Buffy sat curled up on the couch staring out the window. It had been a couple of weeks since she had turned into a demon. She didn't sleep anymore, so she just hung out on the couch and watched the world go on without her. Angel and Connor had a tendency to hover, so she usually forced them out of the penthouse. During her brooding sessions, she allowed Illyria to tell her all about the things they could do. The demon was trying to make the best of the situation by teaching Buffy about her newfound powers.

I don't know why you brood when you could conquer the world.

"I don't want the world. And I'm not brooding. I'm mourning the life that was stolen from me." Buffy said softly.

You've been presented with a better life!

"It's not better! Better would've been watching the man I love get his reward and us finally getting to have a normal life together. Watching us both grow old and maybe have a couple of kids and a dog."

But you've accepted that it's gone. Why do you still mourn it?

"Because it's all I've ever wanted. Since the day I met Angel…. I just wanted to be with him. There was no other future for me."

I don't understand. You still have that chance. You will have that chance for generations to come. What is that phrase I've heard in your mind? You're beating a dead horse.

"Stay out of my mind."

I cannot. You know this. Our minds are bound together.

Buffy sighed and stood up. She walked into her's and Angel's bedroom and opened the walk-in closet doors. At the end of the room was a lighted floor-to-ceiling mirror. "I hate this armor and I hate the blue on my hair and skin."

What do you want to look like?

"Myself."

Then look like yourself.

Buffy concentrated like Illyria was training her to and she watched as the blue left her hair and skin, and the armor faded away to reveal her naked body. The Slayer looked over herself and saw the subtle changes she couldn't hide. Her skin was now hard as steel and it had a slight sheen to it. She had no blood left in her, so she was completely white. And her eyes…. Where once they had been a greenish hazel color, they were now a bright cerulean blue that seemed to glow slightly.

You are a magnificent host.

"Did you just compliment me?" Buffy shook her head. "I can't go around looking this pale. I look like I belong to a goth club." She grabbed a robe and threw it on as she walked back out to the living room and grabbed the cordless phone. "Hey, Lorne? I need your help."

When Angel got home that afternoon, the penthouse had been taken over. There were people everywhere, wracks of clothes were being gone through, there was a chair with hair tools and makeup around it, and a large tent-looking thing had been set up. Lorne stood with Buffy and a woman talking amongst themselves.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Angel asked.

Buffy and Lorne turned to him and Angel had to do a double-take at his wife. Her hair was fuller and layered and a lighter blonde that was painted to blend with her darker blonde roots. Her nails and toes had been done and it looked like her eyelashes had been tinted darker and lengthened. Buffy groaned up at Lorne and gave him a pleading look.

"Fine." Lorne walked over to Angel. "Hi, Angelcakes! You're home early."

"I was worried about my wife!"

"She's perfectly fine. In good hands. I'm sure you have something work-related you can go back to for a few more hours."

"I cleared my schedule."

"This is me telling you that your wife wants you to go away and come back later when you were supposed to."

"Why?"

"Because she wants to surprise you."

"The surprise is ruined now. I'm here!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked over. "Please go away."

"Buffy…."

"Angel, I love you. I'm fine. Please go away until six this evening." She reached up and kissed him lightly before turning him and gently pushing him towards the private elevator. He looked confused and exasperated as the doors closed on him.

"That was close," Lorne said. "How are you feeling about this so far?"

"I'm feeling good. Let's finish this spray tan consultation and get me back to normal."

"We've missed you, strudel. It'll be nice to have you back."

"I can't brood forever. Besides, Angel is the king of brooding around here and I don't want to steal that title from him."

Lorne laughed and hugged her tightly.

Angel was sitting at his desk and tapping his pen on a file as he stared at the clock. Spike walked in carrying a briefcase and looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"What?" Angel asked.

"This place is less crowded than it usually is."

"Gunn is on leave, Wes and Fred took a long weekend, Lorne is with Buffy upstairs…."

"How's she doing?"

"I don't know. She's like a ghost these days. Just wanders around the penthouse and stares out the window. She talks to herself a lot, but I think it's just conversations with Illyria."

"Getting blue balls, are ya?"

"Spike…."

"It's been two and a half weeks since she changed. You two usually went at it like Catholic bunnies and now…."

"I don't care about sex." Spike lifted an eyebrow at him. "It's not the main point of our relationship. We had a few years where we couldn't have sex. We used to talk. All the time. We never lost that even when we added the sex in. Since this happened to her…. She doesn't talk to me anymore."

