Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Note: Italics are Buffy's personal/Slayer thoughts.

(O.O)

Buffy

I was worried, very, very worried, about Angel. And it was justifiable since I hadn't seen him for two days, not since he left with his Sire, and Spike. I would have freaked out when I had gone looking for him in his apartment and found that he wasn't there, if it hadn't been for the note he left on his coffee table telling me not to worry and search for him because he had to deal with some "personal problems."

"Personal perblems..." I scoffed.

Before the attack on the school, I'd have thought that Angel and "problems" were non-mixy things. He was always this cool, mysterious, and levelheaded guy- err vamp- levelheaded vamp, who was always there when I needed him. He was always the one who helped save the day. I just couldn't picture him having "problems" besides worrying for my well-being. And that's just there because it was part of his missions to be worried about me.

His mission and destiny.

He's suppose to have this important mission to help me, but when his ho-bag of a Sire shows up along with Mr. Hottie, he just up and disappears on me without a clue. Well, okay, he did leave a clue-one very stupid, inconclusive note kind of clue.

I scoffed again.

Yeah, and it was very helpful-NOT! Hello? When someone tells you not to worry and they all tend to worry, 'cause that's like the number one rule on how to worry about someone. I let out a sigh. Why is he always so dense when it came to these human things? He's suppose to be like three hundred years old, so he's suppose to have more experience about these things than me. How can he still act like a clueless idiot in front of the woman he is supposedly been seeing?

I pouted and wadded up the note. I almost threw it away before I thought better of it and carefully folded it, and put in in my pocket.

So much for his so called mission to help me. He wasn't even here and I really need his help right now.

I sighed again. Tonight was the so called Night of St. Vigeous, where all vampires get a major power boost. Giles and Ms. Calendar believed that they would come and attack me in numbers. I knew I shouldn't be afraid of that since I'd already fought a small army of vamps two nights ago, but that power boost stuff did sound a tiny bit intimidating.

Here at the library, Willow and my computer teacher were still working on a spell that could create an artificial sun light thingie but they still hadn't been successful. I was losing hope since it was only a few hours until night fall. Giles was trying to help them while Xander went on a donut run. We all could use some more of that sweet delectable snack at this moment. And Cordelia was-um, I really didn't know what she was doing here. She always said that she wanted to stay far away from danger, yet she still hung out here in the library with us. She was just so weird sometimes and I'd given up on trying to understand her. I already had enough problems on my plate to worry about her.

My mind drifted back to Angel and on how he could've been a big help tonight. True, he never really did much beside stand in the corner and make the occasional comment, but his presence here would've been a big comfort to me. He made me feel that I didn't have to carry the burden of being the Chosen One alone. I could depend on him to have my back and watch over my friends. It was a great feeling. But sometimes though, I wished he could just take care of my problems all together for me and make me feel safe and protected from all the nasties out there. But that was just too much to ask of him. It was too much to ask out of anyone, really.

Ever since I became the Slayer that sort of peace has never been within my reach. Not even my mom or Giles can give me that, because deep down I know that if I ever let myself feel protected, even for a minute, it'd make me let my guard down and that'd make me weak. And as the Slayer I couldn't afford to be weak. People would lose their lives if I was weak. So…no. No safe and peaceful feelings for Buffy. I always had to in the strong and cautious Slayer mode.

You really believe that? What about when you were dancing in Spike's arms? You sure felt safe back then, at peace even. You felt that everything was right in the world. But we didn't become weak that time, and instead we were so strong that we killed those vampires in a span of a few seconds just so we could get back to him and those arms.

I wanted to dispute what that wicked little part of my brain was telling me, but I couldn't. I knew it was telling the truth. That night, when I had been dancing with Spike, I had felt a strange pull deep inside me. Somehow, something was connecting me to him and vice versa. I'd felt protected and very safe with him but also fiercely possessive. I'd wanted to own that beautiful man in front of me. I'd also wanted him in every most imaginable way possible, most of such imaginations would have made my mom faint if she had any inkling that I even knew those things existed. I desired him in an innate, instinctual and very primal level, that should logically disturbed or frightened me. But it didn't.

