AN: Exams are OVER! Thank Lord! Let 6th year commence! It'll be a lot more fun this year – as it's subjects I actually like and lots of free periods, which means I'll also have more time to write! YEY! So sorry for the long wait in between chapters!

OUT-FOR-A-WALK-BITCH: Is Dru gonna kill Maddy? You shall have to see! And Spike didn't set Maddy up with Leon – Leon was Maddy's ex-boyfriend from her time in highschool. You'll find out the reason why they broke up soon enough...

Drusillamalfoy: Thank you! Sol seems to be doing well – jaw droppingly well. Just..let her and Spike have their moment, and I'll be happy. Check out 'The Sun' by drusillamalfoy y'all!

Pinkrollingstone: Thanks! I'm going to try to post a double today – but lets just see how it goes. I normally write and post one chapter at a time, but if I've been away from the computer for a while, I normally write on paper then type the chapter's I've made up. I'm not one for writing it all and then posting them all up. Might try it next time though...

TH3angelinH3LL: Pardon my French but – FUCK YEAH!

The Wrecks before the Thrones

He was still angry. And he had every right to be. Spike just did it to piss him off.

Note to self – burn the chair.

And maybe throw Spike in too.

After having the janitor come and get him something 'that supported his back' (he wouldn't want to seem childish and want to get a new chair for those reasons), Angel finally sat down to start some work. Being stuck in Mexico for two days with a group of feuding Ashumara demons wasn't the highlight of the trip. Especially when both of the tribe's elders were determined to marry one of the groups males off with him – as was their culture. He'd have to see Gunn to make sure there wasn't any of those secret ritual marriages going on. Nina wouldn't be pleased.

Nina. There was a face that he hadn't seen for at least a week. He smiled a little. It was strange – he never really felt this way for...well...ever. He loved Buffy, like how he loved Cordy – but the knowledge of doom kept him away from the his school boy in love manner. Things were difficult with those two as bliss was always just around the corner. That made things with Nina that bit easier, simpler. He could enjoy it more without the worry of Angelus being set free. It was a relief and a gift. Not that Nina didn't make him happy – she did. He just guessed...well, to be honest, he didn't know. But he felt that it wouldn't be like it was with Buffy or Cordy. It would be simpler.

Unlike all the stuff that crowded his office.

With all this paper work piled up on his desk, a sense of despair fell upon him. Two stacks. With all of the departments below him, you'd think that they might be able to pick up the slack? And he'd either have to read through them all to make sure there was no funny clauses that might cause the company billions or and sacrifices, or force someone else to read through them. Gunn really is going to have a field day.

Looking at the two piles, running a hand through his hair and then making the executive decision to take a break for a while and see if a hockey game might be on, Angel grabbed the remote and turned on the T.V, throwing himself on the couch with a comforting relish and lounging back.

"-night, the bodies were found with their necks broken and snake like bites in their necks – startlingly similar to the murders that occurred on Thursday."

Remote still pointing at the screen, Angel froze. Murders. Bites to a broken neck. Vamps. Even more work for him to do – or to send Spike out on. Sounds like he's been too busy with Mad- that was some mental imagery he didn't want.

"With 5 murders occurring over this two day period, and supposedly more bodies found in more locations around the state that could possibly be in connection with these bodies, it seems like there is a serial killer emerging. The city police have advised that people should remain indoors at night as much as possible and attempt to avoid any bars or clubs as much as possible," the news reporter image was phased out and replaced with pictures of the victims, three males and two women in smiling portraits – the average people that anyone would pass on the street. Nothing overly special about them and they certainly didn't have the look of a loner around them.

A person who was at the bar around the time of the murders was introduced. A quaking voice. Murmurs that a dark haired woman was wandering around, asking if anyone had seen 'her spike'. Said she talked about the stars. The moon. And a doll.

Edward? No...no it was a female doll. Miss something. Miss Elizabeth?-

"Miss Edith," Angel murmured, "Shit.

Slumped against the door with a hard faced man holding her up, Maddy grinned groggily at me.

"Guess you're Fido then? She said you'd be here. Took 'er a while to get the address out but-"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, "Yeah. Thanks mate. Much was the-"

"Paid for already."

Nodding in gratitude and taking the mumbling Maddy off his hands, I closed the door and sighed. 3 in the morning. Didn't even get a phone call. And here she was, too smashed to even get herself home safely, smelling like booze and sweat and-

(another man.)

Never figured her to escape from her problems, but I guess things just got a bit too much for her.

Should never've made her take that glass of wine though.

Slumping her head on my shoulder, she snorted loudly.

(Cologne. Strong, heavy cologne. Mixing with her smell, all over her-)

"C'mon, drunkard. Let's get you in bed-"

(Bed. Maybe she's been in one already tonight-)

"Shhhhmell like leather!"

"It's the jacket, love."

"Aww! I love you too! A lot! A lot, a lot, a lot!"

"Much've you drank tonight?"

"Drank? Drank? Only...only...I don't know! Um..." She counted off the fingers on her left hand, hitting finger tips sloppily with her right index finger. She missed her pinky all together, "About...about 12?"

"12 what?"

She giggled softly, "12 glasses of water!"

Vodka. Could smell it off her. And the whisky and coke and peach schnapps and-

(And some guy. Some solace. Someone she got with to make it all blur-)

"Sure. 'Member to keep you off that now- you alright?"

Shaking her head softly, and stopping to lean against the wall, she paled, "Nooooo-"

Grabbing her arm, I swung her towards the bathroom, patting her back softly as she heaved in the toilet, hands clutching the rim until her knuckles turned white.

I hated this.

I couldn't give her what she wants, and she turns to drink-

(and another man-)

?

Some part of me wants to shout and scream about it, but still fight for her.

Then there's this other part that's tired of fighting, and it just wants to sleep – to stop feeling.

Thank God the first sides winning.

For now, anyway.