"She doesn't say much of anything anymore, Peaches. She's been through a traumatic event and she's coping with it the best way she knows how."

Angel sighed and sat back in his chair, tossing his pen on the desk. "When she killed the Master and then went through coming back to Sunnydale and being faced with him coming back…. It was me she turned to. We spent hours talking about what happened and how she felt. That was before we knew about the loophole in the curse. Even when things heated up between us back then, we still talked."

"She'll open up eventually, Angel. Wait, why is Lorne with her?"

"I don't know. A makeover? She kicked me out."

Spike laughed. "Good old Buffy. A makeover and she's back to herself."

"What?"

"Back when she and I started up, she freaked out and cut off all her hair. Those long, luscious locks gone because I called her my Goldilocks."

"I'd cut my hair off, too."

"Hey!"

"But you're right. After she died the first time…. She cut off her hair. Gave herself a whole new look."

"She experimented with curls once."

"When?"

"Her Freshman year of college."

"Big change in her life, new hair."

"She's going to be just fine, Peaches." Spike sat down across from Angel. "So what's on the agenda?"

"Uh, I have assignments for people."

"Am I in there?" Angel handed Spike a piece of paper from the stack on his desk. "Hey, bullet points. Classy. Why am I always reconnaissance? I should get a decently flash gig like 'save the girl' or 'steal the emerald with the girl.'"

"I should never have brought her here. Bad things always happen here."

"Hate to break it to you, mate, but bad things always happen everywhere. Besides, this was Buffy's choice. You know her pretty well, mate. Think you could've stopped her." Spike looked at him. "Bugger. You're fixing to do something stupid, aren't you?"

"Done it. Came here. Spend every day lying to myself about making the world a better place."

"Welcome to the planet. We all paint on our happy faces every day when all we really wanted is to pound the neighbor's missis, steal his Ben Franklins, and while we're at it, not think about the third of the world that's starving to death."

"I'm not saying that I can fix everything. I just…. I have to do better. The Senior Partners have a plan."

"Yeah, the prophecy. That ever-lovin' apocalypse you keep going on about."

"Yeah, which apocalypse? The one last year or the year before that? No, the Senior Partners are up to something now, and I'm not waiting for them to spring it on us. We're through operating in the dark."

"Ok, then. Might be easier if we knew anyone who had a direct line to the big guys."

Angel looked at Spike as an idea popped into his head. "Eve." He looked at the clock. "Five hours until I can go home. Let's see what we can get done in five hours."

"Give us a twirl, sugarplum," Lorne said. Buffy did a slow spin for Lorne and everyone in the room clapped for her.

Is this what people worship now? Beauty and fashion? Illyria asked.

Some people do. Buffy thought back. You're inhabiting the body of someone who very much appreciates makeup and good hair and clothes and shoes.

We do look magnificent. I will no longer trouble you about my armor.

Thanks?

"What do you think, Buffy?" Lorne asked.

"I think I love it. I look like my old self, but with better hair." Buffy laughed. "Illyria likes it, too, for the record."

"I told you that you wouldn't regret those hair extensions." He kissed both of her cheeks and turned to everyone. "Ok, people, it's time to clear out. Leave the clothes and shoes in the boss's closet, please. Our decorators and chefs will be here in just ten minutes and we need to give them the space."

"Thank you so much for doing this, Lorne. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, honey, anything for you. Especially if it gets you back on your feet after all the trauma with Illyria."

"I still have so much to learn about what I am and what powers I have, but as long as we can find some compromise between us…." Buffy shrugged. "It's not so bad."

"Listen, you just sit down and relax. Marco!" Lorne snapped at one of the men bustling around. "Marco, dear, stay here and make sure this goddess has everything she needs. Rub her shoulders if you can." He turned back to Buffy. "I'm going to go down and speak with Van about tomorrow's schedule and check on Angelcakes to make sure he's not doing anything crazy."

"You won't…."

"I won't mention a thing about the dinner. Cross my heart." Lorne made an X sign over his left butt cheek and headed to the private elevator. When the elevator door opened to Angel's office, Lorne found Angel and Spike standing over a very disheveled Eve. "What in Satan's butt crack is that skank doing here?"

Everyone looked over, startled. "She's under my protection." Angel finally said.

"That makes perfect sense." Lorne rolled his eyes. "She doesn't need protection. She needs a firing squad."

"He's not wrong," Spike said.

"The good news is that I can take that protection away with one phone call," Angel responded. "Convince me not to, Eve."

"How can I?" Eve pouted.