This was not a Buffy behavior. And I knew this. I also knew that I should tell my Watcher about all of this, not just because it was not right for me to feel such things, but also because I knew for a fact that Spike wasn't exactly human.

Not human.

I'd thought as such after I saw his eyes shifting color the other night and also the fact that he just stood up after getting a beating from Angel's Sire, whose relations to Spike I still don't know yet, without so much as a limp. Thus explains the conclusion that he was indeed not of the human variety, although I still wasn't a hundred percent certain of what he was. The best answer to that would've been that he was a vampire, considering he was associated to Angel, when he was called Angelus, and also to his called ho bag Sire. But then I couldn't help but remember the look in his eyes when we'd been staring at each other as we danced that night at the Bronze. They were so expressive, so alive and so human that it was no wonder I hadn't noticed that he wasn't human despite his cold hands. He looked so different from any vampire I've ever met, including Angel. So it made me think that he could be some other kind of supernatural being.

An angel, maybe? I giggled. With his face he could pass for it, right?

"Where's Angel?" Willow's unknowingly echoed what I'd been thinking. It took me a minute to realize she meant Angel with a capital A and not my day dream Spike-angel.

Shaking off any remaining lusty thoughts about Spike, I answered her question. "I don't know Wills. I haven't seen him since the other night- and yes, I've already went to his apartment but he wasn't there. He just left a note saying he had some personal problems he had to deal with." It sounded like a really lame when I said it out loud.

"Personal you mean like his Sire visiting him, kind of personal?" she asked.

"Don't know. He didn't exactly specify. But I am thinking it is in that sort of personal," I answered her while I tried to sound indifferent and not worried about Angel meeting up with his extremely pretty and good looking Sire.

Nope. I was not so insecure as to think that Angel was being seduced by his hot and sexy ho-bag of a Sire. Not at all. I was just worried of what his Sire was doing to him that was keeping him from contacting us, especially since I really needed him tonight. We could really use an extra super-strong fighter that could take care of not only himself but also my friends.

"You said Angel met up with his Sire?" Giles interrupted my musing. "When was this?"

Oh, that's right. I haven't told him the full extent of what happened during parent-teacher night. That would explain why he has no idea what we were talking about.

"Um, Buffy said that Angel's sire came and helped them when Sheila was about to escape with Mr. McKee," Willow answered for me. "She staked her and had Mr. Hot- I mean Spike callled an ambulance to get Mr. McKee to the hospital."

"And who the bloody hell is Spike?!" he asked, sounding irritated.

He'd always get like that when he was the last to know about certain things that pertain my being the Slayer. I didn't blame him. He was my Watcher and it was his job to know the stuff that happened to me. Me not telling him about Angel's Sire showing up and helping, along with the whole Spike thing, was really going to tick him off.

"Spike's the so-called 'hot human' guy the Buffster danced with at the Bronze a few nights ago," Xander answered as he entered the library with a box of donuts in his hands. Hopefully he remembered to get more than one raspberry jelly this time.

"So-called?" Giles rubbed a hand over his face.

"So-called because I'm pretty sure he's not human." I gave Giles the quick rundown of my reasoning and Xander chimed in with his account of the fight between Angel and Spike.

"I see. So you're saying that this Spike character has helped save not only you, but also Xander, and that he referred to Angel as Angelus, and was familiar with Darla, who is Angel's Sire, who also assisted you that night? Am I getting this correct?"

"Right as rain, G-man," Xander said around a mouthful of donut.

Giles frowned at him. "I've told you more than once not to call me that." Xander shrugged. "But going back- if Angel's Sire, Darla, truly is here then we might have bigger problems than we anticipated."

"What do you mean, Mr. Giles?" Willow's voice trembled.

