I wrote the fic, other than that I don't own anything BtVS or AtS.
Pairings are loosely: C/A, Will/Wes, C/X/Wes, and B/A. Although other combinations are implied.
A quick note about the above: I'm a B/A shipper and will never give more to another ship than I do to my own.
******** I also feel like I should add a WARNING... This fic will touch on dark subjects and then move on. Please don't start reading it if that's a problem. ***********
And finally, if you're still with me after that, I hope some of you like it.
A few raindrops whipped down her collar as Buffy made the final turn toward her destination, and she walked through the alley before stopping to look at the impressive building on the other side of the street. 'Wolfram and Hart,' was proudly displayed in large letters across the front, and the slayer frowned before leaning a shoulder against the brick building she was standing by.
It had been twenty years since she'd died in Sunnydale. Twenty years since she'd given her life in place of Dawn's. Buffy stirred uneasily and adjusted her coat, her eyes going up to the rapidly darkening sky before being drawn back to the well-maintained building. She shouldn't be here, not after what happened three days ago. Tears mixed with rain and she wiped at her face with a coat cuff before pushing away from the building, but she couldn't force herself to leave.
Everything that was left of her old life was in there. A sound got her attention and she glanced up to see a woman staring down at her from a window that had just been closed. The woman's dull eyes met hers before she turned away quickly and disappeared back into the room. Buffy took a breath before turning back to the building across the street as her thoughts went back to her current situation. She'd been thrust back into this world 5 days ago. A world that she didn't understand. Shadows moved in the Wolfram and Hart yard, but Buffy didn't notice, too caught up in her own thoughts.
Her "resurrection" had been in a dingy basement. She'd woken up in the rotting remnants of her burial gown, disoriented and terrified as she'd looked over the cracked walls, broken windows, and the two men she didn't know.
One of them had given her a creepy smile and introduced himself as Marcus before promptly leaving. The other had offered her clothes and turned his back as she'd quickly changed before telling her a story that she'd initially rejected, but was now learning may well be true.
"Buffy," the mocking voice got her attention, and she looked up startled to find Angel standing a few paces away from her, his eyes narrowed and gleaming. "So nice of you to come to us. Here I thought we'd have to hunt you down."
"Yeah," Willow added as she stepped out of the shadows at his side. "Now all that's left is to get you to your new home. Then we can chat or do... whatever."
She straightened as her gaze slid to the redhead, her eyes were black with magic. "What are you doing Wills?" she asked as she fought back desperation. "Last time I saw you you were trying to stay away from magic."
"You're actually a good copy of her you know? I mean, not just physically." The witch tilted her head to look her over. "The only thing they forgot is that you'd need a heartbeat... especially if you're going to try to get in our way."
"My heart's beating Will. I can feel it."
"No, it's not," Angel spoke up coolly. "I can't hear it."
Buffy looked at him strangely before continuing, "And I don't see how I'm getting in your way. A vampire was attacking a woman," she referred to the incident that happened three days ago, the one where she'd met Willow, Xander, and Angel for the first time in this new age, and realized something was seriously wrong with them. "All I did was stop him from doing that."
"You went after the wrong one," Willow informed coolly. "The man was the human. We *dusted* the woman after you escaped." Buffy stared at her, and the witch wagged a finger almost playfully at the horrified blonde. "You should know we can't suffer evil demons to live, at least not unless they're useful."
A smirk crossed Angel's face as he looked Buffy over before he met her eyes. "This one's going to be useful."
Willow nodded. "I think we can all agree on that... except for Cordelia."
Angel shrugged. "The toys are in the basement, the family's upstairs. Just because this one's going to get extra attention doesn't change what she is."
More panic surged through her and Buffy swallowed thickly, trying to think of something to say before deciding there wasn't anything left to say. With a lithe movement, she turned before bolting down the alley as fast as she could. Her steps sloshing in puddles as the heavy old coat she wore weighed her down. There weren't any sounds of footsteps behind her, but that didn't stop her from quickening her pace as she tried desperately to leave her old friends behind. She didn't get much farther than halfway through the narrow alley before running into an invisible barrier that sent her sprawling with a soft cry of surprise. Footsteps that took their time closed in, and she pushed to her feet and tried to ignore the dizziness that pounded in her head. "This is insane," she muttered as she frantically looked for a way out of the trap she was in.