"Let's start with something easy, huh? You."

"Me?"

"What are you? What do you do for the Senior Partners?"

"I'm a liaison. I liaise." Lorne moved forward to punch her, but Angel caught him. "Look, what do you want me to say? I'm a leprechaun. I'm from Brigadoon."

"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one," Spike said.

"There are layers upon layers at Wolfram & Hart, Angel, things you'll never understand. What am I? I'm a child of the Senior Partners, created to do their bidding."

"You're an immortal," Angel said. "Why are you here?"

"To watch. Tell them what I see. Pass on messages to you, if there are any."

"So you're, uh, middle management?" Spike asked.

"What are the Senior Partners, huh?" Angel asked. "What do they…."

"No idea." Eve interrupted.

"Eve," Angel growled.

"Do you honestly believe the Senior Partners would let me have access to that information? Angel, for someone so old, you're so young. I only know what they want me to know and only when they want me to know it."

"You don't know anything?"

"Maybe. Maybe I know a lot, but I don't have access to it. It's locked in my head somewhere, and I don't have the key. Ready for the funny part? There was someone who could've told you everything you want to know and you let the senior partners take him away."

"Lindsey."

"Lindsey's dedicated years of his life to the study of the Senior Partners. No one knows more about them than he does…. What they've done…. What they plan to do…."

"I thought he was after me. You're saying bringing Spike back, the fail-safe, that was all about the Senior Partners?"

"No. It's about you, too. He really doesn't like you, but he may know more about you than…. Well, then you do."

"Which is why they snatched him up."

"Yeah." Spike agreed. "They couldn't risk him and you having a sit-down."

"And now…. What he's going through…." Eve shook her head sadly.

"They didn't kill him?" Angel asked.

"They would want him to suffer horrors. Lindsey is in some hideous, awful hell."

Angel turned to Lorne. "Is she lying?"

Lorne sighed with a roll of his eyes and looked at Eve expectantly. "I told you once what songs would get you killed. Start singing." Eve groaned and started singing the Pina Colada song.

While Lorne was listening, Spike walked over to Angel. "There's thousands of different kinds of hells. You got your fire hell, your ice hell, your…. Ice hell, your upside-down hell."

"I don't care if he's in toy poodles on parade hell." Angel snapped. "He's got information that we need."

"According to the girl whose only reason for being is to see her little pookie bear again."

"I'm not lying." Eve insisted. She looked pleadingly at Lorne. "Well, tell him I'm not lying."

"No one can fake it through the pina colada song," Lorne said. "Not once the chorus kicks in."

Angel rubbed his face. "If Lindsey can tell me what the Senior Partners have planned, I want him. You got a better idea how to do it, I'm totally open."

"Didn't say that," Spike said. "Just pointed out that this one sucks. We're looking for a hell dimension in a haystack. How are we supposed to know…."

Gunn walked into the office wearing his street clothes and a clean-shaven head. "I know and I can get us in."

"Us?" Angel asked.

"Uh…." Lorne looked at his watch. "You have to be home in three hours."

Angel gave Lorne a confused look. "I'll be home on time."

"Look, Buffy's really excited about tonight. She's got a surprise planned and you, bub, do not need to miss it."

"She planned a surprise for me?"

"Of course she did! Just because she's a demon now doesn't mean she stopped being your gorgeous, amazing, bright wife."

"I know that."

"She's been in a funk and she's ready to get out of it and she doesn't need you being late for her surprise. Three hours."

"Find a hell dimension, defeat foes, grab lawyer boy, lock him up somewhere safe, get home…. I'd say we can do that in two hours." Spike said. "Let's go!"

Angel looked at Lorne. "Harmony's going to be your backup. Please keep an eye on Eve."

"Time's ticking, bub." Lorne said, tapping his watch.

Buffy walked out of the private elevator into her's and Angel's office. She found Eve pacing and Lorne and Harmony sitting on the desk. Lorne looked over and sighed. "I'm so sorry, sugarplum! Angel got caught up in his escape-from-hell plan and he must've lost track of time."

Harmony ran over and walked around Buffy. "Wow, boss! I love this new look! Becoming a demon did you some serious good!"

Buffy glared at Harmony for a moment and then looked over at Lorne. "He's not here? Wait…. He's in hell?"

"He's in a holding dimension." Eve said. "What is taking so long? They should be back by now."

"Why the hell is she here?"

"Angel went to break Lindsey out of his hell slash holding cell." Harmony said. "It's really hard to get a firm ETA on alternate dimension travel. I've tried."

