Chapter Six

Angel walked through Sunnydale's deserted playground. Around him, a carousel slowly turned when an evening breeze came. As usual, the wind didn't affect his dead and cold body. Angel noticed a small boy ahead of him sitting on a swing; he assumed the boy was waiting on his ride. Angel shook his head. People in Sunnydale should know better than to leave their kids unattended, especially at night.

"Are you lost?"

His eyebrows furrowed at the voice. Slowly, a woman with long brown hair and a white dress walked towards the boy. It was Drusilla. He stood there shocked, having not seen his Childe in years. She looked weaker than the last time he'd seen her. Her skin had an unusual paleness, even more so than the average vampire. A result of the mob that attacked her in Progue that Giles had informed him on. He was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of Drusilla's rambling.

"My mummy used to sing me to sleep at night. Run and catch," Drusilla sing-song. "The lamb is caught in the blackberry patch... She had the sweetest voice. What will your mummy sing when they find your body?"

The boy looked at her nervously. "I'm not supposed to talk to people."

"Oh," Drusilla said, a mischievous look on her face. "Well, I'm not a person, see, so that's just…"

Angel suddenly stepped between her and the boy.

"Run home," Angel said to the child sternly.

The boy didn't hesitate and ran away as Drusilla watched in dismay. Angel took a breath and turned around to face her.

She took a look at him, and a soft smile spread across her face. "My Angel!"

"Hello, Drusilla."

"Do you remember the song mummy used to sing me?" Drusilla asked, slowly walking around him. "Pretty."

"I remember."

"Yes, you do," she said sadly.

Angel looked down guiltily. He still hadn't forgiven himself for the horror he'd put her and thousands of others through as his time as Angelus. But that was a lifetime ago, and he was different.

"Drusilla, leave here. I'm offering you that chance. Take Spike and get out."

"Or you'll hurt me?" she asked.

Angel looked down at the ground. He couldn't hurt her. Maybe it was guilt that made him feel this way. He turned her into what she is today, the same with Spike. Darla was different; she created Angelus and deserved to die, as much as it pained him to do it. But all of Drusilla and Spike's innocent victims are because of him. He couldn't hurt Drusilla, but Spike was a different matter.

Drusilla must've sensed how conflicted he was. "No. No, you can't. Not anymore.

"If you don't leave, it'll go badly," he replied. "For all of us."

Just because he couldn't hurt her didn't mean she was safe. He knew Buffy wouldn't hesitate.

Drusilla frowned. "My dear boy's gone all away, hasn't he? To her."

Angel looked at her, confused. "Who?"

"The girl. The Slayer. Your heart stinks of her," Drusilla replied and rested her hand atop his chest. "And soon Spike's heart will as well."

"What does that mean?" Angel asked.

Drusilla removed her hand and shook her head violently. "Both of you have left me to play in the sunshine."

Angel grabbed her upper arms to stop her shaking and asked frantically, "Have you seen the future? Does Spike kill her?"

"He will have her heart soon," she replied, meeting his eyes. "And she will have his. We can't let that happen."

"I-I don't understand," he studdered. Spike had never been one to toy with his victims; that was always Angelus's style. Why would he want Buffy's heart? For some ritual?

And then it all clicked together. Spike was in Sunnydale to restore Drusilla's health, and Spike needed Buffy's heart for it.

Drusilla gave him a look of pity. "You're confused, my dear Angel. You will see soon enough, and when you do, find me. We will fix this together."

"This can't go on, Drusilla. It's gotta end."

Drusilla reached up for a kiss. "Oh, no, my pet. This is just the beginning." She pulled away without kissing him and gave him an evil smile. "Poor little thing," she said. "She has no idea what's in store."

She kept her head turned to him as she slowly turned away. Angel watched her go before turning to leave himself, still unsure what Drusilla meant, but determined to find out.

Buffy watched their retreating figures walk away from each other at the edge of a roof, trying to understand what she had just witnessed. That brunette was the same woman from the photo she had seen in Giles's notes weeks ago: Drusilla. Buffy stepped away from the edge of the roof and ran off.

"Do you know who she was?" Willow asked Buffy the next day at school.

Buffy nodded her head. "She looked identical to a photo I saw in Giles's notes a month ago. He said her name was Drusilla. Spike's girlfriend."

"Oh," Willow frowned. "Well, if she's Spike's girlfriend, then why was she with Angel?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. But they looked pretty friendly."

"Who's friendly?" Xander asked, coming up behind them in the hallway.

"Buffy saw Angel with Spike's girlfriend last night," Willow informed him.

"Willow, do we have to be in total share mode?" Buffy asked, slightly annoyed.

"Spike has a girlfriend?" Xander asked, shocked. "Undead or not, a woman interested in that bleached menace must have some serious issues."

Buffy turned her head away to hide her blushing cheeks. The last thing she wanted was Xander to find out that she was indeed one of those crazy women interested in Spike.

Xander continued, "Maybe they were all vampire buddies when Angel was evil. Unless he still is. That wouldn't surprise me. And hey, if Angel's doing something wrong, I wanna know cause it gives me a happy!"

"Mm, I'm glad someone has a happy," Buffy replied.

"Aw, you need cheering up. And I know just the thing!" Xander said as he made a wild move. "Crazed dance party at the Bronze!"

"I dunno," Buffy said, crossing her arms, depressed. She didn't want to party when the only thing she had on her mind was the two vampires she had feelings for involved in some way or another with this vampire Drusilla. She hadn't seen Spike since Halloween, thank god. The next time she saw him, she knew she would have to kill him. The body count in Sunnydale was starting to pile up the longer he was alive. She had to do her Slayer duty and put an end to him. And she was determined to do precisely that.