Angel gave a quiet laugh, and it caused her to clench her fists before bolting for the fire escape to her right.
"You can't get out that way," Willow called before raising a hand and waving it toward the building. "All the doors are locked."
It didn't even slow her down though as she hurried up the stairs, the hollow clanging of her boots on the metal steps sounding loudly in her ears before she reached the last landing and attempted to jump onto the top of the building, her heart pounding as she waited to see if Willow had left that way open for her. She had. Buffy's boots caught and held on the flat tarred roof before she quickly wove her way across the rooftop and jumped off the other side. She landed badly, her ankle twisting painfully before the bone broke leaving her huddled in the dark alley.
A shriek of anger reached her along with Angel's curse before the night grew quiet again. It was then she knew she'd bought some time. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed soaked hair back and searched for a crutch. She was right earlier. She shouldn't have come.
Her hand bumped against something solid and she almost sobbed when it turned out to be an old skid, the planks cut way too short to be of any use to her. Pushing it out of the way she cautiously got to her feet and hopped a couple of steps toward Lindsey's apartment.
Quick steps came closer causing her to drop to the ground and shift back into the shadows. The steps stopped, and she cautiously looked up to see an old man and woman looking at her, their faces partly obscured by the weak light in the alley. "Well," the man said as he crouched in front of her. "What have we here?"
"Are you hurt?" the woman moved closer.
"I think I broke my ankle."
"However did you do that dear?" the woman asked, her face hidden in the same shadows Buffy was trying to hide in.
"I tripped." The slayer nervously glanced back toward Wolfram and Hart, the way the old couple had come from. Something didn't feel right. "Do you see anything I can use as a crutch?"
The man stood and was followed by the old woman as they began to slowly look over the alley. Buffy listened to them rattle the lids on trash dumpsters as they moved farther away. A soft murmur she couldn't make out and a cry of triumph from the woman. "I only found one dear, but it's exactly what you need."
Buffy looked up gratefully and her eyes widened in surprise when they landed on the actual crutch in her hand. Before she could comment though the man was beside her, helping her to her feet as the woman helped her situate the crutch. "Thank you," she exclaimed as she carefully put weight on the support. It was the right height, and she took a couple of awkward hops. A clap of thunder followed by a bright flash of lightning made her turn back to the old couple with a grateful smile. "If you guys don't get going, you'll be just as soaked as I am, because I'm pretty sure it's going to start pouring soon."
The woman took a step forward, her hand reaching to brush a strand of hair off Buffy's face, her fingers lingering slightly on the soft skin. "Oh no, dear. We wouldn't think of leaving you out here alone. It's a dangerous city after all."
The elderly man moved up beside her and pulled the woman's hand away almost forcefully before pinning her to his side. "She's right you know. Whether you want it or not, it looks like you've got an escort home."
For the first time, Buffy felt her unease of the situation solidify into unease of the elderly couple. Something about them didn't feel right. Closing her eyes, she took a breath and concentrated her slayer abilities on the two. She didn't feel them out long enough they should have suspected anything, but she did long enough to assure herself they were human.
"It looks like we're scaring her," the woman's amused voice cut through the alley as Buffy opened her eyes.
"Surely not," the man answered as his eyes dug into the blonde. "She's just been through a lot and needs to get home."
A sudden gust of wind whipped through the alley and Buffy shivered. "I'm fine," she told them with a hint of apprehension, "but I don't live near here and would hate to drag you all the way across town just to see me home." She started to hobble out of the alley, her weight heavily leaning on the crutch as she tried to protect herself from the coolness that was rapidly increasing with the darkness.
"And I would hate to lose you," the elderly man answered as he fell into step beside her. "People are known to disappear in this town... and sometimes," he continued as he moved closer, his hand coming down to rest lightly against the back of her water soaked coat, "they come back wrong."