"You tried with Angel just now?"

"About an hour ago."

"And why is my husband breaking his mortal enemy out of his hell slash holding cell?"

"He knows something that Angel wants to know," Lorne said.

"What's that?"

"Hopefully whatever the Senior Partners are up to. Where's Connor?"

"He called and said that his car was stuck in traffic." Buffy sat down on the couch. "Well, this sucks. Dinner's getting cold."

"I'm sorry, Buffy." Lorne sat down and hugged her tightly. "This was supposed to be your big night."

Buffy glared at Eve. "Would you sit the hell down? You're making me dizzy."

Eve plopped down in a chair. "I just want Lindsey back and I don't want to die."

That perked Buffy up. "You're going to die? How? When?"

"There's apparently a man after Eve," Lorne said. "Angel gave her his protection."

"He gave me strict instructions," Harmony chimed in. "No torture. Eve is totally safe."

"You don't get it!" Eve cried. "Some stupid legal order isn't going to matter. The Senior Partners…."

"Nobody can darken our bullet-proof doors," Lorne said. "Not without our fearless leader's say-so. This place is a fortress."

"Um…. I can veto that say-so." Buffy said.

"Please don't!" Eve cried.

Please do. You hate this one and wish her harm.

Yeah, but sadly she's immortal.

If this man coming for her can kill her, then so can we.

Before Buffy could answer, the security alarms started blaring. Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Eve. "Who's this person coming after you?" A man walked off the elevator into the lobby area. "Oh, he's handsome."

"Oh god!" Eve cried, trying to hide behind Buffy.

A security guard ran toward the man, pulling out his gun. "Hey, you, stop! Put your hands up!" The man punched through the stomach of the security guard. He dropped the body and headed towards Buffy's office. Lorne and Harmony pulled Eve towards the elevator as Buffy walked out to meet the man.

"That was Ricardo!" Buffy complained. "He was a good man."

"My apologies, Mrs. McKittrick." The man said, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his hand clean.

"Wow. That's the first time anyone's used my married name." She sighed. "How can I help you…."

"Marcus Hamilton, your new liaison to the Senior Partners."

"Seriously?" Buffy smiled. "Eve's out?"

"Yes. The Senior Partners felt it was time for a change. Eve was too easily distracted. Lost sight of the big picture."

"That whole thing with Lindsey?"

"Yes."

Buffy nodded. "Are you planning to kill her?"

"No." Hamilton pulled out a contract. "She just needs to sign this contract and she will forfeit her immortality and certain other privileges."

"Why am I a little sad the answer wasn't yes?" Buffy sighed. "Come on. I think they went down to the motor pool." She led Hamilton over to the private elevator.

"Might I say that this makeover of yours is quite fetching?"

"You can say. Thank you."

"Terribly sorry about this whole business ruining your plans with your family this evening."

"Eve ruins a lot. I'm used to it by now."

"I hope with this change, I can be of better assistance to you and Angel."

"I doubt Angel will be happy with it, but you've got my vote." When the doors opened, a very beat-up Angel and Spike were standing with a downed Lindsey. Lorne and Eve were standing with their backs to the elevator. Harmony was looking at Eve and Lindsey with disgust.

Eve and Lorne turned around as Angel said, "Damn, he is well-dressed." Then his face melted into one of confusion. "Buffy?"

"Surprise," Buffy said. She looked at Eve. "You. Please come sign this thing and get the hell out of my hair."

"What's going on?" Angel asked.

Hamilton looked at Eve. "You know how it works, Eve."

"You could talk to the Senior Partners." Eve pleaded. "Tell them it's a mistake."

"That's impossible." He handed Eve a pen and the contract. "Sign here." She signed. "Good girl."

"What the hell's going on?" Angel asked.

"I'm Marcus Hamilton, your new liaison to the Senior Partners. Your wife, Mrs. McKittrick, and I have already been introduced."

"Mrs. McKittrick?" Lorne asked. He looked at Angel. "You've got a last name?"

"When I was human, my name was Liam Connor McKittrick." Angel admitted. He looked at Hamilton. "How did you know that?"

"I know a lot." Hamilton said.

"I thought you said you were gonna die." Spike said to Eve.

"And now one day I will." Eve sighed.

"That contract she signed makes her a regular human," Buffy said before muttering to herself, "Must be nice."

Angel looked at her sadly, then registered her appearance. "Buffy, you look…."

"Save it. The surprise is already ruined." She sighed and headed for the elevator.