"Well-" my Watcher walked towards the table and picked up one of the books lying there and started flipping it. When he found the right page he read out loud: "Darla is the direct heir to the Master and was sired by him. The Master named her Darla, meaning 'Dear One', and she was his favored Childe up until she left his side to join Angelus and travel with him. She's over four hundred years old and a powerful Master Vampire in her own right. Her true nature is cruel, deceitful and vicious, often she played as an innocent and fragile young woman to lure in her victims before she assaults and brutally kills them. Darla and Angelus laid waste to the populace wherever they found themselves, committing unspeakable acts of evil upon them. The reign of terror only escalated upon the addition of two other vampires to their group: Drusilla the Mad, who had been sired by Angelus, and William the Bloody who had been sired by Drusilla. Together the four of them wreaked havoc in every corner of the continent for nearly two decades, earning them the title of the Scourge of Europe. They-"

The room became silent as Giles continued reading about Darla and her little family. Feelings of dread crept through me as I listened to him. It was bad enough that Darla had been sired by the Master, the only vampire who had succeeded in killing me, but she had had to bring her two monster kids with her; Drusilla and William.

William...

Darla had referred to Spike as William, so it wasn't hard to guess that he was the William in Giles' book. It said he tortured his victims with railroad spikes, hence the moniker, Spike. My stomach tied itself in knots. Mere moments ago I'd been dreaming about how safe I'd felt in his arms. Only he was a monster. A killer that was in my town and quite possibly gunning for me and everyone that I cared for.

But…

But if he was after you, why did he save you, your friend and your teacher that night?

I had to ignore that little voice of doubt. Trusting a soulless vampire was a great way to end up dead. I was confused enough as it was.

Giles concluded his reading and added in the very real possibility that these vampires were here in Sunnydale to take out as many people as possible and implied that they would most likely lead the attack tonight.

Xander raised his hand. "Hey, G-man, can I ask a question?"

Giles sighed. "Yes, Xander, you may, but again please cease and desist with calling me that."

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, if these guys are as bad as you say, how come they helped us?" he asked surprising not only Giles but also me. "I mean, if they wanted to kill everyone, why bother saving the Slayer and her buddies?"

Since when do you question whether or not a vampire is evil? You're usually the one who suggests that all vamps were bad, even Angel. What exactly are you thinking, Xan? And where are you going with this?

"Hmm, perhaps they're trying to fool you into false security before killing you?" Giles suggested.

Yeah, that could be a reason why Mr. Hottie was down with the saving and helping of me and my friends. The guy just wants to get me to let my guard down.

"Yeah right," Xander snorted. "I'd believe that if they'd just saved Buffy and our teacher, but what about me? If that Spike guy wanted me dead wouldn't it be more understandable if he just let that other vamp kill me? Or if he just knocked out and kidnapped Angel when he had the chance, then kill me? 'Cause let me tell you that that guy was so strong that he had wiped the floor with Angel, and that he could've kicked everyone's asses that night if he really wanted to, no offence Buff," he paused to look apologeticly at me because apparently I was among the 'everyone' that he meant. "But anyway, he didn't and instead he helps us and leaves without doing anything remotely evil to us. I'm just saying guys, they don't seem like the Big Bad type to me, nor do their actions seem like they had ulterior motives besides helping us, and getting Angel to help them, which would explain why dead boy is absent now, because they were successful in convincing him. Do you, guys, get what I mean?"

"Kinda Xan, but I'm not liking the idea of helpful vampires without souls. It just ruins the natural order of things," I said, finally imparting what I thought about the entire thing. "After all, vampires are innately evil creatures, and what you're suggesting is too far off any scale of possibility."

"Souls," Willow yelped.

"What?" I asked, looking sideways at her.

"Maybe they have souls? Don't you think that's a more probable answer?" she caught her lower lip in between her teeth.

This idea made me pause, and I almost considered it. Almost, but not really, because it couldn't be the answer. I distinctly remembered Angel saying that he was the only vampire in the world with a soul. Why would he lie about that?

"Hey, maybe you're right, Will. That would totally explain the save-age and help-age!" Xander exclaimed, making Willow smile bigger.

"It's not possible," Giles shook his head as he disputed the idea. He and Angel had also talked about his soul and how he acquired it, so I guess my Watcher also knew that Angel was the only vampire with a soul.

"Why?" Willow asked sounding a bit sad that Giles had dismissed her idea.

"He means that it's not possible for those two to have souls because Angel said that he is the only vampire that is cursed with one in the whole world," I said dully.

Xander, for the second time that night, surprised me. "Yeah, he's so sure about that how? I mean the guy said he spent most of the century in alleys and sewers, eating rats while feeling sorry for himself. I doubt he's had time to find out if whether or not someone else got cursed with a soul aside from himself."