She didn't say anything but shot him a glance. His face was in shadows, and Buffy quickly looked back at the sidewalk as Lindsey's words haunted her, "The city's Angel's playground where the only difference between the humans and demons is that the demons know the score." He'd sat back and looked at her disbelieving expression before shaking his head. "Wolfram and Hart got to them years ago. Anything good is being twisted to suit the law firm... and the bad..." he'd broken off. "They're no longer human. They gave that up when they agreed to become vampires." Buffy's eyes had widened, and Lindsey gave a faint smile of triumph. "When you work for Wolfram and Hart, your work is never done. They now have the power to fight through the ages as a group. And they're strong Buffy, and deadly, and their targets aren't just demons."
"Where's Angel?" Cordelia moved through the Wolfram and Hart lounge with annoyance.
"I believe he stepped out," Wesley glanced up from the book he was reading with the same interest Xander was giving her. "Did you have a vision?"
The brunette shook her head and dropped onto the sofa with narrowed eyes. "I'm worried is all. He's been acting off since Buffy's clone made an appearance."
Giles looked up from his book. "Yes, but if she's as good a copy as they claim, I can understand why." The ex-librarian leaned back on the sofa. "It's a shame she got away."
"Oh she's a good copy alright," Xander spoke up. "But more to the point, why would someone go to the trouble of creating her?"
"To mess with our minds maybe?" Cordelia muttered with irritation before shaking her head and narrowing her eyes. "It's just a matter of time though and we'll get her."
"Yeah we will," Xander agreed thinking about the first encounter they'd had with her. "Whoever made her is definitely trying to get our attention."
Cordelia snorted before crossing her arms. "The only attention she needs is to have her neck snapped."
Wesley glanced at Cordelia. Somehow he doubted Angel would agree to that.
The pain in her ankle was throbbing, and the painfully slow progress she was making toward Lindsey's apartment wasn't helping the strong feeling Buffy had that she was in danger. It was setting her on edge, and she couldn't keep from looking out of the corner of her eye at the old couple moving feebly beside her. They were watching her, she could feel their eyes when they thought she wasn't looking. A sudden burst of cold rain made her shiver before she stopped and turned to them, startled at the realization they were wearing coats lighter than hers and weren't acting the least bit cold.
"What is it dear?" the old woman asked as she brushed back long gray hair.
"I..." Buffy broke off, her gaze sliding to the white haired man. He was watching intently, and she met his eyes before turning away. "It's nothing," she answered tightly before starting to hobble forward again.
"How long have you been out in this rain?" he asked. "You must be freezing."
Certain she was being mocked, Buffy kept her eyes straight ahead. "Awhile," she answered as she looked over the almost empty sidewalks desperately before scowling when she didn't see a way to escape the couple she now suspected of having ties to Angel.
A car turned onto the street, and she quickly hobbled into the middle of the road, flailing her free arm as she tried to get the driver to stop. It didn't work. The car swerved around her before taking off with a squeal of tires.
"What was that?" The hand that came down on her arm had more strength than it should have had as she was pulled around to face the old man.
She didn't say anything, and the old woman stepped forward. "He's only asking because he's worried about you." She cocked her head in seeming thought. "Jumping in front of a car's odd behavior. Maybe you're hurt more than you realize." Her hand pushed to Buffy's forehead as if she thought she'd find a fever.
Buffy shook her off before pulling at her arm. It didn't help, he still kept a tight grip on it, and she gave up, allowing herself to go slack. "I need a doctor," she gritted out. "Someone that can set my ankle."
"Right." The man looked away from Buffy and at his companion, "Because broken bones won't heal correctly unless the two ends are held together."
"Yes," the woman agreed. "That way she can *run* in front of cars instead of hop." She looked at the man beside her. "However will we keep up with her then?"
Buffy pulled back hard, her need to be free almost a necessity. It worked. She landed on her butt, the jolt causing an extra burst of pain in her ankle that made her cry out, clench her teeth, close her eyes. She looked up when she heard them move. They were standing over her again, their faces swathed in shadows. A swift movement by the woman brought a wavering of reality, and Buffy found herself facing Angel and Willow.
"Tell us," the witch began, "just how far did you think you could get?"
Buffy swallowed and quickly looked away from them as tears gathered and fell. "Why should I have to get away from you Wills? Last time I checked we were friends."
A large hand came down to grip into her hair painfully. "Do you really want to make the claim you're her?" Angel asked as he jerked her head back so they could lock eyes before he gave a slight warning shake of his head. "You might want to rethink that strategy... I mean, if you piss me off, I might decide to find out if you like pain lover."
