Chapter 15

April 30, 2001

"You know most people knock." Her few months here taught her the valuable skill of a good snarky come back. "By the look of the crossbows and scared little girls I'm assuming this is the crack team of betrayers. You can leave."

"Hybrid sweetie those crossbows look mighty mean…the people attached to them don't look to friendly either." Lorne whispers into her ear. That Slayer fire present even now inside of Liz could very well get her into some trouble and that's the last thing any of them need.

Wesley having heard the doors banging open ran to his weapon cabinet suiting up for a battle and ran downstairs to fight whatever evil dared cross their doorstep. Much to his surprise it was Giles, Faith, the Scoobies, and the Potentials Buffy spoke of standing in the doorway. "Why are Earth are you pointing crossbows at Liz and Lorne?" Buffy questions from the entrance to the basement.

Cordelia, Fred, and Gunn come charging downstairs from their rooms packing stakes, crossbows, and flame-throwers thinking Angelus got lose somehow. Buffy leaves the entryway leading to the basement right by her side is Angelus looking pissed off. "WHOA! He out!" Cordelia raises a crossbow but Buffy stops her with a loud 'No.'

"It's fine Cordy, we have a deal." Buffy simply tells her not willing to explain any further right now. At the moment they have much more important things to deal with, the group in front of them the main concern. "Now I ask again, why are you pointing crossbows at my friends?"

Giles seeing the fire in Buffy's eyes lowers his crossbow signaling the others to follow suit. "I apologize Buffy, we saw a demon and assumed he was one of the many evil demons roaming this city." He says with a little sarcastic edge.

"Well, that's two things you were wrong about Ripper." Angelus snarls from behind his love. He promised he wouldn't kill anyone while out of his cage. If he did it'd be right back into his metal prison waiting for the soul to be jammed back in and he'd be back in his normal cell.

Faith shoots quick glances from Angelus to Buffy to Giles. How the Hell did he get loose? Most importantly why is he roaming around the hotel no problem? Giles does not look happy, Faith can see he's twitching, he wants to raise that crossbow right back up and point it at the evil demon that killed his girlfriend.

"Have you truly lost your mind Buffy? You let a killer roam free and you do nothing?" Giles narrows his eyes.

Liz keeps her expression neutral—or as neutral as possible with a group of people grating on her last nerve. She too wonders why Buffy let Angelus out, doesn't think it's such a great idea but it's a concern that she'd take up with Buffy in private. The last thing her friend needs is to have another friend question her judgement in front of everyone.

"No Giles I haven't lost my mind." She crosses his arms and offers no more insight on that matter. "Now since I can tell you probably won't leave unless you say your peace why don't you come in. Luckily this is one place you can't kick me out of." Buffy digs. Angelus wraps his arm around her waist and they walk together to the front desk.

These meddlesome humans hurt his mate one too many times. Before he wasn't really trying to kill them back when Buffy was in high school, that would hurt Buffy but now he can honestly say he doesn't think Buff would miss them. Dawn maybe but none of the others, he could spend months torturing them all. Angelus salivates at the thought that would be delicious.

With obvious reluctance the group enters the large lobby keeping watchful eyes on Angelus and Buffy who is rising up to sit on the surface of the front desk. Angelus stands by her side comforting her with his presence alone.

Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Liz, and Fred stand near Buffy showing a united front against the unwelcome guests. None of them may understand or agree with Buffy letting Angelus roam free but they all agreed on one thing, Buffy knows what she's doing, if she and Angelus came to a deal they would support her.

"So, mind telling me what all of you are doing here? Last I knew none of you wanted me anymore." Angelus growls at that but keep uncharacteristically quiet. This is something Buffy needs to handle herself, she wouldn't be pleased if he spoke up right now.

Willow speaks first. "We heard you left Sunnydale. What would happen if we need you Buffy?"

Buffy stares at her in confusion. "Ok so let me get this straight, you wanted me out of my own home because you didn't trust my judgement, which by the way is perfectly fine. However you want me around just in case you need some muscle. Is that about the gist of it." Her voice is as hard as steel but her eyes flare with fury.

"We needed you out of the house Buffy but not out of the fight. Can't you see that we still need you to be a Slayer?" Xander argues. Faith closes her eyes against Xander's stupidity that would not be the winning argument to get her back.

"What are you talking about Xander, we don't need her." Kennedy jumps into the conversation. "She's been getting us killed, besides we have a Slayer, we don't need Buffy. Still don't know why the Hell we're here in the first place."

Liz pushes her body away from the front desk and stalks up to the annoying girl. The brunette with a big mouth can only be a few months younger than her but Liz can't help but view her as a child. "Listen little girl, you need to learn some respect. You have not been fighting the forces of evil for eight years; you shouldn't have say in anything. If it were up to me you'd bow to Buffy because she deserves to be bowed to for everything she has done."

Angelus smirks at Liz standing up to the annoying one. He knew there was something about this girl, besides Angel's residual feelings, that he liked. She has spunk, courage, and a vicious streak. As a creature of the night whose vicious streak is legendary he knows the signs. Buffy's expression is one of pride and awe, it has to have been a while since someone spoke up on her behalf and she's in slight shock.

"And who the Hell are you?" Kennedy sneers, she would not be put down by a girl who she viewed as her lesser.

A snide smirk creeps out onto Liz's lips. "Liz Parker, one of the many Potentials. However unlike you I seem to know my place in this world. You are not a Slayer, you may never become one but you certainly act like you are the next in line."

"You're a Potential? A little chubby aren't you? Not working out a whole lot?" To Kennedy's displeasure Liz doesn't lose her smirk. If anything it becomes more pronounced.

"Yeah pregnancy will do that to ya. Unfortunately you can't say the same thing. Got a little weight gain around your hips sweetie, a couple extra side leg lifts should help with that." Instantly Liz's smirk disappears and she, along with Angelus and Buffy, turns her head toward the double entrance doors. The slight shaking under their feet gets more prominent, tinkling of the glass light fixtures sound around the room.

Buffy jumps down from the front desk, from behind it she pulls out the scythe she took from Caleb and the First. Liz goes into an automatic fighting stance; Angel, Buffy, and Wesley have been helping her with her fighting skills. Angelus rushes to his weapon cabinet grabbing two swords swinging them expertly, Wesley and Gunn stand next to Liz while Cordy, Lorne, and Fred stay in the back but still ready to jump in the fray.

Liz expected the Beast to show up, but it wasn't the Beast. It was a group of demons, demons looking to kill all the innocents they followed from the second they entered LA. With a deep breath Liz gets ready to fight.

TBC