"Okay Xander, I so can feel the Angel-hating from over here. What the heck is wrong with you?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "And why do you hate Angel so much? He's been our ally for over a year now and he has helped us save the world countless times, but you still have don't trust him, and yet you are willing to give your trust to the two new vampires in town? What the heck is your damage?" I snarled, anger flaring from within me. I know I might've scared everyone in the room, but I'd had just about enough of Xander always doubting and insulting Angel.

"Woah, chill Buffster I'm just stating facts here. It's not because I hate the guy or anything, I'm just saying that there is a possibility that he might be wrong about being the only soulled vamp out there, 'cause it's the only explanations why those other two would have helped us. As for trusting those said vamps, I just want to say that I don't trust them, but I am willing to hear them out, after all one of them did save me." Xander crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the rest of us.

I wanted to argued with him some more, but mostly about why he seemed to hate Angel so much, despite the fact that he just said that he didn't, or why he didn't trust him. But I kept my mouth closed. There was no point to arguing with jealousy induce prejudice.

I knew for a fact that Xander was jealous of Angel because the vamp and I were kind of dating, but there was nothing I could do about to make that better for him. As my friend he should just accept who I want to go out with and be happy, or at least be tolerant of it.

But I also did have to admit that Xander did have a point about the part where he was saved by Spike. It was kind of wacky behavior for your average vamp. So I guess I could understand why he feels that we should at least give them a chance to at least explain themselves.

Unless, of course, one of them would try to kill one of us, then all bets were off.

I nodded at Xander to let him know I got where he was coming from.

Cordelia bolting from the chair where she sat made all of us jump and my hand closed around a stake. "Oh, my god! I'm almost late for my date with Patrick Morgan!" she blurted, slamming closed the book she was reading and tossing her stuff into her purse. "You losers nearly made me forget about it with all this depressing talk of possible evil vampires and their secret evil motives."

"Hey, how is that our fault that you can't seem to tell the time?" Xander demanded while pointedly looking at the clock on the wall. "And what the heck are you doing here anyway? It's not like you were invited in this meeting."

"You're right, I wasn't invited. But apparently I'm the only one who seem to remember that this is a school library, and it's a public place for students to read, hang out and waste some time. I came here to do just that. It had seemed like a good idea earlier to wait here until I have to meet up with Rick from his group meeting for his Physics Project. How was I supposed to know that you losers would be here in the first place? I really should have picked somewhere else to waste my time."

"Wow, I stopped listening to you when you mentioned spending time reading. I just can't believe that Cordelia Chase would voluntarily spend some of her precious time in the library to read." Xander refolded his arms over his chest.

"Well, for your information Xander Harris I-"

I tuned out the rest of argument and looked away from them to see that everyone else was having the same idea. Willow and Ms. Calendar had gone back to their research while my Watcher looked like he was really focused on reading another dusty book. When he began cleaning his glasses I got worried and approached him to ask what he'd found out and why he looked so wigged by it.

"I'm sorry to cause your concern, Buffy, it's just that I noticed something strange about the three vampires: Darla, William and Drusilla," he said looking up at my face. "I realized that there weren't any records of their activity since the turn of the century. Nothing to indicate what the three had been doing since they were said to have met up with the Slayer in China at the turn of the century."

"You mean people thought they got killed there?"

"Oh, no it didn't state that. In fact, it didn't state much of anything about what had happened during that time or after. All of the accounts I could find about what happened were either too vague or inconclusive, but some of the stories about them were just too outrageous and downright unbelievable to be credible." He sighed.

"What do you mean, Giles? What crazy evil things did these three do that are making you all with the wierd?"

"That's the thing Buffy, these three didn't do anything evil at all. This account says that they aided the Slayer in stopping evil during that time and onwards."

I just stared at him with my mouth open.

(O.O)

Giles

Upon hearing about Angel's family being in town I had immediately set about finding out more about them. Not only for I need to inform my charge about the kind of demons she was facing but also to expand my knowledge of who they were. I regretted not having done so beforehand, when I'd first came into contact with Angel himself. I blamed the vampire for that. I'd been so focused on reading about his evil deeds that I'd utterly failed to check on the rest of his known associates. I was scrambling to fill in the gaps in my knowledge as fast as I could, only what I was finding was not at all what I'd been expecting.