"I bet we can teach her to," the redhead purred.
Angel glanced at her before looking back down at Buffy. "I'll have to let you know," he warned just as a truck sped down the street, its tires screeching to a halt just behind them.
"ANGEL!" the brunette behind the wheel yelled. "Let her go."
"Lindsey," he growled as he shifted to glare at the man holding a crossbow on him. "What do you have to do with this?" He took a threatening step toward the ex-lawyer. "I hope a lot... because whoever's behind this, is as good as dead."
"Speaking of which..." Willow turned to him as well. "I thought maybe you were already dead."
"Sorry to disappoint darling," he murmured as he eyed the two vampires warily before looking back at Buffy. "Come on slayer. You've had a busy day and it's time to get you home."
"I was thinking the same thing," Angel stated as he stepped between Lindsey and the blonde struggling to get to her feet. "But her home isn't with you. *Buffy's* place has always been with us."
"Not anymore." Lindsey kept the crossbow steady as he watched them carefully. Behind them, Buffy made it to her feet and started to take several hobbling steps away when Lindsey floored it. His truck lunged ahead to hit both Willow and Angel before bumping its way over them. "Get in," he ordered as he stopped beside her. She started to open the door and he couldn't stop from tacking on a "hurry."
She was barely in when he floored it again, the old truck taking the next corner with a squeal of tires.
"NO," Willow's cry filled the street as the redhead stared after the truck before looking down at the broken fingers on her hand. A moment later, she looked over to where Angel had gotten to his feet. "We had her."
The brunette's eyes blazed angrily as he wiped at the bloody gash in his forehead. "Soon," he told her ominously as he turned to walk away, "but in the meantime, it's a little more... interesting this way don't you think?" He fought to control his anger as he looked back at her, but venom filled his words. "It'll just make the... claiming that much more entertaining."
"It will," Willow agreed as she too thought of the blonde that was doing more than a passable imitation of her friend. Of course, that was until you remembered she'd been dead for 20 years, realized this new version was missing a heartbeat... and had tried to kill a human in front of them. A fresh wave of rain hit as she moved up beside the vampire eyeing her darkly.
"Just one thing we have to get clear," he muttered. "This one... until I say otherwise, is mine. I don't want anyone else laying a finger on her. Do you understand?"
Willow's dark eyes met her sire's. Her magic was strong, but she had no desire to oppose him on this... or anything else. She shrugged. "It's not like we're lacking in toys sire. This one's yours," she agreed.
"Good," he rumbled as he stared down at her broken fingers. "Breaking Lindey's hand," he murmured in mocking thought. "I suppose once we get a hold of him that could be a start."
"It could," Willow agreed before healing her broken bones with a wave of her hand. "It did hurt." She wiggled her fingers with a smile. "I don't know why people put up with the pain of broken bones."
"What were you doing?" Lindsay practically yelled as he glared at the pale slayer sitting beside him.
"I... I don't understand." She looked over at him at a loss. "What happened to them?"
"Oh," he murmured sarcastically. "Now you're willing to listen?" He shook his head before sighing. "I wasn't lying when I told you they were dark Buffy. It happened in stages." He looked over at her. "After you died, your friends came to Los Angeles. They naturally hooked up with Angel who was already working at Wolfram and Hart." He turned a corner and headed down another dark street. "After they worked there for five years, the Senior Partners made a convincing argument for them to become vampires."
"They wouldn't have agreed..."
"They did," he stated. "At the time Willow and Xander were twenty-five, Wes was thirty-two... and Giles was ten years older than that. They were relatively young, and dying from a *mysterious* disease the doctors had never seen before... " he trailed off as silence fell.
"But what about their..."
"Souls?" Lindsey anticipated. She nodded. "That was part of the deal. Think about it, Buffy... Their life span could easily be in the hundreds of years, there would be no sickness or weakness, and they would never have killed anyone. They were changed in a cell and fed nothing but pig's blood." He checked the rearview mirror with a frown and made a sharp left turn.
"So they were souled and still fighting the good fight right?"
"Yes. But along with being a vampire comes certain... cravings. Angel controlled his out of guilt, but the others didn't have anything to feel guilty about. It began to eat at them... and on their first year anniversary of being turned, the Senior Partners rewarded each of them with a kylick demon."
