, are you you?"

"Yeah."

Standing up she scrutinized him: his body movements, his expression and nodded definitively. "Good."

Then, without a word of farewell, she walked up the stairs. Angel didn't have the inclination nor the energy to call out, so instead, he fell back asleep. Maybe dreams would be more forgiving.

Closing the front door offered little relief. When she looked up at the, she saw Gunn sitting in the living room awaiting her.

"I'm sorry I was late. It won't happen again."

He followed her through Sanctuary to the back kitchen. "You were saving someone else's day. That gets you slack."

She started making the first pot of the day. "Thank you for waiting."

"I asked you in to spare them unnecessary fighting. Annoyance doesn't change the situation."

"It won't happen again."

"You already said that." At her grimace, he checked his volume. The kids shouldn't have to wake up before the sun did. "Look I didn't follow you home to critique your work ethic. I'm here to tell you, I've got this."

She made eye contact and he explained, "I asked the baby maker for fighting help and I took the heat of shame by making everyone wait - for you." He stopped her from interrupting "-'it won't happen again.' I heard, but I don't care." Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms. "The point is, I held up my side in this. . . and so did you."

She pulled out a coffee cup waiting for his point.

"You've been helping us this whole time, but now I'm a part of this. I don't want anyone doing my work."

And there it was. She surmised, "You don't want Sunny involved."

"I'd say we were hurting bad if someone so young was taking on something this big."

She turned to face him completely and tested him. "You'll ask for my help when you need it."

"Yeah, I will."

"You'll ask me to take of the problems you shouldn't." When he didn't answer right away, she rubbed her neck irritably, "That's a part of the deal. A lot of the time, I'm not extra muscle. I go in alone and eliminate the threat."

"Okay, yeah."

"And if you fail to ask for my help, results are on you. You don't show up here yelling at me or Sunny for your mistake."

His eyes grew wide. "He did that?"

"Losing people is always hard, but losing friends?" She muttered, "I'm surprised it only happened once." Her eyes softened, "but he didn't ask for that burden. This is you, asking."

He nodded. "If I don't call you in, I won't lay what happens on anyone else. I'll deal."

Leaning against the counter, she accepted his answers. "Okay, we try it your way."

He corrected, "We do it my way."

She considered him before nodding. "You explain it to Sunny then."

Standing up from the wall, he argued, "You're closer to him."

"You're the one wanting him to leave tattling to you." Seeing him fidget, she rubbed her neck again wearily and headed to the freezer. "Gunn, that's what this is: admitting to an outsider that you can't handle situations and neither can your friends. Once they pick up on it, that's exactly what they'll think of you coming to me."

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter what they think. It's necessary."

Pulling out an ice pack, she continued, "And if you want a responsible kid to leave a necessary task to you, you're going to need his trust." She closed her eyes enjoying the cool against her aching neck. "And I'm saying you got to ask for it and not through me."

He slumped back against the wall indulging his exhaustion. "I knew you were hard, but about this stuff, it makes sense."

"I didn't stay to take care of you." Opening her eyes, she met his. "I stayed to take care of them - with you."

"Thanks."

"No problem." She closed her eyes again and listened as the coffee percolated.

"Got an extra cup?"

Without opening her eyes, she reached behind her for a second mug and placed it beside hers.

Certain of the other's commitment, they felt a sense of camaraderie that wasn't there before.

Of course, they respected each other, valued the same things, and played nice around others. After all, their friends were friends, but maybe now, it was their turn.

If Alana knew he was contemplating friendship, she'd be smug and highly amused. His sis used to say if they ever spent real time together they'd be like family. Listening to the coffee maker beside her, he thought maybe she was right. Maybe they would be.

Sensing another presence, he woke up with a slight groan. "Buffy?"

"No Cordelia. Cordelia and Wesley."

He found them watching him from pulled out chairs. His eyes filled with shame and regret.

"Guys, oh God, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Is everyone okay?"

"We are unharmed."

Cordy grumbled, "You're just lucky you have a slayer on your staff to keep us that way."

"How is she?"

"I take it you're referring to miss slays-alot and not the actress who let you inner sociopath out to play."

Too curious to be offended, he mutely nodded.

Wesley answered, "Buffy is fine. A little tired which is why I advised her to go home and rest. She probably won't be in next week but she plans to continue working and e-mail us what we need."

"How did she seem?"

Cordy glowered. "Like she just faced your inner demon."

He grimaced. Buffy and his inner demon had history and none of it good. He thought it was one problem they wouldn't have to deal with again, but in their line of work, problems rarely stay solved.

Wesley reluctantly freed him from his own chains before walking up the steps with Cordelia. She went before him and when it looked like she was nearing the top, he turned back to Angel. "I know you didn't want us to ask her for help, but we felt-"

"You did the right thing." He surveyed the nearby drops of blood and broken furniture. "There was a life at stake."

Wesley followed his gaze. "All our lives actually."

"What else could you do?"

They both knew the answer was nothing, so instead Wes insisted, "We don't know that this will drive her away. After taking a little time, she might consider it a good thing. Now that the inevitable has happened, everyone can stop dreading her involvement. Maybe it'll be a relief."

"We'll know in a couple weeks." Angel looked at her spot on the floor. "Either she'll come back or she won't."

Wesley left and when night fell, Angel left too. It started out as a routine patrol, but unlike other nights, he allowed himself to wander. As expected, he found himself in her neighborhood and crossing paths with its protector who look less than pleased.

"I have this part of town covered."

Being acknowledged, he joined her side. "I know, I just came to -"

"encroach?"

"apologize . . . for the other night and to thank you for your help."

"It's fine, Angel."

They walked in silence the rest of the block.

"I'm sorry."

She looked sad but sounded weary. "Let's just forget it, okay?"

"Okay." She accepted his apology . . . kind of. He didn't feel right asking for more

"I have a few more blocks to patrol, and you have the rest of L.A., so I'll catch you later."

"Goodbye," he murmured to her retreating form.

Her dismissal didn't surprise him.

It's the reason he tried ignoring the situation's problems and leaving their past unmentioned, but it couldn't last. Eventually, he knew something would bring it up. The Lowell case was one of a hundred possible scenarios. He just didn't expect it to come up so soon. Foolishly, he let himself believe they had more time.

Because of his accommodating attitude she started relaxing around them; now, she could barely make eye contact.

Maybe they should have broached the tough topics earlier. At least then, he'd know the nature of her thoughts.

Watching her stride away, he wondered if she feared him or hated him. Deserving both, he couldn't object to either, but he needed to know where he stood with her.

At the moment, she wouldn't let him stand anywhere near.