At first the story of the three had been a standard one as far as vampire histories went, if not a little more profound than others considering who they were. It had been in the more recent accounts that I found confusing. It had been unnerving to find out that they may not be the standard evil monsters we were used to facing. I nearly threw the book across the room as its contents seemed so preposterous and went against nearly everything I'd been taught

Vampires helping Vampire Slayers. It was ludicrous!

It had taken me an excessive amount of time and liquor consumption just to get over the fact that I was allowing Angel, a vampire with a SOUL, to be anywhere near my Slayer in order to aid her in battle. I did not want to think of what I'd have to do to get past not only one, but apparently three, notorious vampires fighting for the side of good. The books I had, held no answer for me.

The stories of their deeds were never unambiguously stated and the accounts were never specific. It was all heresy and second hand tales, but they all did agree on one thing: during the last ninety years Darla, William, and Drusilla had been performing acts of heroism with no chance of reward. Had all these authors being chasing the green fairy?

I shook out my handkerchief and cleaned my glasses. For the first time I wished that Angel was here. I needed him to answer my questions.

Buffy walked over at that point having seen my distress. It never ceased to amaze me how perceptive my Slayer could be. I never was truly able to hide anything from her. Her jaw had nearly dropped off as I updated her on my findings.

Shock was replaced by confusion which melted away to…relief? But why would she feel that? Perhaps she was relieved that Angel wasn't with the evil demons that we'd first thought Darla and the others to be.

Yes, of course, that was it.

"You know, Giles, I'm beginning to like Will and Xander's theory about those guys having souls more and more, rather than the idea of them being miraculous goody-goody soulless vamps," Buffy said after I finished explaining everything to her. She popped her gum loudly before continuing to gnaw on it.

I couldn't help but agree. It was just unnatural, as Buffy had said earlier, and I would indeed prefer that these vampires have souls than to deal with the idea of them being some kind of reformed demons.

"I found it!" Jenny exclaimed, breaking my concentration.

"Mr. Giles, look what we just found. It's a spell that we could combine to our previous efforts that would allow us to replicate the effects of the sun on vampires," Willow said, bubbling over with excitement. "It's exactly what we need!"

They two women looked at me expectantly with wide smiles that even I couldn't help but return. I shoved aside the soul versus no soul debate in order to focus on the situation at hand. I approached the table where the two were sitting and reviewed what they had found.

"Well, I must say, this is indeed a wonderful find. You two are correct, combining this spell to previous one would indeed result in artificial sunlight. But these are complex spells that require a deft hand and the utmost care." I was more than a little concerned at the level of skill needed to perform this level of magic.

"But you guys can perform it, right?" Buffy asked, joining our conversation.

"Like Rupert said, it is complex, but it is not impossible to accomplish. There are a few details we have to resolve, such as the spell's time limit, but I am confident that with practice we can do this spell with ease," Jenny smiled at the Slayer.

"Good, so what ingredients do you need?"

"Nothing too fancy. It's all stuff I can get at the local magic shop." Jenny pursed her lips. "Well, except for an Azere's runic crystal, it's very rare and it's the most important ingredient I need to find. Hopefully they'll be one available."

"Oh, can I come with you when you buy the ingredients? I could help in running around town to find this special crystal thingie in case we don't find it in one shop," Willow pleaded, looking eagerly at Jenny. I smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, her fascination with magic and spell casting was just preview to the girl's possible future as a witch. I took a mental note to talk to Jenny about furthering Willow's training in the arts of witchcraft while teaching her appropriate boundaries.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on planning to counter the possible vampire attack that could be happening that night. Despite how busy we all were, I couldn't help but to let my thoughts wonder back the new vampires in town. Were they indeed warriors for good, as the books said they, or was it all an act? Another way to get close to the Slayer in order to take her out? Would they come tonight to fight with us or against us? I hoped the impossible was the truth, but I'd be prepared for the worse. I always was.

(O.O)