"Kylick?" Buffy frowned. The name didn't ring a bell.
"They're like a fine vintage wine to vamps," he murmured. "Maybe not as coveted as slayer blood, but still of the better variety."
"They drank them?" She felt her stomach roll at the thought.
"Keep in mind, they'd only had packaged pig's blood up until that time." He made another sharp turn. "And afterwards..." he glared at the headlights in the rearview mirror and turned down another street. "Afterwards," he shrugged, "they decided they enjoyed getting their blood from warm, struggling bodies." Silence fell for a moment before he broke it. "They tried to relive the sensation with other demons. Wolfram and Hart has dungeons in the basement, and they, your friends, started keeping demons there." He shot her a look. "They learned to like the fear as much as the blood. It didn't take long for them to start experimenting with torture, to learn that breaking bodies and spirits was something their demons excelled at, that the predator in them craved."
Her stomach turned over. She knew all too well the fine line between making clean kills and inflicting unnecessary pain. "Why didn't Angel stop them?"
He snorted and shot her a look. "With the kylicks? Funny thing about that... He wasn't there to watch over his *childer*. It was the first night he slept with Cordelia."
Buffy reeled in shock, uncertain which bit of information to be more surprised about. She'd been dead 20 years... of course, she wanted him happy, or as happy as he could safely be... but Cordelia of all people? She ran a hand through her hair and forced herself to think about the second part of his revelation. "*Angel* sired them?"
"Hard to believe he turned them huh?" Lindsey glanced at a woman quickly walking down the sidewalk. "But it makes them family, gives them that link, that edge."
Buffy struggled to understand what she was being told. "You said they were killing humans." She tried to keep her voice level as she remembered the conversation they'd had earlier, the one they were having when she'd walked out on him.
"Buffy..." Lindsey broke off. "Angel wasn't the same after you died. And after he turned your friends, they talked to him, helped him understand the difference between the soul and the demon. It didn't change him for the better." He glanced at her. "Don't get me wrong, he's still very much in control of his little family, but he's looser, less noble, and a lot less remorseful. Silence fell for a few seconds before he added, "They never targeted humans, at least not until the nature of Cordelia's visions changed."
"I don't understand."
"You know about her visions don't you?" She nodded. "Well, the visions were killing her, literally." He glanced at her before turning back to the road. "When Angel talked to the Powers That Be, they weren't interested in saving her life, so he went to the Senior Partners. They struck a deal with the Powers, and as a result, Cordy's not entirely human anymore, she's stopped aging, and no longer feels pain when she has visions." He hit the brake at a red light before pressing on the accelerator when it turned green. "And all Angel and his family have to do in return is arrange for the visions, the killings," he added, "to happen."
"So the Senior Partners tampered with the visions?"
Lindsey shook his head. "As far as I know they're still coming from the Powers. Angel wouldn't have agreed otherwise, but," he shrugged, "instead of killing the demons in the visions they're making sure the humans in them die."
She ran a hand through her hair. She didn't really know Lindsey, and what he was saying was...
"There's one more thing you should know," he broke into her thoughts, "You remember what I told you about the boundary spell Angel put around L.A.?"
"It was actually pretty smart," Buffy answered almost absently as she struggled to take everything in. "Demons can come into town, but can't leave, and once in L.A., they're no stronger than humans."
Lindsey nodded. "It does sound like a good plan doesn't it? Except now the only reason Angel hunts is for fun. He doesn't feel there's a need to do more. The demons in town are afraid of him, and those that aren't, those that have given him information over the years, or something else of value, they get rewarded with the return of their strength... or even with a human kill every now and then."
Angel entered Wolfram and Hart and immediately headed into the basement. Turning to watch him, Willow smiled. Come to think of it, she could use a turn in the basement herself, but not while her sire was down there. There were certain things she liked to keep to herself and her hours downstairs were one of them. Although she had to wonder if his admonishment to leave Buffy to him meant he had more knowledge than she realized.
She shrugged and headed toward the stairs, and the apartments on the top floor.
"Willow," Xander called from the lounge as she walked past the doorway. "Where've you been?"
She stepped into the room. "With Angel... tracking a demon."