"Wonderful escape, by the way," Hamilton said to Angel. "Very clever. We'll be in touch. Oh, I have some excellent ideas I can't wait to share."

"This is my house. The only ideas that matter are mine."

"And your wife's. She is co-CEO, is she not?"

"Keep your eyes in your head, buster. I don't want to see you ogling my wife."

"Perhaps someone should. I'm looking forward to working myself into the mix. Angel, Spike, welcome to the team."

"Well, he's not so bad." Lorne said.

Angel turned and went to the elevator. He rode up to the penthouse and mentally slapped himself when he found Buffy cleaning up a very large and fancy dinner. "Buffy…."

"It was a surprise. You didn't know." Buffy said, clearly upset.

"I tried to make it back in time. Where's Connor?"

"Stuck in traffic." Angel walked over to her and went to hug her, but he stopped himself when he realized he was covered in blood from his gunshot wounds.

Buffy looked up at him. "Come on. Let's get those bullets out of you."

"Hey," He used his curled finger to lift her face towards his. "You look incredible."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Thank you."

The elevator opened and Lorne led Spike, Eve, and Lindsey into the room. Buffy sighed and walked into the bedroom, dragging Angel with her and closing the door. She sat him down in the bathroom and ripped his shirt off. He decided not to make a comment and let her get to work on gently digging the bullets out of him. Eventually, she asked him what he'd been up to and he told her. She didn't speak as he told her and continued to stay silent as she grabbed him another shirt and walked out into the living room.

Lorne was sitting at the bar with Spike using some hefty tweezers to pull bullets out of the vampire's back. Lindsey and Eve were sitting side-by-side on the couch with Lindsey leaning on Eve's shoulder. Connor had made it home and Fred and Wesley were sitting on another couch.

Angel walked out behind Buffy and Lindsey looked over at him. "Oh, look. It's the hero of the hour."

"I'm not your hero. I'm your warden." Angel responded.

"It's all how you look at the glass."

"I thought a few months of torture at the hands of the Senior Partners would have dug a little deeper."

"Just scratched the surface. Turns out they can only undo you as far as you think you deserve to be undone. I wonder how Gunn's gonna make out."

"Gunn?" Buffy asked.

"He stayed behind," Spike said. "An exchange had to be made and he chose to stay so Pookie Bear over there could get out."

Buffy glared at Angel. He hadn't mentioned that part. "And you think Gunn was an acceptable trade for that guy?"

"Buffy…."

"I need air." She walked out of the penthouse.
"What did I miss?" Connor asked.

Angel looked at Lindsey. "The Senior Partners. I want to know everything you know about them. About the apocalypse, about their plans for me…."

"And for me," Spike added. " The guy with the pen said, 'welcome to the team.' Must've meant something."

Lindsey shrugged. "You know what I know. Look around. The world's a cesspool, full of selfish and greedy beasts. We live, we die." He looked at Eve. "Even you, babe."

"Lindsey, don't." Eve pouted.

"You still happy to see me?"

"Yeah, hell's on earth." Angel snapped. "Holland manners tried to sell me that line three years ago."

"Did you ever prove him wrong?"

"All how you look at the glass. You know, Lindsey, we can philosophize all night. Hell, we could do it forever, huh? I don't need to eat, sleep, drink…. How about you?"

"That's what I like to see, the Angel of yore. Takes no prisoners, suffers no fools. How 'bout this? It's here. It's been here all along. Underneath. You're just too damn stupid to see it."

"See what?"

"The apocalypse, man. You're soaking in it."

"I've seen an apocalypse or two in my time," Spike interjected. "I'd know of one was under my nose."

"Not an apocalypse. The apocalypse. What'd you think, a gong was gonna sound? Time to jump on your horses and fight the big fight? Starting pistol went off a long time ago, boys. You're playing for the bad guys. Every day you sit behind your desk and you learn a little more how to accept the world the way it is. Well, here's the rub…. Heroes don't do that. Heroes don't accept the world the way it is. They fight it."

"You're saying everything we do," Angel sighed. "It's a distraction to keep us busy from looking under the surface?"

"Ding! We have a winner! The world keeps sliding towards entropy and degradation, and what do you do? You sit in your big chair, and you sign your checks, just like the Senior Partners planned. The war's here, Angel. And you're already two soldiers down." Lindsey glanced at where Buffy had walked out.

"She's not down. She's coping." Angel stood up. "Wesley, make sure Lindsey gets locked up and kept safe." He glared at Lindsey for a moment before going to look for Buffy.