Wesley laughed. "Did you manage to kill it? It's hard to do now that they can barely beat up a human."
"We didn't want to kill it."
"Oh?" Giles raised an eyebrow. "Then I assume our sire's enjoying himself about now."
Cordelia crossed her arms and glared at the ex-librarian, but it was Willow that broke the silence. "We didn't catch it."
Xander looked up with surprise. "How is that possible?"
Willow sighed. "It was about five feet tall, blonde, about a hundred and fifteen pounds, and doesn't seem to be affected by the boundary."
"Buffy's double?" Giles questioned as he stared at her incredulously. "You let it get away?"
"We had it," she defended, "but that was before Lindsey came along in his junky pickup and ran us over."
"Lindsey," Xander sat up. "He has something to do with her?"
"Evidently," the redhead moved over to drop down on the sofa.
"That would explain a lot," Wesley murmured thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Poor Linds... trying to play in games outside of his league."
Agreement ran through the room, the soft chuckles broken into by Cordelia, "Where's Angel?"
The redhead looked at her coolly. "He's in the basement."
The seer looked at the floor, carefully hiding her expression. "Down with his whores," she murmured. "I don't understand why he keeps them."
Amused eyes met around the room as the brunette studied her fingernails. "I'm sure," Giles spoke up diplomatically, "our sire has nothing but your comfort in mind."
Schooling her features carefully, Cordelia looked up. "Thank you, Giles. I'm sure that's all it is."
Dawn listened to the footsteps coming down the hall and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't worried they were coming for her. They seldom did. But that didn't stop her from beginning to pace restlessly. Her turning was swift when the footsteps stopped outside her door, the clank of the key inserting into the lock making her back away. "Angel," she greeted uneasily.
He closed the door firmly before turning to her with gold eyes. "Hello Dawn," he murmured as he watched her without moving forward.
She studied him carefully, unconsciously looking him over. When she'd been younger Angel had only been a friend to her, and her sister's love interest... but she was older now and her sister was dead, and Angel wasn't the same goody two shoes he'd always been. As gorgeous as he was though, he'd never done more than lock her in a cell and visit occasionally. That wasn't the case for the others in the cells near hers though. She'd heard their screams and whimpers when they were visited by the vampires that had once been her sister's closest friends. "Why are you here?"
His eyes hadn't left her, their glow shining through the dimly lit room. He cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. "I want something," his voice was smooth as silk... and dangerous to anyone that knew him like she did. "And I think you can get it for me."
She studied him incredulously. "Really? Because from where I'm at, I don't see it happening."
"This isn't where you're going to be," he filled her in. "And what I want, will come to you."
She raised an eyebrow as he tossed a pair of cuffs at her. "Put them on. And make sure they're tight Dawn. I'd hate for you to get hurt," he purred the last part, and she shivered as his maleness washed over her. Cuffing her own hands, she moved toward him when instructed. There really wasn't much reason to try to fight him, it would only get her hurt. And even though she knew she was treated better than the others, she also knew being Buffy's sister would only get her so far if she fought back.
Cordelia looked up when the door to her suite was pushed open before looking back at the television. "Did you have a good time?"
Angel closed the door with a bang. "Not yet, but soon I hope." He moved predatorily to where she sat on the sofa. "I want you. Now."
Brown eyes looked up into his, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I don't take orders. Besides, you seem a little... out of control tonight."
"Out of control with you?" He looked back at her. "I wouldn't dream of it."
She narrowed her eyes but continued the playful banter. "I hear you had a busy night."
"Yeah." He reached for her wrist and pulled her to her feet before his arms slid around her waist. He'd just started to nuzzle her neck hungrily when she pushed him back. "No biting."
He stared at her before pulling her closer. "No biting," he agreed, "unless you ask."
She smiled. "Good." Angel leaned down to kiss her as he worked on unzipping her skirt. Surprisingly, seeing Buffy's clone hadn't sent him to darker pursuits in the basement. No. Instead, he wanted something less... bloody and more tender. He wondered at that even as Cordelia's skirt slid to the floor. Taking a slightly less than tender handful of her flesh, he realized what he wanted. The clone's blood and body. Instinctively he knew he would have little interest in others once he had her, not if she was as good a copy as he thought. There would be only passion, her body, her blood... her wish she'd never existed.